Pinjar (film)
Encyclopedia
Pinjar is a 2003 film about Hindu
-Muslim
problems during the time around the partition of India
. The film is based on a Punjabi novel by the same name, written by Amrita Pritam
. Urmila Matondkar
and Manoj Bajpai
and Sanjay Suri
are in the lead roles.
but journeys to their ancestral village of Chattovani to search for prospective grooms. They finally engage Puro to Ramchand from Rattoval, a village near Chattovani. Although her life seems to be well-charted, Puro's bliss is shattered one day as a leisurely trip in the fields beyond her home with Rajjo (her younger sister) turns traumatic as she is kidnapped by a mysterious Muslim man, who turns out to be Rashid.
Rashid's family has an ancestral dispute with Puro's family. Puro's family had made Rashid's homeless by taking over their property over a loan default. Also, Puro's grand-uncle had kidnapped Rashid's grand-aunt, kept her in his house for three nights, and then released her onto the streets after defiling her. Rashid's joint family makes him swear on the holy Quran that he will kidnap Puro before her wedding to settle the score and restore their honour.
Throughout the film it is clear that Rashid is very attracted to Puro and would do anything for her. It can also be perceived that he did not want to kidnap Puro and was forced to do so for the honor of his family. One late evening while Rashid is asleep, Puro manages to steal the keys from under his pillow, unlocks the main door and runs back to her parents. In an extremely emotional scene, her parents woefully turn away their daughter, explaining that if Puro were to stay, Rashid's extended Muslim clan would arrive at the minority Hindu's house and slaughter everyone. Left with no support at home (Puro's brother Trilok is unfortunately away from home), Puro returns to Rashid who is well-aware of Puro's escape; he's confident that she'll not be let in by her parents and waiting for her nearby.
Some months following Puro's kidnapping, Puro's family marries their son Trilok to Ramchand's (Puro's fiancé) younger sister, Lajjo, and the entire family moves back to Amritsar. Lajjo wishes very much for Trilok to give her the attention she so animatedly bestows on him. Trilok, having turned cold since his sister's capture, cannot get attached to Lajjo. Meanwhile, Rajjo is married off to Lajjo's (and Ramchand's) cousin and lives in Rattoval.
Parallel to the celebrations of the new marriage is a celebration of Rashid: Puro is pregnant. While Rashid and his aunts rejoice, Puro is greatly depressed as she has conceived from rape. She miscarries. After the miscarriage, Puro learns somewhat of Rashid's love for her and his repentance for his evil deed.
One day she finds the village's mad woman lying dead in a field with a newborn child coming out. She is horrified to see this and runs to Rashid for help. Rashid comes and takes the child out. They cremate the woman. After this incident, the Hindus of the village go become angered. They think that the mad woman was a Hindu and that her child should have been gone to Hindu and were surprised as to how a Muslim family can adopt him. They call Rashid and threaten him in silent words to hand over the child or else. When Puro comes to know about this, she is angry. She asks why the Hindus did not come during the six months she had taken care of the baby as her own child? The villagers grab the child away from her and there is nothing Puro can do except cry.
One day Puro journeys to Rattowal (Ramchand's village) with an aunt and goes searching for Ramchand's fields. She weeps in despair when she comes across him; he realises that it might be Puro but doesn't stop her as she flees away, since he has no authority to stop her.
Meanwhile, the British colonialists leave India and the subcontinent reels under the effects of partition
. Puro's family are safe in Amritsar which falls in India. Ramchand's father refuses to leave Rattoval which now lies in the newly created Pakistan. Ramchand's uncle, cousin and Rajjo leave for India and are safe. Ramchand, his parents and Lajjo (Trilok had recently visited from Amritsar and dropped her at her brother's house) are caught in the riots. Ramchand hurriedly leaves on the long journey to India with his younger sister and mother; his father is already missing in the riots. They are part of a large group of Hindu
and Sikh
refugees on the way to India, guarded by an Indian army regiment. However, large groups of thugs keep attacking refugee camps and kidnapping girls. Lajjo is kidnapped during one such attack.
