1984 Sikh Riots in Delhi re-visited . Review on Amu

Poignant-Hard Hitting-Yet un-obtrusive.

This is one movie that will come and go and yet many will not even have heard of it let alone see it. You might not even give it a second glance when you see the tiny advertisements for this movie in the current news papers. This is the kind of movie that either you will see because of word of mouth - or because you have tired of seeing the regular Bollywood trash - Or if you are the art movies lover kinds - into classic renaissance kind of films.

Amu starts off with the main character a young Bengali girl (Kaju) in her twenties something who is visiting India (her birthplace) for the first time after she was taken away to the United States when she was just 3 years or so.

She is constantly reminded of her childhood in fleeting glimpses of Old Delhi's cobblestones, street life, and the jhuggis (slums) Staying with her grandma in her Uncle's home we are presented a true Blue Bengali home life and culture replete with food (dinner at home) and resplendent in colour and celebrations.

Her visit to her mother's college with her cousin sister's (Tukki) friends, one of whom is intrigued by her curiosity in slums and the life therein is marked with plain vanilla shots of reality bites. It is here here that she gets drawn into a conversation about the Delhi riots in the aftermath of Indira Gandhi's assasination.

Delving deep in to the ethos and coming face to face with her own past is where the Director has excelled. The Director has presented a very 'in your face' picture without going into gory violence. Her presentation of the madness and planned targeting of the SIKH community in Delhi has been presented without prejudice.

Some of the scenes seem innocuous enough but stare at you with a feeling of helplessness and dismay at what transpired during that nightmare. The ever present 'kirpan'(small dagger)- a symbol of SIKH defence seemed so timid and useless in todays times. The cutting of a SIKH's hair in the train, by fellow travellers, only to prevent him from being killed, was a sad statement on the abysmal situations re-curring even today 20 years later in our Railways.

Ministers, Politicians and the Police have been hand in glove during this is all the more evident. Certain scenes were muted for 'Censor' permissions, but the guilty names are on every lip. The last scene where the Godhra train burning is reported on a local TV news channel is the director's parting shot, reminding us that nothing has changed still.

This Film has been dedicated to the Director's mother, who presumably committed suicide two years after the SIKH riots, unable to handle the trauma. It is the silent cry of anguish, of a child who has tried to unravel her past and has come to terms with her present.

A must-see film that will leave you stunned, silent and speechless with a silent prayer that our country wake up and shed communal violence A movie thats speaks little but tells it all.

Full marks to the director, for bringing out the best in her actors notably KONKONA SEN who has played her part without any pretence.

Regards

Raja