Film Review No Fathers in Kashmir: A Story of Loss and Hope



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  Chronicle of No Fathers in Kashmir
Chronicle of No Fathers in Kashmir: It is clear where lies the sympathy of Ashvin Kumar, but the representation of his character is a little confused.

In the cast of Kashmir: Zara Webb, Shivam Raina, Ashvin Kumar, Soni Razdan, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Ayushman Jha, Natasha Mago, Sarao Maya and Sushil Dahiya
No Fathers in Kashmir: director of the film : 19659005] No Fathers in Kashmir movie note: Two and a half stars

Ashvin Kumar's ongoing engagement with Kashmir has been at the center of his documentaries, Inshallah Football and Inshallah Kashmir, both of which have come into trouble, predictably, with the CBFC.

The absence of fathers in Kashmir, also absent after a long battle against the CBFC, is a feature. His characters are fictitious, but the main elements of the story are facts: one of the most troubling consequences of militancy and long-standing conflict are the "half-widows" and "half-orphans ", who are forced to live in the shadow and perpetual doubt. Are men alive or dead?

You can see where the director had to make changes or point out some facts: "in the '90s," says a former liberal leader now radicalized Arshid Lone (Kumar), "the army had halls of art. 39 interrogation in military camps and sometimes they went too far ". The mention of the 90s implies that this does not happen anymore, but men continued to be "arrested" for questioning, who then "disappeared", leaving behind old parents, wives and children.

No fathers in Kashmir to ask questions to make the film relevant for an audience unfamiliar with the conflict. British Briton Kashmiri (Webb) arrives with his mother (Mago) to visit his grandparents. This is the kind of kid who grew up with the idea of ​​the Kashmir Internet, that there are "terrorists" wandering the streets, and so on. "

The boy of the region, Majid (Raina), son of his deceased father's friend, becomes his pbadage in the terrible realities of his ancestral country, when she asks embarrbading questions or blithely snaps with his camera, behaving like a naïve terrorist tourist.

What's best in Kumar's film is that the problems he describes are felt. urgent, even though we have seen them before, especially and quite coincidentally in the series of films shot in the valley that have come out in recent months.

Rows on rows of women holding placards indicating their disappearance. fathers, husbands and sons: these faces break your heart Young boys pelting stones The armed forces as aggressors and victims: this line is given to a major (Jha): "Give me an enemy whom I can you see … do you think I like doing this?

Kumar's sympathies are clear, but the portrayal of his own character is a bit confusing. We see processions raising 'azaadi' slogans, but balancing, talking on both sides at the same time removes some of the complexity and edge of the film. The old man of Kulbhushan Kharbanda, who lives in the memories of his son, lays the groundwork for militancy on the "petro-dollars", mosques and madarsas of Saudi Arabia. He asks and we hear: "What are you looking for freedom? And what will you do with it? 'The craggy face of Kharbanda, relieved by the pain, stays with you. As does the silent and effective performance of Soni Razdan as wife, mother and grandmother. Sarao, so effective at Aankhon Dekhi, embodies a woman who seeks to protect herself and her son. Does she sell shawls, or herself? Pay attention to the wonderfully authentic costumes and details that come from the director's creative mother, Ritu Kumar.

Webb, a slightly annoying but serious girl, determined to unveil the secrets of her family, and Raina, whose delivery of her English lines, but who are perfect for her role, work well with each other, even though their pbadages are marked by some situation twists that feel forced and artificial.

But overall, the children are fine. They leave us with hope. As one of them said, showing a hill: "This is our home."

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