Puro and Rasheed meanwhile live in Sakkadali village. She rescues a kidnapped and repeatedly gang-raped Hindu refugee women from the sugarcane fields and promises to hand her over to the Indian army. Puro learns that a large group of Hindu refugees from Rattoval is on way to India and that they have camped near Sakkadali for the night. There she meets Ramchand who woefully tells her of Lajjo's situation. Puro requests Ramchand to help the rape victim find her family back in India and promises to locate Lajjo. Puro begs Rashid to help her find Lajjo and rescue her; he says it is very dangerous but she reminds him of how brazenly he kidnapped her in the past.
Roaming in Rattoval village from home to home under the alias of a saleswoman, Puro finally finds Lajjo and helps her escape with Rashid's assistance. They conduct Lajjo to Lahore
where Trilok and Ramchand come to receive her at the Wagah refugee victims/missing persons exchange camp.
Lajjo is welcomed lovingly by Ramchand. Trilok is also in the camp and has a tearful reunion with Puro and explains to her that she can start life anew as Ramchand is ready to accept her even now. However, Puro surprises Trilok by refusing. She is caught between two worlds: She says that she is content that Lajjo is returned and that her life is beyond repair; she is where she belongs and cannot bear further upheavals. And she says something which shows how she has grown in mental stature, since her kidnaping. She says, "Whenever a girl is rescued and returns home, feel that another Puro has returned." Ramchand responds equally valorously and with a tremendous empathy to Puro by advising Trilok: "Don't make her homeless once again" as he sees that she has accepted Rashid for good. The sense of melodrama is well depicted as Rashid slowly tries to fade from the scene, making it easy for Puro to leave with her folk, but is heartbroken, as he is deeply in love with Puro.
In an ironic twist of fate, Puro seeks Rashid out in the camp and the two tearfully bid Ramchand, Trilok, and Lajjo farewell, forever.
Won 8 awards of 9 for which it was nominated.
Manoj Bajpai won National award for his role.
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
-Muslim
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
problems during the time around the partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
. The film is based on a Punjabi novel by the same name, written by Amrita Pritam
Amrita Pritam
Amrita Pritam was a Punjabi writer and poet, considered the first prominent woman Punjabi poet, novelist, and essayist, and the leading 20th-century poet of the Punjabi language, who is equally loved on both the sides of the India-Pakistan border, with a career spanning over six decades, she...
. Urmila Matondkar
Urmila Matondkar
Urmila Matondkar is an Indian film actress.Matondkar, who made her screen debut as a child artist in the 1980 film Kalyug, debuted as an adult in Narasimha...
and Manoj Bajpai
Manoj Bajpai
Manoj Bajpai , also credited as Manoj Bajpayee, is an Indian film actor, known for playing offbeat and unconventional roles. He first shot into fame with his breakthrough role in Ram Gopal Varma's 1998 film Satya.-Early life:...
and Sanjay Suri
Sanjay Suri
Sanjay Suri is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films.He made his debut in 1999 with Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi. He went on to star in many supporting roles but finally got his big break with Jhankaar Beats in 2003, where audiences started to recognize him as a seasoned actor...
are in the lead roles.
Plot
Pinjar tells the story of Puro, a young woman of Hindu background, finding herself living a lovely life — circling the time of the partition of 1947 — with her family. All is well for Puro, who finds herself betrothed to a wealthy, sweet young man, Ramchand, from a promising family akin to her own background. Her family lives in AmritsarAmritsar
Amritsar is a city in the northern part of India and is the administrative headquarters of Amritsar district in the state of Punjab, India. The 2001 Indian census reported the population of the city to be over 1,500,000, with that of the entire district numbering 3,695,077...
but journeys to their ancestral village of Chattovani to search for prospective grooms. They finally engage Puro to Ramchand from Rattoval, a village near Chattovani. Although her life seems to be well-charted, Puro's bliss is shattered one day as a leisurely trip in the fields beyond her home with Rajjo (her younger sister) turns traumatic as she is kidnapped by a mysterious Muslim man, who turns out to be Rashid.
Rashid's family has an ancestral dispute with Puro's family. Puro's family had made Rashid's homeless by taking over their property over a loan default. Also, Puro's grand-uncle had kidnapped Rashid's grand-aunt, kept her in his house for three nights, and then released her onto the streets after defiling her. Rashid's joint family makes him swear on the holy Quran that he will kidnap Puro before her wedding to settle the score and restore their honour.
