Artistic depictions of the partition of India

The partition of India and the associated bloody riots inspired many creative minds in India and Pakistan to create literary/cinematic depictions of this event. While some creations depicted the massacres during the refugee migration, others concentrated on the aftermath of the partition in terms of difficulties faced by the refugees in both side of the border. Nearly 60 years after the partition, even now once in a while fictions and films are made that relates to the events of partition.Some of the books and films are discussed here. However, the list is far from being exhaustive.

Fiction

"Hoshyarpur to Lahore ("Hoshyar Pur say Lahore tak" in Urdu)"

It is a true story based on a train journey from Indian city of Hoshyarpur to Lahore in Pakistan. It is written by a Police officer who was with this train.

"Khaak aur Khoon"

Khak aur Khoon is a historical novel by Nasīm Hijazi that describes the sacrifices of Muslims of the Sub-continent during the time of partition in 1947.

When a portion of the Muslims from the various regions of India were trying to get to Pakistan, some faced attacks from Hindu and Sikh groups,during their journeys, that involved snatching of money, and jewelry of their wives and daughters -just as there were attacks on Hindus and Sikhs moving in the other direction.

"The Broken Mirror"

"The Broken Mirror", a Hindi novel by Krishna Baldev Vaid, portrays the psychological and sociological transformations in a West Punjabi village in the phase leading up to the Partition, with emphasis on commensal taboos and hardened community boundaries.

"Half a Village"

"Half a Village", a Hindi novel by Rahi Masoom Reza, represents the experiences of subaltern Indian Muslims in village Gangauli, and their distinctive take on the vacuity of 'high politics'.

"The Weary Generations"

"The Weary Generations", an Urdu novel by Abdullah Hussein, tracks the prehistory of the partition through the experiences of the main character, Naeem, a veteran of the First World War who faces up to the futility and meaningless of the partition.

"Basti"

"Basti" by Intizar Husain is an Urdu novel that focuses on the partition as memory, through the lens of protagonist Zakir, a historian who seeks to come to terms with this memory in the context of the happenings in 1971 in Pakistan leading up to the formation of Bangladesh.

"The Dark Dancer"

"The Dark Dancer" is a novel by Balachandra Rajan that portrays the experiences of an Indian educated abroad who returns home to face the horror of the Partition.

" A Bend in the Ganges"

"A Bend in the Ganges" is a novel by Manohar Malgonkar that features some of the graphic violence that occurred during the partition.

"Sunlight on a Broken Column"

"Sunlight on a Broken Column" is a novel by Attia Hosain which depicts the experiences of the protagonist, Laila, a young woman from a taluqdari family of Oudh, in the years leading up to the partition.

"Pinjar"

"Pinjar" is a Punjabi novel written by Amrita Pritam which is the story of an abducted woman in the period before the partition, and how she brings about a change in the man who rapes her. It was adapted for the screen in 2003 under the same name.

Kingdom's End and Other Stories

"Kingdom's End and Other Stories" (1987) is a collection of stories written by Saadat Hasan Manto, published by Penguin Books India (ISBN 0-14-011774-1). The majority of stories by this Urdu writer from Punjab revolve around the end of the Raj, Partition and communalism. His stories include "Thanda Gosht, Khol Do, Toba Tek Singh, Iss Manjdhar Mein, Mozalle, Babu Gopi Nath" etc. Some of his characters became legendary. An online translation of [http://www.sikh-history.com/literature/stories/tobatek.html "Toba Tek Singh"] is available.

"Raavi Paar and Other Stories"

"Raavi Paar and Other Stories" (2000) is a collection of stories by Sampooran Singh Gulzar that deal with the partition of India and Pakistan. The book was published by HarperCollins Publishers India ISBN 81-7223-275-6.

="Sacred Games"=

While Vikram Chandra's 2006 novel Sacred Games is not about partition, it does contain a long and graphic chapter describing the main character's mother's flight as a young Sikh girl from what would become Pakistani Punjab, during which her beloved older sister was abducted.

"Train to Pakistan"

This saga by Khushwant Singh was first published in 1956. Singh’s version of the Partition is a social one, providing human accounts in a diverse, detailed character base where each person has unique points of view, pointing out that everyone is equally at fault and that placing blame was irrelevant. Interwoven with this point are the subtle questions of morality which Singh asks through his characters, such as whether or not the bad needs to be recognized to promote the good, and what constitutes a good deed.

"Train to Pakistan" (1990). Grove Press; ISBN 0-8021-3221-9.

