Firaaq
Encyclopedia
Firaaq is a 2008 Hindi political thriller
film set one month after the 2002 violence in Gujarat
, India
, and looks at the aftermath in terms of the effects on the lives of everyday people. It claims to be based on "a thousand true stories". Firaaq means both separation and quest in Urdu
. The film is the directorial debut of Nandita Das
, and stars Naseeruddin Shah
, Deepti Naval
, Paresh Rawal
, Raghubir Yadav, Sanjay Suri
, Shahana Goswami
, Amruta Subhash and Tisca Chopra
. The film has largely been well received, both locally and internationally. It won three awards at the Asian Festival of First Films
in Singapore
in December 2008, the Special Prize at the International Thessaloniki Film Festival, and an award at the Kara Film Festival
.
. It focuses on how their lives are affected and (irrevocably) changed. Khan Saheb (Naseeruddin Shah
), is an elderly Muslim classical vocalist
, who remains blissfully optimistic of the situation happening around him. His servant, Karim Mian, tries to alert him to the problems the Muslim community is facing, but Khan Saheb only realizes the extent of the trauma upon seeing the destruction of a shrine dedicated to the Sufi
saint, Wali Gujarati. A middle-aged Hindu
housewife, Aarti (Deepti Naval
), is traumatized because she did not help a Muslim
woman being chased by a mob, and finds a way to atone for her sins upon finding Mohsin, a Muslim orphan who wanders the city in search for his family. Meanwhile her husband, Sanjay (Paresh Rawal
), and his brother, Deven (Dilip Joshi
), try to bribe police officers to prevent Deven's arrest for gang-rape. Muneera (Shahana Goswami
) and her husband Hanif (Nawazuddin Siddiqui
), are a young Muslim couple who return home only to find it looted and burnt. Muneera struggles to relate to her Hindu neighbor, Jyoti (Amruta Subash) in the following days, as she suspects her for taking part in the looting. Hanif, along with several other Muslim men, plan to retaliate against the violence and their helplessness by searching for a gun to exact revenge. Sameer (Sanjay Suri
) Shaikh and Anuradh Desai (Tisca Chopra
) are a wealthy, interreligious couple, whose store was burnt during the carnage. They decide to move to Delhi
to escape the violence and Sameer comes into conflict with his wife's family over expressing his identity as a Muslim in India.
2008 in Singapore
, where it won the awards for "Best Film", "Screenplay / Script", and "Foreign Correspondents Assn. Purple Orchid Award for Best Film". The film has also won awards at other international film festivals, including the Special Prize award at the International Thessaloniki Film Festival in Greece
, the Special Jury Award at the International Film Festival of Kerala, and the Best Editor award for the film's editor Sreekar Prasad at the Dubai International Film Festival
. It was released in India on the 20th of March 2009. The film also won an award at the Kara Film Festival
.
2009 International Film Festival of Kerala
2009 International Thessaloniki Film Festival
19th Cinequest Film Festival San Jose, USA
(2009)
56th National Film Awards
(2009)
55th Filmfare Awards
(2010)
Political thriller
A political thriller is a thriller that is set against the backdrop of a political power struggle. They usually involve various extra-legal plots, designed to give political power to someone, while his opponents try to stop him. They can involve national or international political scenarios....
film set one month after the 2002 violence in Gujarat
2002 Gujarat violence
The 2002 Gujarat violence describes the Godhra train burning and resulting communal riots between Hindus and Muslims. On 27 February 2002 at Godhra City in the state of Gujarat, the Sabarmati Express train was attacked by a large Muslim mob in a conspiracy. But some authentic sources deny the claim...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, and looks at the aftermath in terms of the effects on the lives of everyday people. It claims to be based on "a thousand true stories". Firaaq means both separation and quest in Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
. The film is the directorial debut of Nandita Das
Nandita Das
Nandita Das is an award-winning Indian film actress and director. As an actress, she is known for her performances in Fire , Earth , Bawandar , Kannathil Muthamittal and Aamaar Bhuvan . As a director, she is known for her directorial debut Firaaq , which has won a number of national and...
, and stars Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah is an Indian / Bollywood film actor and director. He is considered to be one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.-Early life:...
