Nafsu
| Nafsu | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Horror thriller |
| Screenplay by | Ahmed Zareer |
| Directed by | Ali Shazleem |
| Starring | Ahmed Saeed Mariyam Shifa Mariyam Shakeela Ali Shazleem Hamdhan Farooq |
| Music by | Mohamed Fuad |
| Country of origin | Maldives |
| Original language | Dhivehi |
| No. of series | 1 |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Production | |
| Producer | Mohamed Fuad |
| Cinematography | Ibrahim Misthaah |
| Editor | Ibrahim Misthaah |
| Production company | Island Pictures |
| Original release | |
| Release | June 22 – August 24, 2021 |
Nafsu is a Maldivian suspense thriller web series developed for Medianet Multi-Screen by
Male' city, and how the girl begins to unravel secrets about the guesthouse they stayed in while confronting long buried secrets regarding her past.[3]
Cast
Main
- Ahmed Saeed as Faiz
- Mariyam Shifa as Hudha
- Ali Shazleem as Imran
- Mariyam Shakeela as Afiya
- Nashidha Mohamed as Shamsiyya
- Aminath Shuha as Jaisha
- Suja Abdullah as Hamdhan
Recurring
- Hussain Rasheedh as Iliyas
- Mohamed Manik as Nimal
- Hamdhan Farooq as Afzal
- Ahmed Alam as Dr. Hussain Shahid
- Mohamed Nubail as Step Dad
- Mariyam Nisha as Hudha's Mother
- Maryam Nawla as Young Hudha
- Fathimath Sara Adam as Nadhaa
- Ahmed Solah as Buggy Driver
- Aishath Saajidha as Saaji/Police
- Ibrahim Rasheedh as Police
- Abdulla Saeedh as Police
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Original release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | "Episode 1" | Ali Shazleem | June 22, 2021 | |
| Hudha (Mariyam Shifa), a prideful arrogant young woman and the second wife, married to a wealthy middle-aged businessman, Faiz (Ahmed Saeed), who has a child of her age. Though Faiz is still married to his first wife, Shamsiyya (Nashidha Mohamed), he prioritizes his responsibilities towards Hudha. | |||||
| 2 | 2 | "Episode 2" | Ali Shazleem | June 29, 2021 | |
| Hudha starts experiencing a sleeping disorder, for which a physician recommends the couple to take a vacation and lead a stress-free life. Faiz discusses Hudha's health with Imran who suggests them an island vacation. Faiz's son, Hamdhan (Suja Abdullah) introduces his soon-to-be wife, Jaisha (Aminath Shuha). | |||||
| 3 | 3 | "Episode 3" | Ali Shazleem | July 6, 2021 | |
| Faiz and Hudha arrive at the guesthouse. There is a locked room in the guesthouse which seems to draw HUdha's attention. Faiz has to deal with Hudha's unusual mood swings. | |||||
| 4 | 4 | "Episode 4" | Ali Shazleem | July 13, 2021 | |
| Faiz and Hudha enjoy a stroll through the island. Something seems to bother Hudha. She unravels some hidden secrets inside the guesthouse. | |||||
| 5 | 5 | "Episode 5" | Ali Shazleem | July 20, 2021 | |
| Hudha keeps recalling strange memories. Faiz asks for Imran's help in dealing with the strange events. Hudha continues reading the diary she had found. | |||||
| 6 | 6 | "Episode 6" | Ali Shazleem | July 27, 2021 | |
| Hudha uncovers a hidden photo in Aafiya's diary. Imran arrives to the island. Faiz and Imran discuss the strange behavior of Hudha. | |||||
| 7 | 7 | "Episode 7" | Ali Shazleem | August 3, 2021 | |
| Imran joins Hudha and Faiz for a picnic. Faiz is uncomfortable with Hudha's behavior. Hudha fears for her life as she sees a man holding a knife inside the guesthouse. | |||||
| 8 | 8 | "Episode 8" | Ali Shazleem | August 10, 2021 | |
| Hudha runs away from the guesthouse. She starts getting disturbing flashbacks while running in the woods. Faiz is convinced that Hudha is possessed by a Jinn. | |||||
| 9 | 9 | "Episode 9" | Ali Shazleem | August 17, 2021 | |
| Faiz finds out that Imran and Hudha are having an affair. He separates from her after their return to Male'. Belongings of a missing woman are found in the guesthouse Faiz and Hudha stayed in. | |||||
| 10 | 10 | "Episode 10" | Ali Shazleem | August 24, 2021 | |
| Police uncover a dead body in the island Faiz and Hudha vacationed at. Faiz gets interrogated by the Police. Jaisha and Hamdhan get involved in helping Faiz understand what was wrong with Hudha. | |||||
Development
On 21 March 2021, director Ali Shazleem announced the project as the first venture from his production studio, Island Pictures.[1] Filming for the series took place in March 2021 in Th. Kinbidhoo.[1] The indoor scenes of the series were filmed during the mandatory ten-days quarantine period, when travelling to an inhabited island.[1] The outdoor scenes were filmed once the quarantine period was over.[1]
Release and response
In March 2021 it was announced that the series will be made available for streaming during the first week of Ramadan.[1] Later, it was announced that the first episode of the series will be available for streaming from 22 June 2021.[4][5] Upon release, the series received mainly positive reviews from critics.[5] Ahmed Rasheed from MuniAvas in particular praised director Shazleem's work and wrote: "Shazleem in his debut direction has proved that he can be soon considered as one of the finest local directors".[6]
References
- ^ a b c d e f Rasheed, Ahmed (21 March 2021). "Shooting for Nafsu ongoing in racing speed". MuniAvas (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 21 March 2021. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
- ^ Fareeha, Aishath (21 June 2021). ""Nafsu" to premiere tomorrow". Sun (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ Waheedha, Mariyam (21 March 2021). "Are you ready for "Nafsu"?". Dhen (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ Mohamed, Fathimath Shana (20 June 2021). ""Nafsu" to be premiered on next Tuesday". Mihaaru (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 28 August 2021. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ a b Rasheed, Ahmed (1 July 2021). "A positive response to Island Pictures' "Nafsu"". MuniAvas (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
- ^ Rasheed, Ahmed (9 July 2021). "A brilliant direction in the series "Nafsu"". MuniAvas (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 24 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.