maheen mirza is a cinematographer and an independent filmmaker who has been firm in her belief and in her process of local and collective filmmaking, for more than a decade, in many capacities.      
        Independent filmmaking, especially in India, is about making restrictions of resource and access into an opportunity to remodel our ways of doing, seeing and thinking cinema. Digital technology has increasingly brought all lens-based practices within the reach of the 'non-experts'. For better or worse, this 'visual democracy' is something maheen finds an inspiring and challenging state to push creative boundaries while making films through a filmmaking collective.
        The contents of the films that maheen has worked on, have located themselves with women, children and people who usually belong to adivasi, dalit, minority, queer, trans identities. It is the camaraderie which emanates from here that breathes life into her work. With a constant struggle to learn, absorb and capture localised aesthetics – without giving into the temptation of super imposing established rules of 'what is beautiful' or 'what is good cinema' – the form and process have been built from ground up, opening many avenues of design, technique and skill. This ascertains that those who are a part of the frame, retain the agency to gaze back and add their narrative to the weave.  


        The red thread that runs through maheen mirza's past oeuvre and her future endeavours is - a presentation of non-conformities. It lets chance, time and undiscovered strengths – work their way gently and firmly from the viewfinder to the screen – to create a deep sense of belonging and a cinematic equivalent of 'paying it forward' in the midst of the contemporary 'crisis of care'.