’Lamhaa’ was a much awaited movie for me since the time I heard about it being made on Kashmir crisis. I wanted to see what part or parts of the actual crisis the film makers are going to cover about Kashmir this time, which is different from the rest. I was really looking forward to watching it when close to the date of its release I came to know that it has been banned not only in the UAE but in the entire Middle East due to some reasons which are still unknown to me.
Anyways, last night I found it on YouTube and despite the poor quality of the video, started with great zeal to watch it.
In all honesty, this movie was not something I had been so eager to watch, it was a sheer disappointment. No story line, no clear message and a very abrupt climax.
Yes, it did bring out the typical issues hounding Kashmir such as the sex-scandal where politicians were involved, coaxing of children to become mujahedeen in LeT camps, plight of half widows and disappearance of more than 10, 000 kashmiri men, army corruption, politics in the name of independence and the whole business of running Kashmir and keeping the violence alive in it. It also touched the basic issues of unemployment due to lack of opportunities in Kashmir and outside Kashmir due to the prejudice that all Kashmiri Muslims are terrorists.
It just touched these issues and that is all it did. Nothing more, nothing less.
Aziza’s character was loosely based on Aasiya Andrabi’s and her outfit was close to what Aasiya’s Dukhtaran-e-milat does in the real life. Plus the veiled women with green headbands, almost made that clear that it was Aasiya they were referring to.
What I found bizarre for some reason was the audacity that they could take so much from Syed Ali Shah Gilani’s real life character and transform it into Syed Ali Shah portrayed by Anupam Kher in a totally negative manner. Of course, the director of the film, Rahul Dholakia would say that this is fiction and bears no resemblance to living or dead in his disclaimer, but this direct resemblance yet contrast was appalling.
I do not live in Kashmir, nor I am a Kashmiri, and neither have I done any research on Kashmir like the director of this film, but if I, an outsider to the plight of Kashmir can make out this stark error, so can the people of Kashmir. Wouldn’t they feel a bit cheated to see one of their respected leaders in question by the so-called Indian media? Well, unless the point here was specifically to show it the way it is.
Well, the film did talk about the death of the then Mirwaiz, the religious leader(father of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq) and death of Sajjad Lone’s father and the controversy around whether or not he was a loyal separatist as he was planning to contest elections before his assassination. These questions will always be there, unanswered, but the question the director can answer is what made him touch a zillion topics and yet leave the storyline very blank and confusing? May be the director does not know what to do, as the rest of the world. But at least the rest of the world is not claiming to as he does.
Another aspect which the director tries to highlight is the current brand of politics in Kashmir, one based on public administration and azaadi by non-violent means, exactly which Aatif in this movie is trying to achieve. And it was a very clichéd treatment which this character has met with in this movie. Needless to say this could have been better.
I remember about three-four years back I was in the Siri Fort Auditorium in New Delhi for a special screening of Rahul Dholokia’s film on Gujrat riots “Parzania”. It was a very touching movie indeed and during the post movie-Q&A session, I asked him, what is the message that you want to give to the audience with this movie? I am pretty sensible to understand the bottomline but I wanted to know his perspective, his take, and his motto behind this movie making which tempted me to ask this question. And I was left indignant with his proud reply in front of a handful of audience who chose to be seated for that session. He replied “well if you haven’t understood the movie after watching it, what can I say”
Needless to say, I was ashamed of even talking to him forget about asking a question. He was a conceited, arrogant man who just got lucky with his first film as it touched the raw nerve of people at that time.
Now, I can gladly ask this question from him again and I’m pretty sure that this time he wouldn’t have an answer as silly as last time’s. The reason is that this film does not have a message. This film is a pandemonium of various tragedies of Kashmir and nothing else. The director is indeed aware of the struggles of people in Kashmir but he does not feel strongly about it.
To me, it is another attempt to win accolades in the name of serious Indian cinema and perhaps another national award. A confused and bad attempt. All I would say, that real locales or the local dialects in songs and dialogues would do nothing to help in comparison to having a vein of true empathy for the people of Kashmir.
And this is exactly where the film makers went wrong.
Pooja