, Deepti Naval
Deepti Naval
Deepti Naval is an acclaimed Indian actress. She has acted in over 75 Hindi films, and most often worked in arthouse and independent films, known as parallel cinema in India.-Early life:Born in Amritsar, Punjab, India...
, Paresh Rawal
Paresh Rawal
Paresh Rawal is an Indian actor of Gujarati background.Making his film debut in 1984, he mainly played supporting and villain roles throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Since 2000 he has mostly played comic roles.- Family and early life :...
, Raghubir Yadav, Sanjay Suri
Sanjay Suri
Sanjay Suri is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films.He made his debut in 1999 with Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi. He went on to star in many supporting roles but finally got his big break with Jhankaar Beats in 2003, where audiences started to recognize him as a seasoned actor...
, Shahana Goswami
Shahana Goswami
Shahana Goswami is an Indian actress who works in Bollywood films.-Career:Shahana had a single-minded focus on professional acting since childhood. She moved to Mumbai to complete her graduation and to explore the possibility of taking up acting as a career. In Mumbai, her first steps in acting...
, Amruta Subhash and Tisca Chopra
Tisca Chopra
Tisca Chopra is an Indian film actress, most known for her role in Taare Zameen Par .-Early life and education:Born in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh into a family of educationists, Tisca Chopra, did her schooling in Delhi, where her father was principal of her school...
. The film has largely been well received, both locally and internationally. It won three awards at the Asian Festival of First Films
Asian Festival of First Films
The Asian Festival of First Films is an annual festival that celebrates first-time film- and documentary-makers and provides a platform for budding film talent....
in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in December 2008, the Special Prize at the International Thessaloniki Film Festival, and an award at the Kara Film Festival
Kara Film Festival
The KaraFilm Festival - Karachi International Film Festival is an internationally recognized film festival of Pakistan annually held in Karachi....
.
Plot
Firaaq follows the life of several ordinary people, some who were victims, some silent observers and some perpetrators one month after the 2002 violence in Gujarat2002 Gujarat violence
The 2002 Gujarat violence describes the Godhra train burning and resulting communal riots between Hindus and Muslims. On 27 February 2002 at Godhra City in the state of Gujarat, the Sabarmati Express train was attacked by a large Muslim mob in a conspiracy. But some authentic sources deny the claim...
. It focuses on how their lives are affected and (irrevocably) changed. Khan Saheb (Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah
Naseeruddin Shah is an Indian / Bollywood film actor and director. He is considered to be one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.-Early life:...
), is an elderly Muslim classical vocalist
Islamic music
Islamic music is Muslim religious music, as sung or played in public services or private devotions. The classic heartland of Islam is the Middle East, North Africa, Iran, Central Asia, Horn of Africa and South Asia. Due to Islam being a multi-ethnic religion, the musical expression of its adherents...
, who remains blissfully optimistic of the situation happening around him. His servant, Karim Mian, tries to alert him to the problems the Muslim community is facing, but Khan Saheb only realizes the extent of the trauma upon seeing the destruction of a shrine dedicated to the Sufi
Sufism
Sufism or ' is defined by its adherents as the inner, mystical dimension of Islam. A practitioner of this tradition is generally known as a '...
saint, Wali Gujarati. A middle-aged Hindu
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
housewife, Aarti (Deepti Naval
Deepti Naval
Deepti Naval is an acclaimed Indian actress. She has acted in over 75 Hindi films, and most often worked in arthouse and independent films, known as parallel cinema in India.-Early life:Born in Amritsar, Punjab, India...
), is traumatized because she did not help a Muslim
Islam in India
Islam is the second-most practiced religion in the Republic of India after Hinduism, with more than 13.4% of the country's population ....
woman being chased by a mob, and finds a way to atone for her sins upon finding Mohsin, a Muslim orphan who wanders the city in search for his family. Meanwhile her husband, Sanjay (Paresh Rawal
Paresh Rawal
Paresh Rawal is an Indian actor of Gujarati background.Making his film debut in 1984, he mainly played supporting and villain roles throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Since 2000 he has mostly played comic roles.- Family and early life :...
