Excellent but irresponsible movie

1947 Earth is not a love story. Yes, it has some of the essential ingredients of a love story - a woman, two men, and a love triangle. But the story of their love and its consummation is only a medium to tell a greater story. A story which is not just about the emotions of these three individuals but about the emotions of a host of other men and women who lived (and perhaps died) during those rough times of the partition of India in 1947. A story about humanity or inhumanity, about savagery, about anger, and about hatred. But not really about love.

Set in 1947 as is obvious from the title, this disturbing tale revolves around three individuals - two men, Dilnawaz and Hassan, played by Aamir Khan and Rahul Khanna, and a woman, Shanta, played by Nandita Das. Both men are in love with Shanta (its a triangle after all). However, she reciprocates to only one of them (naturally), and the unrequited love of the other man spurs him to certain heinous deeds in the latter part of the film. But its not just because of unrequited love alone. To truly understand what motivated him, one also has to understand the circumstances that he found himself in in 1947, the emotional state of his mind upon witnessing the atrocities of hindus and muslims upon each other, the interaction between his friends who at one time used to live harmoniously, but saw their friendship run into doldrums because of rising communal tensions. Does that justify what he did? Certainly not. But it gives a glimpse into his mind and his mindset.

Technically, this movie is excellent. But therein also lies the problem. It is also an irresponsible movie, broaching a theme that most of us are trying to put behind us in these troubled times. We all know what happened in the post-independence India. But showing it in graphic detail is only going to sow seeds of communal hatred amongst the generation who were fortunate to have not had to witness the 1947 riots first hand. There are other movies which have touched similar themes, but most are lame commercial films like Gadar. On the other hand, 1947 Earth is a highly effective movie and has a huge impact on the viewer.

Deepa Mehta is a terrific movie maker, but she should also think about the impact her movies can have on the general masses. I am still trying to figure out exactly what message was she trying to send through this movie.

On the more mundane aspects of the film, the acting by all is par excellence. Aamir Khan lives up to his reputation by delivering a solid performance, somewhat reminiscent of his role in Raakh. Rahul Khanna is impressive in his debut, and certainly less Bollywood hero like than his brother, Akshay. Nandita Das shows a lot of promise, and if she keeps choosing her roles carefully and does not get distracted by the glimmer of Bollywood masala cinema, she can rise to impressive heights in the years to come. The main cast is well supported by Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Arif Zakaria, Kitu Gidwani, and Raghuvir Yadav, to name just a few.

The musical score by A.R.Rahman is absolutely top notch. Not only the songs in the movie, but the background score too, enhancing the effect of each and every scene. The romantic numbers Rut Aa Gayi Re and Dheemi Dheemi are pleasing, and the lyrics of the pensive Yeh Jo Zindagi Hai make you ponder what lies in store for each of us in the future. But the hidden gem of the movie is Ishwar Allah, which was supposedly set to music by Rahman in less than 24 hours. If only everybody pays heed to the questions this song asks! Sadly, the song comes in the movie a little too late (during the end credits) and so most movie watchers would miss the song entirely. I surely did the first time I saw the movie.

To sum it up, an absolutely brilliant movie by Deepa Mehta. But the big question that lingers in my mind is ’’WHY?’’

Should you watch this movie? My recommendation: Don’t, unless you like to be reminded of something terrible that you already know and are trying to forget.

(Originally posted on MS on June 5, 2003)