moviefreak7007 The movie try to mention that one community is responsible for all the Holocust of 2002. It intentionally support and in climax it encourage that the hatred between Hindus and Muslims will be always there and both communities should always revenge each other. I am not saying whatever happen in 2002 in Gujarat was acceptable, but when someone make movie, when its gonna be on common platform than it should not generalized one sided. Movie actually try to support terrorism and making point that there always will be hatred between Hindu and Muslim.Stupid director like this should only make comedy movies, where they do not need to use their brain. Just for sake of financial success for a low budget movie, they generalized this way. Both communities ignore, the movie at all cost. It will only give you hatred for innocent people who spend their entire life working for their family. If you prefer to watch movie based on terrorism and after math, go for "A Wednesday" and "Mumbai Meri Jaan". This is total non-sense.

zafaranjum I want to applaud Nandita Das to have chosen a complex theme—the aftermath of the 2002 Gujarat riots—as her directorial debut. Her heart is in the right place but the film as a narrative does not work for me. The four or five story tracks, all dealing with one or other aspect of the Gujarat riots, muddle the flow of the narrative. The problem is not with the editing or how the sequences segue into each other but with the choice of the stories and their episodic nature. Each story seems to be a stand alone piece. As the narrative progresses, they all hurtle towards climaxes of their own, frittering away the combined tension (and its resolution) that could have resulted had they all come to a confluence. Would that be too tricky or clichéd (a la Priyadarshan)? That is certainly debatable. The tracks themselves are fascinating on their own. I loved the Naseeruddin Shah/Raghuvir Yadav track. Naseer plays the Muslim musician's character with so much depth and dignity. The portrayal was so poignant (especially the conclusion where Naseer finally admits: Music does not have the power to transcend such great communal hatred). To which Yadav's character, the ever so scared and paranoid Muslim assistant, says: If you start thinking like this, what hope is there for people like me?While watching the film, I was as aghast as Naseer's character was when we find out that Wali Dakhni's grave had been razed and a road has been built on that ground by the government of Gujarat. If Wali, a part of our history and heritage, is not important in India, then what place insignificant people like me have in a modern India? The Deepti Naval/Paresh Rawal track is saved by the small boy whose haunting eyes ask all viewers at the end of the movie: what wrong did I do? Why is my present pathetic and future bleak? Why am I in a ghetto? Gosh, who can stand those innocent searching eyes?The Tisca Chopra/Sanjay Suri track (the use of a neutral name Samir in a communally charged city, Hindu Muslim marriage) was interesting. What Samir does at the end really required a lot of balls. In real life, as a Muslim, it would be hard for me to admit what he admitted. The auto-rickshaw driver and his wife's track is perhaps the most muddled one. So many things happen to them on screen and yet their characters are not that well developed. The director also shows a little weakness in executing some scenes in this episode.Firaaq means separation in Urdu. The film shows the separation of the two communities—Hindus and Muslims in Gujarat. Where are the villains who are creating this communal rift, who control the mechanics of the flow of hatred in the birthplace of Gandhi? The film does not ask this question and that perhaps has enfeebled this entire project. But, honestly, I can't even blame Nandita for not taking this route to tell her story. Till today, even after the Tehelka expose, the Godhra incident remains an unsolved mystery and many of the perpetrators of the Gujarat communal carnage still remain unpunished. www.zafaranjum.com www.dreamink.blogspot.com

advocategs Dear friends Hats off to Nandita Dass, I just can't imagine that it is her first movie as a director. The reality of the script and the way the movie has been directed is so amazing that you think that rather than sitting in the cinema hall you are just somewhere there in the movie watching it in real. As far as the acting is concerned what a cast N.Shah the legend of the Hindi film industry, Deepti Naval , Paresh Raval other legends along with the rest of the cast who just light up the screen with the magic of there presence and acting The story is so gripping that inspite of a break to take a call the moment i came back it immediately gripped me with a quality of realism which is very rare in films of any genre language country believe me the magic of the Director Cast and Crew has to be seen to be believed. The direction is so effortless and smooth it does not hit you but just engulfs you in its depth. Hats off to N. Dass the Director not that she is a bad actor. Must watch for lovers of parallel and serious cinema.

DICK STEEL If I were given a chance to give out an award during this festival, then Firaaq by Nandita Das would be my choice for the best film I've seen during the festival. And it's quite amazing in itself being a first film of the accomplished Indian actress, that it's laced with sensitivity while at the same time tackling some hard issues head on that deals with the deep rooted negative human condition of hate and violence.Set against the backdrop of the aftermath of the 2002 Gujarat riots between the Hindu and Muslim communities in Gujarat, India, it's an ensemble film with a myriad of characters in multiple story threads which involves a Muslim family who returns to their home only to find it burnt by rioters, of a mixed marriage couple who has to deal with their fears and decision to leave Gujarat for Delhi, of a woman who gets haunted by the ghosts of the incident, and punishes herself for her inaction, of a group of Muslim men all flustered and planning for revenge, of a young orphan wandering the streets, and the list goes on.In each of the threads, which for the most parts are independent of one another, Nandita Das weaves very moving stories and crafts very interesting characters to function within each story, either serving as a mouthpiece for keen observations, or highlighting very deep rooted fears. The film doesn't flinch from making harsh criticisms or statements through dialogues and interactions between characters, and Das manages to paint characters on both sides of the equation, some exhibiting bad behaviour even when confronting their prejudices or when confronted by their fears. If I could draw a parallel to an established film that Firaaq gets close to, then it will be Paul Haggis' Oscar winner Crash.One can imagine the human rights violations committed during the tense period, and it's quite natural to see how the outcome of such violations through the mob mentality, affect the common man even after the tumultuous period had passed over, because deep inside, we all know that some prejudice are hard to eradicate. I thought the story of Sameer and Anu was one of the most striking of the lot, and most enduring as well, though with each protection dished out by the wife, the husband feels more insecure about his manhood. Some of the most direct and pointed conversations happen when they are on screen, especially how one's inherent self-preservation mechanism kicks in and would go through anything as extreme as a name change to avoid another extreme such as being stripped to verify identities.The final act was actually quite chilling, and I felt it could cut either way, depending on your outlook. One, that it is of hope, that with the next generation lies opportunity to bury the past and forge a new future ahead filled with better understanding, and the appreciation that such violence should never occur again. On the other hand, it reminds of how impressionable a young mind is, and through the wandering within a camp, taking in the sights of the aftermath of atrocities committed, that the seeds of revenge could have been innately planted, and being ready for improper indoctrination for further atrocities to be committed, some time in the future. It's extremely difficult, but not impossible, to break the stranglehold that violence begets more violence.For a rookie director, I feel that Nandita Das has demonstrated that she has what it takes to join the illustrious ranks of female Indian directors in telling very mature stories through assured technique. Firaaq is a shining example, and I hope to see more of her directorial work again soon. Definitely a highly recommended movie in these troubled times of ours, to hold a mirror up against oneself, for some serious self-examination within.