Rating: 3/5

Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Paresh Rawal, Deepti Naval, Sanjay Suri, Raghubir Yadav, Tisca Chopra, Shahana Goswami, Sumeet Menon, Mohammed Samad

Director: Nandita Das


I went to see Firaaq with really high expectations after all the stunning reviews it had got at various festivals. Alhough 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. And how each of these individuals deal with the impact of the riots in their own 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.