), and his brother, Deven (Dilip Joshi
Dilip Joshi
Dilip Joshi is an Indian film and television actor. He has appeared in a number of tele serials as well as films. He acts mostly in comedy and is currently playing the role of Jethalal Gada in Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah.-Career:...
), try to bribe police officers to prevent Deven's arrest for gang-rape. Muneera (Shahana Goswami
Shahana Goswami
Shahana Goswami is an Indian actress who works in Bollywood films.-Career:Shahana had a single-minded focus on professional acting since childhood. She moved to Mumbai to complete her graduation and to explore the possibility of taking up acting as a career. In Mumbai, her first steps in acting...
) and her husband Hanif (Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Nawazuddin Siddiqui
Nawazuddin Siddiqui is an Indian actor. He is particularly known for his role as Zilgai in Kabir Khan's 2009 film, New York.-Selected filmography:*Munna Bhai MBBS - As a pick pocket at railway station*The Bypass-*Elephant Boy-Baggar Master...
), are a young Muslim couple who return home only to find it looted and burnt. Muneera struggles to relate to her Hindu neighbor, Jyoti (Amruta Subash) in the following days, as she suspects her for taking part in the looting. Hanif, along with several other Muslim men, plan to retaliate against the violence and their helplessness by searching for a gun to exact revenge. Sameer (Sanjay Suri
Sanjay Suri
Sanjay Suri is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films.He made his debut in 1999 with Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi. He went on to star in many supporting roles but finally got his big break with Jhankaar Beats in 2003, where audiences started to recognize him as a seasoned actor...
) Shaikh and Anuradh Desai (Tisca Chopra
Tisca Chopra
Tisca Chopra is an Indian film actress, most known for her role in Taare Zameen Par .-Early life and education:Born in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh into a family of educationists, Tisca Chopra, did her schooling in Delhi, where her father was principal of her school...
) are a wealthy, interreligious couple, whose store was burnt during the carnage. They decide to move to Delhi
Delhi
Delhi , officially National Capital Territory of Delhi , is the largest metropolis by area and the second-largest by population in India, next to Mumbai. It is the eighth largest metropolis in the world by population with 16,753,265 inhabitants in the Territory at the 2011 Census...
to escape the violence and Sameer comes into conflict with his wife's family over expressing his identity as a Muslim in India.
Cast
- Tisca ChopraTisca ChopraTisca Chopra is an Indian film actress, most known for her role in Taare Zameen Par .-Early life and education:Born in Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh into a family of educationists, Tisca Chopra, did her schooling in Delhi, where her father was principal of her school...
as Anuradha Desai - Shahana GoswamiShahana GoswamiShahana Goswami is an Indian actress who works in Bollywood films.-Career:Shahana had a single-minded focus on professional acting since childhood. She moved to Mumbai to complete her graduation and to explore the possibility of taking up acting as a career. In Mumbai, her first steps in acting...
as Munira - Deepti NavalDeepti NavalDeepti Naval is an acclaimed Indian actress. She has acted in over 75 Hindi films, and most often worked in arthouse and independent films, known as parallel cinema in India.-Early life:Born in Amritsar, Punjab, India...
as Aarti - Paresh RawalParesh RawalParesh Rawal is an Indian actor of Gujarati background.Making his film debut in 1984, he mainly played supporting and villain roles throughout the 1980s and 1990s. Since 2000 he has mostly played comic roles.- Family and early life :...
as Keshar - Naseeruddin ShahNaseeruddin ShahNaseeruddin Shah is an Indian / Bollywood film actor and director. He is considered to be one of the finest actors of Indian cinema. In 2003, the Government of India honored him with the Padma Bhushan for his contributions towards Indian cinema.-Early life:...
as Khan sahib - Sanjay SuriSanjay SuriSanjay Suri is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films.He made his debut in 1999 with Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi. He went on to star in many supporting roles but finally got his big break with Jhankaar Beats in 2003, where audiences started to recognize him as a seasoned actor...
as Sameer Arshad Shaikh - Raghuvir YadavRaghuvir YadavRaghubir Yadav is a two-time International Award winner Indian stage, film and television actor, music composer, singer and set designer.-Biography:...
as Karim - Sumeet RaghavanSumeet RaghavanSumeet Raghavan is an actor in highly Marathi and Hindi TV Industry/ Hindi Movies. Born on April 22, 1971 to a Tamil Father and a Kannadiga mother-Career:...
