Iram Parveen Bilal is a Pakistani filmmaker and entrepreneur. After studying film at USC Film School, Parveen went on to create her most notable works, “I’ll Meet You There” and “Wahkri (One of a Kind).”
Hayat Life Editor-in-Chief Fira Gasimova talked with Parveen about her filmmaking career.
Parveen Bilal fell in love with films at an early age.
Gasimova: I read somewhere that you were a physics olympian and then turned toward filmmaking. Can you tell us more about that journey?
Parveen Bilal: I grew up in Nigeria and then Pakistan. My journey started with my parents’ love of Bollywood; their students would bring them these rip-off Bollywood films on VHS tapes. My parents would watch the films first and then screen them for us three girls. I would climb into their bed and pretend to sleep but watch the whole film instead. Then I’d watch them again with my siblings and repeat the dialogue. My mom is a physicist, and my dad is a chemistry professor; they both come from families that had to leave everything behind in the partition. I never had the access or the means to be an artist. I hadn’t seen that example anywhere, and we were not the usual wealthy or privileged that got a chance at these careers. To clarify, I acknowledge the privilege I have compared to those more underprivileged than myself but there is a particular class of people in Pakistan at least who are taken seriously in these careers in my opinion.
I got into The California Institute of Technology, which is a very esteemed school of science and engineering. My top choice was MIT, but my interview never got processed. I went to school to study physics and engineering but quickly realized it might not be what I wanted to pursue for a lifetime. So I applied to a study abroad program at Sussex University in the UK and took a digital production class — film was not even on my mind! But after the class, I thought, “You know, I’m actually not bad at this. It’s interesting.”
Gasimova: It’s very interesting how all your different decisions led you to where you are now!
Parveen Bilal: Sometimes I wonder about that guy who never processed my MIT interview! But I ended up meeting my then-boyfriend — now husband — at Caltech, and I love California. I guess everything happens for a reason.
Parveen Bilal talks about cultural differences and the reality of filmmaking.
Gasimova: You’ve lived in very different places — raised in Pakistan and Nigeria, and then you came to California. What was it like experiencing so many different cultures and environments?
Parveen Bilal: I think the hardest thing for me is conflict management and communication. It’s very different across cultures. In the U.S., transparent communication isn’t expected. There’s so much cultural baggage to not offend people, but not being upfront about things is inefficient to me.
Gasimova: Yes! I notice I’m always like, “Why can’t we discuss things?” Why is it so hard to do? In high-context cultures, it’s so difficult to be upfront. And that goes hand-in-hand with conflict. It’s like a guessing game.
Parveen Bilal: Right? There are definitely pros and cons to each culture. Even things like showing up to someone’s house unannounced are so common in our culture — the spontaneity in our lives builds community. I think people in America feel more lonely because of extreme individuality, which also has its perks of more freedom and less family dependence.
Gasimova: After the final cut of a film, how do you usually feel? Do you feel exhausted? Or do you feel catharsis?
Parveen Bilal: I have an upcoming film that I’m very proud of, but I’m freaking exhausted. There’s usually a moment in the post-production process when I feel pride. Screenings are very cathartic. But you barely have time to appreciate your work because then you’re dealing with the pressure of distribution. It almost feels irrelevant to feel pride until and unless it’s showcased to the world.
Parveen Bilal’s films explore feminist themes and the realities of modern Muslims.
Gasimova: Your film “I’ll Meet You There” is such a timely film in how it explores cultural identity. The plot is so relatable and it feels authentic — some movies these days feel insincere. What was it like creating that film? What inspired it?
Parveen Bilal: It was inspired by my love of dancing. It’s my first love, but I never had the opportunity to be trained seriously. I noticed double standards at parties where my uncles would watch and enjoy Bollywood dance numbers. While it was understood that we could never pursue dancing as a career. In Pakistan, we could dance at family weddings, but it was looked down upon — there’s this false idea that dancers are like whores. In India, people worship through dance, but in Pakistan, it’s considered a taboo. However, body movement and rhythm are so intrinsic! There’s something so powerful about it.
I came to school exactly a year before 9/11; I remember a few years after I was at an Iftar and I saw this Muslim man with a big beard in an LAPD uniform. I kept thinking about his experience in that position as a Muslim. The thought wouldn’t leave my mind. These experiences morphed into a multi-generational story of identity, where dance is almost a metaphor between ideology, national identity, and generations. All of this combined and was the genesis of “I’ll Meet You There.”
Gasimova: I think the film shows cultural dissonance between the older and newer generations. What do you think your films mean to young Muslim Americans now?
Parveen Bilal: I feel like a lot of the new generation relate to it. A young filmmaker who graduated from USC pinged me on LinkedIn — he said he’d been so disillusioned but then saw the film and felt like there was a space for stories about people like him. Surprisingly, many middle-aged men in the community reached out to me and said they felt seen too. They saw their fathers in the film. They had never seen someone like Majeed, a Muslim man who is equally devoted to the idea of American freedom and also kind and supportive of his daughter and her ambitions, albeit taboo in his culture.
Gasimova: Exactly. The dad characters usually seen in these movies don’t let you pursue your dreams. It’s always so one-dimensional; you never see his point of view, his pains, or what’s going on in his head. I thought it was amazing how Baba was a multi-dimensional character. What did making “I’ll Meet You There” and “Wakhri” mean to you?
Parveen Bilal: “I’ll Meet You There” and “Wakhri.” One is my relationship with the patriarchy, and one is my relationship with religion. I think “Wakhri” is a genre-bending film, part fantasy, part thriller, part drama; it is my love letter to women, specifically Pakistani women. I think I squeezed everything I’ve ever felt about being marginalized as a woman into that movie. I cannot wait to share it with the world!
Gasimova: As a Muslim woman in the West and a filmmaker, did you ever want to show a different side to being a Muslim? Change any stereotypes?
Parveen Bilal: My films talk about women’s rights, but it comes from a woman who’s strong and fighting for it. She’s not scared — she’s a hero. It’s a bigger patriarchal issue that we cannot stand women who are bold and strong. We are always looking for faults, and the moment they become victims, we’re okay with them because of the power shift.
Gasimova: What is your advice for young filmmakers?
Parveen Bilal: I’ve always said: do not be entitled. If you want to make movies, you have to raise the money, and you have to create opportunities for yourself. If you don’t, you’re going to wait forever. It’s an industry of surplus. Accept what the odds are and accept that you’re probably going to have to direct, produce, and write. Build your Rolodex of investors and audiences and create your sustainable network of financing and distribution to help define your worth. Even more than ever, in this new age riddled with AI, climate change, and deep income and justice disparity, what value you add beyond the usual, as well as your kindness and empathy, will be the currency you trade.
