Written By: Andrea Marks-Joseph
Uzma Jalaluddin‘s novel Hana Khan Carries On is going to be a film! Actor, director, writer, and producer Mindy Kaling is working with Amazon Studios to bring this story – described by the author as “You’ve Got Mail but make it Muslim”– to life on screen.
Inspired by the iconic Nora Ephron film You’ve Got Mail, Canadian author Uzma Jalaluddin set her story in a close-knit Toronto Muslim community. In Hana Khan Carries On, instead of rival booksellers, the romance takes place between rival Halal restaurants. The novel was an instant Canadian Bestseller and Amazon Editor’s Pick for ‘Best Romance’.
(Get Your Copy of "Hanna Khan Carries On" Today)
The star of this warm, vibrant romantic comedy is Hana, who waitresses part-time at the only Halal restaurant in her Toronto neighbourhood while pursuing her dream job in radio. Through her passionate work on a podcast, she forms a dynamic relationship with one of her listeners. At the same time, a competing business opens in their neighbourhood, and she develops feelings for the restaurant’s young owner —who may not be a total stranger to Hana. The story is rich with long-buried family secrets, the strength of a community, vivid characters, delicious food, and a satisfying enemies-to-lovers Romance trope.
Mindy Kaling has written two incredibly successful and compelling memoirs (New York Times Bestsellers ‘Why Not Me?’ and ‘Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?) and in the last year has worked with Amazon on several Mindy Kaling Audible Original Stories. The ‘Hana Khan Carries On’ film will be developed by Mindy’s production company Kaling International (Never Have I Ever, The Mindy Project) for Amazon Studios. The script will be written by Sahar Jahani who has worked on popular television shows 13 Reasons Why, Ramy, and The Bold Type. Jahani is also the screenwriter for the adaptation of Jalaluddin's debut novel ‘Ayesha at Last’ which was acquired by Pascal Pictures, the production company behind the novel Molly’s Game’s adaptation for film.
(Get Your Copy of the New York Times Bestselling book, "Why Not Me" Today)
Ayesha At Last is a romantic comedy about family, marriage, and love, imbedded in Muslim culture. The Cosmopolitan ‘Book of the Year’ 2019 winner has been hailed as “a modern-day Muslim Pride and Prejudice for a new generation of love.” It follows Ayesha, a teacher who has set aside dreams of being a poet and lives with her boisterous Muslim family. Though lonely, she doesn’t want an arranged marriage, and suddenly finds herself attracted to someone who is both annoying and already betrothed to her cousin.
“I'm a huge fan of Mindy Kaling, and love everything she has done.” Jalaluddin shared on Twitter when the news was announced. “Over the moon that the funny and talented Sahar Jahani will be adapting!” she continues. “I can’t wait for Hana, Aydin and the Golden Crescent to hit the big screen. ‘You’ve Got Mail’ but make it Muslim. Biryani poutine for everyone! Here's to more authentic representation, here's to seeing ALL of our stories on the page and on the screen!”
Andrea Marks-Joseph is a South African freelance writer and book reviewer. She can be found on Twitter @stargirlriots and at stargirlriots.com
Sources:
https://variety.com/2021/film/news/mindy-kaling-hana-khan-carries-on-movie-1235039244/,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahar_Jahani,https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzma_Jalaluddin,https://uzmajalaluddin.com,https://twitter.com/UzmaWrites/status/1425502972566462465
