I requested for this movie to be added to the list but unfortuantely, couldn’t write the first review (it has happened to me a couple of times earlier too) :)
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Disclaimer: *The review is my opinion of the movie. I believe in no religion and no God; hence, my support or endorsement to either side of insanity is out of question even before you think about it.
If you think in true terms, there are a few things that do not really make this movie look real. The characters, all, talk in English (but the movie is in English so that should be alright).
Rahul Dholakia, a US-based Gujrati filmmaker, has shown in this movie a bit of bias (in favor of Muslims). Not that the truth has not been told; it’s just one side of the truth. The loudest element here that doesn’t go well with someone looking for truth and just truth is the fact that narration is from a Muslim’s point of view and ignores the other side of insanity. When Hindu rioters are shown distinctively as saffron-clad, fiery-eyed monsters, I expected Dholakia not to underplay the Muslim rioters’ role in the madness that engulfed Gujrat.
Said, what I have already, let us analyze the movie from cinematic experience point of view.
Parzania is not in the same league as 1947 Earth, Dev or Black Friday (unreleased while I write this review but available on pirated CDs). It carves its own niche though. Dholakia transcends beyond the gore of violence. He tries to explore the virtue, innocence and helplessness against the backdrop of hatred and politicization of religion. This movie is more of a documentary that moves at a pace that is just right for the narrative.
The plot is simple – a Parsi family who bond well with families of all religion and nativity (including a foreigner) lose their son Parzan during the riots that followed Godhra carnage. Foreigner helps them in their hour of need and helps them say their story in front of a commission set up to listen to the victims. They don’t find their son though.
This movie keeps a distance from over-dramatizing the emotions. Yet, the heart and soul of the movie is a hidden tragedy (or call it metaphor) behind every single scene that may appear to be happy. Due to this, the movie is not just moving but disturbing to the extent of literally giving the overtly emotional audience a nightmare.
Exploring the cinematic excellence:
-> Parzan has his own world Parzania (where houses are made of chocolates and mountains made of ice creams…). This place is a child’s view of adult philosophers’ Utopia. Parzan describes the way to get in this world is to get underneath a white piece of cloth. Metaphorically, all religions prescribe white for the departing body.
-> Naseer’s character is told by a spiritual healer that a few days of self-denial will let him know the fate of his son. And when the day comes, Naseer holds his head and sees vultures flying around his son’s body. This scene is enhanced by the percussion that fills the background. This amazingly moving scene gives you the end of the movie well before time.
-> The riot scenes have spine-tingling skirmish of disturbing (but not gory) images (although camera goes a little too shaky at time) and of sounds. The impact is heart-wrenching without showing any gore per se. excellent execution by the director.
-> The besotted American characterized by Colin Nemec helps play the cinematic trick – talking about the land of Gandhi, about the role of politics; helping the Parsi family and then finally writing the book Parzania. It has more impact when he says these things and brings to light so many aspects of human bonding. It’s like having Gandhi running in the background but without hurting the narrative.
-> I don’t remember the name of the girl who played Parzan’s sister in the movie. She is outstanding in the scene where she offers some petty stuff back to the God asking for his brother in return. In another scene, she is shown amongst a group of audience while victims are testifying before the inquiry commission. When Naseer enters court, she is happy to see her father back and starts asking if he found Parzan. Before this, she maintained a stoic silence (due to her innocence) while the proceeding were on.
(contd.. in comments section)