Representation of the 1947 Partition Through the Lens of Cinema

The division of India was and is still a defining moment whose trauma permeates India's social and political spheres. Here, we look at some of the ways that the partition has become part of India's collective memory, particularly as it has been portrayed in Hindi film, one of India's most popular forms of cultural expression.

A compilation of movies that delve on the topic of partition. From left to right- Bajrangi Bhaijaan(2015), Amar Akbar Anthony(1977), Gadar- Ek Prem Katha(2001) and Khamosh Paani(2003); Source- The Wire

Hindustan and Pakistan were split into two countries by the Radcliffe line in August 1947 as a result of the Mountbatten plan of 1947, which also granted independence to both countries. This caused not only a topographical divide but also a chasm in people's emotions.

The partition of Indian cinema caused by the ongoing political unrest occurred in the same year. This was due to the emergence of two distinct film industries. The impact of partition on the two nations' film industries was very different. Pakistan had to start from scratch while India lost some talented players.

Understanding the complexity inherent in the partition experience is facilitated by studying how different topics of partition are portrayed in film. Recent studies attempt to view partition as a process as opposed to an event. Particularly in the cinematic landscapes of the two countries, the wounds left by Partition have proven challenging to repair. There is no clear-cut story that explains righteousness and injustice, which is one of the difficulties of commemorating Partition. One can pay tribute to those who suffered and passed away, but survivors often felt embarrassed, and the guilty may even be found among us.

National award winning film critic and historian, Rafique Baghdadi, explains, "It was a very tense period, mangled with confusion and excitement. People were full of hope for a new and better nation, while at the same time there was a looming sense of insecurity, and that is reflected in the movies that were made in that time."

Contrary to common belief, the Partition has been represented in Hindi films since the 1940s. There are various Hindi movies that are filmed on partition. Shaheed (1948), Chhalia (1960), Dharmputra (1961), Garm Hawa (1973), Gandhi (1982), Tamas (1988), Train to Pakistan (1998), Hey Ram (2000), Refugee (2000), Gadar: Ek Prem Katha (2001), Pinjar (2003), Sarabjit (2016), Veer Zara (2004), and Begum Jaan (2017) are some of the Hindi movies based on partition and Independence, though the list is far from being exhaustive.

Lahore (1949), starring Nargis and Karan Dewan and directed by ML Anand, was the earliest film that had Partition as its backdrop. I.S. Johar's 1954 film Nastik stars an atheist hero whose quest for vengeance turns into a sort of pilgrimage after witnessing the Partition riots. The movie, once outlawed and was only able to be seen in the 1960s, is most known today for the song "Kitna badal gaya insaan" by C. Ramchandra and Kavi Pradeep.

Sequences in Mehboob Khan's 1957 film Mother India, can be considered to make references to the Partition. The heroine Radha begs the locals not to leave the hamlet in the song "O jaanewale jaao na ghar apna chhod ke," as the footage of the partition refugee migrations shows peasants travelling in bullock carts.

The "lost and found" subgenre of family-reunification movies might be interpreted as allegories for the Partition. Chhalia(1960) by Manmohan Desai, dealt with the plight of women who were kidnapped and abandoned during the riots and whose families would not accept their return. The conclusion during Dussehra suggests that Ram rajya has arrived at last and that families have been reconciled. His subsequent film Amar Akbar Anthony (1977) tells the story of a family that was split up on independence day, and how, despite the boys growing up in different groups, they are eventually reunited with their Hindu parents.

Despite these films, until its 50th anniversary in 1997, little was said about the Partition in public life, maybe because it was a tragedy too profound to talk about. It was chosen as the subject of one of the biggest hits in Indian film history four years later. Anil Sharma's 2001 film Gadar - Ek Prem Katha, which is a Punjabi movie in all but language. This was the first Partition film to find a large audience.

Other movies also dealt with the Partition, including Pinjar (2003), based on the book by Amrita Pritam, and Khamosh Pani (2003), a Pakistani movie starring Indian actors.

In the post partition modern era, almost all Indian movies that deal with Pakistan implicitly reference Partition. The majority of Partition movies depict the horrific brutality of the period. Epic films on how violence spreads or how other bonds are shattered in the current increase of violence was produced by the new art cinema. These movies serve as a reminder of the suffering and loss experienced during the birth of the new country. Along with the widespread violence of the era, many homes were destroyed, hastening the decline of both the traditional and the contemporary, and leaving communities with a sense of unhappiness and grief that endures to this day. The documentary material used into several of these movies seems to come from a time that is nearly unfathomable to many of us today.

Poster of the 1949 film- Lahore; Source- imdb.com