“This is primarily a story about refugees."
Aniket Dutta is crafting a deeply emotional tale with his latest project, The Clouds Wake No Clocks.
Co-written with Roshni Sen, the film will take audiences into the lives of Khalid and Sharmin, who are two Rohingya refugees escaping persecution with their eight-year-old son, Shoaib.
The family crosses the border into India, seeking safety, but their journey is anything but easy.
The story doesn’t just capture their struggle for survival—it shines a light on their resilience and hope in the face of adversity.
This ambitious project has drawn an impressive international team.
This includes Christoph Thoke from Germany’s Mogador Films, Sebastian Popp of Stoked Films, and Jeremy Chua from Singapore’s Potocol on board as producers.
To bring this powerful story to life, the filmmakers have cast two Bangladeshi stars Mostafa Monwar and Deepanwita Martin as the leads.
For Mostafa Monwar, who plays Khalid, the simplicity and emotional weight of the story are what drew him to the project.
He said: “This is primarily a story about refugees. The story intrigued me. Although simple, it is incredibly powerful.”
Khalid and Sharmin take on odd jobs while concealing their identities, desperate to integrate into their new surroundings.
They hope for a flood, believing it might help them pass as Indian citizens, claiming they lost their documents to the waters.
While the premise may sound straightforward, Mostafa says its impact is profound.
However, the role is challenging, particularly because it requires mastering the Rohingya dialect.
The actor admitted: “The biggest challenge is mastering the Rohingya language for my character.
“Similarly, we, as actors, must adjust to working in a new setting.”
Meanwhile, Deepanwita Martin (Sharmin) described her journey as one of patience and connection.
She first met Aniket Dutta and Roshni Sen at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa, which is when they started discussing the project.
Deepanwita revealed: “Over the past two years, we’ve been discussing the film. I could understand how they wanted to tell the story.
“They were looking for the kind of performance that I love doing.”
Deepanwita also explained that the team had been waiting for international producers to join before moving forward.
With that step now complete, filming is set to begin in India.
She’s particularly excited to work with Mostafa again, saying:
“When you’re shooting in an unfamiliar place, having a co-actor you trust makes all the difference.”
The filmmakers are setting their sights high, aiming for the movie to premiere at major international festivals.
They believe that The Clouds Wake No Clocks will resonate with viewers across the world.
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