Indo-Pak Trade In Films Will Bring People Closer

In 1924, David Wark Griffith, the father of American cinema, said, "Hundred years from now, the single thing which cinema will have helped in a large way to accomplish will be that of eliminating from the face of the civilised world all armed conflict. Pictures will be the most powerful factor in bringing about this condition. With the use of the language of moving pictures, true meaning of the brotherhood of man will have been established throughout the earth". Unfortunately, due to its inherent financial, organisational and legal nature, this medium has been institutionalised into an industry where such a noble premise takes a back seat. I believe it is only the art of cinema that can unite the world, if ever anything can. It is only cinema that can resolve the Kashmir issue, and extend a healing touch. Cinema alone can forge bonds of friendship between India and Pakistan. And yet it is film that threatens this unity. Film is a double-edged sword, the Zulfiqar of the modern age; it has to be used with the greatest of earnestness and circumspection. The forging of friendship between India and Pakis-tan, after decades of mistrust, comes from a deep collective motivation - a desire to share cultures and identify commonalities rather than differences. India and Pakistan, in the living memory of millions, was one land, one civilisation, with one history and heritage. The Partition left a scar which has taken decades to heal. Now and again, the wounds open up in all their rawness, as if it all happened just yesterday. And yet it is the collective emotional will to heal, which has been welling up in people on both sides, most of whom are personally indifferent to the Kashmir issue. In such a dynamically evolving human scenario what can dialogue achieve? What role can the arts play? I write this with a passion to see the two countries come together, with a burning desire to see the people of Kashmir come out of their depressed phase. Shooting for my bilingual feature film Zooni, on the life of Habba Khatoon, the 16th century poetess queen of the Valley, brought me very close to culture of the Valley. I believe this film would have endeared the people of Kashmir to not only people of their country, but to the world. It would have re-endorsed their identity in their own eyes and lent a healing touch to the strife-torn populace. Just as Kashmir needs an identity, the people of India and Pakistan wish to unite and experience the full expanse of their lost past. Sadly, Bollywood has left us cold in this mission. The business community on both sides of the border has been insecure and wary of opening up markets for films. This has perforce kept Pakistan out of its friendship realm, not allowing sensitive artistic efforts to unite the people of both countries. The people of Pakistan appreciate our cinematic efforts, both in popular and intellectual terms. They responded overwhelmingly to my film, Umrao Jaan. Hearts would open to receive me during the few visits I made to Pakistan after making the film. And through me, they were opening their hearts to many more Indians, to parts of India where great cultures were born and have been preserved. I am committed to cinema as a medium to sensitise society and unite people. My work has been inspired by the form and content of poetry. Therefore, it was a memorable moment when the great poet Faiz Ahmad Faiz appreciated my film, Gaman. Conceding the fact that films are a market-driven product, we are in a sanguine position today. Let us consider a scenario where Pakistan opens its gates to Indian films and India to Pakistani films. There would be a quantum jump in the quality and quantity of Pakistani films. Each film would have a strong unifying element. The content of Indian films would improve as well, with a huge market opening up for them. Distribution trade will boom for Pakistan. It will turn out to be a win-win situation on both sides. As a spin-off, Pakistan-bashing will gently be grounded. There will be a talent boom on both sides of the border. Five years of glasnost can do wonders in not only healing wounds but ensuring a permanent peace. Kashmir will then perforce resolve itself. For once, we find ourselves in a fortunate position today when this artistic vision converges with a political vision. Prime minister Manmohan Singh succinctly observed, "Let us, our people and our common destiny, make an earnest attempt to find a lasting solution to all issues. In a globalising and increasingly integrated world, borders have lost meaning... The journey of peace must be based on a step-by-step approach, but the road must be travelled. As an ancient saying goes, a road is made by walking. Mr President, let us travel together on this path, to realise our shared vision of what the future holds for all of us". I hope practical steps are taken to build such bridges and films accorded the importance they deserve. The writer is a film-maker.