The political significance of Mani Ratnam s Films

The political significance of Mani Ratnam s Films A case study of Roja (1992) and Bombay (1995) Name: Mohamed Shaik Faizal 2683 Words (excluding headings) The man who revolutionized Tamil-language cinema, Mani Ratnam is the biggest director in south India and one of the most respected directors in all of India. - IMDB

Tamil Cinema is a film industry based in Chennai, India. Having a long and vibrant history, Tamil Cinema has given the world excellent movies in terms of storyline, music, cinematography, ad infinitum. As such, I have chosen to discuss the political significance of Mani Ratnam s films, in particular, Roja (1992) and Bombay (1995) which are politicaldrama films based on historical events. The former is based on the Kashmir conflict which started as a consequence of the 1947 Partition Plan, the latter is based on the 1993 bombings in Mumbai as reaction to the demolition of Babri mosque in Ayodhya. I chose those movies because of the similar themes that Mani Ratnam undertook. Both movies depict human relationships against a background of Indian politics. 1 These movies have garnered Mani Ratnam numerous awards 2 and given him great reputation in the industry as he was decorated with the Padma Shri award in 2002. 3 Both movies garnered numerous awards and had global recognition. Roja was nominated for the 1993 Moscow International Film Festival for Best Film. 4 Though, it did not clinch the award it shows that a Tamil film has smashed its way to the global platform due to the themes taken. I aim to give a brief background of the films. Following that, I would analyse the inherent socio-political issues that separates the Indian nation which were jarring in the films. After which, I will analyse the portrayal of sociopolitical issues such as pan-nationalism and secularism which were the key ideas of the movies. I will be highlighting instances from the movies- dialogues, songs and the background music by A.R. Rahman- and tying history and Indian politics together. Furthermore, I would also provide scholarly critics of the movies due to the vehement censorship done by political parties. These would then portray the political significance of both the films in terms of content and control (censorship). 1 Padua, P. (2001). From the heart the films of Mani Ratnam. Retrieved from http://www.cinescene.com/names/maniratnam.html 2 Anandan (2004). Sathanaigal Padaitha Thamizh Thirai Pada Varalaru (Tamil Film History and Its Achievements). Sivagami Publications, pg738. 3 Rishi, T. (2012). Bless you Bollywood!: A tribute to Hindi cinema on completing 100 years. Trafford Publishing, pg 21 4 Awards for Roja(1992). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105271/awards 1

Aims of Mani Ratnam Historical events (Background) Mani Ratnam portrays historical events that led to chaos in India and how a common man s life gets affected. Roja, a plot based on the 1947 Partition plan laid out by Lord Mountbatten. After some political misunderstandings with Pakistan, Maharaja Hari Singh signed the Instrument of Accession with India in 1947 5 which legitimises that India s say over Kashmir which resulted in conflicts. 6 Kashmir- state dominated by Muslims- did not feel part of the Indian nation (which was predominantly Hindus), as they felt out of the imagined community. Moving on, Mani Ratnam used the ideas of religious conflicts in Bombay. The film was based on the period from December 1992 and January 1993 in India, and the controversy surrounding the demolition of Babri Masjid (which has 400 year history) by Hindu fundamentalists in Ayodhya 7. The Masjid was demolished so that a temple could be built at the birth place of Hindu deity Ramar. Demolition was done by Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) - a religious organization- who had close ties with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 8 It was carried out with blessings from government which made no attempts in protecting the building. 9 This resulted in increased religious tensions in the city of Bombay, thus resulting in riots. Having understood the background of the movies, I will now explain the inherent problems in India that has split the nation which Mani Ratnam was able to portray in his movies. 5 Ibid, pg 94 6 Ibid, pg 214 7 Shankar, S. (2012). Flesh and fish blood: Post-colonialism, translation, and the vernacular. University of California Press. 8 G. Lochtefeld, J. (2002). The illustrated encyclopedia of Hinduism: A-M. The Rosen Publishing Group, pg. 76 9 Ibid 2

