Saeed Akhtar Mirza’s Cinematic Exploration of Muslim Identity in a Turbulent India: A Study of Salim Langde pe Mat Ro and Naseem
The emergence of the Indian parallel cinema movement has been recognized as a significant means of exploring complex socio-political issues, with Saeed Akhtar Mirza making notable contributions to this movement. His films “Salim Langde pe Mat Ro” and “Naseem” explore the complex experience of Muslim people in the backdrop of a socially and politically turbulent India. Both films were filmed around the demolition of Babri Masjid and were set during the period preceding this catastrophe. They provide a penetrating perspective on the impact it had on young individuals from the working-class Muslim community as they navigate the challenges of coming of age in an uncertain world. This study aims to provide a comprehensive examination of how Mirza’s films, specifically Salim Langde pe Mat Ro and Naseem, engage with the discourse surrounding partition and the formation of Muslim identity in the context of Hindi-language Parallel cinema.
Situated within the backdrop of the Hindutva mobilization during the 1980s, Saeed Mirza’s film Salim Langde pe Mat Ro (transl. Don’t Cry for Salim, the Lame) explores the repercussions of the volatile communal situation and its effects on the lives of the minority Muslim community. This film presents an unconventional viewpoint by depicting a working-class Muslim family as they navigate the challenges associated with their identity as ordinary Muslims in contemporary Bombay. Salim Langde pe Mat Ro” similar to other parallel cinema films of the time exploring Muslim identity, effectively reconfigured the conventional elements, aesthetics, and atmosphere of the traditional Muslim Social genre prevalent in an earlier era. The genre had previously addressed several themes, but it did not include discussions on communalism, hostile inter-community interactions, and the violence associated with communal rioting.
According to Allen Bhaskar’s observations the film business and mainstream cinema may have been hesitant to address the issue of communal conflict due to concerns about box office performance, a desire to avoid offending certain audience segments, and nervousness over stocking up combustible sectarian emotions. The New Wave movement’s aesthetic attempt, conversely, was significantly focused on acknowledging and confronting the omissions and gaps within mainstream cinema relating to various subjects, such as communalism. The subsequent modification of the Muslim Social facilitated an in-depth examination of the pressing concerns within the community, namely violence, extremism, and the potential for militancy. The current state of the Muslim community in India is characterized by antagonism and prejudice fueled by communalism, leading to socio-economic insecurity. This stands in stark contrast to the affluent and privileged portrayal of the Classic Muslim Social genre. (Bhaskar)
The plot of Salim Langde pe Mat Ro takes place in the mid 1980s Bhiwandi. Salim Pasha, a man with a limp, is at the centre of the story. He and two of his friends, Peera and Abdul, engage in activities like bribery and theft but Salim exhibits a disposition characterized by a lack of concern or worry.. He lives with his parents and younger sister, Salim’s younger brother Javed Pasha, who worked hard at school his whole life, dies when he gets an electric shock. His parents want his younger sister to get married to Aslam, who works as a checker for an Urdu newspaper. After seeing a documentary about the religious riots in Bhiwandi, Salim feels like he’s been shaken to the core. He wants to leave behind his gangster life and start over. Salim tries to find a job, and a restaurant owner helps him get a job at a yard. Salim is offered a lot of money to start a fight. He refuses to do so and tells them he is heartbroken after seeing what happened in Bhiwandi. On the day his younger sister’s wedding to Aslam, a progressive journalist, Salim while dancing with his friends gets stabbed by one of his rivals.
The Bhiwandi riot of 1984 serves as the backdrop for Mirza’s exploration of the marginalized areas of Mumbai and the factors that contribute to the unique attitude of young Muslim men, which Allen and Bhaskar characterize as a “no-exit vision of the world.” This exploration is achieved by the inclusion of a film within the film about Bhiwandi riot. Mirza’s utilization of a documentary-style approach to location shooting and incorporation of voice-over narration, akin to the urban aesthetic commonly associated with Martin Scorsese, provides a captivating portrayal of the slum environment in Bombay and its profound influence on the lives of Mirza’s characters.
Salim Langde pe Mat Ro explores the working class Muslim identity through both its internal conflicts and external influences that keeps his community marginalised. Salim dreams of an ordinary life, he dreams of a stable job, he dreams of marrying his girlfriend and providing for his sister; he dreams to fulfil his masculine role which during the recollection of his story throughout the film was appropriated by the streets, rendering him a petty criminal. Through encounter with characters like Aslam, the documentary on the Bhiwandi Riots and finally the police officer officer when he makes Salim testify as a false witness after one of his friends is shot dead, Salim transforms into someone who wants to materialise his dreams against the wishes of the city, the country that renders him hopeless.
