All Movie Reviews: Firaaq

Firaaq: Movie Review

19 Mar, 2009 06:00 am ISTlGaurav Malani/INDIATIMES MOVIES

Director: Nandita Das
Cast: Shahana Goswami, Nowaz, Sanjay Suri, Tisca Chopra, Naseeruddin Shah, Raghuvir Yadav, Deepti Naval, Paresh Rawal
Rating: ***

Nandita Das arrests your attention right from the opening scene of her directorial debut that shows a disturbing mass burial. As a truck discards more dead bodies, the graveyard gives an impression of a dumping ground where corpses have replaced composite waste. The sight clearly befits the ruthless temperament of the 2002 Gujarat riots and its aftermath which the film attempts to explore.

Firaaq is a fictional account on the repercussions of the dreadful communal riots of Gujarat in 2002. The story is set one month post the riots and unveils through multiple parallel narratives. Muneera (Shahana Goswami) is attempting to restore her life while trying to uncover faces who had set her house ablaze. A Gujarati housewife (Deepti Naval) is unable to overcome her guilt of closing the door on to a Muslim woman frantically seeking safety from a frenzied Hindu mob.

A contemporary Hindu-Muslim couple (Tisca Chopra – Sanjay Suri) decides to relocate from Gujarat, as the husband is terrified of acknowledging his true identity in the given circumstances. Much against the anxiety of his caretaker (Raghuvir Yadav), a devout musician (Naseeruddin Shah) remains optimistic about the state-of-affairs and his diminishing student count until his idealism is shaken. Meanwhile a child who has lost his family in the riots becomes witness to the city set on fire.

In terms of both its social subject and screenplay structure, the film instantly reminds of Nishikant Kamat's Mumbai Meri Jaan . Like Kamat's film, Firaaq too has its stories evolving post the riots and steers away from any political overtones making it work as a basic human drama at the common man level. However, the character conflicts and their conversion pale in comparison. The establishment of most characters is effective but somewhere marred by weak transformation or unsettled resolution of their conflicts.

The sudden despair in Naseeruddin Shah's pious character post his perpetually positive outlook isn't convincing. Sanjay Suri's overnight acceptance of his true identity appears both hurried and unpersuasive. The concerns of his Muslim individuality in a Hindi dominated state is effectively brought out but the metamorphosis of his character isn't credible. The Deepti Naval track denotes domestic violence over social unrest but is half-baked and concludes abruptly. Though Paresh Rawal as her dictating husband is a refreshing change from the comic stereotype, his character is not fleshed out and short-lived. Shahana's track gets monotonous after a point with her repeated attempts to know the men who burnt her house. Her subplot seems incomplete.

Nandita Das still tries to end her film showing ray of hope as the Muslim musician strikes a chord with his two Hindu disciples. Also, Sanjay Suri comes to terms with his minority identity and shows courage to coexist amongst the majority community including his wife. The final frame that ends on the innocent face of the child who had been wandering the city is thought-provoking. It makes one wonder how the vulnerable young mind would shape up in future after witnessing so much violence. The outcome lingers on individual outlook, depending if one can bury the past or get ready for revenge.

The language credibly switches from Hindi, English, Gujarati to Urdu in individual episodes and the wordplay is particularly expressive in Sanjay Suri and Naseeruddin Shah's chapters. The pacing is slow. The orphan child is a common link to merely two subplots but the movie could have been more fulfilling had he been mutual to all tracks, making the entire film a parable seen through his tiny eyes. The performances are of high order with each member of the cast delivering outstanding acts.

Firaaq (implying quest) isn't flawless but is sensitive enough to end your search for a poignant human drama.

http://movies.indiatimes.com/moviereview/4281304.cms

It does seem a little boring

By Taran Adarsh, March 20, 2009 - 09:22 IST

Film-makers across the globe have often told stories of calamities/riots/disasters -- natural and unnatural -- and the aftermath. FIRAAQ, which marks the directorial debut of actress Nandita Das, also looks at the lives of common men after the riots in Gujarat.

More of a docu-drama, FIRAAQ narrates six different stories that are not connected with one another. Nor are they similar, nor do they meet towards the culmination. Told with utmost sensitivity, the film pricks your conscience at several points of the narrative and when you make it to the Exit after the film has ended, you carry the burden of a lot of questions on your mind.

FIRAAQ is disturbing. It makes you remove those blinkers and experience the truth. FIRAAQ is purposeful and powerful and drives home the message in the most convincing manner, without taking sides.

A middle class housewife [Deepti Naval] closes the door on a woman desperately seeking refuge and then struggles to overcome her guilt... The loyalty of two best friends [Shahana Goswami] is challenged in times rife with fear and suspicion... A group of victimized young men seek revenge as a way out of their helplessness and anger... A modern-day Hindu-Muslim couple [Sanjay Suri, Tisca Chopra] struggle between the survival instinct to hide their true identities and the desire to assert them... A boy having lost most of his family in the riots wanders through the streets searching for his missing father... A saintly musician [Naseeruddin Shah] clings on to his idealism until an evidence of civil strife shakes his faith.

