Garm Hava

All in all a genuine presentation of a sensitive social issue! right from the director upto the actors have done exceptional justice to characters and the plot. A must watch i'd like to say...in order to understand the sociological effect of the Partition in its true sense. in fact the difference of principles between the two characters - Halim and Salim Mirza reveals much about the contemporary ideological flow. Again a huge chunk of kudos goes to the director Mr. Sathyu for his superb plot treatment esp. the elements of humor (in the form of dialogues of granny which also acts as sarcastic material) that he has blended up with the overall sensitiveness of the plot talks about his strategic acumen!!

The DVD cover of this film says "Most memorable movie of Balraj Sahni"...well guess what, not just the most memorable movie of Balraj Sahni...but probably one of the greatest of the great movies ever seen in in Indian film industry and a landmark performance in the history of Indian cinema.

The best movie on the India-Pak partition. The movie based in Agra deals with the social issues amongst other issues related to the partition and the repercussions of the partition on the society in general and looking at the problems within one family, both internal and external!

The features and expressions of Balraj Sahni and his portrayal of Salim Mirza is too good to be true! Words cant describe his performance! It is said that Dilip Kumar was first offered this role. Good support from Farooq S, AK Hangal, Gita Siddharth and many others!

Great Script by Kaifi Azmi and sensational stuff by the director M.S.Sathyu. Exceptionally realistic, hard hitting and a bonafide classic! 10 out of 10!

Based on an unpublished story by famous Urdu writer Ismat Chugtai, is one of the few movies dealing with state of Muslims who stayed back in India post partition. This film captures the struggle and anguish of the Muslim people who found themselves in strange situation where they in their own country were treated as outsiders. Salim Mirza, played brilliantly by Balraj Sahney, is one such Muslim who stays back in India. He with his family has to fight to find their identity and respect in this new country with changed realities. He can only watch as his world is slowly ripped by tragic aftermath of partition. Sikandar, played by Farooq Shaikh, is Salim Mirza's unemployed son who is often on his face told that he might have a better chance in Pakistan. The fabulous story, great performances (especially of Balraj Sahani) and the sensitivity of the content makes it a must watch. Garam Hawa was initially banned but eventually it won a national award for national integration and was even screened in Pakistan.

I saw this movie many years ago...and although so many years have passed this movie still remains etched in my mind.It was MS Sathyu's debut film as director. But he has till date not made a better film. To say that Garam Hawa is one of the most poignant and moving films ever made on the Partition is merely stating the obvious. Directors like Ritwick Ghatak had also earlier dealt with the Partition of Bengal. But Garam Hawa, made in 1973, marked the first time that a Hindi film director had handled the subject with so much sensitivity and realism.

I went to the market to purchase a DVD copy. But alas!!..It was not available in the Indian market. It is such a sad situation that being a Indian movie it is not available in India!!!...if anyone who reads this and has any knowledge as to the address where i can buy a copy IN India please email me at the foll address vinamra88@yahoo.com.I shall be ever grateful.

This is an outstanding film and should be considered a landmark in Indian cinema. The subject matter is the 1947 partition of British India, into India and Pakistan. The story is about a Muslim family in Agra, and the central figure is that of Salim Mirza (Balraj Sahni in his memorable last role). The film deals with the state of Muslims in the Hindu India immediately after the partition, when the situation is full of anger and passion (hence the name Garam Hawa, meaning Hot Winds) resulting from people uprooted out of the political decision to divide the land based on religion. While his brother, sister and the older son decide to move on to Pakistan, Salim Mirza stays in India to live and fight for his rights as a citizen. Along with him is his younger son, who had just finished college at the time of the partition and he joins the activists demanding proper & just government of this new born democracy. The film is no doubt influenced by Satyajit Ray's work (and of De Sica) in use of actual locales, using many non-professional actors and staying away from the trade mark Hindi-film song and dance numbers. Balraj Sahni is the main stay and delivers a superb performance, although the supporting performances are equally wonderful. M.S. Sathyu as the director deserves to be remembered just on the basis on this single effort. Color cinematography is very good and the background of Taj Mahal in Agra and the old Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri has been well used. Music by Sarode maestro Ustad Bahadur Khan adds to the value of this production. This film, with English sub-titles, is now available on DVD in US and Canada. Definitely a must-see.