Parzania †Critical Review Essay

These words are reminiscent of a Gandhian quote. The Father of the Nation, a larger than life individual, who single-handedly stunned the world with his unusual principles which millions believe, paved the way for the Indian Independence. However, his dedication and perseverance to free the Indians by non-violent means is being honored more in theory, as of today, than in practice. The above quote is from a 2007 Rahul Dholakia movie, namely, Parzania. Critically acclaimed and thrown open to a global audience, it attempts in the characteristic manner of all literature, to reiterate a story, in a way that will make people reflect on it and see the events of the tale in a whole new light, much like the concept of defamiliarization. The movie is about the horrific events that took place in Godhra, Ahmedabad on Februray 28th 2002. Communal violence is a social and political evil that has taken India by storm after Independence. Our country is exemplary of the claim that two predominant religious groups cannot co-exist. This very fact has been exquisitely portrayed in Parzania, which is unalike any piece of literature covering a similar issue. Firstly, the irony of the tale lies in the fact that the events of the Godhra riots which was primarily a Hindu-Muslim discrepancy, has been depicted from the point of view of a Parsi family as well as a formerly Protestant, American man. This almost-objective narrative is the essence of the story because it eliminates all cause for concern regarding any sort of bias. The audience is free to display any feelings of sympathy and compassion for the protagonists, without the fear of being disloyal to their religious sentiments. Moreover, Muslims are the minority in India. They account for roughly 14% of the population of the nation as a result of which, they are always the popular villains. Regardless of the mounting evidence supporting their equal contribution to communal violence in India, more often than not, they are blamed for having instigated any and all mayhem. Parzania, on the contrary has, in a very subtle manner, portrayed the Muslims as the grieving community. The movie concentrates chiefly on the events of February 28th, 2002, when thousands of Hindu rioters retaliated most violently to the burning of the Sabarmati Express, killing 59 Hindus the day before. Muslim inhabited areas were focused upon and several hundred Muslims were massacred in the most horrifying manner. Thus, Parzania tempers its objectivity by making a understated case for the innocent Muslim people who unwittingly fell prey to the hungry demon, that is communal violence. The greatest consequence of Communal violence is not the expression violence; it is the creation of it. Parzania is the story of how a minority of non-violent, extremists are capable of such wide spread massacre. It depicts, most beautifully, a community of people who are as religiously diverse as they can get and yet find a way to co-exist peacefully. ‘The Mansion’ as it is called, is a small community of middle class Hindu, Muslim and Parsi families who sow the seeds of warmth and friendship and hence reap the benefits of love and belongingness. The women indulge in good-natured gossip about each other but support each other unconditionally albeit worshipping a triad of Gods. This peaceful setting is the prequel to how deep friendships are shattered due to religious and political differences. It is human tendency to want to avenge the wrongs done to you. Communal violence works on this principle. It is an infinite loop; no one can trace the origins of it, or know for sure as to who threw the first stone. But with every incident of communal violence, a beast awakens in formerly peaceful people and they occupy their minds, bodies and souls with thoughts of revenge. This is the case of a Muslim lad, Asif who lived among the inhabitants of The Mansion. A compassionate man, he is seen chiding members of his religious community for shaming Muslims as a group. He laughs and mingles with the Hindus, Muslims and Parsis alike, and shows no signs of revolt. However, being witness to the murder of her aging father changes the man he is. He rounds up other enraged Muslims and yearns to right the wrongs done to him. His extreme action is only a reaction to the injustices done to him, but that can be said about every riot, every instance of attack or violence. The blame game never ends; it does not have a solution. Hence, the violence festers and continues, creating new perpetuators of Communal violence in a vicious circle. The story begins with a young American man, Alan (Corin Nemec) who seeks to publish his thesis about the life and trials of Mahatma Gandhi. Having traveled all the way to Ahmedabad, India, he lives among the locals in the state that bore the Mahatma. His objective view of the nation is a