MULK-A Sad,Lame and Needless Apology In Defence of Jihadists and Their Sympathisers

mulk 2018

by

anubhav sinha

What is the meaning of Mulk ?
Does it signify a country ,which actually  means the territory inhabited by the people living it . (देश )
OR
Does it mean a nation  ,which emphasises a particular community with shared history and culture. (राष्ट्र ).
From what i could gather  ,MULK means country.It basically means land,or property.
It is rather foolish to suggest that anyone would not love his country,or the place of his birth,and where he spends his  life.The attachment and even loyalty towards is natural and not is dissonance with any religious loyalty.
Thus there is no question that everyone loves their Mulk.But what about its  Awaam (the people) ? Who loves which Awam is the key question ,not who loves his Mulk ! Are we a common awam ? Do we consider ourselves,not just Hindus and Muslims,but also various sects and castes,as a part of one awaam or many ? Is there a feeling of Us vs Them ?
Dont fall into this word trap.Bollywood is full of jerks,who can neither read ,nor write,and much less appreciate these nuances.This film’s utility lies not in listening to what is being said,but to find out how this message is twisted to suit certain sensibilities.

This film  is  supposedly based on real life events ,but its obvious they have been tempered to suit a particular narrative and dramatic effect.A terrorist ,accused of killing 16 people in a bus blast,is shot dead by a Muslim police officer.This perp is armed,shooting at cops while trying to flee,and yet the script suggests (and rajat kapoor playing the cop)  that the officer ‘might’ have arrested him,had he not been hell bent on proving some point.

And what is that   point which   the director  suggests ?He tries to convey that the Muslim cop shot the Muslim boy to send a message to  Muslim families that this is how their boys wud be killed,and the families dragged into disrepute if corrective steps were not taken.There might be a more pertinent reason-perhaps the cop felt guilty for the actions of a person belonging to his community ,or saw this as a chance to prove that he is more chaste than Caesar’s wife.But certainly the director has taken great pains to emphasise  that the Muslim community need not prove its nationalist  or humanist credentials before anyone.Rajat kapoor has done a great job as an understated cop ,who feels sick of the misguided violence unleashed by the youths of the community.

But i seriously didn’t understand   why  Ashutosh Rana ,the chief public prosecutor,donned a hilariously  uncomfortable large smirk on his face while arguing in the Court.He is shown as some kind of a rotten apple,but this defect of his character is not at an individual level ,rather he stands as a prototype of a hostile Hindu Chief PP,who viewed the whole Islamic community  as enemies.I wonder what was the need to turn Rana’s character into a buffoon.

The judge ,played by Kumud Mishra,has done a remarkable job.He displays necessary gravitas and openmindedness to make an impact.One cannot find much fault with either his views or his performace.

In face of a very spirited defence by Taapsee Pannu,the family of the terrorist is acquitted honourably.She is a Hindu girl who married in this family of the terrorist and lives in London with her now estranged husband.The reason behind their tussle is the husband’s insistence that their kids (if and when they come) must be born into Faith.This is also a MAJOR ISSUE,and unfortunately gets short shrift in the volatile situation. TP is a good actress,and she has shown considerable mettle.

Manoj Pahwa is a showstealer in his role as the father of the terrorist,Aryan Babbar,and as the younger brother of Rishi kapoor.His body language and mannerisms are  just wonderful,and convey his sense of hurt and helpnessness at the turn of events and reverence for the elder brother in perfect measure.Circumstantial evidence did make him look complicit,and one cant really find fault with the police for investigating the matter.

Neena Gupta is a good foil to Rishi Kapoor who plays the family patriarch with aplomb.RK is getting much better with age.As a wronged head of a Muslim family,RK has surpassed expectations.His timing and dialogue delivery are just perfect.So we see that despite very impressive casting and good performancs,the film turns out to be an exercise in rhetorical apology.

No one cares if the patriarch in the film is a sachcha muslim,or if his neighbours are kachaha hindus.One might be a five times namazi,and observe rozas and be a very religious person,and yet turn out to be a social malcontent.But on being asked by Taapsee,he declares he has never been handed over a ticket for driving,pays due taxes,has never committed any crime and votes regularly,and then rages he is a true Muslim.It is here that I lose  connect with both the film and the character.

 The director,through a Hindu character,Taapsee,tries to draw a strong moral equivalence between Islamic terrorism on the one hand,and various pogroms held in India in Punjab,Gujarat and Assam,as well as practice of untouchability.

“Terrorism is a criminal act,not communal one.” She says.This is the negation of the basic premise.The jihadists act in the name of their community.There is an angle of communal alienation,perceived grievaces and failure to redress them which is the main reason behind Islamic terror.She contends that Brahmins are not blamed for the murder of Gandhi,even though Nathuram Godse was one.It takes a truly misguided zealot to see equivalence here.

Would the anti-Sikh riots perpetrated by the Congress in 1984 be considered terrorism ? Why not ?
They were state-backed and a party-sponsored pogrom against a particular community.They must come under the ambit of State-sponsored terrorism against its own citizens.

But care is needed to distinguish Islamic terrorism from the rest of criminal,violent and terror-related activities.Jihad aims to establish Darul Islam across the world by fear,force,persuasion or coercion.This larger aim,coupled with perceived grievances of the Muslims the world over ,as well an inherent belief in the Islamic Nation have ensured that they see essentially  political problems as Us VS Them struggle.It is futile to blame Indians or Hindus for such reactions which are guided by instincts of fear,self preservation and in many cases,betrayal.