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]