Throughout the film it is clear that Rashid is very attracted to Puro and would do anything for her. It can also be perceived that he did not want to kidnap Puro and was forced to do so for the honor of his family. One late evening while Rashid is asleep, Puro manages to steal the keys from under his pillow, unlocks the main door and runs back to her parents. In an extremely emotional scene, her parents woefully turn away their daughter, explaining that if Puro were to stay, Rashid's extended Muslim clan would arrive at the minority Hindu's house and slaughter everyone. Left with no support at home (Puro's brother Trilok is unfortunately away from home), Puro returns to Rashid who is well-aware of Puro's escape; he's confident that she'll not be let in by her parents and waiting for her nearby.
Some months following Puro's kidnapping, Puro's family marries their son Trilok to Ramchand's (Puro's fiancé) younger sister, Lajjo, and the entire family moves back to Amritsar. Lajjo wishes very much for Trilok to give her the attention she so animatedly bestows on him. Trilok, having turned cold since his sister's capture, cannot get attached to Lajjo. Meanwhile, Rajjo is married off to Lajjo's (and Ramchand's) cousin and lives in Rattoval.
Parallel to the celebrations of the new marriage is a celebration of Rashid: Puro is pregnant. While Rashid and his aunts rejoice, Puro is greatly depressed as she has conceived from rape. She miscarries. After the miscarriage, Puro learns somewhat of Rashid's love for her and his repentance for his evil deed.
One day she finds the village's mad woman lying dead in a field with a newborn child coming out. She is horrified to see this and runs to Rashid for help. Rashid comes and takes the child out. They cremate the woman. After this incident, the Hindus of the village go become angered. They think that the mad woman was a Hindu and that her child should have been gone to Hindu and were surprised as to how a Muslim family can adopt him. They call Rashid and threaten him in silent words to hand over the child or else. When Puro comes to know about this, she is angry. She asks why the Hindus did not come during the six months she had taken care of the baby as her own child? The villagers grab the child away from her and there is nothing Puro can do except cry.
One day Puro journeys to Rattowal (Ramchand's village) with an aunt and goes searching for Ramchand's fields. She weeps in despair when she comes across him; he realises that it might be Puro but doesn't stop her as she flees away, since he has no authority to stop her.
Meanwhile, the British colonialists leave India and the subcontinent reels under the effects of partition
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
. Puro's family are safe in Amritsar which falls in India. Ramchand's father refuses to leave Rattoval which now lies in the newly created Pakistan. Ramchand's uncle, cousin and Rajjo leave for India and are safe. Ramchand, his parents and Lajjo (Trilok had recently visited from Amritsar and dropped her at her brother's house) are caught in the riots. Ramchand hurriedly leaves on the long journey to India with his younger sister and mother; his father is already missing in the riots. They are part of a large group of Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
and Sikh
Sikh
A Sikh is a follower of Sikhism. It primarily originated in the 15th century in the Punjab region of South Asia. The term "Sikh" has its origin in Sanskrit term शिष्य , meaning "disciple, student" or शिक्ष , meaning "instruction"...
refugees on the way to India, guarded by an Indian army regiment. However, large groups of thugs keep attacking refugee camps and kidnapping girls. Lajjo is kidnapped during one such attack.
Puro and Rasheed meanwhile live in Sakkadali village. She rescues a kidnapped and repeatedly gang-raped Hindu refugee women from the sugarcane fields and promises to hand her over to the Indian army. Puro learns that a large group of Hindu refugees from Rattoval is on way to India and that they have camped near Sakkadali for the night. There she meets Ramchand who woefully tells her of Lajjo's situation. Puro requests Ramchand to help the rape victim find her family back in India and promises to locate Lajjo. Puro begs Rashid to help her find Lajjo and rescue her; he says it is very dangerous but she reminds him of how brazenly he kidnapped her in the past.
Roaming in Rattoval village from home to home under the alias of a saleswoman, Puro finally finds Lajjo and helps her escape with Rashid's assistance. They conduct Lajjo to Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
where Trilok and Ramchand come to receive her at the Wagah refugee victims/missing persons exchange camp.
