Osama (2003) is not a political thriller or a war film. It is a stark, neorealist tragedy—a mother’s last resort and a child’s stolen identity. Two decades later, with the Taliban again in power in Afghanistan, the film has regained a painful relevance. It remains a vital record of what happens when gender-based oppression is codified into law, and a testament to the courage of those who resist simply by trying to live.
That film is a critically acclaimed Afghan drama directed by Siddiq Barmak. It tells the story of a young girl living under the Taliban regime who disguises herself as a boy to support her family.
Inspired by a true story, the film is set during the first Taliban regime in Afghanistan. osama movie 2003
The movie "Osama" was released in 2003. A key feature of the film is that it was directed by Shazia Ali Khan and written by Saeed Akhtar Ashraf, and it marks a significant representation of Afghan women's struggles under the Taliban regime.
The ruse becomes life-threatening when the Taliban rounds up local boys—including Osama—for religious indoctrination and military training. Osama (2003) is not a political thriller or a war film
The film remains controversial in Afghanistan. Some religious conservatives condemned it for depicting women’s suffering. However, for global audiences, Osama became the definitive cinematic window into life under the Taliban—long before the group returned to power in 2021.
Barmak has stated that the title is ironic and tragic. “The name Osama was forced on her, just as the Taliban forced their version of Islam on everyone,” he said in interviews. “It’s not a political statement. It’s a human one.” It remains a vital record of what happens
The story unfolds in Kabul under the brutal rule of the Taliban. After the death of her only male relative (her father and uncle), a young girl (played by first-time actress Marina Golbahari) lives with her mother and grandmother. Women are forbidden from working or leaving home without a male escort ( mahram ). Facing starvation, the desperate mother cuts her daughter’s hair, dresses her in boy’s clothes, and renames her “Osama” (sometimes transliterated as “Usama”).
In a desperate attempt to survive, the mother cuts the girl’s hair and disguises her as a boy named "Osama" so she can work for a local shopkeeper.
A 12-year-old girl, her mother, and her grandmother live in a household with no male relatives, as the girl’s father and brother were killed in previous wars. Because the Taliban forbids women from working or appearing in public without a male escort, the family faces starvation.
Shot using the only 35mm camera in the country at the time. Reception & Awards