Promoting South Asian Cinema in the UK: Dr. Toyeba Mushtaq

Name: Dr Toyeba Mushtaq | Designation: Festival & Projects Manager | Company: Tongues on Fire | Place: London

(June 8, 2023) Dr Toyeba Mushtaq’s interest in films was stoked when she was in college. These were pre-OTT days and she used a hard drive instead, which contained “more than 400 films of different genres and from different countries. This was when I started seeing films as more than just entertainment.” Her passion took her far. These days, Dr Toyeba, who lives and works in London, is a Festival & Projects Manager with Tongues on Fire, aUK-based organisation that promote South Asian cinema around the world. She is part of a small team, mostly women, bound by their dedication to bringing the best of South Asian cinema to UK audiences.

Tongues on Fire 

Previously the London Asian Festival, the UK Asian Film Festival is the main even torganised by Tongues on Fire, a not-for-profit organisation. The ten-day festival is a celebration of the richness and vibrancy of South Asian culture, history, arts, storytelling and self-expression. It aims to provide a platform for emerging talent with a South Asian link, bridge art, culture, health and technology, address inequalities in the creative industry and break barriers to encourage open discussion within South Asian communities.

From film curation and documentation to budgeting and presentation, Toyeba’s job as the Project Manager involves it all. “Apart from film screenings, we have master classes from film experts, book talks and workshops,” she says. All this is spread out across a ten-day festival. “The festival starts with pitching for grant money to the British Film Institute, Audience Lottery Fund and then asks for film submissions from across the world, which happen to have a South Asian connect,” Toyeba tells Global Indian.

Early life 

Growing up in Kashmir, Toyeba’s talent for English and the Social sciences was lost on the STEM-oriented society of which she was a part. Her struggle to get good grades in Math and Science led to her being labelled ‘average’, even by her teachers. She took inspiration from her brother, however, and participated actively in public speaking activities like debates, discussions and speeches.

“It took a lot of unlearning to see myself as worthy,” Toyeba says. “Years of mental conditioning, along with a dysfunctional social fabric makes you question your self-esteem.” This shadowed Toyeba all the way to college but she stood her ground, making ‘unconventional’ choices because she believed in them. She nurtured her love for the Social Sciences and chose to study them. Debates were another area where she excelled, earning numerous trophies and medals in debate competitions across the country. “I may sound like I’m bragging, but I just want that one person who is struggling in school to know that it will get better and this isn’t the end of it,” she adds. “Relatives and peers who considered me an average student now ask me to write recommendations for their kids. It has been quite a journey.” This was also when she discovered film as a medium of social commentary.

Dr Toyeba Mushtaq

Discovering cinema

Growing up in Kashmir, in a small town without access to film theatres, Toyeba Pandit had to create her own space for creativity. “I grew up watching a lot of films on cable television first, followed by TATA Sky,” Toyeba recalls. “Let’s face it,” she admits, “The films shown on television weren’t great content-wise, and let’s not forget the problematic TV series that are still aired.”

She began watching meaningful cinema during her undergraduate degree at Doon University, through film-appreciation classes and college-level festivals. Toyeba went on to use cinema as the subject for her PhD and has presented at innumerable conferences and seminars. She has many publications and is also the author of a book. “It blows my mind how in a cinema hall full of people, everyone has different interpretations of the same content. Cinema moulds your perspective, the tropes or the realistic portrayals validly what a good storyline can do to your psyche,” she says.

Finding work 

The abrogation of Article 370 delayed Toyeba’s thesis and the pandemic followed soon after. Unable to submit her research work, she began applying for jobs, meeting acceptances and rejections as she waited for the right opportunity. “When you are good at something, things eventually fall into place, and that was the case with me,” she says.

Toyeba met her current employer, Tongues on Fire, on LinkedIn, as they looked for someone to write a report on “Arts for Mental Wellbeing,” she says. She sent in the report and was asked to join them.

Moving abroad for a career 

Although it looks very tempting on paper, moving to a new country looking for work is never easy, especially without a job in hand. “You don’t have references talking about how great you are – you’re starting with a clean slate,” Toyeba remarks. “Your degrees won’t mean much if you don’t have relevant experience in the country. It’s not all dreamy.” She had to work hard, “harder, in fact, to prove your worth in a world full of strangers.”

Dr Toyeba Mushtaq

Work-Life Balance 

“Enchanting, and contrary to the idea of life with which she grew up,” says Toyeba, about living and working in London. “No matter, how busy your job gets here, people have a terrific work-life balance. Money is important but not at the cost of your mental well-being, that is what I have learnt in the last two years,” she says.

However, while there are still taboos associated with mental health and well-being in South Asia, that is not the case in the UK. “From paid leaves, sabbaticals, maternity and paternity to paid therapy, things are far more balanced here,” she says. Toyeba adds, “However, every individual is responsible for how they manage their life. There are days when I end up working more than the average time I am expected to put in, but there is balance as there are days when I start late too.”

Takeaways:

• Follow your passion and find a career that aligns with your interests and values.
• Be open to unconventional paths and don’t be afraid to take risks in pursuit of your goals.
• Continuously learn and develop new skills to stay relevant and competitive in your chosen field.
• Network and build meaningful connections with professionals in your industry to expand your opportunities.
• Prioritize work-life balance and take care of your mental and physical well-being to sustain long-term career success.