Firaaq: In Such Times
This is not a review. Almost every week I watch films that don’t evoke anything in me- thought, laughter, joy, happiness, pain, sadness- nothing. At the most, it is mild disgust. I force myself to react to them in some way, even as I actually feel nothing about them, and these reactions I puke out week after week, trying to be convincing in what they call ‘reviews’.
So this is not a ‘review’. I will not harp about how superb the cinematography was, how stirring the music was, how great the screenplay was, or how mindblowing the actors were. When a film gets under your skin like this, all that really ceases to matter. Firaaq may not be ‘great cinema’ as such- as ‘objectivity takes over, I begin to notice its lack of a cohesive plot or structure among other things. Actually, I don’t even know whether that is a flaw here or not- and frankly, I couldn’t give a shit about that. Firaaq moved me, it made me feel, it made me think. That’s what really matters.
In such times. These three words recur many times throughout the film almost like a leitmotif, and they still resonate within me, for how very true they ring. What times we live in today, truly- hate and fear has begun to consume people to an extent that is frightening. Even people living in a protected environment like me can’t really live feeling secure. What kind of world will the next generation of children grow up in? Will the carefree, innocent childhood that we enjoyed cease to exist one day?
As Mohsin, the innocent young boy in the film orphaned during the Gujarat riots and surrounded by an atmosphere of brutality and savagery, coldly uttered- ‘Saala Hindu’- a chill ran down my spine. What is this world coming to? Will man finally destroy himself, humanity and what it stands for?
Some time later after the screening, I was returning home in the metro, and on the TV screen I saw an advertisement where Anupam Kher seemed to be telling this typically precocious and animated bunch of kids some kind of story or song. On hearing it closely, I realised he was happily singing about bomb scares and unclaimed objects that could contain explosives. As a child, the maximum I was told about was to not accept food from strangers- I didn’t have to worry about bombs going off around me. Will all these concerns soon become a part of what used to be pure childhood?
“Sirf saat suro mein itni kaabiliyat kahan, ki aisi nafrat ka saamna kar sake.”
When I saw Naseeruddin Shah’s faith and optimism break down in the film after seeing the horrifying images of the aftermath of the riots on television, I was heartbroken. Last month, when blasts shook Assam, I did not have it in me to see any more bloodshed, despite having grown up in that state. Truly, these things make you question if peace, love and trust can still exist on earth- and for those who directly experience it, one can’t even imagine the impact on their psyche.
Till a few years back, if someone asked me to look after their luggage for a while at a railway station, I would be happy to help. Would I do the same thing today?
In Firaaq, when Sameer Shaikh’s (Sanjay Suri) Hindu brother-in-law is taken aback when he says that ‘We (muslims) are victims’, Sheikh ruefully responds:
“I don’t know when ‘me’ became ‘we’…”
Some days back, in another metro station, I saw a bearded Muslim gentleman in a kurta manning one of the security posts with metal detector in hand, and it struck me as singularly weird- what was this man doing here? And then it hit me- this fear of the so-called ‘other’ has even pervaded me, a person who couldn’t care less about anyone’s religious identity. And it is true- I often get the creeps when I see someone in a burqa. I feel guilty, hypocritical, awful, bigoted- but I can’t help it. In such times, who can?
_________________________________________________________________________________
Watch Firaaq. Not for its cinematic excellence but for the frank mirror to society and prayer for sanity that it holds. Nandita Das’ fearless, stark picture of the times we live in quietly reverberates in the mind for a long time after you leave the theatre. This is a must watch- cinema that shouldn’t be evaluated, but experienced and absorbed.
(Firaaq recently showed at the Kolkata Film Festival. )
Tags: Firaaq, Gujarat, nandita das
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Amazing Jahan..Very well done..Is it out here?..when do we get to see it?
Thanks for sharing.. Shall check it out..
The awful character Paresh Rehwal plays is one of the best parts of Firaaq for me. What must it be like to share a home with a self-righteous brute? It makes you realize there aren’t really discreet “sides” of a conflict.
Deepti Naval, who plays his wife, is reason enough to see this movie.
In such times, guilt is good. Wherever it comes, it augurs well. Let there be guilt, instead of none.
Mr Bakshi, i’m most definitely going to see this directorial debut by Nandita.
Looks fascinating.
There’s something u said, which I completely relate to.
After the July bombings in London, everything changed.
I began to notice that no matter how full a bus is, there’s always an empty seat next to me.
I’m not Muslim.
But my appearance may lead people to believe I am.
