Dholakia's controversial film 'Lamha' on Kashmir in serious trouble

Srinagar (Kashmir)- The shooting of a controversial film on Indian Kashmir has led to a slanging match among Indian authorities, separatists and filmmakers. The trouble started after Bollywood filmmaker Rahul Dholakia's admission that his forthcoming movie "Lamha" would depict the pain and suffering of Kashmir even though it was essentially a love story. Bollywood's 'sex bomb' Bipasha Basu is portraying the character of an Islamic separatist (woman), Asiya.

Award-winning film-maker Rahul Dholakia"I will be hated outside after the release of 'Lamha’. It will depict Kashmir’s pain and suffering as I have seen during the two years of research for my film,” Dholakia told reporters in Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir, where Muslim separatists are waging a war against the Indian rule.

'Lamha,' featuring Bollywood stars Sanjay Dutt, Bipasha Basu and Anupam Kher, would be a "pro-Kashmir film". The director added that he fully understood the humiliation and the pain the locals suffered when non-resident troopers asked them for identity proof. According to media reports, Indian authorities are putting pressure on Dholakia to cancel his ongoing shooting in Kashmir as they fear violence.

Some factions of the extremists' groups suspect the motive of the film while a senior separatist leader Mirwaiz Farooq has given his consent to the shooting of 'Lamha'.

Pakistani media too has taken a lead in exploiting the statement of Dholakia, highlighting the alleged atrocities committed by India's security agencies.

Sexy Bipasha as an Islamic separatist

Bollywood actress Bipasha BasuMuslims extremists are worried that Bipasha Basu, Bollywood's actress known for her sexy roles who is reportedly playing the character of an Islamic (woman) extremist in the film, could  add a lot of sex appeal and glamour to the character.

A local newspaper Rising Kashmir News writes: Bollywood Director Rahul Dholakia Wednesday said that the glamorous Bipasha will play Dukhtaran-e-Millat (an outlawed extremist organisation) chairperson Asiya Andrabi in his film ‘Lamha’.

Addressing media persons here, Dholakia said that his film is entirely pro-Kashmir and it will depict the real aspirations of Kashmiri people.
“This is a love story woven with boundless void of agony which Kashmiri people are facing for the past 61 years. Without the help of Kashmiri people I cannot do justice with my film,” he said.

Spewing his anger against the unbridled powers of troops, paramilitary forces and police in Kashmir, Dholakia said: “I may be hated in India but I will show how army, CRPF and police are unleashing reign of terror on innocent Kashmiris,” quoted the Kashmiri paper.

He claimed that leading artists of the film Sanjay Dutt, Kunal Kapoor and Bipasha Basu are pro-Kashmir who are keen to reflect the real aspirations of Kashmiri people.

“Bipasha Basu will play the role of Dukhtaran-e-Millat chairperson. She she is entirely pro-Kashmiri in the film,” Dholakia said.

He said Lamha has a potential to clear all pre-conceived notions about Kashmir as the film will realistically portray Kashmir to the audience around the world.

“The two years of my research about Kashmir suggest that all the Bollywood films about Kashmir are fakes. I want to break this tradition. That is why I want to shoot this film here with stars like Sanjay Dutt and Bipasha Basu,” he added.

He revealed some scenes in his film wherein half-widows ask the Indian troopers whereabouts of their husbands. “I have scenes like women holding photos of their husbands who are missing since 17 years, common Kashmiris being harassed by troops asking them to prove their identity and other painful incidents which happen here everyday,” Dholakia said. “There are dialogues in the film where people say that if Aishwarya Rai sees moon or not it makes breaking news for Indian media but in Kashmir the women who have not seen their husbands since 17 years are not newsworthy.”

Dholakia said that at the end of the day, a question will be asked to the audience as to who should be held accountable for the ongoing tyranny in Kashmir.
“When in a crackdown innocent Kashmiri girls are picked up and raped, no one does anything about it. Indians have been made to believe that a Kashmiri is a militant which is absolutely false, incorrect and ridiculous,” he said.

Dholakia said he wants to convey that Kashmiris are most sensitive, emotional and fine human beings who have been cheated year after year by various governments.

Parzania

'Parzania' by Dholakia won National AwardsDholakia has earlier made the critically acclaimed film "Parzania" about a boy who went missing in the 2002 Gujarat communal violence. The state government of Gujarat objected to the release of Parzania.

The film went on to win awards at the 53rd National Film Awards, given away by India's President Pratibha Patil. 'Parzania' won the best direction award for Rahul Dholakia and the best actress award for Sarika for "her rendition of a crusading mother who fights for justice against all adversity in a communally charged environment".