Lajjo is welcomed lovingly by Ramchand. Trilok is also in the camp and has a tearful reunion with Puro and explains to her that she can start life anew as Ramchand is ready to accept her even now. However, Puro surprises Trilok by refusing. She is caught between two worlds: She says that she is content that Lajjo is returned and that her life is beyond repair; she is where she belongs and cannot bear further upheavals. And she says something which shows how she has grown in mental stature, since her kidnaping. She says, "Whenever a girl is rescued and returns home, feel that another Puro has returned." Ramchand responds equally valorously and with a tremendous empathy to Puro by advising Trilok: "Don't make her homeless once again" as he sees that she has accepted Rashid for good. The sense of melodrama is well depicted as Rashid slowly tries to fade from the scene, making it easy for Puro to leave with her folk, but is heartbroken, as he is deeply in love with Puro.
In an ironic twist of fate, Puro seeks Rashid out in the camp and the two tearfully bid Ramchand, Trilok, and Lajjo farewell, forever.
Cast
- Puro (later, Hamida): Urmila MatondkarUrmila MatondkarUrmila Matondkar is an Indian film actress.Matondkar, who made her screen debut as a child artist in the 1980 film Kalyug, debuted as an adult in Narasimha...
- Rashid: Manoj BajpaiManoj BajpaiManoj Bajpai , also credited as Manoj Bajpayee, is an Indian film actor, known for playing offbeat and unconventional roles. He first shot into fame with his breakthrough role in Ram Gopal Varma's 1998 film Satya.-Early life:...
- Ramchand: Sanjay SuriSanjay SuriSanjay Suri is an Indian actor who appears in Bollywood films.He made his debut in 1999 with Pyaar Mein Kabhi Kabhi. He went on to star in many supporting roles but finally got his big break with Jhankaar Beats in 2003, where audiences started to recognize him as a seasoned actor...
- Lajo: Sandali SinhaSandali SinhaSandali Sinha is an Indian Bollywood actress and model. Her acting in Tum Bin was appreciated by critics.She comes from an Air Force background. She lost her father in a road accident. Her mother single-handedly brought up her three children in Delhi. She graduated from Jesus and Mary College,...
- Trilok: Priyanshu ChatterjeePriyanshu ChatterjeePriyanshu Chatterjee . who hails from Delhi, is an Indian model and actor.-Personal life:Priyanshu is a commerce graduate from Delhi University. Whilst doing an internship to become a chartered accountant, he took up modelling. He modeled for five years, working on projects such as Digjam's Print...
- Rajjo: Isha Koppikar
- Tara (Puro's Mother): Lilette Dubey
- Mohanlal (Puro's Father): Kulbhushan KharbandaKulbhushan KharbandaKulbhushan Kharbanda is an Indian actor, who worked in Hindi and Punjabi films, and is known as character Shakaal in Shaan inspired by the character of Blofeld from James Bond movies...
- Shyamlal (Ramchand's Father): Alok NathAlok NathAlok Nath is an Indian film actor who appears in Bollywood movies. He is most notable for playing the role of Haveli Ram in Ramesh Sippy's television series, Buniyaad.-Early life:...
- Ramchand's Mother: Farida JalalFarida Jalal- Career :Farida Jalal, a native of New Delhi, started her career in the 1960s, when she won the United Film Producers Talent Hunt sponsored by Filmfare. She usually played the sister or rejected fiancée of the male lead, but almost never the female lead...
- Pagali: Seema BiswasSeema BiswasSeema Biswas is an Indian film and theatre actress from Assam who shot into prominence with the role of Phoolan Devi in Shekhar Kapur's film Bandit Queen . She has a reputation for performing strong character roles.Biswas won the 1996 National Film Award for Best Actress for her role in the film...
- Rahim's Aunt: Dina PathakDina PathakDina Pathak or Deena Pathak was a veteran actor and director of Gujarati theatre and also a film actor. She was also a woman activist and remained the President of the 'National Federation of Indian Women'...
- Rahim's Mother: Sudha ShivpuriSudha ShivpuriSudha Shivpuri is a noted TV actress, who is most famous for her role as 'Baa' in the Hindi TV serial Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi .-Early life:...
- Rahim's wife: Parveena Bano
- Hukamchand: Pradeep Kukreja
- Hukamchand's Wife: Salima Raza
- Managing Director: Ghulam Arif
Awards
- 2004: Filmfare Best Art Direction Award:Munish Sappal
Won 8 awards of 9 for which it was nominated.
Manoj Bajpai won National award for his role.