Black N White

In today’s time, the attitude of the people is like ‘tooth for a tooth’ and ‘an eye for an eye’ as far as the revenge is concerned, especially when  it comes to killing of innocents. Relatives of the victims are asking for strict punishments for people behind such terrorist activities and our legal system is trying its best to deliver quick judgments.  At a time, when a brother stands against his brother over a rivalry in business, showman filmmaker Subhash Ghai (who makes a comeback as director) comes up  with a different message. Through his latest released film ‘Black and White’ Ghai as a director has focused on the psyche of a hard core suicide bomber, who is on a mission to create a biggest blast at Red fort, during the Independence day function. He is chosen and deputed  from Afghanistan by the muslim fundamentalist group for this job.

Now, this could be a good intention of the filmmaker to show the secular India, to such a suicide bomber, but some of the incidences are not convincing, particularly at this time, when people are very well aware of the attitude of the terrorists and the extensive damage done by them to our country. But, the veteran film-maker has a different view.  Through his film, he  challenges the mind of a hard core terrorist character of a Suicide Bomber( Anurag Sinha) with the help of other characters like an old poet ( Habib Tanvir) , a University Urdu professor ( Anil kapoor) and his social worker wife( Shefali Shah), who not only offer him shelter but also trust him.

Everything goes on well, till the last 20-25 minutes of the film; when the director shows a party hosted by a parliamentarian( who supports the terrorists)  on the eve of Independence day. It is at this stage, the film’s screenplay goes off track. The wife of professor is killed by two people from terrorists group, in a scuffle in their own house. At this stage, the professor instead of informing the police for investigation and sending the body for post mortem, performs the cremation quietly( perhaps, without a death certificate) only for the reason that there should not be communal riots in his area( what a sacrifice!) . Over and above that within hours of this incidence, he attends the Independence day celebrations at Red fort along with the suicide bomber, only because the film’s screenplay wants that climax to be shot there. Can a person attend a public celebration within hours of his wife’s death?

If this sacrifice wasn’t enough, even after coming to know about the intentions of the stranger boy accompanying him, he goes on to block the police from firing at him and allows him to escape. On top of it, he delivers a dialogue that he wanted that suicide bomber to carry a message back to his country about the secular India. It’s fine , if the director wanted to send a message to fundamentalist groups, but this kind of message was certainly not convincing to those sensible  film lovers.  The reason being simple. People in India very well know that such suicide bombers , who fail to carry out their mission are killed by their own group people. How was this young man allowed to escape back to his country to carry that message? In the last scene, the director has also shown that the fundamentalist group write a letter to the Investigative agency, declaring that the professor who is accused of aiding the suicide bomber, had no role to play in their mission.

In short, the film-maker has gone beyond secularism in his screenplay to show such incidences. With that effort, it will not be surprising to find the film declared tax-free. But, will it convince the regular film watchers? That remains to be seen. Technically, it is a well made film, but for the reasons mentioned above, it may not touch the hearts of the true film lovers. It makes you think, as to what the director has shown is right or wrong?