After making the rounds of film festivals abroad, Rahul Dhalokia’s film “Parzania” on the 2002 sectarian violence in Gujarat is yet to find a distributor in the country.
The movie starring Naseeruddin Shah and Sarika was cleared by the Censor Board only after several cuts, and while movies with controversial subjects usually attract audiences, Dholakia admits he isn’t even sure if it will ever be released.
“Now I am determined (to get it released). It has given me high blood pressure, made me severely diabetic. More importantly, I have given it four years of my life,” he said on the sidelines of the Osian Film Festival here at which “Parzania” was screened.
The film, based on a true story, tells the tale of a middle-class Parsi couple — film projectionist Cyrus and his wife Shernaz — who live in a Muslim-dominated area with their children, 10-year-old Parzan and eight-year-old Dilshad.
The Gujarat violence changes their lives as Parzan goes missing and the film traces the couple’s struggle to trace its son.
US-based Dhalokia said though the film was based in India, it is relevant in the current world situation. “It’s about people in power killing the innocent and getting away with it. I don’t know what the solution is but I do know that politics certainly isn’t.”
So what or who is Parzania? “It is a dreamland where you can play cricket any time and have mountains of ice-cream. It’s a land where there is no discrimination on basis of caste, creed and religion.”
Original article here