"American Eid," Disney’s short film directed by Aqsa Altaf, is a short film on Disney’s Launchpad series based around Ameena, a nine-year-old girl wrestling with her immigrant identity in the U.S.
Dubai-born, Dallas-based Shanessa Khawaja, a 13-year-old Ismaili of Pakistani heritage, not only adopts the role of Ameena but comes alive in it through her own experiences and relatability. For the young actor, acting did not start as a hobby but rather an accidental adventure. When Shanessa’s mother was browsing social media, she came across an audition call for the movie "American Eid." Shanessa very casually attended the audition, encouraged enthusiastically by her sister with the same emotion that usually marks an activity like weekend hobby classes.
The casting process for Ameena was a rigorous and transformative journey, with Shanessa emerging from a pool of a thousand hopefuls. Her parents, particularly her father, were instrumental in helping her memorize lines and navigate the filming process. Despite self-doubt, Shanessa persevered through many callbacks, and her pandemic-inspired virtual audition process made her family an impromptu film crew.
After several hopeful yet torturously full callbacks, Shanessa booked the role—an exhilarating moment in her life marking her transition from an eager hopeful to a Disney actress, much like Dove Cameron, whom she views as her spark of inspiration.
For Shanessa, getting into character was akin to slipping into a pair of broken-in, comfortable jeans. With that open-hearted desire to share and celebrate one's culture, Ameena won herself a place in Shanessa's innermost being. This is what made the whole acting process an effortless entrance into the character, giving a seamless portrayal that deeply touched audiences.
More About the Movie
American Eid explores cultural identity and assimilation through Ameena, a young Pakistani-American girl. Ameena interacts primarily with her older sister, Zainab, played by Jenna Qureshi, and their parents, played by Ismail Bashey and Fazeelat Aslam, respectively. She takes her petition to make Eid a recognized school holiday to her school, highlighting the importance of cultural inclusion. Her parents are supportive, providing a stable cultural foundation. This narrative thread proves Ameena’s determination and mirrors Shanessa's off-screen journey of cultural self-expression and advocacy, where she sails through with a dual identity—with equal aplomb.
On set, director Aqsa Altaf was very supportive, guiding Shanessa to emote subtly, which helped enrich her performance. Meanwhile, off-screen, she manages her new acting career with ease, along with her studies and other interests, such as reading, sports, and, not very surprisingly, Disney movies. Her day is often interspersed with learning lines from her script or getting deep into her character's emotional core, mainly with the help of music that could make a stone cry. As Shanessa expressed, she wants roles that will embed varied stories right at the core of what mainstream media does, echoing her dream to one day bring to life iconic characters like Rapunzel–the character she aspires to play.
Much like her character Ameena does, Shanessa’s goal is to evoke a sentiment of acknowledgment and reverence in audiences for the stories and culture of diverse people. Director Altaf was all praises for Shanessa for her sensitive and impassioned performance, in her multi-dimensional portrayal of the complexity of the character and the universal themes of family and self-discovery. This film isn’t about material things; it’s a cultural dialogue sparked by individuals like Shanessa and Altaf, who bring authenticity and heartfelt emotion to the fore.
Inspired by Ameena's character, Shanessa is enthusiastic about continuing her acting career and embracing future roles. Her passion for acting, coupled with her precociousness in valuing the deep meaning and impact of media narratives, is proof that Disney did not just cast a star but also a rising ambassador for cultural inclusivity.
Within Shanessa’s imprint on the world of Hollywood, we find not only entertainment but also a call to embrace and celebrate the rich mosaic of cultures and diversities that define our pluralistic world.
