Kaafiron Ki Namaaz — Movie Review

Kaafiron Ki Namaaz Movie Review
Kaafiron Ki Namaaz — Movie Review
Sometimes things that are meant to be, doesn’t mean that. And sometimes things that are not meant to be; exact opposite of that. Kaafiron Ki Namaaz is a beautiful story of the struggle within struggle, the internal one within external one or one can say vice versa.

The opening scene, the conversation between the mother and son sets the theme of the movie. The boy gets confused with the clock, one which is running clockwise, on the right side of him, the reality and one which is ticking anticlockwise, on the left, reminiscent of the past. The boy asks, a simple question, unaware of past or present realities, what if time stands still, to which the mother replies, if it happens, he will be able to reach school on time, and they might be able to live peacefully.

The very next scene, defines the theme, a bit more bluntly, in the form of external realities, a Kashmiri woman, who has recently lost her husband, was about to be shot, but was saved by an Indian army officer, but after sometimes, she was raped by another army personnel. And the Kashmiri mob kills the third Indian army man.

And within all these struggles, one is left with eternal struggle of what is right or what is wrong?

Though set in the background of Kashmir Valley, and as the first two scenes suggest, the film is never about Kashmir conflict, the film explores every socio-political conflict that we are going through, whether its Hindu-Muslim conflict, the Bangladesh conflict, the Northeast conflict, the AFSPA, and the Journalist ethics with the help of inner conflicts such as lost childhood, homosexuality, sex deprivation, and eternal search of truth, or identity or whatever one might say.

The gripping performances by late Chandrahas Tiwari (the Writer), and Alok Chaturvedi (court-martialed Army officer), doesn’t let you leave your seat for a second. Both actors are well supported by Megh Pant (Junaid) and Joydip Mukhopadhyay (Tiklu). Though one can compare the whole scenario with Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. And in the end, it also offers no absolute solution. But then, it is based on very different theme, and the characterization of Writer, Officer, Junaid and Tiklu is very different from Vladimir, Estragon, Lucky and Pozzo.

In addition to them, an absent character, the radio show presenter (voiced by Shahil Vaid) plays an important role. He offers a slight relief or a solution to the tension building up in between the characters. But it is upto the person, whether he takes his suggestion or not. In a scene, before the Hindu-Muslim argument, the RJ provides a clear solution, but blinded with their ego, they do not accept the solution.

In the end, it is up to you , which way to go, as Tiklu says, “Kisiko kya fark padega, jab mujhe hi fark nahi pad raha. Main zinda hu, ye ek sach hain. Kashmir jannat hai, yeh bhi ek sach hain.”

Watch Kaafiron Ki Namaaz on YouTube

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