SHIKARA 2020
by
Vidhu Vinod Chopra
If he did not want to delve into the politics of Kashmir, why did Chopra bother himself with Shikara in the first place ? Once he had picked the subject, there is no justification for not exposing the blatant Islamic jihad and genocide that was carried out against the Kashmiri Pandits in the late 1980s.
Kashmiris are quick to apportion blame for every action of theirs. Fact is monotheistic religions need a permanent state of war to remain relevant and it is through conversions and land grab that they further their objectives. It is as simple as that. The hoax of Kashmiriyat is just political Islam married with Pakistani arms ,funding and training and has nothing more to it. The hype surrounding Kashmiri language, culture and cuisine is also inexplicable because every region has some of its specialities and peculiarities. The film is rather soft on jihad, its practitioners , enablers and apologists. The director simply fails to capture the horror that Pandits must have felt in their last days prior to exodus.
I also wonder why Chopra had to draft Aadil Khan and Sadia as Pandits ? Is it some kind of a political message. If it is , he should have said so. What is the point of making this film ? Perhaps a personal tribute to his mother, or maybe to satisfy his own nostalgic urges.
Whatever it is, Shikara is a very dull film. Cinematography is fine (could have been much better) , music is absent, plot is thin and the film does not even work as a work of apology, nostalgia or vanity. Acting is good, and special mention must be made of Priyanshu Chatterjee, who has delivered a fine punch as a Doctor who is slain by militants.
The film could have delivered so much more, but is a tad disappointing. Rahul Pandita’s writing has let the film down.
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