FIRAAQ - Communal Pornography
(This review got published in Filmfare and won the award for the Best Review).
I have been contemplating to write the review of FIRAAQ since quite some time now, but then I did want to promote the move, even by writing about it. However after reading a news article today in the Economic Times, I was motivated to write.
In its promotion, Firaaq claims to be “A work of fiction based on thousand true stories”. However today, the SIT (Special Investigation Team) of the Supreme Court of India has dismissed many of the cases as false stories. SIT says witnesses were tutored to give evidence about imaginary incidents, which have been doctored by activists like Teesta Setalvad. (Ref Economic Times, Delhi Edition 14th April 2009 “Setalvad in dock for ‘cooking up killings’”),
I am not a Narendra Modi supporter nor am I here to dispute the so called facts depicted in Firaaq. I was personally deeply hurt by what happened in Gujarat during Godra and post-Godra riots. Not because Hindus were killed or Muslims were killed. My pain was more, if i quote Nassarudin Shan from Firaaq itself, “Mujhay gham is baat ka hai, ki Insaan Insaan kau maar raha hai” (I am pained by the fact that a Human is killing another Human).
Nandita Das is a fine actor and even a very nice director. Firaaq is actually a very well directed movie. However the activist in her overshadows the director.
Firaaq is a completely biased version of the Godhra riots, painting almost all Hindus and all the Police force with the same brush. It projects all Muslims as victims and conveys the message the being a Muslim in Gujarat (and probably anywhere in India) is a crime.
I am not contesting what Firaaq had depicted is true or false. And that is not what hurt me. Even if it was true, what one has to consider is the motive behind such a movie and the display of gory details.
When a movie is made, it leaves a message for the people to assimilate in their consciousness. What message does Firaaq leave? In the current times of hostile environment in our country, far from leaving a message of possibility of peace, mutual respect and amicable future, Firaaq leaves all wounds open. It leaves Muslims with the feeling that they have been discriminated, challenged, killed, raped and are unwelcome anywhere. At the same time, it leaves Hindus with the feeling that it is not over yet. Muslims will get back to them, the revenge is pending and don’t ever trust them.
What kind of a message is this!
While some critics had called the much acclaimed “Slumdog Millionaire” as “poverty pornography”, I think FIRAAQ is social and communal pornography.
Ms Das, has tried to make a Schindler’s list about Gujarat.
But we are not taking about the German Holocaust of 1940es in 1990es, when once can afford to make a Schindler’s list, show gross and gory images and leave a message for people to think and contemplate - how savage men can get and we all need to be vary of this.
Firaaq has come in 2009 about a riot which happened in 2002, which is still very fresh in people’s minds. It does not evoke consciousness amongst masses - it evokes fear and revenge. It evokes vulnerability. Can we afford to evoke these feelings?
Firaaq is very well acted and very well directed movie. It has some of the finest performances by Deepti Naval as the helpless women who can not come to terms with the brutality around. Naseer is great as usual, as an eternal believer in love and peace. Sanjay Suri has played the role of a confused urban Muslim with finesse. Shahana Goswami continues to inspire with her acting. After Rock-On, this is one more brilliant performance from her.
All in all, Firaaq is a great movie in terms of acting and direction. However when a movie is made on such a serious subject, the director needs to keep in view the message he or she wants to portray and be sensitive to various point of views people would have about the subject.
Nandita has to lean that she would need to separate the activist in her from the director in her. Else she would not be able to do justice to either.
Ameet Mattoo
New Delhi.
(This review got published in Filmfare and won the award for the Best Review).
I have been contemplating to write the review of FIRAAQ since quite some time now, but then I did want to promote the move, even by writing about it. However after reading a news article today in the Economic Times, I was motivated to write.
In its promotion, Firaaq claims to be “A work of fiction based on thousand true stories”. However today, the SIT (Special Investigation Team) of the Supreme Court of India has dismissed many of the cases as false stories. SIT says witnesses were tutored to give evidence about imaginary incidents, which have been doctored by activists like Teesta Setalvad. (Ref Economic Times, Delhi Edition 14th April 2009 “Setalvad in dock for ‘cooking up killings’”),
I am not a Narendra Modi supporter nor am I here to dispute the so called facts depicted in Firaaq. I was personally deeply hurt by what happened in Gujarat during Godra and post-Godra riots. Not because Hindus were killed or Muslims were killed. My pain was more, if i quote Nassarudin Shan from Firaaq itself, “Mujhay gham is baat ka hai, ki Insaan Insaan kau maar raha hai” (I am pained by the fact that a Human is killing another Human).
Nandita Das is a fine actor and even a very nice director. Firaaq is actually a very well directed movie. However the activist in her overshadows the director.
Firaaq is a completely biased version of the Godhra riots, painting almost all Hindus and all the Police force with the same brush. It projects all Muslims as victims and conveys the message the being a Muslim in Gujarat (and probably anywhere in India) is a crime.
I am not contesting what Firaaq had depicted is true or false. And that is not what hurt me. Even if it was true, what one has to consider is the motive behind such a movie and the display of gory details.
When a movie is made, it leaves a message for the people to assimilate in their consciousness. What message does Firaaq leave? In the current times of hostile environment in our country, far from leaving a message of possibility of peace, mutual respect and amicable future, Firaaq leaves all wounds open. It leaves Muslims with the feeling that they have been discriminated, challenged, killed, raped and are unwelcome anywhere. At the same time, it leaves Hindus with the feeling that it is not over yet. Muslims will get back to them, the revenge is pending and don’t ever trust them.
What kind of a message is this!
While some critics had called the much acclaimed “Slumdog Millionaire” as “poverty pornography”, I think FIRAAQ is social and communal pornography.
Ms Das, has tried to make a Schindler’s list about Gujarat.
But we are not taking about the German Holocaust of 1940es in 1990es, when once can afford to make a Schindler’s list, show gross and gory images and leave a message for people to think and contemplate - how savage men can get and we all need to be vary of this.
Firaaq has come in 2009 about a riot which happened in 2002, which is still very fresh in people’s minds. It does not evoke consciousness amongst masses - it evokes fear and revenge. It evokes vulnerability. Can we afford to evoke these feelings?
Firaaq is very well acted and very well directed movie. It has some of the finest performances by Deepti Naval as the helpless women who can not come to terms with the brutality around. Naseer is great as usual, as an eternal believer in love and peace. Sanjay Suri has played the role of a confused urban Muslim with finesse. Shahana Goswami continues to inspire with her acting. After Rock-On, this is one more brilliant performance from her.
All in all, Firaaq is a great movie in terms of acting and direction. However when a movie is made on such a serious subject, the director needs to keep in view the message he or she wants to portray and be sensitive to various point of views people would have about the subject.
Nandita has to lean that she would need to separate the activist in her from the director in her. Else she would not be able to do justice to either.
Ameet Mattoo
New Delhi.
