This movie takes place in the aftermath of the 2002 Gujarat riots between Hindus and Muslims in which the majority of the deaths were Muslim. I saw this movie at the 2008 Toronto International Film Festival.
It is difficult to make a movie dealing with such topics which would not be so unpleasant that people would be unable to sit through it. This movie succeeds by creating a good story and a number of very distinctive and fascinating characters. It not only has a serious message it's a very absorbing drama.
There are a few story lines being juggled effectively here. You are taken into the home of a Muslim man in a mixed marriage, the burnt-out home of a Muslim widow and even the home of a man who actively participated in the atrocities. You'll see a group of young Muslim men who become fired up seeking revenge, although ultimately fail in unexpected comedic fashion. And most tragically you see an orphaned boy walking alone through the city.
The movie is also hopeful. Late in the movie the Muslim man married to a Hindu woman, who had already admitted to being a coward, decides stop hiding behind his Hindu sounding name and declares his true religious identity to a hassling police officer. There are other examples of this same kind of hope.
However the movie finishes with a dramatic warning. It ends on the face of the young boy who had been wandering the city. His innocent face fills the screen. The face is so benign, but his eyes had seen so much violence. It forces you to wonder what type of man this child will become. Then the screen goes black. I must admit I found the ending rather chilling.
It is difficult to make a movie dealing with such topics which would not be so unpleasant that people would be unable to sit through it. This movie succeeds by creating a good story and a number of very distinctive and fascinating characters. It not only has a serious message it's a very absorbing drama.
There are a few story lines being juggled effectively here. You are taken into the home of a Muslim man in a mixed marriage, the burnt-out home of a Muslim widow and even the home of a man who actively participated in the atrocities. You'll see a group of young Muslim men who become fired up seeking revenge, although ultimately fail in unexpected comedic fashion. And most tragically you see an orphaned boy walking alone through the city.
The movie is also hopeful. Late in the movie the Muslim man married to a Hindu woman, who had already admitted to being a coward, decides stop hiding behind his Hindu sounding name and declares his true religious identity to a hassling police officer. There are other examples of this same kind of hope.
However the movie finishes with a dramatic warning. It ends on the face of the young boy who had been wandering the city. His innocent face fills the screen. The face is so benign, but his eyes had seen so much violence. It forces you to wonder what type of man this child will become. Then the screen goes black. I must admit I found the ending rather chilling.