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Between `we' and `they'
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Breaking walls between communities, India International Centre begins a series, The Growing Consciousness of the `Other' this Saturday. ZIYA US SALAM speaks to Farouque Sheikh, Bollywood's representative at the deliberations, and his film colleagues
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PROPAGANDA BASHING Farouque Sheikh will discuss minorities' role in Bollywood PHOTO: K. RAMESH BABU
The Muslim community of India is a monolith. The sociologists might disagree pointing to a pre-dominance of local culture, but the dream merchants of Bollywood certainly believe so. Every film you see, almost every director who wields the baton has had Muslims toting guns, carrying RDX, crying out inanities. Women, meanwhile, mope and sob, wearing ghararas to go with heavily kohl-lined eyes. And men, when they come back, take to sherwanis and juties - remember Bipasha Basu in Ishq Hai Tumse and Jackie Shroff in Bas Itna Sa Khwab Hai. Exceptions to this have been a handful of films like Tehzeeb or Silsiilay.
It is time to stoke up memories of the not too distant past, maybe exorcise them too. It is time for Muslims to rekindle the lamps of extinguished hopes, and tell those who judge them by their moist eyes, that these eyes have done a lot of silent weeping at night, nights of a hundred betrayals, a thousand scars. No caravan, no funeral, no grave. Just the death of the true identity of Indian Muslims in Hindi cinema. In films like Gadar, Veer-Zaara, Janasheen. And many more.
Bollywood trends
For the last few years, the Hindi film industry has been feeling more comfortable in the shadow of saffron. Beginning with Gadar, Hindi films have usually named villains as Muslim, mocked at the culture and often resorted to unmentionables in the name of popular appeal. And in classic Hindu-Muslim love stories in a patriarchal society, the hero has invariably been from the majority community.
OLD EMBERS M.S. Sathyu's "Garam Hawa" is being screened this Saturday at the India International Centre PHOTO: ANU PUSHKARNA
Realising as much, beginning this Saturday India International Centre starts a lecture series, `The Growing Consciousness of the `Other'.' The focus, not surprisingly, is on the Indian Muslim community. The three-month series involving talks on integration, composite culture and rediscovering Islam, kicks off with a screening of Garam Hawa, M.S. Sathyu's landmark work, and involves scholars like Maulana Wahiduddin Khan, Karan Singh, M.J. Akbar and Saeed Naqvi.
But the one that is most likely to catch more than fleeting attention is a talk on countering communal propaganda in the entertainment industry by Farouque Sheikh this coming Thursday.
Aware that he works in an industry that does a good job of alienating many in the name of appeasing some, Sheikh explains this contrived Muslim depiction, "Whatever prevails in the society is bound to reflect in films. Bollywood is the safest place to reflect perceived social reality. Remember in our country we went though one phase where some politicians were calling global terrorism as Islamic terrorism. There was Pakistan bashing, and the perceived common perception was about Muslims as evil. The truth does not have to come into the picture."
SENSE AND NONSENSE Scenes from "Tehzeeb", "Gadar" and "Veer-Zaara", films that in their own way contributed to right or wrong notions about the Muslim community
Back home, hasn't Bollywood been guilty of toeing the trite even with the change in the direction of political winds? Even Yash Chopra's top grosser Veer-Zaara, supposedly promoting Indo-Pak friendship, had a Hindu hero and a Muslim heroine - quite convenient in a patriarchal society. Much like Mani Ratnam's Bombay much earlier, and Sawan Kumar's Dil Pardesi Ho Gaya about a year ago.
Again, explains Sheikh, "The hero is invariably Hindu because they want to release the film to a larger audience. The majority has to be catered to." And this subtle minority bashing continues in the name of catering to the majority. Hardly surprising in an industry where nobody came to the defence of veteran actor A.K. Hangal when he was `banned' by some Shiv Sainiks for attending Pakistan's Independence Day function! "I was out of work for two years. The producers used to shy away from me," moans Hangal.
Acknowledging that Hangal, a known Leftist, did experience the so-called ban, Sheikh reveals, "I have personally not encountered any discrimination. The film industry is so commercial, there is no time for communalism. The industry goes after whatever pays. If the worst form of communalism were to pay, they would go after that too. Making films in Hindi cinema is like going to the racecourse. You would not put your money on the basis of the colour or the breed of the horse. You will put money on the horse most likely to win. Whatever their other interests, the bottomline is to make money."
Market compulsions
Agreeing that the films often widen the communal divide, Sheikh understands that at times market compulsions govern decisions. "I would not agree with stars using religion to defend themselves in the media, but I understand. One uses everything that is convenient to use at a given moment."
Says Khalid Mohamed, whose films Tehzeeb and Silsiilay have sought to depict Muslims as they are, "Many filmmakers have a political agenda. But some people like Shyam Benegal have retained their Muslim identity minus the frills. That is something that needs to be preserved."
Concludes Khalid, "They have learnt their lesson. They can no longer misrepresent a community. Even LoC failed. People will have to face the reality." Well, come this Thursday, and Sheikh, angling for more discussion than speeches on the occasion, shall have all the answers.
The Way ahead
Screening of Garam Hawa, directed by M.S. Sathyu and starring Balraj Sahni, Farouque Sheikh and A.K. Hangal, this Saturday, 6 p.m., IIC auditorium.
This Tuesday, at 6.30 p.m. there is A Talk on Rediscovering Islam and Hinduism where Maulana Wahiduddin Khan will talk of the difference between the teachings of the Quran and the difference in practice.
This Wednesday, at 6.30 p.m. Shabnam Hashmi will give A Talk on Countering Communal Propaganda/Riots. M.J. Akbar will introduce the subject.
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