Ofcourse, not to say that just because one is a Muslim, he/she would be a terrorist….
Initially it would really upset me. Seeing the fear and concern in people’s eyes as I pass them.
Then one day, as I sat on a train, a man, who’s physical appearance probably resembled mine, came aboard.
I looked at him in fear.
His very presence made me nervous. Suddenly, all those images in the paper had a different meaning.
And then, after my pathetic panic, it sank in that it was this very same fear that I evoked in people too.
By just being me…
Human nature, I guess.
Fear makes us react like so…
Steve, are you sure you have not been over-reacting?
It’s really hard for me to believe that in a place like London (or any urban area in the UK, for that matter), with it’s huge Asian Subcontinental or even Middle-Eastern population, would harbour such fear to the extent that people would not take a seat next to you.
If it was someone dressed in obvious Islamic attire, for e.g.: the prayer cap, the niqaab or even a kurta and a beard, I would understand. Being a Muslim myself I still often feel the unjustified tickle in my tummy when I see someone obviously Muslim in a public space.
But I really don’t think there is any population in the world (yet) that is so collectively fearful of an Asian person that they would leave a seat empty in a crowded bus…least of all in the UK. Living in Edinburgh, which has far less exposure to the Asian person but enough exposure to the fear-mongering news to know the possibility of the next Asian being a terrorist, I have probably experienced only twice or thrice in 3 years any sort of negative action based purely on visual. They might not even like you but they learn to live…especially grab a seat on a bus during rush hour.
On the other hand, this little speech of mine would be totally embarrasing if you were only speaking hypothetically.
Anyway, I have not watched Firaaq yet. Will do so at the first available opportunity.
No, no Kanda Poha, as shocking as this may sound it’s true.
Unless it’s some other reason like I smell or sumat? ;-)
See, the thing is, I have always been quite lazy in my appearance.
I guess I just ‘look’ like a person who has no will to live or sumat!
I rarely shave and carry around a ruksack with my stuff.
I’m warned by friends all the time to shave, ditch the ruksack etc, but that’s me!
Always has been.
People react like that through fear.
It’s ok. I understand.
And yes, it happens…
Kanda, i’m not actually from London, but yes, i’ve experienced this in England a good few times.
7-8 times out of 10.
How I wish it didn’t happen, but…?
I can’t control people.
Infact, I do understand that the fear has been projected so often to the public, that it’s glaringly there, even if they don’t want it to be.
Media, radio, newspapers give ample coverage on a daily basis to how many brown faces have been caught under terrorism charges.
This has just justified racism.
Sad. Truly sad.
Don’t get me wrong Kanda, i’m not saying people are outside my house protesting, ”Down with the browns!”
But yeah, there’s a definite change in the way things have become.
Sure, there’s an element of slight paranoia on my part, I admit that.
It’s just a bit too obvious at times though.
Even in my home town, all these years there wasn’t a problem.
But over recent times, I have been called ‘Paki’.
It leaves u feeling so alienated.
But u have to remind urself that not all people will feel this way…
Fair enough Steve.
I’ve often been accused by friends of being ignorant by choice of blatant incidents of discrimination.
I tend to fall on the other extreme of paranoia…where I will ignore certain incidents just so I can avoid the rut called minority complex. I have seen numerous cases in my community of negative (and often exxagerated) perception resulting in self-depreciating beliefs.
Not that I have necessarily found the right way…let’s assume the truth lies somewhere in between your outlook and mine.
That’s a very good point, Kanda.
I guess the truth is somewhere between both of our outlooks.
I guess it’s wise to acknowledge a situation, but also to know where to draw the line.
I try to let go of these incidents.
Yes, they serve as a reminder of the current state of affairs we’re in, but thankfully i’ve also encountered many non asians who have displayed a non judgemental approach based on the way I look too.
Takes all kinds….
Balance is probably the key :-)
So it’s not just me! I was talking to my mum just the other day about how, even on a full tube train, there will always be a seat empty next to me. Usually both sides if my fellow passengers have the option. I keep telling myself that it must be some other reason (indeed, I still think it may be), but I am not dirty or scary looking as far as I know, and I don’t act particularly crazy if I’m on my own… Can’t help but entertain the possibility that it’s coz I look a bit… Pakistani. Well, whatever the truth, it leaves me room on the seat for my rucksack filled with explosives. Gotta look on the bright side (when you’re a crazy fundamentalist)!
Good one Ben, especially the last statement
Gotta look at the bright side!