Ilyas Waheed
{{short description|Maldivian director, producer and screenwriter}}
{{Infobox person
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| name = Ilyas Waheed
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| image = Ilyas Waheed.jpg
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| caption = Waheed attending Olympus reopening ceremony, 2023
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| nationality = Maldivian
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| occupation = Director, producer, screenwriter, editor
| yearsactive = 2019–present
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Ilyas Waheed is a Maldivian film director, producer, screenwriter and editor
Early life
Inspired by his father's patriotism, Waheed inclined to pursue a career as an army officer. However, while studying in grade three, he was bedridden for three months due to a leg fracture, which led him to watch numerous movies, and ultimately changing his passion from military defense to film making and visual arts.{{cite news|url=https://sun.mv/124320 |title=Surprising the film fraternity: Ille's story |language=Divehi |work=Sun |last=Nasir |first=Mihna |date=13 September 2019 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20221014092938/https://sun.mv/124320 |archivedate=14 October 2022 |accessdate=14 October 2022 |df=dmy-all}}
After completing his GCE Ordinary Level education from Majeediyya School, Waheed joined Maldives National Defence Force to complete his bond term. In 2000, he joined Department of Immigration and Emigration, where he served as an Immigration Officer for around 8 years before quitting his job, hoping to attain further education. In 2011, he moved to Sri Lanka to study video and film productions and had to leave the course midway for personal reasons. After returning to Maldives, he joined VTV and served the company for four years prior to leaving Sri Lanka again to complete a course in video production. Afterwards, he resumed his duty at VTV.
While working at VTV, Waheed contributed to several television programs including Kushuge Hafaraaiy, Kudakudhinge Bageecha and season 1 of Bithufangi. After few years, he was fired from the television company pursuant to a reduction in force. Afterwards, he launched his own film studio titled "IFilms" officially stepping into film production.
Career
To initiate Waheed's first project, psychological thriller film titled Bavathi, he faced several rejections from investors due to his lack of experience in film making. Once he acquires fund from two close friends, Asim Ali and his brother Ahmed Wahyd, he commenced the project by finalizing the script along with the film's cast. The film narrates the story of a woman who relocates to Male' after marriage and the strange incidents that follow afterwards.{{cite news|url=https://www.muniavas.com/13378 |title=Teaser of Bavathi released |language=Divehi |work=MuniAvas |last=Rasheed |first=Ahmed |date=1 April 2019 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20190508152220/https://mihaaru.com/entertainment/52666 |archivedate=8 May 2019 |accessdate=8 May 2019 |df=dmy-all}} The film received unanomius positive reviews from critics, where Ifraz Ali from Dho? credited the film with a four star rating and applauded the screenplay for its "tight suspense" "incorporated humor"، while Aminath Luba reviewing from Sun opined that Bavathi will go down the history lane as an "unexpected masterpiece".{{cite news |url=https://dho.mv/baiscope/60708 |title=Bavathi: An expermiental wonder |language=Divehi |work=Dho? |last=Ali |first=Ifraz |date=5 September 2019 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20190910084709/https://dho.mv/baiscope/60708 |archivedate=10 September 2019 |accessdate=10 September 2019 |df=dmy-all |url-status=live }}{{cite news |url=https://sun.mv/123842 |title=Bavathi: Exceeds viewers' expectation |language=Divehi |work=Sun |last=Luba |first=Aminath |date=6 September 2019 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20190910090226/https://sun.mv/123842 |archivedate=10 September 2019 |accessdate=10 September 2019 |df=dmy-all |url-status=live }} Similar sentiments were echoed by Ahmed Hameed Adam from Avas who picked Waheed's screenplpay as the "highlight of the film".{{cite news |url=https://avas.mv/69518 |title=Bavathi: Unpredictable twists and turns |language=Divehi |work=Avas |last=Adam |first=Ahmed Hameed |date=7 September 2019 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20190910090057/https://avas.mv/69518 |archivedate=10 September 2019 |accessdate=10 September 2019 |df=dmy-all |url-status=live }}
