:: IFFK 2008 ::

Borders are not something accursed. Borders are what give a person his or her identity as an Indian or Pakistani or Bangladeshi. Different cultural identities exist in our world only because of these borders. But after seeing Pakistani director Mehreen Jabber’s debut film Ramchand Pakistani, the viewer will curse such borders.

The film deals with a Hindu Pakistani dalit family separated at the time of the 2002 Parliament attack that shattered hopes for peace between India and Pakistan. Eight-year-old Ramchand (Syed Fazal Hussain) and his father, Shankar (Rashid Farooqui), inadvertently cross the border into India, where they are arrested and detained as spies. Ramchand's mother, Champa (Nandita Das), has no idea of their whereabouts and is traumatized by their disappearance. Ramachand Pakistani depicts the sufferings of innocent people held in both Indian and Pakistani jails. This film makes you think and reflect on such tragedy. Without being politically preachy, the director makes the film accessible to sensitive minds.

A Pakistani production, the film is a collaboration between Indian and Pakistani artists. Pakistani cinematographer Sofian Khan used outstanding wide shots and tight shots to establish the cultural environment and the characters' emotions simultaneously. Indian music director Debajyoti Mishra contributes a score that does justice to the theme. The actors fit their roles ideally.

We all know that secularism, sanity, and safety cannot become real if we remain "spectators," but how many films remind us of this — and so poignantly?