The opening sequence of FIRAAQ says it all, when a truck empties dead bodies as if it were emptying debris or rubble. It hits you more sharply than any weapon. Subsequently, you are introduced to the assorted characters that have been affected, directly or indirectly, to the riots. The six stories run concurrently, raising so many questions all through.

Nandita Das gets it right, except for the open end which doesn't really have a culmination like most Hindi movies. One aspect that could go against the film!

Nandita is a competent storyteller and her choice of stories as also the actors is just right. The actors only carry the film to dizzy heights with splendid portrayals. Ravi K. Chandran's cinematography captures the mood brilliantly.

FIRAAQ has an ensemble cast and each of them sparkle in their respective roles. But the faces that continue to haunt you even after the film has ended are that of the child actor, Deepti Naval and Shahana Goswami.

On the whole, FIRAAQ is one of the finest docu-dramas made in India. It's disturbing. It's powerful. It's thought-provoking. A film for the discerning viewer who likes to go beyond the stereotype.

*** 1/2

http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/review/13913/index.html

sounds interesting but also disturbing...the starcast is very strong....i wonder if it will do well though.....😕.......

Oh I am soooooooooooooooo gonna watch this movie!!! I hope it goes to all the international film festivals!!!😛

everytime they come with the Gujarat Riot movies i always have to ask ... why not a movie on the hindus that also got killed?

I went to see Firaaq with really high expectations after all the stunning reviews it had got at various festivals. Although the film was a tad moving, it wasn't as great as I expected it to be. But one thing is for sure that although you may not like it immediately after you see it but some images of it will remain with you long after.

The story is set a month after the communal riots in Gujarat, depicting how everyone's lives continue to be haunted by the riot. Deepti Naval, a Gujarati housewife punishes herself for not giving shelter to a Muslim girl during the riots; Sanjay Suri is scared to death because he is a Muslim; his wife Anuradha, played by Tisca Chopra, is a Hindu. Shahana Goswami, is a Muslim mehendiwali who thinks her Hindu best friend might just be responsible for setting her house on fire. Mohsin aka Mohan, played by Mohammed Samad, is a Muslim boy orphaned in the riots. Naseeruddin Shah is a musician who cannot accept the reality of the riots and Raghubir Yadav provides him company. Just how each of these individuals deal with the impact of the riots in their lives is what Firaaq is all about.

The performances are excellent to say the least. Sanjay Suri expresses his fear well and Tisca complements him perfectly. Deepti Naval as the suppressed housewife is wonderful. Shahana Goswami, delivers another brilliant performance. It is amazing how she fits into any role. Naseeruddin Shah is perfectly natural; he IS the character. Ditto for Paresh Rawal who is absolutely flawless and makes you hate his Gujarati MCP lecherous character.

The production design is flawless. It has been shot in Hyderabad but you will think it is Ahmedabad through and through. There is attention to detail in every frame. The mixed languages: English, Hindi and Gujarati lend authenticity to the film. You feel the fear and helplessness of the characters. It moves you in that way.

However, what goes against the film is that it is awfully slow paced. It is less than two hours long but feels much longer. Also, it ends rather abruptly with none of the ends tying up like they should. There is no proper closure to the stories and you don't expect the movie to end when it does. It is abstract. But maybe that is the point Nandita Das is trying to make - that riots and violence do not make any sense and they leave us with many questions unanswered. The loss cannot be measured.

Nandita Das has an interesting voice and vision and extracts impeccable performances from her stellar cast to tell a personal story.

If you can be patient while watching a film, go and see Firaaq.

Janhvi Patel/Hill Road Media

http://www.starboxoffice.com/movie/reviews.aspx?m=Firaaq&bid=2008/July/reviews_20080728_10

Firaaq: Tugs at your heart strings

Rating: 3 out of 5*

The film takes place over a 24 hour period and a month after the infamous Godhra incident which were followed by a horrific communal carnage in the state of Gujarat. It peeks into multiple characters amongst such as Aarti (Deepti Naval), a housewife who is silently haunted by the image of a Muslim woman begging for sanctuary. Another is Khan Saheb (Naseer), a renowned musician who lives in a Hindu area, and teaches classical music. He cannot understand the destruction of his familiar world, and naively assumes that it is possible for the two communities to live together. There is also Muneera (Shahana), who hides with friends during the violence, and returns to her home to find it burned to the ground. And there is Sameer (Suri), a young, dashing, wealthy Muslim married to a Hindu Anuradha (Tisca), who is torn between the dilemma of staying in Ahmedabad or leaving for another city where he and his wife might be safer. Lastly, there are the stories of other hapless Muslims, who make incompetent plots to take revenge.

Despite choosing such a heavy subject in her directorial debut film, actress Nandita Das has succeeded in handling it with utmost sensitivity and technical finesse. With an able technical support from India's finest technicians such as cameraman Ravi K. Chandran (Ghajini, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi) and editor Sreekar Prasad (Guru, Yuva) Nandita has managed to assemble and ensemble cast of talented actors which take the film to a completely different level. The stories are not exactly interwoven but do manage to strike a chord. Firaaq's strength lies in focusing on ordinary Hindus and Muslims whose lives were affected by the riots. Nandita barely resorts to showing graphic violence on screen and it's fear, anger and anxiety are all understated.

