''Nafsu'' is a Maldivian suspense thriller web series developed for Medianet Multi-Screen by

Ali Shazleem Ali Shazleem is a Maldivian film actor, director and producer. Career Shazleem made his film debut in the Aishath Fuad Thaufeeq-directed '' Hulhudhaan'' (2014) alongside Mariyam Majudha, which was a critical success. The film was later screened a ...

. Produced by Mohamed Fuad under Island Pictures, the series stars Ahmed Saeed,

Mariyam Shifa Mariyam Shifa (22 November 1999) is a Maldivian film actress, dancer and social media personality. She has earned over 1.7 million likes on TikTok. Early life Shifa attributed her singing and dancing skills to her parents; her father being a pr ...

, Mariyam Shakeela,

and

Hamdhan Farooq Hamdhan Farooq (born 3 June 1983) is a Maldivian film actor. Early life Farooq was born on 3 June 1983 in Ga. Dhaandhoo. His parents, Ali Farooq and Mariyam Haleem are actors working in the film industry since 1997. He is the brother of actor Ra ...

in pivotal roles. The story follows a wealthy businessman and his young wife who takes a trip to a local island to escape from the hustle and bustle of the Male' city, and how the girl begins to unravel secrets about the guesthouse they stayed in while confronting long buried secrets regarding her past.

Cast

Main

* Ahmed Saeed as Faiz *

as Hudha *

as Imran * Mariyam Shakeela as Afiya *

Nashidha Mohamed Nashidha Mohamed (born 2 January 1982) is a Maldivian actress who has established a career in the Maldivian film industry. She made her film debut in a supporting role in Ahmed Nimal's 2004 social drama ''Hama Himeyn''. That same year, she had s ...

as Shamsiyya *

Aminath Shuha Aminath Suha Musthafa (born 7 May 1997), commonly known as Aminath Shuha is a Maldivian film actress and former TV presenter. Career Prior to acting, Shuha worked as a show presenter and host in several television programs from Ice TV. For her p ...

as Jaisha * Suja Abdullah as Hamdhan

Recurring

* Hussain Rasheedh as Iliyas * Mohamed Manik as Nimal *

as Afzal * Ahmed Alam as Dr. Hussain Shahid * Mohamed Nubail as Step Dad * Mariyam Nisha as Hudha's Mother * Maryam Nawla as Young Hudha *

Fathimath Sara Adam Fathimath Sara Adam (born 22 April 2000) is a Maldivian film actress. Early life Before pursuing a career in acting, Sara became an active TikTok user, which enabled her to showcase her talent as a performer. In 2019, Sara made her acting deb ...

as Nadhaa * Ahmed Solah as Buggy Driver * Aishath Saajidha as Saaji/Police * Ibrahim Rasheedh as Police * Abdulla Saeedh as Police

Episodes

Development

On 21 March 2021, director

announced the project as the first venture from his production studio, Island Pictures. Filming for the series took place in March 2021 in Th. Kinbidhoo. The indoor scenes of the series were filmed during the mandatory ten-days quarantine period, when travelling to an inhabited island. The outdoor scenes were filmed once the quarantine period was over.

Release and response

In March 2021 it was announced that the series will be made available for streaming during the first week of

Ramadan Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (''Fasting in Islam, sawm''), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed ...

. Later, it was announced that the first episode of the series will be available for streaming from 22 June 2021. Upon release, the series received mainly positive reviews from critics. Ahmed Rasheed from MuniAvas in particular praised director Shazleem's work and wrote: "Shazleem in his debut direction has proved that he can be soon considered as one of the finest local directors".

References

{{Reflist Serial drama television series Maldivian television shows