reality-check of sorts; forcing us to reconsider our society, polity and economy. Inspired by Gandhian principles, he attempts to study about the Gandhi himself, so as to put his disorderly life into perspective. However, he is shocked to the point of disbelief as the Communal violence unravels around him, in a place that prohibited the consumption of alcohol and largely meat, as a tribute to Gandhi, but nurtures and nourishes religious animosity and non-violence; the two most important things that Gandhi tried to obliterate in the nation. The irony of the situation does not fail to catch the audience’s attention as they see the country in the eyes of a foreigner, who is driven to the point of helpless tears at the plight of the country. During his stay in Ahmedabad, he befriends several people, including a good-natured Parsi man, Cyrus (Naseeruddin Shah), his wife, Shahnaz (Sarika) and his two young children. They seem well-educated and intelligent, albeit middle class, and welcome Alan into their lives and home. The young boy, 10 year old Parzaan (Parzan Dastur) is an imaginative child, who creates a fantasy world for himself, much like the pre-Pandora world. He calls it Parzania and fills it with innocence and beauty; a place where he and his younger sister can retreat into, and can be guaranteed of happiness, love and comfort. In the larger sense of the movie, Parzania is an example of a time and place where the ugly, rearing head of communal violence can be slaughtered and Indians will be able to find unity in religious diversity. Parzaan is a typical 10 year old miscreant, with his love for cricket and lack of academic interest. But his loving parents have utmost faith in him and believe wholeheartedly in his potential to do great things. This almost fairy-tale like aura is shattered on the day the riots occur. In her attempt to escape angry Hindu mobs with swords and other killing weapons, Shahnaz scampers to protect her children but suddenly loses sight of Parzaan. In light of what was happening all around her, she realizes her daughter is in more danger and rushes to bring her to safety so that she can find her son. But she fails to do so, and this she has to live with for the rest of her life. During this time in the movie, another evil of the Indian sociopolitical condition is brilliantly depicted. The Godhra Riots and its aftermath saw widespread corruption chiefly among the Police Force and the Hindu Ruling Party. Parzania is a reflection of this sad state of affairs when bribes were the order of the day as the ‘protectors’ of society not only watched the gory events like voyeurs, but they laughed and cheered as they unraveled. In their undeterred search for their son, a sense of pathos is evident in the lives of Cyrus and Shahnaz. They are looted by corrupt policemen and manipulated by power-hungry Hindu Party workers as they go through the awful experiences of looking for their son among casualties and the like. When all else fails, the couple begin to draw support from their faith, but in different ways. Cyrus turns to traditional Parsi rituals of cleansing and purifying himself in his quest for answers. Shanaz, on the other hand, as noticed by Alan, quietly prays, for her son, her daughter and her husband, to give them strength to continue on. At this moment, one of the most powerful lines in the movie is delivered by Alan as he reflects quietly upon the irony of the situation. He says, ‘Never in my life would I have guessed that religion could be both the cause of the problem AND the solution. ’ The victims testify at the National Human Rights Commission despite the threats made anonymously. Shahnaz’s testimony serves as a sort of confession, an outburst. The audience realizes that she carries with her and will carry with her, for the rest of her life, the guilt of not having protected her son enough. She clearly blames herself and breaks down, in a heart wrenching plea for forgiveness, even know she knows with certainty that she can never forgive herself. The story of Parzaan is surprisingly never revealed to the audience. This both frustrates and interests the audience, as we are left hanging, in anticipation for more. This may be due to the fact that the movie has been inspired from a real story of a boy who went missing during the Godhra Riots and hasn’t been found yet, and thus, that side of the story may never be told. Parzania is classic example of how an innocent bystander is at the greatest risk of being hurt. The vultures that feast on the flesh of deceased Parsis, is a metaphor for Communal violence, and how it attacks and destroys people for selfish reasons without a care in the world. This poignant tale does not fail to break your heart with its magnificent rendition of real-life tragedies and events and how they lead to the breakdown of human emotion and humanity in general.