Problems in India: Crumbling of the Imagined Communities (depicted in the movie) Benedict Anderson explains nation as an imagined community as it is always conceived as a deep, horizontal comradeship which makes many people willing to die for such limited imaginings. 10 Mani Ratnam portrayed inherent problems within India, the inability to have effective communication and religious distrusts. In Roja, Roja is a simple village girl born and brought up in Sundarapandianpuram in Tirunelveli district. Roja s husband, Rishi, was captured by insurgent groups. On her quest to rescue him, Roja was encountered with officials who only spoke Hindi and she could not communicate effectively as she did not understand the language as seen from Fig.1. Rescue mission started proper when Colonel Rayappa, who was Tamil speaking, entered the situation. This implies that despite language barrier Tamils are able to survive in India as they are able to navigate the way through. Nevertheless, the sense of emptiness that was felt by Roja was well directed by Mani Ratnam. communicate with the officials, but to no avail. Fig.1: Roja trying her best to This language barrier was also evident in Bombay as Shaila Bano could not understand Hindi upon her arrival at Bombay as she was a village girl. It should be understood that India was separated along linguistic lines which was accentuated by the advent of Anti-Hindi language 10 Anderson, B. (2006). Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. London: Verso. Pg.7 3

policy in South India. South Indians wanted Tamil to be the official national language. 11 The first anti-hindi agitation was in 1937, was carried out by the first Indian National Congress government. 12 Though these moves were opposed and dissolved, the anti-hindi movement gained momentum again in 1965 with the official adoption of Hindi. This policy resulted in Tamils in South India having no access to Hindi which is very significant as people were barred from learning their official language. This is a sign of segregation of India results in the crumbling of imagined communities. Furthermore, Mani Ratnam wanted to portray the sense of distrust between Hindus and Muslims in Bombay. Shekhar visits back home to see his family. During his return, he sees Shaila Bano and they eventually get involved. A marriage proposal is vehemently opposed by both parents. Shekar's father refuses to accept Shaila as his daughter-in-law, telling Shekhar to find another partner, whilst Shaila's father announces the need for an immediate marriage between his daughter and a Muslim man. Shekhar's father says if the two ever get married, he will disown Shekar as his son. The depiction of this scene was very political as Indians were having hatred against one-another 13 as seen from Fig.2. This shows the segregation of the nation resulting in the increased consciousness of us and them. Fig.2: Muslim Father confronting Shekar when he talked about marriage proposal with Shaila Bano. This shows inherent religious tensions in India. This brings the notion of separation within India on religious basis. 11 Hardgrave, R. L., & Kochanek, S. A. (2008). India: Government and Politics in a Developing Nation. (7th ed.). Cengage Learning. 12 Ibid 13 Knapp, S. (2009). Crimes against India: And the need to protect its ancient Vedic Tradition. iuniverse, pg 117 4

This inherent division of nation meant that India was not united which Mani Ratnam wanted to tackle. This would be addressed below in terms of pan-nationalism and secularism. Portrayal of recurring themes in both movies (Content) Pan-Nationalism with glimpse of Patriotism Furthermore, both films portray the idea of pan- Nationalism so that there would be unity in the nation which could be seen from the dialogues the Hero uses. This was the brainchild of Mani Ratnam. In Roja, towards the end of the movie, Rishi would explain to Liaqat (Kashmiri insurgent) that war is immoral and that fighting a war over territory within India was not beneficial for anyone as they are all same: Indians. Rishi s speech made Liaqat surrender to the Indian Army. Moreover, when the insurgent group received the news that the Indian Government would not release Wassim Khan, their leader, they burned the Indian national flag. Seeing this, Rishi gives his life to protect the flag which is accompanied with a song with the meaning of Our India, all religions are the same as seen from Fig.3. This particular scene coupled with excellent direction and background score given by A.R. Rahman spurs an Indian to feel patriotic towards the nation. The Chief Election Commissioner T.N. Seshan said that Roja is a film every patriotic Indian should watch. 14 Rishi being a Tamilian, has a strong sense of patriotism while his wife is unable to have an effective communication due to language barrier which were jarring scenes towards the notions of nation. 14 Chatterjee, P., & Jegan, P. (2000). Community, Gender and Violence. C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, pg 150 5

