Documentary

Makhfi: the Hidden one

Here Lies Makhfi is a portrait of the 17th century Indian princess Zeb-un-nissa who wrote Persian poetry under the nom de plume Makhfi (the hidden one). Daughter of the reviled Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, Zeb-un-nissa is an enigmatic figure in Indian history and her poetry is our only window into her life. The film positions Zeb-un-nissa's poetic expression within the contemporary zeitgeist of islamophobia, neglect and selective amnesia in India, tracing her work through three people.