According to Allen and Bhaskar, Salim’s naturalism staunchly posits the notion that trying to evade the world around one is a futile attempt, rendering every effort of rebellion and self-assertion ultimately devoid of significance. The final scene of the film evokes a shot from earlier in the story, wherein Salim, Peera, and Abdul enthusiastically expressed their individual identities within the confines of the streets they grew up in. Peera and Abdul, come to the same location, navigate the vacant and dimly illuminated street slowly. Subsequently, they stand adjacent to a glowing subway sign, featuring a downward-pointing arrow. Mirza’s ‘no-exit’ vision implies that the forces dragging the Muslim community underground are too powerful to enable any possibility of escaping into light and life.
Salim Langde pe Mat Ro was released in the year 1989, which predates the demolition of Babri Masjid by three years. Mirza’s subsequent cinematic production, Naseem, was released three years after the incident. On the occasion of Independence Day in 2022, Jawahar Bhawan organized screening of Saeed Akhtar Mirza’s highly acclaimed films, which was afterwards followed by a discussion session with the filmmaker. I had the privilege of attending the screening of Naseem. Mirza’s film production spanned a duration of three years, mostly due to the profound despair experienced by him and the Muslim community at large after the demolition.
Naseem (transl. The Morning Breeze) is set between the months preceding the demolition of Babri Masjid. The narrative progresses through the portrayal of the bond between Naseem, a 15-year-old student hailing from a middle-class Muslim family residing in Bombay, and her grandfather (played by Kaifi Azmi), who is in a deteriorating state of health. Concurrently, the family experiences a mounting sense of dread as they see the escalating conflict between the Muslim and Hindu communities through televised news coverage. The grandfather consistently shares stories about a bygone era characterized by community unity in the city of Agra prior to India’s independence. Amidst the emergence of communal tension inside the city of Bombay, Naseem becomes aware of shifting dynamics within her school and the surrounding community. Meanwhile, her grandfather helplessly observes the city becoming increasingly divided along communal lines. The Grandfather passes away on the 6th of December, which happens to coincide with the announcement of the mosque’s demolition.
The narrative primarily centres around the perspective of Naseem, with a significant portion of the plot revolving around her interactions within the school environment and her familial relationships at home. Throughout the duration of the film, the grandfather keeps in his bed, observing and offering commentary on the many occurrences taking place in his surroundings. Omar posits that his presence holds symbolic significance, encompassing not alone historical implications but also serving as an exemplar of a Muslim individual who has undergone the distressing effects of partition, while simultaneously bearing witness to a period characterized by harmonious coexistence. The family’s exposure to televised rioting evokes a sense of fear for their own safety and a growing sense of social isolation due to their religious beliefs, hence challenging established societal standards.
The portrayal of the family in the Naseem has a certain degree of correspondence with the generation the family member in part of. Naseem finds herself subjected to restrictions and conforms to the patriarchal expectations imposed upon her by her otherwise affectionate brother. In contrast, her grandfather reminisces about Naseem’s grandmother, who, as the sole female figure from the stories of the past, is portrayed as a secure, attractive, and assertive woman. She commanded attention and could freely express her opinions to her husband, Naseem’s grandfather. Furthermore, Naseem’s mother articulates a resolute viewpoint about the concept of Muslim womanhood subsequent to her son’s friend expressing disdain towards Hinduism after a Hindu husband murders his wife for not birthing him a male child. Naseem, a teenager still in the process of understanding the complexities of the world, does not possess the same level of audacity as her grandmother or the same level of resolve as her mother. She expresses her desire to prepare meals for the family, but her parents encourage her to prioritize her studies. Conversely, upon her brother’s arrival at home, he commands Naseem to bring him food by virtue of patriarchal norms. In the context of Naseem, the preceding generations exhibit a relatively less stringent adherence to patriarchal norms compared to the generation under examination. Both Naseem’s brother and Salim from Salim Langde pe Mat Ro share a masculine need to protect their sisters while grappling with their Muslim identity, and although Naseem’s brother is in a more privileged position than Salim, this adherence to their maleness is something they both share in the communally turbulent India, they inhabit.
