Kan'bulo

Last updated
Kan'bulo
Kanbulo.jpg
Official film poster
Directed by Hussain Munawwar
Written byYashfa Abdul Ghanee
Screenplay by Mahdi Ahmed
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Ibrahim Wisan
Edited by
Music byAhmed Imthiyaz
Production
companies
  • Kid Production
  • Saturn Studio
Release date
  • 31 August 2025 (2025-08-31)
CountryMaldives
LanguageDhivehi

Kan'bulo is a Maldivian romantic drama film directed by Hussain Munawwar. [1] Co-produced by Munawwar and Ali Shaniz Mohamed under Kid Production and Saturn Studio, the film stars Ismail Rasheed, Mariyam Azza, Ahmed Nimal, Sheela Najeeb, Ahmed Easa, Washiya Mohamed and Mariyam Shakeela in pivotal roles. [2]

Contents

Based on true events, the film depicts the domestic abuse of women and children by those meant to protect them, and the lasting impact of these sufferings on their married lives. [1] Filming took place in HDh. Nolhivaranfaru and HDh. Kulhudhuffushi. [3] The film was scheduled to release on 31 August 2025. [4]

Premise

The film follows a young woman who has endured domestic abuse and embarks on a determined journey to seek justice. Confronting a system burdened by influence and corruption, she fights to reclaim her voice, her dignity and her future.

Cast

Production

Development

Director Hussain Munawwar had initially planned to take a five-year break after completing Kamanaa (2024) before pursuing another project. [5] However, following the success of Kamanaa, he decided to begin work on a new film and started exploring potential stories. [6] His wife, Rishfa Abdul Samad—who also served as makeup director and costume designer—suggested producing a comedy, but Munawwar chose to focus on a socially relevant theme. [6] Samad then introduced him to the novel Yuktha (2009), written by Yashfa Abdul Ghanee, which had won first place at the National Long Story Competition and was based on real-life incidents. [6] Believing the story could inspire society if adapted for the mainstream, she agreed to grant Saturn Studio the rights for a feature film adaptation. [6]

Munawwar brought screenwriter Mahdi Ahmed on board to develop the script, with several changes made during the adaptation process. [7] Among them was altering the age of the protagonist, Maya, from thirteen to sixteen, as Munawwar was hesitant to portray such intense suffering through a younger character. [8] As a result, Mariyam Azza was cast to play the younger version of Maya at age sixteen. [6] During creative discussions, the team decided to rename the main character from “Yuktha” to “Kan'bulo,” as the original name was considered difficult to pronounce. [6] Consequently, the title of the film was changed to Kan'bulo. [6]

Casting

For casting, Hussain Munawwar sought assistance from Rishfa to finalize the lineup. [9] Her first choice for the lead role was Mariyam Azza, whom she firmly supported following her performance in Kamanaa (2024). [9] According to Rishfa, selecting an actress for Maya was the most challenging task, as the character needed to be convincingly portrayed across a five-year time gap. [10] Makeup artist Hussain Hazim joined the crew to handle the special effects makeup required to present Azza as a sixteen-year-old schoolgirl. [9]

Ahmed Nimal was the second actor to be cast, as Munawwar believed his prior portrayal of a similar role in another film made him the definitive choice for this character. [11] Similarly, Ismail Rasheed was selected to play the abuser, given the parallels between this role and his performance as Ahammaa in Munawwar’s directorial debut Sazaa (2011). [11] Kan’bulo also marked the second collaboration between Rasheed and Azza, following their appearance together in the short film series Farihibe (2008). [9] Rasheed himself described Azza’s performance in Kan’bulo as a "significant improvement" over her earlier work. [12]

