Pioneering Emirati filmmaker Nayla Al Khaja, who is joining forces with Oscar-winning composer A R Rahman for her forthcoming mystery thriller Baab, says she is privileged to work with the Oscar-winning composer.

“Working with AR Rahman is an absolute privilege. I have no doubt he will create a masterpiece for the film,” says Khaja of Rahman, who will score the music for the film. 

Rahman, who earned global fame, winning an Oscar, BAFTA, and Grammy for his soundtrack of Slumdog Millionaire, is known for introducing orchestral melodies to Bollywood soundtracks and his fondness for dramatic tablas earning him comparisons to Andrew Lloyd Webber and Paul McCartney.

“Baab is a sensitive, soulful film with a touch of the abstract. It does not conform with a regular music line. AR would knock it out of the park since his style can be unpredictable,” adds Khaja. “I will do my best to deliver a film that would drive him to compose something unique and memorable.”

The filming will begin in March next year in Ras Al Khaimah. Elly Senger-Weiss and Sultan Al Darmaki are producing the mystery, with Muna Easa Al Gurg set to executive produce. 

Baab, written by Khaja and Masoud Amralla Al Ali, follows Wahida, who is haunted by the mysterious death of her twin sister and goes on a relentless pursuit to find answers after discovering hidden cassette tapes.

Khaja, known for her shorts Malal and The Road to Fulfilment, is in pre-production on her debut feature film, Three, scheduled to go into production this year. She is also the executive producer for The Alexandria Killings, the serial-killer series helmed by Oscar-winning Irish writer-director Terry George of Hotel Rwanda fame.