'If I Could Tell You' film screening and discussion with Heena Shaikh

Two friends, one deaf and one hearing, and their unique relationship to the Indian sign language.

For those who can hear, the ability to communicate and express complex thoughts and emotions is often taken for granted. However, for many Deaf individuals like Charu, the film's protagonist, acquiring their first language comes much later in life. Her story reminds us of the transformative power of language and fills us with wonder at its profound impact on self-expression and identity.

While focusing on the Deaf experience, the film also incorporates diverse yet resonant perspectives, enriching the conversation on what it means to be truly seen and heard. It features Surbhi, a hearing CODA (Child of Deaf Adults) who shares her journey of finding her place within and outside the Deaf community and four young artists seeking to express themselves through different forms of visual media — a drag queen finding liberation through her art form, an actor embracing physical theatre and movement as their preferred modes of  expression, a dancer reclaiming space and agency through her unique interpretation of the classical dance form Mohiniyattam and a Deaf artist finding connection and meaning through sign language poetry and painting.

If I Could Tell You invites viewers to reflect on the universal human need for expression and the many different ways we all strive to communicate our truths.

About the speaker

Heena Shaikh, born and raised in Mumbai, India, is a passionate advocate for Deaf education and empowerment. She completed her high school education at a Deaf school and later pursued a Bachelor of Arts and learnt Indian Sign Language (ISL). She has taught ISL to hearing parents, students, interpreters and television actors and has been involved with non-profits across India, promoting Deaf awareness, education and human rights.

Heena served as a delegate for the World Federation of the Deaf Youth Section (WFDYS), where she worked on global Deaf advocacy and human rights. She co-founded Deaf Entertainment India with Mervyn Pereira in 2012, producing dramas and short films focused on Deaf culture. Her work has been showcased at Festival Clin D’Oeil in Reims, France.

Now based in London, Heena is learning British Sign Language and actively engaging with the local Deaf community and exploring opportunities for collaboration. Her curious spirit and deep desire for self-expression inspired one of her former students to create the documentary ‘If I Could Tell You’.

About the filmmaker

Niharika Popli is a filmmaker and editor from Uttarakhand, India. Her debut documentary ’Rasan Piya’ based on the life and music of Ustad Abdul Rashid Khan, won the Tareque Masud Award at FilmSouthasia, Nepal and a Special Jury Award at Mumbai International Film Festival.

She has edited Vani Subramanian's documentary 'Cinema Pe Cinema: The Theatres. The Movies. And Us', created video narratives for Roysten Abel's ‘Weaving Voices’ and contributed to Chaitanya Tamhane's ‘The Disciple’.

Her most recent film, 'If I Could Tell You' is an exploration of the relationship between language, self-discovery and the innate human desire to express. It premiered at Museum of Art and Photography, Bangalore and won an award at the Purple Fest for Disabilities in Goa.

Image: Film poster