Ammi, ostensibly a letter written to his mother who died in 1990, is in the form of a fable of Jahanara Begum and Nusrat Beg — the protagonists who represent his parents in the book. Written over four years in Goa and Lonavala, Mirza has spent the last 15 years travelling and writing. “ Ammi is in memory of what my mother stood for and the spirit of democracy she believed in,” says Mirza. However, he insists this stirring fable is not just autobiographical. “This book is a discourse, a mélange of ideas that I want the readers to think very deeply about and debate,” he says. There are references to Indian legends, some lyrical Urdu poetry and current politics in India and the world.

Although Mirza enjoyed writing Ammi, he has not wrapped up his life as a filmmaker. His next movie, with the tongue-in-cheek title Savdhan Meri Jaan, will be his first in 13 years (his last film Naseem was released in 1995 and takes a poignant look at life in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition). “Savdhan, like Ammi, is about a gamut of ideas, this time about Mumbai where several layers co-exist. Around 57 actors from different parts of India and different genres of acting will converge in this film,” he says. Among the prominent actors are Rajat Kapoor, Pawan Malhotra and Vijay Raaz. The shooting will start in February.