Fig.3: Insurgent group burning the Indian flag and Rishi, Tamilian, risks his life to save it. Moreover, Thamizha Thamizha song encapsulates the entire notion of nationalism and the crux of the film- we are all Indians, we are one and highlights the notion of multi-cultured India. In Bombay, a devastated Shekar, the hero, not knowing the whereabouts of his 2 children due to the riots that were happening in Bombay, made him speak in front of people in a grief fashion. This was accompanied by A.R. Rahman s music and different emotions portrayed by various characters. His speech made Hindus and Muslims drop their weapons and stand side-by-side holding hands. It is important to note that the song Malarodu Malar Inku encapsulates the notions of disappearing of religious divisions and the blood in the veins is of the same colour as seen in Fig. 4. Fig. 4: Portrayal of Hindus and Muslims standing side-by-side each other and holding hands which symbolises unity. This gives Indians a strong sense of one-ness and belonging to the nation. The main idea of both movies was that people have no difference; they are all Indians and there was strong sense of attachment to the nation. These events are very significant in India as Mani Ratnam, 6

wanted to make Indians feel Indian. Such a thought was effectively brought out as the movie ended on a happy note which underscores the fact that happiness is achievable if there was unity amongst people and they see each other as the same rather than different. Moreover, a sense of unity amongst people would reflect that political stability in the nation which is essential in India as they are very diverse. 15 Moreover, portraying these ideas in the last scenes made these ideas stay in people minds especially that of the Indians. Furthermore, pan-nationalism is expressed through Tamil characters in both movies. This is very significant because nationalism in Tamil Nadu; especially, has always retained a strong Tamil flavour. It is important to have both Tamil and Indian nationalism which was explicitly shown in Roja. Thus, it could be seen that, the notion of creating one-india was very evident in both the films which goes to show that no religion in India is hegemon to another. Mani Ratnam also used the notion of secularism to build on the creation of a pan-indian society. This would be discussed below. Secularism (no religious hegemony) Moving on, Mani Ratnam also portrays that Muslims and Hindus could live together under the same roof and that not everyone was against another one from the opposing religion. This shows the notion that India is actually a secular nation but due to some misunderstandings that Hindus are the hegemon in India, led to segregation in the nation. In Roja, Rishi was able to escape from being a captive with the help from Liaqat s sister who is a Muslim. This was not shown explicitly to the audience nevertheless it carries the essential message that there is a sense of compassion from one religion to another. Bombay was more obvious in the portrayal of secularism in comparison to Roja. Marriage between the couples and living under the same roof is the first instance of showing that both religions can co-exist. 15 Khanna, D. D., & Kueck, L. (1998). Democracy, diversity, stability: 50 years of Indian independence. Macmillan India Ltd. 7

This notion was more evident when they named their twins as Kabir Narayan and Kamal Basheer which is a mixture of both religions. The twins are raised with no importance given to either religion. Moreover, towards the end of the movie, a Muslim woman would say that a Hindu boy is her son and a Hindu woman as her sister which highlights the idea of secularism. This is in tandem with the previous notion of creating a pan-nationalist society where the director intends to show one-ness. Also, enabling people of India to understand that living together and being part of the community is possible. Censorship & Politics Bombay was censored by Bal Thackeray the founder of Shiv Sena, which is a right-wing Marathi ethno-centric party established in 1966. They gained political hegemony in 1980s and 1990s with close ties with BJP, the Shiv Sena promotes regional chauvinism.. and Hindutva or Hindu supremacism. 16 Though it was understood that there was promotion of secularism in the movie, but when it comes to the politics of censorship there was evidence of Hindu hegemony. Thackeray wanted a scene deleted: a four and a half minute speech which is about ethnic cleansing and preserving the city for Hindus only. This was to be played by Tinnu Anand depicting Shiv Sena. 17 Mani Ratnam was pressurized to agree. If not for censorship, the movie would directly blame Shiv Sena and Thackeray inciting violence against Muslims during the Mumbai Riots. Moreover, Thackeray publicly ventured to take credit for the demolition of Babri and wanting to wipe out a community. 18 Furthermore, Thackeray wanted the movie title be changed to Mumbai from the initially planned Bombay 16 Moran, A. (1996). Film policy: International, National, and Regional perspectives. Routledge. 17 Suketu, M. (2006). Maximum city: Bombay lost and found. Penguin Books India, pg 414 18 Blom Hansen, T. (2001). Wages of violence: Naming and identity in postcolonial Bombay, Princeton University Press, pg. 121 8

