August-September 2018 mark ten years since the release of Ramchand Pakistani. Based on actual events, the story depicted the lives ofthree members of a Pakistani-Hindu Dalit (untouchable) family. A seven-year old boy in a remote Tharparkar villageaccidentally crosses the Indian border. His father, Shankar,goes looking for him after which both become prisoners in an Indian jail.The child’s mother, Champa, is left behind with no news for several years, agonized at the two absences, uncertain about whether she has become a widow. The film’s production process led to unusually positivecollaborations between individuals and states. The film’sthemeexplored aspects of the impersonality of inter-state matters, of areligious minority’sidentity and thevulnerability of a poor Hinduwoman, especially when made suddenlysingle.
Work commenced2006. Twenty Pakistaniindividuals ofwide professional diversity, residents in their home country and the USA, with virtuallyno previous association with the cinema sector - except for the producer’s wife and the producer (this writer) who were two of the twenty- invested varied sums to mobilize the required budget.Two major corporations and the Geo-Jang media group also became sponsors, promoters and distributors. These persons and organizations - whose names appear at the start of the film - enabled the concept to attain actuality.
Constructive cooperation
To one’s pleasant surprise, ministries and authorities in Pakistan and India gave unstinted cooperation. From security clearances to temporary work visas, from enabling on-site researchatsensitive locations such as jails to permitting uncensored candouronscreen to the Prime Minister of Pakistan (Yusuf Raza Gillani) and an Indian Central Minister (Anand Sharma) attending premiere shows in their respective countries, Ramchand Pakistani became an ideal example of how otherwise two politically-estranged states,and professionals from different countries and fields can work constructively together to help create a shared narrative.
To foster goodwill between the two countries rather than compoundacrimony, four Indians,exceptionally gifted in their own right, were invited tojoin the talent from Pakistan. Nandita Das portrayed the child’s traumatized mother with extraordinary sensitivity. Debajyoti Mishra of Kolkata composedscintillating music and songs whose evocative lyrics were penned by Anwar Maqsood. Shubha Mudgal’s powerful voice joined Shafqat Amanat’s nuanced sound in memorable melodies. Aseem Sinha, the ace film editor, introduced to us by Shyam Benegal, helped hone and polish the final cut.The excellence contributed by the Pakistani dimension was represented by Sofian Khan, the young Pakistani-American cinematographer working on his first full-length film; Rashid Farooqi, ablyplaying the father’s role secured the Best Actor Prize whilethe film also gained the Best Pakistani Film Prize at the Lux National Film Awards for 2008. SeveralexceptionalPakistani actors featured included Noman Ejaz, Maria Wasti, Adnan Ahmed Tipu, Saleem Meraj, Adarsh Ayaz, Zhalay Sarhadi and others, with Sonia Rahman Qureshi as creative consultant. Two boys, Syed Fazal Hussain and Naveed Jabbar (no relation!) captured the title character at different ages withengagingcharm.
Three American technicians joined the crewatdifferent locations in Pakistan. Filmingon a meticulously planned schedule, it was completed in five weeks. Post-production in New York, Mumbai and Karachi tooklonger- about twenty weeks. No compromises were made on technical standards.
The ‘Critics’ Oscar’
At theNew DelhiOsean International Film Festival, July 2008, the film won the prestigiousFIPRESCI Prize, also known as the ‘Critics’ Oscar’ from the International Federation of Film Critics. Four topinternational prizes followedin Switzerland, London and Sri Lanka.Ramchand Pakistani wasscreened at over 60 non-competitive and competitive festivals around the world; the Museum of Modern Art in New York honoured the film with a week’s screenings.
Shortly after the film’s theatrical release in fiveIndian provinces came the major terrorist incident in Mumbai in November. This abruptly ended the film’s further release in most other Indian provinces. Audiences’reactions around the worldtypified viewers’ warm responses across different continents and cultures. The reviews that came in boosted spirits.
