This time Shamim Sarif uses humor effectively to shed light on the cultural taboo of being in a same sex relationship. She re-casts Lisa Ray as the confident, bold and seductive Tala, working on her own business, opposite Sheetal Sheth as Leila, the shy, beautiful and insightful writer, and object of Tala’s affections.

Together they explore this very forbidden, but inevitable love, and find their way to each other, with each other’s help. But on the way, they are aided by friends in very humorous situations, and hindered by family members, still loyal to reserved tradition. The soundtrack is virtually its own character, as it includes catchy and sexy songs ranging from ethnic to ballad, which compliment Tala and Leila’s journey perfectly.

The cultural taboo of being in this relationship is a relatable conundrum that many same sex couples have faced, and despite this film’s focus on Jordanian and Indian cultures, the overarching theme of being threatened, disowned and shunned by family is universal and sadly, very relevant. All of the characters are funny and charming, and the dialogue is hilarious and smart, but never preachy. I found it particularly interesting how the fathers.

Again, Shamim Sarif achieves the kind of crossover appeal, that allows the universal themes of unstoppable love to trump the sometimes “hot button” issues of gender, political and sexual orientation components. Both leads and the entire supporting cast envelop us with hope, laughter and inspiration. This is another wonderful achievement in bringing another one of her books to life on the screen. We love this movie, and have viewed it several times-each time picking up another funny line of dialogue and rooting for the characters all over again.

Regardless of your sexual orientation, or interest in the film delivers genuine chemistry, and a poignant message of hope, equality, inspiration and entertainment. A special thank you to the director & writer for using her incredible talent to portray courageous, memorable and complex characters and real stories with universal themes!