Bhaskar categorizes Partition Cinema in Indian film into three distinct phases. The utilization of classification proves to be advantageous in the analysis of the evolution of the theme. The first part of the post-Partition period, spanning from 1947 to 1962, included the initial 15 years. The prevailing themes throughout this period encompassed migration, the plight of abducted women, and their subsequent reintegration into society. The second phase, in the 1970s, facilitated the emergence of suppressed emotions by addressing repressed societal issues, including Partition and communal violence. During this time, the parallel film movement was at its peak, with big names like Kumar Shahani, Mani Kaul, M.S. Sathyu, Shyam Bengal, Govind Nihalani, and others taking over. During this time, M. S. Sathyu’s Garam Hawa (1977) and Govind Nihalani’s TV series Tamas (1989) came out, which are two of the best-known works about the Partition. The third and final phase, in the 1990s, includes the demolition of the Babri masjid and subsequent Bombay riots. These events engaged with matters pertaining to identity, secularism, and citizenship. Bhaskar notes that formerly stigmatized themes, which had remained socially unacceptable for around four decades, were now being publicly discussed. These subjects included preconceived stereotypes and prejudices held towards different groups, religious and racial feelings, the emergence of Hindutva ideology, and the gradual erosion of secular ideals. Salim Langde pe Mat Ro, which was produced in 1989, exhibits qualities that align with both the second and third phases of partition cinema. This positioning between the two phases indicates its potential influence on the latter. Conversely, Naseem, released in 1995, holds a central position within the third phase of partition cinema.
In terms of structure, Naseem shares similarities to Kamal Haasan’s 2000 film Hey Ram. Both the films follow the character of the dying Grandfather as he reflects back on his life around the partition era. Both characters meet their demise amidst the setting of communal unrest, with Saket Ram’s death coinciding with the anniversary of the Babri Masjid demolition, and Naseem’s grandfather passing away on the very day of the demolition. As Kamal Haasan’s portrayal of Saket Ram engages in introspection, he contemplates his life experiences, the lessons learnt, and his near-assassination of Gandhi. Conversely, Kaifi Azmi’s character reminisces about his life during a more secular period, expressing nostalgia and affection for that era. While Naseem’s grandfather hopes for a secular future, Saket Ram questions the present turmoil when he learns about the riots. Both characters maintain a strong bond with their grandchildren, who are deeply impacted by the stories shared by their grandfathers. The grandson of Saket Ram establishes a successful career as a historical fiction writer, drawing inspiration from the profound impact his grandfather’s stories had on him. Similarly, Naseem chooses to write about her grandfather’s story during her history examination.
Bhaskar argues the Partition had evolved into a symbolic representation of present-day communalism, as the recurring Hindu-Muslim conflicts in post-independence India indicated that the profound impacts of Partition had not been fully eradicated from the collective sociocultural consciousness. The Muslim Social of the New Wave, particularly in response to the rise of Hindu right-wing mobilization throughout the 1980s and 1990s, brought attention to the experiences of antagonism, bigotry, and ghettoization endured by Muslims. Saeed Mirza’s films, especially, Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro and Naseem, made significant strides in depicting the experiences of working-class and middle-class Muslim families as they navigate the challenges associated with their identity and daily lives in contemporary Bombay, amidst a volatile divisive environment. Both films explore the societal impasse experienced by the community. In Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro, the Bhiwandi riot of 1984 serves as a representation of the daily struggles faced by the characters. On the other hand, in Naseem, the narrative revolves around the period leading up to the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992, specifically the months preceding 6 December. The film has an ordinary Muslim family experience heightened tension, insecurity, and ultimately reactive anger, culminating in the riots that ensue after the demolition. The nostalgic recollections of Naseem’s grandfather, conveyed through his stories or qissas, depicted a bygone era characterized by amicable bonds and mutual comprehension across different communities, a reality that has undoubtedly faded away. Bhaskar posits films of this nature exemplified and delineated the realist attempt of the New Wave movement, which directly confronted societal injustices, the realities of oppression, the social and cinematic suppressions stemming from traumatic historical events, and scrutinized the conventional practices that upheld the dominance of privileged social groups and justified the violence inflicted upon marginalized castes, communities, and gender identities and roles. Moreover, these films exemplify the realist endeavor by employing cinematic realism, a concept that can be best understood through the lens of André Bazin’s definition of “laying bare the realities” (Bazin, 1967). Cinema achieves this by utilizing its available resources to unveil the profound layers of reality, thereby highlighting the pre-existing relationships that shape the narrative
References
Bhaskar, I., Allen, R. (2009) ISLAMICATE CULTURES OF BOMBAY CINEMA. Tulika Books 293–305
Valassopoulos, A. (2014) Realist cinema and Islam in Postcolonialism and Islam Theory, literature, culture, society and film. Routledge
Bhaskar, I., (2013) The Indian New Wave in Routledge Handbook of Indian Cinema. Routledge
VISWANATH, G., & MALIK, S. (2009). Revisiting 1947 through Popular Cinema: A Comparative Study of India and Pakistan. Economic and Political Weekly, 44(36), 61–69. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25663519
Ravi Vasudevan. (2002). Another History Rises to the Surface: “Hey Ram”: Melodrama in the Age of Digital Simulation. Economic and Political Weekly, 37(28), 2917–2925. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4412362