Reception
The film won top honours at the Asian Festival of First FilmsAsian Festival of First Films
The Asian Festival of First Films is an annual festival that celebrates first-time film- and documentary-makers and provides a platform for budding film talent....
2008 in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, where it won the awards for "Best Film", "Screenplay / Script", and "Foreign Correspondents Assn. Purple Orchid Award for Best Film". The film has also won awards at other international film festivals, including the Special Prize award at the International Thessaloniki Film Festival in Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, the Special Jury Award at the International Film Festival of Kerala, and the Best Editor award for the film's editor Sreekar Prasad at the Dubai International Film Festival
Dubai International Film Festival
The Dubai International Film Festival is an international film festival based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Launched in 2004, it aims to foster the growth of filmmaking in the Arab world.-Overview:...
. It was released in India on the 20th of March 2009. The film also won an award at the Kara Film Festival
Kara Film Festival
The KaraFilm Festival - Karachi International Film Festival is an internationally recognized film festival of Pakistan annually held in Karachi....
.
Awards and honours
2008 Asian Festival of First FilmsAsian Festival of First Films
The Asian Festival of First Films is an annual festival that celebrates first-time film- and documentary-makers and provides a platform for budding film talent....
- Won - Best Film
- Won - Best Screenplay
- Won - Foreign Correspondents Association Purple Orchid Award for Best Film
2009 International Film Festival of Kerala
- Won - Special Jury Award
2009 International Thessaloniki Film Festival
- Won - Special Prize (Everyday Life: Transcendence or Reconciliation Award)
- Nominated - Golden Alexander for Best Film
19th Cinequest Film Festival San Jose, USA
Cinequest Film Festival
The Cinequest Film Festival is an annual independent film festival held in San Jose, California. The festival highlights the work of new film makers....
(2009)
- Won - The Maverick Spirit Award
56th National Film Awards
56th National Film Awards
The 56th National Film Awards is presented to the best of Indian Cinema released during the year 2008.-Feature Films:Films made in any Indian language shot on 16 mm, 35 mm or in a wider gauge or digital format but released on a film format or video/digital but certified by the Central Board of Film...
(2009)
- Best Art DirectionNational Film Award for Best Art DirectionThe National Film Award for Best Art Direction winners:...
- Gautam Sen - Best EditingNational Film Award for Best EditingThe National Film Award for Best Editing winners:-References:...
- A. Sreekar PrasadA. Sreekar PrasadAkkineni Sreekar Prasad better known as Sreekar Prasad is an National Award winning Indian film editor.-Brief lifesketch:He was born to editor A. Sanjivi. Veteran L. V. Prasad was his maternal uncle. He was a graduate in Literature and started his film editing career in Telugu films...
55th Filmfare Awards
Filmfare Awards
The Filmfare Awards are presented annually by The Times Group to honour both artistic and technical excellence of professionals in the Hindi language film industry of India. The Filmfare ceremony is one of the oldest and most prominent film events given for Hindi films in India. The awards were...
(2010)
- Critics Award for Best MovieFilmfare Critics Award for Best MovieThe Filmfare Awards are the oldest and most prominent film awards given for Hindi films in India. The yearly awards started in 1953. Movie awards were first given by popular vote...
- Special Award - Nandita DasNandita DasNandita Das is an award-winning Indian film actress and director. As an actress, she is known for her performances in Fire , Earth , Bawandar , Kannathil Muthamittal and Aamaar Bhuvan . As a director, she is known for her directorial debut Firaaq , which has won a number of national and...
- Best Editing - A. Sreekar PrasadA. Sreekar PrasadAkkineni Sreekar Prasad better known as Sreekar Prasad is an National Award winning Indian film editor.-Brief lifesketch:He was born to editor A. Sanjivi. Veteran L. V. Prasad was his maternal uncle. He was a graduate in Literature and started his film editing career in Telugu films...
- Best Sound Design - Manas Chaudhury
- Best Costume Design - Vaishali Menon