Holy War and peace
ZIYA US SALAM
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Anand Patwardhan's "Father, Son and the Holy War" will finally be shown on Doordarshan.
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THE ACTIVIST Anand Patwardhan.
Long before the film lovers could say it, the Supreme Court has said it. And Anand Patwardhan, after years of struggle and countless hearings, is a relieved man. Smiling. Content. And looking forward to the screening of "Father, Son and the Holy War" on Doordarshan following the highest court's order to the national television network to screen the film within eight weeks.
The judges observed, "The documentary showcases a real picture of crime and violence against women and members of various religious groups perpetrated by politically motivated leaders for political, social and personal gains."
The judges also observed that the documentary seeks to portray "evils prevalent in our society". It has "a theme and a message" to convey.
Says Patwardhan, "After the judgement Doordarshan has not responded to me with any date. No official has contacted me or written to me. Now they will have to show the film otherwise it will amount to contempt of court. However, they should have a decent timing, not some late night timing. They should give me a date well in advance so that we can advertise the film."
National Awards
Incidentally, the case for the film that won two National Awards in 1996, goes back to 1998. For two years, Patwardhan alleges, Doordarshan sat on the film and did not communicate to the filmmaker about the fate of his work. "They do it with every film of mine. The court has always come to the rescue," he says, recalling that in 2001 the Bombay High Court gave a judgement asking Doordarshan to show "Father, Son and the Holy War". However, the authorities then decided to approach the Supreme Court. The apex court ordered to look at the film by making a new committee, Patwardhan informs. Now, in the final judgement passed this past week, the court has given DD eight weeks to show Patwardhan's award-winning documentary.While "Father, Son and the Holy War" can now be seen on the national network, Patwardhan has merely got a reprieve. His struggle is likely to continue after the brief joy. His other film, "War and Peace" is also waiting for a show on the national network. Says Patwardhan, "I have one more film in the pipeline. National Award winner `War and Peace' is also waiting for a screening. Waiting for so long is frustrating but the courts have been on my side. I have won all the cases against the Censors and Doordarshan."
Long struggle
Patwardhan's struggle is nothing to him. Or those close to him. Three of his hard-hitting National Award winning documentaries reached Indian TV audiences only after the judiciary ruled that these films had to be telecast. "Bombay, Our City" (1985) on the plight of the city's poor, "In Memory of Friends" (1990) on the fight for communal harmony in strife-torn Punjab and "Ram Ke Naam" (1992) on the Ayodhya crisis, were all telecast following court orders, years after they were first made. It is now the turn of "Father, Son and Holy War", a two hour, two-part documentary critique of the male psyche and its relationship to communal violence, which was completed in 1995. The film was passed without cuts by the Central Board of Film Certification and it went on to win two National Awards in 1996 for Best Social Film and Best Investigative Film.
Now, finally, the TV audiences across the country will get a chance to watch the film, included among the 50 memorable documentaries in world cinema by Europe's DOX magazine.
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