so that it could be released in Maharashtra. 19 Mani Ratnam decided not to go with it and during elections at Maharashtra, the Pawar government decided not to release the film- due to the sensitive content and fear that people might misinterpret the content of the film- until they come to power. 20 As such Thackeray s and political party s role in intervening made riots look as as a Hindu retaliation against Muslim aggression. 21 The manipulation of the director made us have blurred version of history. This shows the political influence over movie in India. The film was banned in Hyderabad and Secunderabad due to stray incidence of audience violence. 22 Moreover, the film was banned in Singapore and Malaysia for fear that the multi-racial nature of these two nations would be affected. Thus, it could be seen that internal politics has played a great role in Bombay. On the contrary, Roja, did not get censored, rather the movie got the President s National Integration Award 23 which depicts that the government supported the movie as secularism was depicted. 24 Therefore, it could be seen that the control function of analysing any film, has strong impacts on the films of concern. By way of Conclusion In conclusion, it could be seen that the political significance of the movies could be categorised according to the desires of having pan-nationalism and secularism. However, it is important to critically analyse the notions of secularism. I felt that there was a strong sense of Hindu hegemony. In Bombay, Shaila s father who is a Muslim was constantly portrayed as angry and verbally aggressive whereas the Shekar s father who is a Hindu was completely opposite. This is because Hindu nationalist political parties supported the films which 19 Ali Engineer, A. (1995). On 'Bombay, Economic and Political Weekly, pg. 1556, DOI: http://www.jstor.org.libproxy1.nus.edu.sg/stable/4402935 20 Ibid 21 Suketu, M. (2006). Maximum city: Bombay lost and found. Penguin Books India, pg 414 22 Chatterjee, P., & Jegan, P. (2000). Community, Gender and Violence. C. Hurst & Co. Publishers, pg 158 23 Awards for Roja (1992). (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105271/awards 24 Gokulsing, K. M. (2013). Routledge handbook of Indian cinemas. Routledge, pg 221 9

portrayed Hindus on a good light. On the other hand, films which depicted Hindus in a negative fashion were heavily censored. According to these political groups, patriotism is equivalent to Hinduism 25. Moreover, the movies were taken based on Hindu s lenses. This is not a fair representation of events in the movie as the portrayal of Muslims might have been over-exaggerated. This then raises the question of Hindu hegemony in films. Furthermore, the films ended on a happy note. This is not the situation of India today as there are continued rivalries between Muslims and Hindus 26 and between India and Kashmir 27 which shows that India is not yet a nation. 25 Gearon, L. (2002). Human rights & Religion: A reader, Sussex Academic Press, pg. 292 26 BBC News India (2013, September 09), In pictures: Religious clashes hit Muzaffarnagar, Retrieved from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-24012633 27 BBC News India (2013, September 26),Kashmir attacks: Indian troops and civilians killed, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-24279602 10

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BBC News India (2013, September 26),Kashmir attacks: Indian troops and civilians killed, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-24279602 BBC News India (2013, September 26),Kashmir attacks: Indian troops and civilians killed, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-24279602 12