Garam Hawa (1972, Restored And Re-Released)

Starring: Balraj Sahni, Farooq Shaikh, Geeta Siddharth
Directed by M.S. Sathyu
Rating: ****

There are several reasons why Garam Hawa is a must view. Besides Govind Nihalani’s Tamas, it has been by far the most compelling human exploration of the aftermath of Partition. The north Indian Muslim Mirza family, its dilemmas, how its loyalty comes up for questioning is as relevant today as it was in 1947 or 1972, when the film was made. It’s about families torn apart, relationships collapsing, friendships crumbling, about homes getting reduced to ‘evacuee property’, about businesses folding up and about divisive politics.

In the midst of all the mayhem, a tiny thread of hope remains. Based on an Ismat Chugtai story, written for the screen by Kaifi Azmi and Shama Zaidi, it has Balraj Sahni at the centre of the turmoil. As the frayed old paterfamilias, unable to decide whether to stay on or move to Pakistan, he comes up with a moving performance that would easily go down as one of the best in the history of Hindi cinema. The film marked the debut of Farooq Shaikh and has Geeta Siddharth, achingly beautiful as the girl who loses her love to Pakistan. Go watch and come back with Maula Saleem Chisti playing in your head—one the best qawwalis ever in Hindi films.