Movies for Thinking about Communal Violence in India
Communal violence has been a difficulty in India since partition and before. It has been considered in many ways in Indian cinema.
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- DirectorGovind NihalaniStarsAmitabh BachchanOm PuriFardeen KhanJoint Commissioner of Police Dev Pratap Singh, a duty-bound, self-righteous officer, and Special Commissioner Tejinder Khosla, the balancing force between the political interests of Chief Minister Bhandarker and Dev's commitment to the law, are lifelong friends, each with his own ideals. Farhaan, a law graduate, was brought up with ideals of non-violence and patriotism. Dev unwittingly gives Farhaan the wound that plunges him into rage and violence after witnessing the death of his father during a peace demonstration. Taking advantage of the situation, corrupt politician Latif sets the vulnerable young man on a path of violence and destruction that threatens to ignite the city. Aalyn is the light in Farhaan's life. Beautiful and innocent, the young woman also gets caught in extraordinary circumstances that transform her life and she dares to stand up for the truth.Loosely related to the Gujarati riots.
- DirectorRakeysh Omprakash MehraStarsWaheeda RehmanAbhishek BachchanSonam KapoorIn the ancient walled city of Delhi, an American-born Indian finds himself on an unexpected inner journey as he learns about himself and his roots.A fantasy scenario where religious violence does not quite erupt, but in which you see how it could.
- DirectorRajkumar SantoshiStarsAmitabh BachchanAkshay KumarAjay DevgnA team of police force escorts an alleged terrorist from Chandangarh to Mumbai. However their trip turns into a deadly survival when an ex-cop tries to stop them to reach Mumbai.A Muslim doctor is implicated in the starting of religious violence.
- DirectorKunal KohliStarsAamir KhanKajolRishi KapoorA sweet blind girl Zooni meets a flirty Rehan. She ignores her friends' warnings. It's her time to discover life. Is she making the right love choice?This has to do with Kashmir, and the situation there.
- DirectorNandita DasStarsInaamulhaqNassarShahana GoswamiChronicles the devastating impact on vulnerable Muslims in Gujarat after riots.An excellent movie about the aftermath of the Gujarati riots. The main action starts about a month after, with people rebuilding their lives.
- DirectorShonali BoseStarsKonkona Sen SharmaYashpal SharmaBrinda KaratAmu is the story of an Indian American woman who returns to India. The film takes a dark turn as Kaju learns that a horrifying genocide that took place twenty years ago turns out to hold the key to her mysterious origins.A college aged girl comes back to India, having left as a child, searching for her roots, and discovers the history of the Delhi massacres of the Sikhs.
- DirectorMahesh BhattStarsAjay DevgnPooja BhattNagarjuna AkkineniAmidst religious riots, a son deals with his mother's life-threatening injuries, and her last request.Very powerful movie about people coping with inter-religious violence and past personal secrets.
- DirectorSubhash GhaiStarsAnil KapoorAnurag SinhaShefali ShahA spy living in the house in disguise, who has a heart transformation.Movie about a Muslim terrorist who comes to Delhi to commit a suicide bombing, and who sees a different picture of life in India than he had expected.
- DirectorMehul KumarStarsNana PatekarDimple KapadiaAtul AgnihotriDisowned by his parents at a young age, a man ends up in a small village controlled by underworld dons and powerful politicians. Lazy, alcoholic, and unemployed, he gets influenced by a journalist with a positive mission.Asks questions about what really fuels religious violence in India.
- DirectorAparna SenStarsRahul BoseKonkona Sen SharmaBhisham SahniDuring a bus journey, a devout Hindu Brahmin woman protects a Muslim man when communal rioting breaks out.A Muslim man and a Hindu woman thrown together as travelling companions in a very difficult situation.
- DirectorN. ChandraStarsAnupam KherAtul KulkarniMilind GunajiLives of several people intertwine during an eventful day in Mumbai.This movie starts by saying, in effect, India has a lot of problems, but only God could see her through them as well as has been done.
One day in Mumbai. - DirectorBhavna TalwarStarsPankaj KapurSupriya PathakPankaj TripathiWhen a priest's wife brings home an orphan boy, her husband is against it. Over time, he develops a connection with him, but is shocked when he finds out the boy's religion.A conservative Brahmin struggles with prejudice in himself and in his community.
- DirectorChandra Prakash DwivediStarsUrmila MatondkarManoj BajpayeeSanjay SuriIn the days leading up to Partition, a Hindu woman is abducted by a Muslim man. Soon, she finds herself not only forced into marriage, but living in a new country as the borders between India and Pakistan are drawn.Issues of women separated during the partition, and issues of repatriation and its problems. Shows only one side of what was definitely a situation that had a mirror image, but still extremely valuable.
- DirectorM.S. SathyuStarsBalraj SahniA.K. HangalGeeta KakIn post-partition India, a Muslim businessman and his family struggle for their rights in a country which was once their own.