''November'' is a 2023 Maldivian film directed by Ali Shifau. Produced by Mohamed Ali under

Dark Rain Entertainment Dark Rain Entertainment is a Maldivian production company based in Male' producing Dhivehi language, Maldivian films. Established in 2006, the studio has produced the first Maldivian films shot entirely in HD, 3D and on DSLR. History The studio ...

, the film stars

Mohamed Jumayyil Mohamed Jumayyil is a Maldivian actor. He is the son of actor Ahmed Nimal Early life Mohamed Jumayyil's father Ahmed Nimal is one of the established actor and director of the industry. Jumayyil went to Ahmadiyya Pre-school as his first institu ...

and Mariyam Majudha in pivotal roles. The film was released on 4 December 2023. The film marks the first Maldivian film to be featured on the inflight entertainment list of an international airline.

Plot

Yamaan boards a flight to Singapore with the aim of pursuing a degree as a chartered accountant. Seated next to him is Ameera, a Dhivehi linguistics teacher traveling to Singapore for a conference in Australia. When Ameera's connecting flight is canceled, Yamaan invites her to stay at his uncle's house until her travel arrangements are sorted. During their time together, a romantic relationship blossoms. As soon as Ameera's flight is confirmed, they part ways, but not before she leaves a note urging Yamaan to let fate guide their future. Distraught by the sudden end to their relationship, Yamaan finds solace and encouragement from his uncle. In the passing days, Yamaan undergoes a transformation, changing his profession to photography and relocating to the Maldives after completing his studies. During a project trip to Laamu, he unexpectedly reunites with Ameera, who appears noticeably changed from their initial meeting. Yamaan is determined to delve deeper into understanding the dynamic shift in her behavior, seeing a different side of the vibrant girlfriend he once knew.

Cast

as Yamaan * Mariyam Majudha as Ameera Moosa *

Ismail Wajeeh Ismail Wajeeh (20 September 1962) is a Maldivian actor and choreographer. Early life While studying in primary school, Wajeeh, along with his nephews used to perform songs and stage shows to small gatherings. While studying in grade 4, he was off ...

as Sam * Aishath Yaadha as Zeyba * Fathimath Latheefa as Sameena * Ahmed Faiz as Raazi * Aminath Shuha as Huma * Hussain Haazim as Naaif * Ali Nadheeh as Hamza * Hoodh Ibrahim as Irufan * Mariyam Shifa as Sana * Mohamed Nazmee as Nazmee * Aminath Silna as Silna * Aisha Ali as Hudha * Mohamed Mazin as Hassan * Aminath Noora as Farisha * Shahu Shakir as Wirdha Khalid * Ahmed Ijuan as Nadheem * Aminath Shamana as Maleeha * Tareesh Ismail as young Sam * Ahmed Rasheed as Naeem * Aishath Ena Ibrahim as Shaha * Maria Teresa Pagano as an Italian tourist (Special appearance) * Shalabee Ibrahim as boyfriend of Italian tourist (Special appearance) * Moosa Waseem as himself (Special appearance) * Meyna Hassan as himself (Special appearance) * Abdulla Sadiq as himself (Special appearance) *

Aishath Rishmy Aishath Rishmy Rameez (born 15 November 1985) is a Maldivian actress film producer and director. Early life Born in Malé, Maldives, Rishmy is the daughter of actor Aminath Rasheedha. She is the elder sister of actress Mariyam Azza. They reside ...

as herself (Special appearance) * Aminath Waheedha as herself (Special appearance) *

Mohamed Abdul Ghanee Mohamed Abdul Ghanee (born 15 April 1978), commonly known as Theyravaa is a Maldivian singer and songwriter. Early life and career Born to a musical family, Ghanee had no interest in music even when his siblings spend their time in jamming and s ...

as himself (Special appearance)

Development

Following the success of '' Vakin Loabin'' (2018),

announced the project on 23 June 2018 with lead cast as

and Mariyam Majudha. In July 2019, reports confirmed that actor Ismail Wajeeh, who during the time was residing in

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

, will make a comeback to screen with ''November''. Filming commenced on 1 October 2019 in Male', K. Thulusdhoo and

Laamu Atoll Laamu may refer to: * Laamu Atoll, an administrative division of the Maldives. * Laamu, the 14th consonant of the Thaana abugaida used in Dhivehi. {{Disambig ...

. The remaining scenes of the film were shot in

. In November 2019, it was reported that

's son, Tareesh Ismail joins the cast of ''November'' and will feature several prominent faces including Meynaa Hassan, Shalabee Ibrahim, Abdulla Sadiq and Moosa Waseem. Filming was wrapped on 26 January 2020 by shooting a flight sequence to Dh. Kudahuvadhoo.

Soundtrack

The audio of the first single of the film titled "Moosun" which was rendered by

Mariyam Ashfa Mariyam Ashfa (born 25 December 1982) is a Maldivian singer and actress. Career Since a very early age, Ashfa participated in Interschool Singing Competition where she received several accolades for the same. She made her career debut with the son ...

was released on 24 December 2020.

Release and reception

A poster of the film was unveiled on 18 February 2020, announcing the release date as 6 July 2020. However, with the closure of movie theatres due to

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, the project was pushed. The film was later announced to be theatrically released on 4 December 2023. The film garnered mixed reviews from critics. Aminath Luba, writing for ''The Press,'' praised Mariyam Majudha's performance and commended the incorporation of Maldivian culture into the film. However, she criticized

's dialogues, deeming them "alienated" from the film's theme, and found the screenplay to be predictable. In contrast, Ahmed Nadheem's review was more unfavorable; he expressed the view that the movie is the worst production from

. Nadheem condemned the screenplay, describing it as a failed attempt to integrate a love concept into an unfamiliar tradition. Unhappy with the color grading and music, he remarked that "the film, along with its theme and emotions, was trapped in a dark color palette, while the music and use of multiple songs killed the vibe of the film". ''November'' was dubbed in Russian and was included in the inflight entertainment collection of

Air Astana Air Astana ( kk, Эйр Астана, translit=Eir Astana; russian: Эйр Астана́, translit=) is an airline group based in Almaty, Kazakhstan. It operates scheduled international and domestic services on 64 routes from its main hub, Alma ...

between January to February 2024, and hence marks the first Maldivian film to be featured on the inflight entertainment list of an international airline.

References

{{Reflist Maldivian drama films Films directed by Ali Shifau Dhivehi-language films Films postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic Films shot in the Maldives