The project was officially announced on 31 May 2025 under the title Kan’bulo, with the main cast including Ismail Rasheed, Mariyam Azza, Ahmed Nimal, Sheela Najeeb, Ahmed Easa, Washiya Mohamed and Mariyam Shakeela. [13] Washiya Mohamed, eager to collaborate with Munawwar, accepted her role without reading the script. [13] The film also marked the second collaboration between Munawwar and Shakeela after the crime tragedy Loodhifa (2011). [13] In Kan’bulo, Sheela Najeeb portrays Maya's mother, a victim of domestic abuse. [13] Najeeb agreed to the role upon learning she would be working alongside Ismail Rasheed, marking her first on-screen collaboration with him as well as her first project under Munawwar’s direction. [1]

Soundtrack

The background score and soundtrack of the film were composed by Ahmed Imthiyaz, while the melodies for all songs were created by Mohamed Abdul Ghanee. [14] Ghanee initially worked on two songs that reflected the overall narrative of the film and conveyed the emotions of the child character. [15] The title track was composed later, after filming had been completed, as both Munawwar and Ghanee preferred to develop it by watching the completed scenes to capture the full emotional depth of the characters. [16] Playback singers for the soundtrack include Ghanee, Mariyam Ashfa, Rafiyath Rameeza and Ahmed Lais. [16]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicSinger(s)Length
1."Mi Libunu Sazaa Akee" Mohamed Abdul Ghanee Ahmed Imthiyaz Rafiyath Rameeza, Mohamed Abdul Ghanee  
2."Vaanan Ekeegaa Vaanan" Mohamed Abdul Ghanee Ahmed ImthiyazAhmed Lais, Mariyam Ashfa  
3."Konfadha Veynehhey" Mohamed Abdul Ghanee Ahmed Imthiyaz Mariyam Ashfa  

Release and reception

The film is scheduled to theatrically release on 31 August 2025. [17]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Rashad, Maaidha Mohamed (4 July 2025). "First poster of Kanbulo is full of emotions". Dho (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  2. ↑ Jaishan, Ahmed (3 July 2025). "Here is the poster of "Kan'bulo"". Sun (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  3. ↑ Adhil, Ali (2 June 2025). "Film shot in Nolhivanafaru and Kulhudhuffushi coming to cinema this August". Thiladhun (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  4. ↑ ""Kan'bulo" narrating domestic violence is coming this August". The Press (in Divehi). 1 June 2025. Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  5. ↑ Jaishan, Ahmed (2 June 2025). ""Kamanaa" team brings "Kan'bulo"". Sun (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Yashfa's "Yukhtha" to "Kan'bulo"". Beefaanu (in Divehi). 1 June 2025. Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  7. ↑ "Kan'bulo: a real story on domestic abuse". Dhen (in Divehi). 1 June 2025. Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  8. ↑ "Kan'bulo's trailer shows real-life pain and sufferings". Adhadhu (in Divehi). 24 July 2025. Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Ibrahim Rasheed, Nazaahath (24 July 2025). "Trailer of "Kan'bulo" released". Raajje (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  10. ↑ Jaishan, Ahmed (25 July 2025). "First trailer of "Kan'bulo" released". Sun (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  11. 1 2 Abdul Rauf, Raeefa (1 June 2025). "Nimal's violence this time in "Kan'bulo"". Vaguthu (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  12. ↑ Abdul Rauf, Raeefa (24 July 2025). "Heart wrenching film "Kan'bulo"". Vaguthu (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Kan'bulo Trailer: Perfect adaptation of novel to film". Dhen (in Divehi). 24 July 2025. Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  14. ↑ Rashad, Maaidha Mohamed (2 June 2025). "Kanbulo: Domestic abuse in a film". Dho (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  15. ↑ Rasheed, Ahmed (31 May 2025). "After the success of "Kamanaa", "Kan'bulo" is coming". MuniAvas (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  16. 1 2 Jaishan, Ahmed (25 July 2025). "Will "Kan'bulo" be able to break records?". Sun (in Divehi). Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
  17. ↑ "Kanbulo coming to Olympus this August". Dheli (in Divehi). 2 June 2025. Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 22 August 2025.
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