Where do you go when you’re attacked in your home, the safest of places in the world? What do you do when your own state rejects you and nobody intervenes? How do you deal with trauma that promises to haunt generations to come? These questions weigh heavy on your mind as you watch the heartbreakingly beautiful Shikara.
Written, produced and directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Shikara tells a love story set during the horrific exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990. Shiv Kumar and Shanti Dhar (played by newcomers Aadil Khan and Sadia) are a newly married Kashmiri Pandit couple who live in Srinagar, in a house they call Shikara. At the end of 1989, when Shiv’s friend’s father is killed in an encounter between the Indian Army and militants, the Dhars’ happy life is turned upside down. A few weeks later, Jammu & Kashmir is plunged into conflict once again, this time with Islamist militants baying for the blood of Kashmiri Hindus. Shiv and Shanti are forced out of Shikara with their family and flee to Jammu as refugees. The next 30 years are spent living in a refugee camp, writing, teaching, fighting for justice and hoping that, one day, they will return to Shikara.
The movie takes you right into the pain and the trauma of being torn away from your home. What it does not do is take you into the political realities of it. The Kashmiri Pandit exodus is not the story, it is a prop, used as the background for what is essentially a love story. While it is a beautifully told haunting love story, it is not a political drama or the ‘untold story of Kashmiri Pandits’ that it claims to be.
Barring a couple of scenes of political speeches, houses burning, a few people being shot, and one rather lame interaction between Shiva and a militant, Shikara pointedly stays away from the politics. It has serves a smattering of the Hindu-Muslim conflict but includes no real talk of the governments, militancy or violence at the time. In fact, Chopra takes the couple far away from that reality and focuses on their story of survival and love.
If taken at face value — a love story — the film is a great watch. It is painful and hopeful in all the right parts and beautifully shows the power of love in times of strife. The lead actors, especially Sadia, do a good job, inviting you into Shiv and Shanti’s relationship as if you were part of it all along. They display subtlety where it is required — in scenes of shock and sadness — and passion in scenes of fear and happiness.
What also does disappoint a little is the music of the film. The songs, written and composed by Sandesh Shandilya, Abhay Sopori and Rohit Kulkarni, try hard to be soulful and tug at your heartstrings. Instead, they fall short. The background score, on the other hand, done by A.R. Rahman and Qutub-E-Kripa, fits effortlessly into the scenes and helps build the mood of the film.
Shikara will make your mourn for Kashmir and Kashmiris, but only for a while. It is, essentially, the story of two people who just happen to be Kashmiri Pandits.
Also read: Haider to Shikara: Why Kashmiri Pandits are done being homeless and voiceless
This not fair…. Why we affried to show reality,
I saw movie wanted know what accutly happed with pandits but being a pandit director dispointed me. Paisa kamana ta toh koi dussra topic aap ko nahi mila sir
This film is merely a love story but they have given the name of SHIKARA and displaced Kashmiri Pandits. There is nothing that sort of… How many atrocities the people went through??? I was expecting reality in the story. Nothing is shown. Its purely a love story… I am very much disappointed…
A very well crafted movie. My humble Handfold Namaskar to Mr Chopra.
Firstly it is a genocide issue and I a kasmiri Hindu myself (kashmiri pandit is a localising term and isolates the community within the Hindu clan ).
Mr Chopra has done a great favour to the community in bringing to light FIRST TIME ON SCREEN this plight.
Many of My kasmiri pandit clan may differ in the intensity of the genocide picturized, but it is a highly sensitive issue and could have led to banning of the movie by extremist and local political activists for their personal gain.
This way he has kept the issue alive to the new generation of India that may have no concern. Media has a great role to play in highlighting this issue.
Remember, he never asked for financial support for the project. And to believe that since he mentioned the carnage of Kashmiri hindus in the trailor that is all he should show as desired by kashmiri s. Guys it is his call.
Mr Anupam Kher is also a champion in spreading awareness towards this issue, that is taken so lightly BCOS politically kashmiri Hindus are too small a community to turn the tide of votes without support of the Indian Hindus .
A must watch for every kasmiri migrant…to contribute his part in encouraging such a cause. Don’t just criticize this first such screen endeavour.
I can well imagine Mr Chopra’s pain as he silently brings on screen the ruins that lay of this mother’s house.
Thanks to short sighted and over emotional kashmiris pandits ( Hindus actually) nobody will ever reflect on making a movie based on their exodus and ethenic cleansing form KASHMIR.
I hope everybody else had your point of view rather than criticizing the film. I guess people are disappointed by the marketing and the lack of politics but as a movie It was heartfelt and I finally had a glimpse of the people and the place.
Kashmiri pandit will only the one who has that pain ,no one in this country can share it, atleast not make fake sympathy and loot innocent people through your rediculous films
Shikara is movie which is Not related to kashmiri pandit so director should remove line “An untold story of kashmiri pandit” from movie as it is irrelevant film maker only have to say a love story not a film for justice to kashmiri pandit…
Not related to kashmiri pandit so director should remove line “An untold story of kashmiri pandit” from movie as it is irrelevant film maker only have to say a love story not a film for justice to kashmiri pandit…
Boycott shikara movie, kashmir Hindus are soft targets that’s it, being Hindu is communal everything else is secular.wakeup call to Hindus
It’s just a lov story. Don’t know y he kept that name for d movie. He doesn’t have dare to tell d actual story.
Not getting into politics of it is an intelligent choice. In politics what looks obvious may not be the truth. Look deeper into the material available regarding the creation of Isis etc you will understand this.
wonder why Vidu vinod chopra had to use Kashmiri pandits to sell the movie. He could just have called it a love story. there are many love stories in the backdrop of Kashmir. Not fair to the pandits!
Thats called potitics