Nandita Das’ award-winning movie Firaaq was released in India on March 20, 2009. The movie was appreciated from all circles in India. The movie is all the more relavant today as the cases related to Gujarat riots are being taken at hightened pace by courts.
Firaaq explores the effects of the 2002 Gujarat riots on the inter-relationships between people, and conflicts that people face, both with the world and within themselves.
Nandita Das has said that Firaaq is set over a period of 24 hours, in the month that follows the riots. It tells the stories of a number of people who were never the same again after the carnage, and the scars they bear, visible as well as invisible.
There is the story of a middle-class housewife who is riddled with guilt for turning her back on a woman desperate for help. There are those who seek revenge, and those whose friendships and mutual trust is challenged in the bitter suspicions that follow.
Another story woven into the movie is that of a child who leaves a refugee camp looking for his father.
Nandita Das has clarified that there is no violence in the movie, since it is explores the aftermath of the riots, and does depict the actual riots.
Firaaq stars Naseeruddin Shah as Khan Saheb, Paresh Rawal as Sanjay, Shahana Goswami as Muneera, Tisca Chopra as Anuradha Desai, Deepti Naval as Arati, Sanjay Suri as Sameer Shaikh, Mohammad Samad as Mohsin, and Nowaz as Hanif.
Firaaq has been produced by Percept Picture Company, and written by Nandita Das and Shuchi Kothari.
The movie has traveled to many festivals and won a host of awards. Firaaq won the Best Editor award, for Sreekar Prasad, at the Dubai Film Festival.
It was also the winner of a Special Prize at the Thessaloniki Film Festival, awarded by the Minister of Culture, Greece. At the Asian Film Festival of 1st Films, Firaaq won the Best Film, Best Screenplay, and the Purple Orchid Award for the Best Film.
The movie has also won the Special Jury award at the 2009 International Film Festival of Kerala.
Firaaq also participated in the Toronto International Film Festival, London Film Festival, Pusan International Film Festival, and Telluride Film Festival.
Firaaq has also won the the Best Film award at the Kara Film Festival in Karachi, Pakistan.
Nandita Das has acted in movies like Fire, 1947 Earth, Aks, Bawandar, and Aamar Bhuvan. She has won many awards at festivals, including the Best Actress award at the 2002 Cairo Film Festival, for Amaar Bhuvan, and Best Actress at the 2008 Nandi Awards for her role in Kamli.
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