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!

The partition not only affected those who were displaced but also those who decided to stay back. And the minorities who decided to stay back amongst the majorities found themselves in a strange situation; suddenly they were outsiders in their own country and people viewed them with suspicion. 'Garam Hawa' deals with such issues with great sensitivity and perhaps is one of the best movies ever made on post partition.

Salim Mirza, brilliantly played by Balraj Sahney, is one such Muslim who stays back in India. India is a new democracy and has its problems of poverty and unemployment and Salim Mirza and his family has to fight to find its identity and respect in the country they chose not to leave. Sikandar, played by Farooq Shaikh, is Salim Mirza's unemployed son who is often told on his face that he might have a better chance in Pakistan but like his father he is determined. The family suffers a great deal for its decision but doesn't give up. I am sure everyone who was present during those days can identify with something in this story.

The grandmother wanting to die in her ancestral home and her whole life flashing before her eyes before she dies is an unforgettable scene.

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.

All those involved with this movie have done a service to Indian people, who are interested in history, partition, Hindu-Muslim relations etc. It does not matter whether this movie was declared hit, semi-hit or average, but it has left an incredible mark on one's psyche. It moves oneself to see those Muslim people who chose to stay behind in India, with their plight and dilemma. It definitely plays a big role to arouse sympathy and a soft corner for Muslim brethren who chose to stay in India, despite all the odds against them. All those associated with the story like Ismat Chugtai, Kaifi Azmi & Shama Zaidi have given an unbiased portrayal of that time. The story seemed to be too real. One loves to see the Muslim family in the movie sitting together and having their meals, where everybody participates in the discussion of the circumstances. Like the story, acting was natural all across the board, the only regret being, one expected some memorable songs, at least one or two, which were not there. Music is like dessert to an Asian mind, which adds to the lasting taste of the meal. With good music, this movie might have been declared a commercial hit too.