In 2021, Waheed released his four-part anthology web series titled Mazloom follows the lives of several victims including survivors of rape assaults, victim of domestics abuse and human trafficking.{{cite news|url=https://dho.mv/baiscope/93759 |title=Ille's "Mazloom" based on several societal issues |language=Divehi |work=Dho? |last=Jaishan |first=Ahmed |date=30 June 2021 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725141523/https://dho.mv/baiscope/93759 |url-status=live |archivedate=25 July 2021 |accessdate=25 July 2021|df=dmy-all}} Produced in association with a newly established film production company, Kazmik International, the project was developed to encourage and support the hard working artists of Maldives during economically uncertain times with regard to COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite news|url=https://www.muniavas.com/36600 |title="Mazloom" opened for streaming and distribution rights |language=Divehi |work=MuniAvas |last=Rasheed |first=Ahmed |date=11 June 2021 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724081953/https://www.muniavas.com/36600 |url-status=live |archivedate=24 July 2021 |accessdate=24 July 2021|df=dmy-all}} The series received positive reviews from critics; Ahmed Rasheed from MuniAvas wrote: "If you are up for a quality, interesting and a benhcmark web series, "Mazloom" is the right choice for you".{{cite news|url=https://www.muniavas.com/37081 |title="Mazloom" a benchmark project |language=Divehi |work=MuniAvas |last=Rasheed |first=Ahmed |date=28 July 2021 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210910081827/https://www.muniavas.com/37081 |url-status=live |archivedate=10 September 2021 |accessdate=10 September 2021|df=dmy-all}} He again collaborated with Kazmik International to co-produce Azhan Ibrahim's eight-episode crime thriller Dharaka.{{cite news|url=https://www.muniavas.com/38678 |title=Web series "Dharaka" coming soon |language=Divehi |work=MuniAvas |last=Abdullah |first=Saajid |date=1 November 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211211091612/https://www.muniavas.com/38678 |url-status= live |archive-date=11 December 2021 |access-date=11 December 2021 |df=dmy-all}}
This was followed by his horror thriller anthology web series Biruveri Vaahaka, consisting of fifteen episodes. Each episode of the series focuses on a separate storyline although the characters from the episodes are interrelated to form the main plot, which revolves around a secretive investigation team trying to undercover a series of supernatural suspected murders.{{cite news|url=https://avas.mv/118740 |title=IFilms's "Biruveri Vaahaka" coming to Dhiraagu TV |language=Divehi |work=Avas |date=5 June 2022 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007160550/https://avas.mv/118740 |url-status=live |archivedate=7 October 2022 |accessdate=7 October 2022|df=dmy-all}} Upon release, the series received positive reviews from critics, where Ahmed Rasheed from MuniAvas wrote: "the whole crew has executed their respective roles to its fullest leading the final project to be flawless". The reviews were directed at the performance of the cast and writer-director Ilyas' creativity for merging horror folklore into an "engaging visual treat".{{cite news |url=https://www.muniavas.com/41011 |title=Trailer of Biruveri Vaahaka's second episode released |work=MuniAvas |last=Rasheed |first=Ahmed |date=3 June 2022 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20220811190157/https://www.muniavas.com/41011 |url-status=live |archivedate=11 August 2022 |access-date=11 August 2022 |df=dmy-all}}
Filmography
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |
| style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"
!scope="col"| Year !scope="col"| Title !scope="col"| Director !scope="col"| Producer !scope="col"| Writer !scope="col"| Editor !scope="col"| Notes ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Tooltip|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}} |
| 2019
!scope="row"| Bavathi | {{Yes}} | {{Yes}} | {{Yes}} | | Feature film |
| 2021–2022
!scope="row"| Mazloom | {{Yes}} | {{Yes}} | {{Yes}} | | Web series; 4 chapters |
| 2022
!scope="row"| Dharaka | | {{Yes}} | | | Web series; 8 episodes |
| 2022
!scope="row"| Biruveri Vaahaka | {{Yes}} | | {{Yes}} | {{Yes}} | Web series; 15 episodes |
| 2023
! scope="row"|Nina | {{Yes}} | {{Yes}} | {{Yes}} | | Feature film |
| 2023
! scope="row"|Free Delivery | {{Yes}} | {{Yes}} | {{Yes}} | | Feature film |
| 2024
! scope="row"|Kanbalhi | {{Yes}} | | {{Yes}} | {{Yes}} | Feature film |
| 2024
!scope="row"|Dheydharu Ruin | | {{Yes}} | | | Feature film |
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |
| style="background:#ccc; text-align:center;"
|+As an actor !scope="col"| Year !scope="col"| Title !scope="col"| Role !scope="col"| Notes ! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Tooltip|Ref(s)|Reference(s)}} |
| 2023
!scope="row"|Yaaraa | Himself | Guest role; "Episode 15" |
| 2025
!scope="row" | Hinthaa | Suheil | Recurring role |
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
External links
{{IMDb name|nm12414187}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waheed, Ilyas}}