Well typically I hate Indian movies - the big name ones with all the dancing singing where everyone is happy and the plot is pretty much as predictable as it gets. Generally I wonder how directors are able to put their names to those works knowing how derivative they are (besides the oodles of cash they get). This movie stands far and above those. It tackles serious matter and does it in some ways that I haven't seen before. Sure the bit about the Muslim girl/ Hindu boy story has been explored before but here it takes on a serious tone. The Hindu boy seems to actually be a parody of the "one-liners" Bollywood actors spout but the the girl is actually human enough to see through them. On top of that there's the addition of actual voices of reason throughout the story! The author, the journalist and the commanding officer all take very fresh perspectives of what happens in the town. There were admittedly a few issues in terms of the fact that they try to shoe in some humour here and there and whilst it's not particularly glaring it does seem to me that the movie would be better served without them.
It's tackling of fundamentalist religion is great in that it doesn't actually draw a clear distinction between the average believer and the "moderates". In this town the people slavishly follow their leaders and religions without thinking for themselves. The hooliganism is presented in very real terms ( for India at least) and the preaching of religious leaders are unfortunately quite close to what really is said in mosques and by Hindu leaders in India.
The end as well is done spectacularly well. I expected a bloodbath and I was glad no such thing occurred. The technicality served and excellent point of how pointless rituals can not only cause communities to tear apart but also lead to destruction of property and death. SImpy superb and this beats out any other Indian movie I've seen thus far quite cleanly.
It's tackling of fundamentalist religion is great in that it doesn't actually draw a clear distinction between the average believer and the "moderates". In this town the people slavishly follow their leaders and religions without thinking for themselves. The hooliganism is presented in very real terms ( for India at least) and the preaching of religious leaders are unfortunately quite close to what really is said in mosques and by Hindu leaders in India.
The end as well is done spectacularly well. I expected a bloodbath and I was glad no such thing occurred. The technicality served and excellent point of how pointless rituals can not only cause communities to tear apart but also lead to destruction of property and death. SImpy superb and this beats out any other Indian movie I've seen thus far quite cleanly.