Though we have not yet reached the halfway mark of 2023, Polite Society, the feature debut from We Are Lady Parts creator Nida Manzoor, seems destined to go down as one of the year’s most delightful surprises. A whip-smart action comedy set amidst London’s vibrant Pakistani community, Polite Society giddily traipses between genres, embellishing its fundamentally down-to-earth coming-of-age story with frequent martial arts breaks, musical numbers, and the occasional diabolical supervillain. On the eve of the film’s American release (catch it right now at the Coolidge!), I spoke to Manzoor about the rhythm of comedy, the importance of representation, and the transcendent beauty of The Big Lebowski.

BOSTON HASSLE: How did Polite Society as a movie come about?

NIDA MANZOOR: I started the first draft over ten years ago. I was excited to make an action movie that centered sisters– that’s really what I wanted to see. But I really struggled to get it made, and spent essentially ten years trying to make it. It wasn’t until recently, with the success of my TV show, We Are Lady Parts, that it became something that felt viable. It started long ago, small, and now I feel very excited for it finally to be coming out!

BH: One of the things about the film that I loved is that, even though it’s obviously very fantastical in some ways, it also feels very lived in. You feel like these characters exist before and after the movie begins and ends. Is any of this autobiographical, or does it come from any of your own experiences or life or relationships?

NM: A lot of it is drawn from my experiences growing up. I was very close with my older sister– we did martial arts together, and she’s an artist too– and a lot of it was drawn from my experiences with her, and our Pakistani/South Asian culture. And I get such a thrill from writing that sort of sister relationship, because I feel it’s different from romantic relationships. There’s a real cruelty that can exist in a sister relationship, but it can very quickly become very joyful and full of love, and it was a lot of fun to get to center that. And I’m so glad to hear you say that the characters feel lived-in, because I wanted to do the big, fantastical, genre stuff, but I really wanted to make sure it felt grounded, and that the characters felt true, and that you’d really root for them.

BH: It also has a really great sense of pace, both in terms of the filmmaking and in terms of the performances. Could you talk a little bit about how you laid it all out to make sure that it kept moving at such a consistent pace?

NM: As I was working on the script I was constantly doing rhythm passes. For me, rhythm in comedy is so key, and it’s where I find so much joy. I was constantly trying to work the rhythm when I was in rehearsal. And casting– finding the right actors who understood how to deliver that comedy, how to perform in this style, this sort of rat-a-tat style that I really adore. So much came through casting the right people. And so much of it came through in the edit, finding that pace, finding that rhythm, using the score, using the music, the soundtrack, to add to that kind of musicality of the film. I worked with a brilliant editor, Robbie Morrison, finding how to come in and out of scenes, how to make those transitions fun and interesting, how to use titles to create a sense of tone. We tried to lean on all the elements of filmmaking to set the tone and create that rhythm.

BH: Another thing I really like, both in this and in Lady Parts, is the way that it takes a perspective that remains underrepresented in popular culture– this Muslim community, in both the middle and upper class. Could you talk about bringing that to the screen in such an accessible and relatable way?

NM: Thanks, Oscar. That’s so much a part of my MO as a filmmaker. I love bringing my authentic experience into the genres I loved growing up. I adore John Carpenter movies. I want to see myself in those genres. It was everything for me, and I’m so glad that it worked for you. Again, it’s like getting to see yourself on the screen. Usually, if I saw someone like me, it would be a bit part– owning a cornershop, or being a terrorist’s wife– and I’m like, “Aww, no, can’t I be an action hero too? Can I be in a Hong Kong, kung fu-inspired film? Can I be in a heist movie?” And that’s I think why I felt like a kid in a candy shop making this film, because I just got to rip into all the movies I loved, and mash it up and make something that really spoke to me specifically as well.

BH: That actually segues well into my next question. This film obviously has a lot of homages to different films, and I was curious about what some of your specific touchstones were? Or to put it another way, for someone who sees this movie and loves it, what are some other movies that you would recommend if they want to see more?

NM: Oh, gosh! I’m the kind of filmmaker who likes to wear my references pretty clearly on my sleeve. I love movies. I always think about Edgar Wright’s comedy, and how he uses the camera and pace and editing to really accentuate the comedy is something I really adore. One of our touchstone filmmakers was Park Chan-wook. Me and my DP would always think about his Vengeance trilogy in how we were shooting the film, because we wanted it to be stylized, but we wanted it to have a frenetic, kind of punk aesthetic as well, and he had that mix of controlled style while also having this unpredictable camera. I grew up loving teen movies, and there’s a real teen-movie element to this movie. Slums of Beverly Hills was big for me. Donnie Darko, The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys– I think American teen films really respect and honor the teen in a way that in the UK we don’t as much.

Oh, god, the list is endless! I love Bette Davis’ films– for example, in All About Eve there’s a real musicality to the dialogue. The Coen brothers– their dialogue, the way they block their action. One of the main films I sent Priya (Kansara)  to go and watch to study for Ria was, “Go watch The Big Lebowski, and go watch these specific scenes where it’s just the three guys.” The dialogue between them is this incredible, musical moment– it’s like you’re listening to a song. This sort of musicality in comedy is just so exciting to me. The list is endless. The Bollywood films I grew up on– the final act is absurd, surreal, Bollywood-inspired madness. And I’m also excited when people see references that I don’t see, and then when they say them I’m like, “Oh, yeah! I did watch that, and I did love that!” It just sort of comes through subconsciously.

BH: To go back to that earlier question, it really feels like there could be more adventures with these characters. Do you have any thoughts about future films in this universe, or do you have any other projects lined up?

NM: I mean, I’m excited thinking about Polite Society 2 and 3, and what that could be, and every single actor has basically pitched me their version of Polite Society 2. Priya, who plays Ria, was like, “Oh, we could cut back to her, and she’s a stuntwoman!” And the actors who play her friends are like, “We should have a spinoff! Polite Society 2: Singapore Sling!” Everyone’s got their ideas of what it could be, and I’ve been pitched so many mad ideas. It makes me think, yeah, maybe there is a world for more Polite Societys! Maybe we can John Wick this thing!

Polite Society
2023
dir. Nida Manzoor
103 min.

Now playing at Coolidge Corner Theatre and AMC Boston Common