Immigrants and refugees should not be seen with “just one perspective”, says filmmaker Kabir Khan, whose upcoming story in the anthology film My Melbourne follows a young Afghan woman who reconstructs her life in Australia after fleeing the Taliban.

The filmmaker further shared that he was inspired to make the film after finding out about the Afghan women’s cricket team while he was in Melbourne about two years ago.

“When the Taliban took over for the second time, everyone had to run to save their lives... the Afghan women’s cricket team members and their families were invited by Melbourne,” he said, adding, “There, I met a 15-year-old Setara Amiri (who also stars in the film), who was training in Afghanistan to play for the national cricket team. But her dream was left unfulfilled because she had to leave the country. I thought this was a very good story, through which we can talk about both the city of Melbourne and her story.”

Kabir’s connection with Afghanistan began as a documentary filmmaker in the early days of his career, which would carry over to his debut feature Kabul Express (2006).

To keep it authentic, Kabir made decided to cast Setara in the titular role of his film instead of opting for a well-known star. “We wanted to keep it real. Why burden it with a star? For me, the story is about Setara and she is the star,” he explained.

The 53-year-old also went on to acknowledge the niche appeal of his latest project. “Every film doesn’t have to cater to everybody. It is a niche film, an anthology; there are no stars in it. So, nobody has expectations of some great box office returns, but it is important that these stories are showcased and whoever wants to see it should have the opportunity to see it on the big screen,” he wrapped up.