In a nation where educating girls is seen as rebellion, Roya Mahboob, a visionary young Afghan woman (Nikohl Boosheri) dares to teach young minds to dream. When their innovation draws global attention, their success sparks hope, and opposition.
We spoke to real-life activist Roya Mahboob and actress Nikohl Boosheri about bringing Rule Breakers to life — a film about an Afghan girls’ robotics team, resilience and the urgent fight for girls’ education. They discuss why this film matters now, the responsibility of telling a real woman’s story, how the production captured both the team’s creativity and the stakes they faced, and Roya’s plea that “talent is universal but opportunities not.” This interview moves from craft and character to hard truths about Afghanistan today — Roya names the situation “a gender apartheid system” and lays out what international allies can do to help.
We also sat down with actor Ali Fazal (Victoria & Abdul) to talk about his part in the film and to hear why he was drawn to this important and timely story, how he prepared for his role, and his thoughts on giving Afghan girls a voice in cinema. Ali shares his experiences working with the director and the young cast, and reflects on the responsibility of storytelling in a world where these stories need to be told.
