A Pakistani-American drug dealer clashes with new cousins, bumbling best friends, and his divorced parents as he scrambles to save his sister’s wedding.

SO WHAT’S GOING ON?

One humid summer night, Omar, a drop out turned drug dealer, scams a group of Indian-Americans with his reluctant friends. The next day, when they arrive at his sister’s ceremony, they realize that the guys they scammed are the groom's cousins — and these cousins are hell-bent on revenge.

OKAY, COOL. I GUESS. BUT WHY YOU? YOU CAN’T EVEN SPEAK URDU.

Ouch. I mean, true, but still. I want to make this film because I live, breathe, and bleed for this South Asian sanctuary my Nana and his friends accidentally started. The film’s world is my own. The characters are very much my friends, family, and parts of me. My summers were usually spent preparing for and attending lavish Desi weddings in Sugar Land, Texas. The romance didn't interest me as much as the drama of it all. The drunk giggles of my grandparents, the feuds between cousins, and the pseudo-political approach my mother always had at these social events – that's what captivated me. As a monolingual, bipolar Muslim who didn't exactly fit in with his long hair and spotty academic record, I never felt accepted by my community. I thought I was an embarrassment. It wasn’t until years later that I realized that my family would always look after me – no matter how many tattoos I insisted on getting. So when I started writing PAPER TIGER, I knew my approach. I wanted to write a diverse dramedy that depicted a young man’s journey from a self-imposed exile to a newfound faith in his family. We also rarely see a multicultural bubble like Sugar Land on screen, especially with characters like the ones I grew up with, and this is my opportunity to bring them into the spotlight in all their glory.

OKAY. WHATEVER THAT MEANS. WHAT’S SO IMPORTANT ABOUT THIS ONE AGAIN?

The story’s urgency comes out of a place to humanize a specific demographic: Muslim-Americans. This has been an emotional year for a lot of us, and according to recent rhetoric, my own parents don’t qualify as being American. I disagree. I spent my summers growing up in Sugar Land, Texas, which is a multicultural bubble of Arab and South Asian Muslims. To deny and strip this community of their nationality is abhorrent to me. To me, a dance battle in shalwar kameez is as American as Tex-Mex. And our religion isn’t scary either! I’ve always seen certain facets of Islam as magical, especially through my mother’s eyes, and I think bringing that aspect of our faith – in a contemporary and engaging way – could help quell any xenophobic-webs spun by the far-right. The way Scorsese has refracted his films through Catholicism is what I’m attempting to do here. 

BESIDES YOUR MOM, WHO’S YOUR AUDIENCE?

Right now, there’s a generation of young adults that are at a crossroads. The future looks scary, and their familial expectations could be overwhelming. Their struggle to manage these expectations may push them to lash out at their family, friends, or religion. This is the predicament Omar finds himself in, and it’s why I see this film as a coming-of-age story; a post-college kicker that filmmakers like Noah Baumbach understand. I want the audience to walk out of this film reassured – no matter how badly you beat yourself up, there’ll always be a place for you alongside your family. Additionally, this is a story centered around Pakistani-Americans. I’ve never seen a wedding like this – with all its quirks and accurate portrayals of what we’re like – on the big screen. There’s an untapped demographic that’s just waiting to see themselves on-screen, and that’s who I’m writing this for.

WHY WOULD I EVER DONATE TO A SHORT FILM? I HAVE AMC A-LIST.

Not sure how that relates, but, same? This short is crucial to my career as a director, as it’ll serve as a proof-of-concept for a feature I want to shoot after I graduate. My future is very much in this project’s hands. Asides from that nerve-biting realization, this short will be engaging to watch, a crowd-pleaser in festivals, and promoted relentlessly on social media. If you want to be a contributor, or even an executive producer to the next wave of South Asian American cinema, now is your chance! This film will not only uplift me, but my wonderful South Asian cast, crew, and contemporaries in the scene. It also goes without saying that through The Gotham, you can make a tax-deductible donation. This’ll allow you to reduce your taxable income, lower your tax bill, and increase your tax refund. Do I understand what I just said? Maybe not. Is it awesome? Yeah.

WHAT WILL THE SHORT FEEL LIKE?

Why don’t you take a look and see? Click on the video below and meet my friend, Abrar. He’s a chill guy.