Who Is Nayla Al Khaja? AR Rahman Collaborates With UAE's First Woman Director

Indian music maestro AR Rahman will be composing music for Baab, a Nayla Al Khaja directorial. Khaja, who is United Arab Emirates' first woman filmmaker, was present at the 75th Cannes Film Festival and was seen promoting the film with the musician. Reportedly, Rahman will be using an Arabic melodic system called maqam for the film.

Written by Khaja and Masoud Al Ali, Baab follows the story of Wahida who is unable to make sense of her twin sister's mysterious death and is later plagued by a haunting rhythm in her ears.

Speaking about the film, Khaja told Variety, "It’s about the four stages of grief, but we don’t say it so black and white. She creates a fantasy world to justify her sister’s death, because she’s young. They’re identical. They spent their entire life together. So how do you move on after that point?”

Since the news of Khaja and Rahman's collaboration broke in India, many have been looking her up. There's curiosity about her filmography and repertoire.

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Who Is Nayla Al Khaja?

Nayla is the first female film writer, director and producer in the UAE who has written and directed several films all of which have been presented and awarded at nearly 42 international film festivals like the Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF). Al Khaja is also a motivational speaker, a cultural consultant and a social influence.

Khaja is also the CEO of a Dubai-based firm called Nayla Al Khaja films which previously was named D-Seven Motion Pictures. She also founded Dubai's first film club in2007 named The Scene Club. Nayla holds a degree in Mass Communication from Dubai Women's College and has a Bachelor's in Image Studies and Filmmaking from a Canadian university.

She directed and produced the documentary Unveiling Dubai and it premiered at DIFF in 2006 with the support of Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, United Arab Emirates’s Minister of Higher Education.

Khaja, before beginning her career as a full-time filmmaker, had directed and produced a comedy short film and a documentary named Sweet Sixteen and 3adi.com. 

Her filmography includes her short film Arabana which premiered at DIFF in 2007, Once (2009), Malal (2010) and The Neighbor (2013), Animal (2016), and The Shadow (2019). 

Khaja's film Animal received the Jury’s Special Prize for Best Short Fiction at the Italian Movie Award in Pompeii, Italy, in September 2017. Nayla also won a seat at the prestigious Producers Network at the Cannes Film Festival 2018. The BBC purchased broadcasting rights to Animal and The Shadow in 2021.

Khaja is currently working on the film Magic Carpet and her debut feature film Three both of which will release in 2022.

Since 2011, Nayla Al Khaja has been a Brand Ambassador for Canon Middle East and is in constant demand as a collaborator for high-profile brands such as Porsche, Gucci, Conde Nast and others.