Other bold films
Since the time when Ramchand Pakistani was screened, some new entertainment films - a handful of appreciable quality - have scoredbox office bonanzas. A few like Bol, Moor, Cake, Saawan and Motorcycle Girl have boldly ventured into new arenas. But thedisproportionately low number of screens - only about 108 screens at 33 multiplexes and only40 single-screen halls with outmoded technologies - prevents financial feasibility forhigher investment inan increased numberof productions andcategories of productions appropriate for Pakistan’s heterogeneityand large, pluralistsociety.
A new film policy
A newfilm policy must persuade the provinces tospurcinematic creativity in multiple genres (and not only in commercially-driven formula films), investment in more screens andproductions, coherence in censor policies, connectivity with new global distribution technologies and networks like Netflix, etc.
Status of Pakistani Hindus
Ramchand Pakistani was as much about the forced separation of a small family as it was aboutpeasant Hindu Dalit women. The latter are a vital part ofthe backbone of Sindh’s agriculture but in terms of health, nutrition, education and human rights, the unfairly-called ‘lower’ caste women are among the most disadvantaged citizens.They suffer discrimination even within their own religious community. Champa in Ramchand Pakistani demonstrated admirable grit and character.
In the 10 years since Ramchand Pakistani’s release, there have been symbolic as well as substantive advances for Pakistani Hindus.AfterMr Justice Rana Bhagwandas became Acting Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in2007,he went onto becomeChairman of the FederalPublic Service Commission in 2009. Hiscareerillustratedhow thousands of Hindus are successfully active in numerous professions. Though infant and maternal mortality rates inTharparkar remain distressing, there have been palpable improvements in health, education and physical infrastructurein the region over the past decade. For the first time, a Dalit Kohli caste woman from a Tharparkar village was elected in March 2018 on a woman’s reserved seat in the Senate; Senator Krishna Kohli, representing the PPP, will serve up to 2024. Also, for the first time, three Hindu candidates were directly elected on July 25, 2018, on general seats -- notreserved, indirectly elected seats. Each of these three Hindu candidates secured significantly more votes than their Muslim rival candidates, even in PS-Jamshoro where only 3000 Hindu voters are registered. The winner obtained 34,000 votes whereas the losing Muslim candidate got 29,400 votes. These victories representfundamental, positive changes for the status of religious minorities.
The Sindh Early Child Marriages Prevention Act wasnotifiedin 2014. This law has a particular relevance for segments of theHindu community in which, following ancient customs, both boys and girls are forced to become husbands and wives first and adults later. In 2018, the Sindh Hindu Marriages Amendment Act, 2018 gives divorced or widowed Hindu women the legal right to re-marry six months after the change in their marital status.
Yet, regrettably, on the macro-political level, the much-lauded 18th Constitutional Amendment of 2010 introduced a new discrimination against non-Muslims, including Hindus, by making it obligatory for the Prime Ministerto be a Muslim. The Constitution already requires the President to be Muslim. The struggle will have to continue to ensure equality of all citizens -- without contradictions -- as promised by Article 25 of the Constitution i.e. "All citizens are equal before law."
Directed by Mehreen Jabbar (certainly related!) with a fine subtlety,withscreenplay and Urdu dialogue elegantly crafted by Mohammad Ahmed while thiswriter drafted the original storyline and served as the film’s producer,Ramchand Pakistani retains a unique position. It remainsthe first cinema film exclusively devoted tothe saga of a family fromthe first and originalPakistanis - those who have livedon this land for centuries before thebirthof the state of Pakistan.
- In his voluntary work capacity, the writer is founding president of Baanhn Beli, established 1985, the pioneer grass-roots organization of Tharparkar where about half the population comprises Pakistani Hindus, mostly Dalits.He also wrote, produced and directed the widely-lauded Pakistan’s first English language cinema film, Beyond the Last Mountain (1976) and several prize-winning documentaries & advertising commercials. He can be reached at www.javedjabbar.com.