Firaaq is a brave and hard hitting film that does raise many questions but leaves them unanswered.
Aided by excellent cinematography, brilliant editing and detailed art direction, the director raises the quality bar of the film several notches higher than the average Friday releases. Foe a debut, the film is cinematically brilliant.
Naseer is his usual sparkling best as the aging musician who lives in his own world of music, poetry and memories of a happier times. Raghubir Yadav as his caretaker works his own brand of magic by combining his typical subtle comedy with an enormous amount of pathos in his eyes at what he sees and doesn't want to see. His attempts at protecting his master from the harsh realities of the world outside is very touching.
Both Shahana Goswami as Muneera and her friend embody the spirit of the women on the streets in the times of rape and carnage and how despite everything their friendship and bonding remains intact. But as usual, friendship between a Muslim and Hindu, remain on the surface and somehow doesn't go deeper with its emotional impact.
Sanjay Suri and Tisca Chopra as Sameer and Anu provide an insight into the affluent and literate class, and their dilemmas are something one can easily identify with. The easy switching across different languages - Gujarati, Hindi & English - in their conversations is extremely charming and reminds one of how we are all part of different worlds that are enmeshed.
Dipti Naval is outstanding as the 'imprisoned' woman fighting her own ghosts and her attempts to regain her sanity by bringing home a Muslim boy and protecting him by giving him a Hindu name is a bit contrived, but she manages to make it look poignant. Paresh Rawal manages to sink his teeth even into the minuscule role he gets and thats hallmark of a good actor.
The dialogs are pithy and non-preachy which is a big relief and the screenplay adeptly weaves together the many stories.
But it is the script which is the real let down. It is so lopsided and one-dimensional that it fails to awaken your conscience. Except the character of Muneera's Hindu friend, there is so much Hindu bashing and so much 'Muslims are victims' rhetoric that it becomes one-dimensional. Within 10 minutes of the film one knows the stand the script and director is taking and then on it is one scene after another taking the same point of view further. There is no relief in the script or a balanced view of the situation. All Hindus in Gujarat are not monsters and all Muslims are not victims either.
The Gujarat carnage has always raised diverse emotions and intense arguments that usually culminate in no definitive results or solutions. Unfortunately it is the same with this film. Showing what happened is one thing, but providing a sense of hope or a way forward is another - and the film fails on that count. Sure films are meant to raise issues, and hold a mirror to the realities, but there has to be a sense of emotional / spiritual enrichment at the end of it. There are couple of shots in the end like Tisca and Sumeet coming to hear Naseer sing and Deepti deciding to step out, but these somehow just don't make you soar emotionally. The kid returning back to the camp and just staring into the camera in the end frame leaves one unsure of what one should carry back home.
Aided by excellent cinematography, brilliant editing and detailed art direction, the director raises the quality bar of the film several notches higher than the average Friday releases. Foe a debut, the film is cinematically brilliant.
Naseer is his usual sparkling best as the aging musician who lives in his own world of music, poetry and memories of a happier times. Raghubir Yadav as his caretaker works his own brand of magic by combining his typical subtle comedy with an enormous amount of pathos in his eyes at what he sees and doesn't want to see. His attempts at protecting his master from the harsh realities of the world outside is very touching.
Both Shahana Goswami as Muneera and her friend embody the spirit of the women on the streets in the times of rape and carnage and how despite everything their friendship and bonding remains intact. But as usual, friendship between a Muslim and Hindu, remain on the surface and somehow doesn't go deeper with its emotional impact.
Sanjay Suri and Tisca Chopra as Sameer and Anu provide an insight into the affluent and literate class, and their dilemmas are something one can easily identify with. The easy switching across different languages - Gujarati, Hindi & English - in their conversations is extremely charming and reminds one of how we are all part of different worlds that are enmeshed.
Dipti Naval is outstanding as the 'imprisoned' woman fighting her own ghosts and her attempts to regain her sanity by bringing home a Muslim boy and protecting him by giving him a Hindu name is a bit contrived, but she manages to make it look poignant. Paresh Rawal manages to sink his teeth even into the minuscule role he gets and thats hallmark of a good actor.
The dialogs are pithy and non-preachy which is a big relief and the screenplay adeptly weaves together the many stories.
But it is the script which is the real let down. It is so lopsided and one-dimensional that it fails to awaken your conscience. Except the character of Muneera's Hindu friend, there is so much Hindu bashing and so much 'Muslims are victims' rhetoric that it becomes one-dimensional. Within 10 minutes of the film one knows the stand the script and director is taking and then on it is one scene after another taking the same point of view further. There is no relief in the script or a balanced view of the situation. All Hindus in Gujarat are not monsters and all Muslims are not victims either.
The Gujarat carnage has always raised diverse emotions and intense arguments that usually culminate in no definitive results or solutions. Unfortunately it is the same with this film. Showing what happened is one thing, but providing a sense of hope or a way forward is another - and the film fails on that count. Sure films are meant to raise issues, and hold a mirror to the realities, but there has to be a sense of emotional / spiritual enrichment at the end of it. There are couple of shots in the end like Tisca and Sumeet coming to hear Naseer sing and Deepti deciding to step out, but these somehow just don't make you soar emotionally. The kid returning back to the camp and just staring into the camera in the end frame leaves one unsure of what one should carry back home.
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