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Swimming is the Best Exercise
I'M
IQRA !
The World of Dua and Iqra
Summer vacation burns slowly and endlessly in Kalupur, where narrow lanes echo with children's play, the azaan, and the heavy silence of midday heat. Dua (10) calls out, “Iqra, chal peechhi bat khelne!” (Iqra, let’s play badminton), to the first-floor window next door. Her best friend, Iqra (10), appears, and soon they're playing in the street, rackets swinging as they talk about all they’ll do this summer.
The two are inseparable, carefree, endlessly stubborn, full of little whims and playful tantrums. They share watermelon slices, savour ice lollies dripping down their arms, whisper secrets, scroll through YouTube videos, hide under beds when adults call, and plan impossible adventures. This summer, their boldest wish is simple yet daring: they want to go swimming.
But a simple wish is not so simple. Pool timings don't match parent schedules, transport problems, parental anxieties, and above all, the unspoken rules of girlhood, rules that seem to change with convenience and caution. To solve at least one problem, Dua and Iqra hatch a plan: they will hire a rickshaw to take them to the pool every day. But they are too young to travel alone, and with just the two of them, the cost is too high and the permission unlikely. They will need more girls to join them, and so begins their effort to convince others around them.
Through the eyes of Dua and Iqra, an entire neighbourhood comes into view: mothers, sisters, and friends quietly negotiating with the world. Their small desire to swim ripples outward, uncovering the larger truth of how girlhood itself is shaped: by love, caution, and compromise. But within that same watchfulness lies a quiet resilience. Can this resilience, one day, turn into freedom?
I'M
DUA !
The Heart Behind It
I have always loved spending time with children. They have a way of reminding you how alive and curious the world can be. Their questions, their fears, and their wild ideas… they keep you honest and awake to the small wonders around you.
Swimming is the Best Exercise comes from that space of affection and observation. Over the years, I’ve watched how girls’ worlds shrink as they grow older, how play slowly turns into permission, and how freedom becomes something that must be negotiated. Through this film, I want to explore that moment when the desire to do something as simple as swim begins to reveal everything about where, and how, we live.
It’s a story close to my heart, shaped by the children I’ve known, and the quiet courage I see in them every day.
- Wafa Salim Refai
How the Film is Finding Its Shape
This film will be made in the same way we made Kayo Kayo Colour?. Through close observation, improvisation, and collaboration with real people and spaces. This time, Shahrukh will be behind the camera, and I’ll step into the director’s role.
We’ve already started working with the child cast and have a basic story structure in place. From here, the film will grow through exploration, as we shoot, listen, and discover together.
We plan to begin filming once we’ve gathered the initial funds. The film will be edited alongside the shoot as it gradually finds its form. We aim to lock the edit by May 2026 and move into post-production soon after.
Description
Timeline
Post-Production
Amount
Phase
Principal Photography
Research & Early Work
INR 5–7 Lakhs
December 2025 -
May 2026
Writing, rehearsals, early shoots
Shoot and Edit
INR 8–10 Lakhs
September 2025
INR 25 Lakhs
Sound design, DI (colour grading), DCP Export
June 2025
INR 8–10 Lakhs
Estimated Budget:
We’ll be sharing glimpses from our shoot days and moments with the kids on Instagram and Facebook.
'Supporter'
For contributions up to
INR 1000 & INR 24,999
'Associate Producer'
For contributions between
INR 25,000 & INR 99,999
'Co-Producer'
For contributions of
INR 1,00,000 & above
Together, We Can Make It Real
It’s a small, community-rooted film growing out of friendship, trust, and a shared love for small stories that hold quiet truths. We’ve always worked independently, making films with people who care deeply about the stories we tell. Crowdfunding feels like a natural extension of that, a way for this film to stay honest, close to the ground, and connected to the community that helps it come alive. If you believe in stories that listen closely to life, and in the power of cinema that grows from community, we’d love for you to be part of this one.
You can pitch in with any amount starting from INR 1,000. Each contribution, big or small, will help us bring the film to life, one step at a time.
Your name will appear in the film’s credits, as a reminder that this story was made possible together.
Join the Circle
You can transfer your contribution directly to the account below or through UPI. Once done, please send a screenshot or confirmation email to lapataafilms@gmail.com so we can acknowledge your support and add your name to the credits.
Bank Details
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Account Name: La Pataa Films Private Limited
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Account Number: [Account Number]
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Bank Name: [Bank Name]
-
IFSC Code: [IFSC Code]
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Branch: [Branch Name]
If you’d like to discuss your contribution or prefer to transfer internationally, please write to lapataafilms@gmail.com
UPI ID: [your UPI ID]
OR
Just Scan this!
Thank you for believing in small films,
and in the people and dreams that make them possible.
With love,
Wafa Salim Refai
Swimming is the Best Exercise
Swimming is the Best Exercise
Swimming is the Best Exercise
Swimming is the Best Exercise
Swimming is the Best Exercise
Swimming is the Best Exercise
Description
Estimated Budget: INR 25 Lakhs
Timeline
Post-Production
Amount
Phase
Sound design, DI (colour grading), DCP Export
Principal Photography
Research & Early Work
INR 5–7 Lakhs
December 2025 -
May 2026
Writing, rehearsals, early shoots
Shoot and Edit
June 2025
INR 8–10 Lakhs
INR 8–10 Lakhs
September 2025
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