Paresh Rawal in a serious role after a long time is a treat to watch. Sanjay Suri carries one of his most difficult roles with aplomb. Tisca playing his wife lends able support. Shahana Goswami post Rock On delivers yet another award worthy performance. But it is Naseeruddin Shah and Deepti Naval making a comeback on screen after a long gap whose performances linger on your mind long after the film is over.

Firaaq is not meant for the faint hearted or those seeking two hours of time pass. It shows us the uncomfortable truths and painful reality in which the people of our country must live, as they set about repairing the destroyed trust between two communities. -

http://www.sindhtoday.net/entertainment/76770.htm

REVIEW: Nandita Das' Firaaq

Deepti Naval's performance and a razor-sharp editing makes it worth a watch

By Jaya Biswas . Buzz18 Mar 19, 2009

We have seen Nandita Das in hard-hitting films like Bawander, Earth or more recently Ramchand Pakistani. And got bowled over by her histrionic skills. This time it was a pleasant surprise to see Nandita donning the director's mantle and giving an equally powerful performance from behind the camera.

In her directorial debut Firaaq, meaning both separation and quest in Urdu, Nandita has tried to delve deep into the our mind – as if trying to shake us up - emphasizing the need to rise above communalism.

About the film:

The plot unfolds in Gujarat in the year 2002, where several innocent Muslims died in the Godhra massacre. Unlike Rahul Dholakia's Parzania that primarily focused on a Parsi family which lost its 10-year-old kid during the riots, Firaaq has five different stories which are interconnected and independent at the same time. The characters belong to different class, gender, age and community that represent a cross-section of society.

Aarti (Deepti Naval) is a housewife who's shattered by the sight of a Muslim woman begging sanctuary in her house. But she chooses to be indifferent out of fear.

Khan Saheb (Naseeruddin Shah) is a Muslim musician who lives in the Hindu suburb of Gujarat. He just fails to see the increasing communal rift around him.

Muneera (Shahana Goswami), a Muslim auto driver's wife has hidden with friends during the riots, returns to find her home gutted and trust in her friends destroyed.

Sameer Sheikh (Sanjay Suri), married to a Hindu played by Tisca Chopra, is torn between the urge to flee to Delhi and stick around and be recognised as a Muslim entrepreneur.

While slum dwellers live in constant fear of the next outbreak of violence, others plot revenge.

With complete dexterity Nandita explores the relationships that bind these two communities to their homeland in the face of atrocities.

Razor-sharp editing makes it worth a watch:

The opening shot where the two Muslim men dig a mass grave for the riot victims reminds us of Andrzej Wajda's Katyn, a film that spoke about the mass murder of Polish Prisoners of War during World War II or the scene when Muneera's friend in order to protect her, puts a bindi on her forehead to disguise her as a Hindu woman, are indeed touching.

Though we missed Nandita on screen, Naseeruddin Shah, Deepti Naval, Raghubir Yadav quite make up for the loss, especially Shah who has already given similar performances in films like A Wednesday and Shoot On Sight. Deepti Naval sans make up looks every bit a remorseful, docile Gujarati housewife who tries to overcome her guilt by burning her hands with hot oil every time she recalls the fateful incident.

It would be unfair if we don't talk about Sanjay Suri who has done a fairly good job. The pain and anguish that Sameer goes through, his frustrations, his decision to relocate from Gujarat, his inability to cope with the current scenario look convincing enough.

Shahana's track gets boring after a point with her constant attempts to know who burnt her house. Her story seems a bit incomplete too.

As for an actor of Paresh Rawal's caliber, we expected a lot more screen presence. His role as Deepti Naval's dominating and abusive husband is a refreshing change from the comic stereotype, but alas... his character is not fleshed out properly.

Nandita tries to wrap up the film with ray of hope as Naseeruddin resumes his music classes with two Hindu disciples. Also, Sanjay Suri aka Sameer decides to let go of his fear and comes to terms to live with his true identity.

Despite a few flaws, one of the plus points of the film is its razor-sharp editing by Sreekar Prasad. As a first-time director, Nandita's endeavour is worth an appreciation. What more can be said about a film that has already won accolades at places like 49th Thessaloniki Film Festival in Greece and 7th Kara Film Festival?!

With a subject like this, Firaaq may not be a conventional crowd puller. But with a string of films like Khuda Ke Liye, Aamir, Mumbai Meri Jaan and A Wednesday, striking gold at the box office, it may just click with some cine fans.

VERDICT: Firaaq to some extent fails to really tug at your heartstrings, maybe because we have recently watched a slew of films dealing with similar emotions. The novelty was perhaps missing somewhere. But do watch it for Nandita's direction, Naseeruddin Shah and Deepti Naval's powerhouse performances.

RATING: 2.5/ 5

http://buzz18.in.com/reviews/movies/review-nandita-das-firaaq/122162/0