"Tamas"

Penned by Bhisham Sahni, "Tamas" depicted riots in a small Indian town. The fiction was later adapted into a TV series."Tamas" - Penguin Books India. ISBN 0-14-011477-7

"Midnight's Children"

Salman Rushdie wrote this famous surrealistic fiction full of satirical references to the event of partition and independence. The "midnight" alluded to in the title is the moment at which partition and independence became official.

"Midnight's Children" (1980). New York: Knopf, 1981; ISBN 0-394-51470-X.

"Purbo-Paschim"

Purbo-Paschim (East and the West) is an epic Bengali saga by Sunil Gangopadhyay. The narrative deals with a particular family that had to migrate from East Pakistan to West Bengal, and their fight against the tide.The story stretches from a pre-independence period to early 1980s and reflects the socio-economical changes that this region went through during this long period of time.

"A Fine Balance"

Written by Rohinton Mistry, the story is set in 1975. However, the Partition plays a dominant role in the narrative.

"A Fine Balance".(2001). Random House ISBN 1-4000-3065-X

"Ice-Candy Man"

Bapsi Sidhwa wrote this story in the backdrop of the riots in Lahore. Later the story was made into a film, called "Earth"."Ice-Candy Man" (1989) ISBN 0-14-011767-9, later published as "Cracking India" (1991). ISBN 0-915943-56-5

"Interpreter of Maladies"

Jhumpa Lahiri was awarded the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for "Interpreter of Maladies", a collection of short stories some of which involved the aftermath of the partition.

Interpreter of Maladies(1999). Mariner Books/Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-395-92720-X

"Azadi"

Semi-autobiographical novel by Chaman Nahal.

Feature films

"Garam Hawa"

Directed by M. S. Sathyu, "Garam Hawa" (1973) was Balraj Sahni's last major role.

"Meghe Dhaka Tara" (The Cloud-Capped Star)

Directed by Ritwik Ghatak, "Meghe Dhaka Tara" (1960), never explicitly mentions the Partition, but takes place in a refugee camp in the outskirts of Calcutta, and concerns an impoverished genteel Hindu bhadralok family and the problems they face because of Partition.

"Komal Gandhar" (E Flat)

Directed by Ritwik Ghatak (1961), the protagonists suffer from the same anguish: the separation from their home, on the other side of the border.

"Earth"

Directed by Deepa Mehta, "Earth" (1998), an India/Canada co-production, is a thoughtful examination of a circle of friends and acquaintances affected by the Partition. A scoundrel uses communal violence as an excuse for retaliation against a romantic rival. The film is based on Bapsi Sidhwa's "Cracking India"; Sidhwa co-wrote the screenplay with Mehta. Contains brutal scenes of communal carnage.

"Hey Ram"

Kamal Haasan wrote, directed, and starred in "Hey Ram" (2000) film about the Partition and the assassination of Gandhi.

"Gadar: Ek Prem Katha"

Directed by Anil Sharma, "" (2001), is an Indian movie about the Partition; notable for shocking scenes of riot and massacre. It was a major hit.

"Khamosh Paani: The silent waters"

Directed by Sabiha Sumar,""(2003), depicts the partition ironically and shows the present situation of Jihadis in Pakistan.

"Pinjar"

A movie adapted from the novel by same name, it released in 2003 and had Urmila Matondkar in the role of the protagonist.

"Partition"

Directed by Vic Sarin "Partition", is a Canada/UK/South Africa co-production. A retired Sikh military officer (played by Jimi Mistry) helps and falls in love with a Muslim teenaged girl (played by Kristin Kreuk).

Fiction

*Lahiri, Jhumpa, "Interpreter of Maladies" (1999). Mariner Books/Houghton Mifflin. ISBN 0-395-92720-X
*Manto, Saadat Hasan, "Kingdom's End and Other Stories" (1987). Penguin Books India. ISBN 0-14-011774-1. The majority of stories by this Punjabi writer revolve around the end of the Raj, Partition and communalism.
*Mistry, Rohinton, "A Fine Balance" (2001). Random House ISBN 1-4000-3065-X (though this book is set in 1975 Partition plays a dominant role in the narrative)
*Rushdie, Salman, "Midnight's Children" (1980). New York: Knopf, 1981; ISBN 0-394-51470-X.
*Sahni, Bhisham, "Tamas". Penguin Books India. ISBN 0-14-011477-7
*Sidhwa, Bapsi, "Ice-Candy Man" (1989) ISBN 0-14-011767-9 later published as "Cracking India" (1991). ISBN 0-915943-56-5
*Singh, Khushwant, "Train to Pakistan" (1990). Grove Press; ISBN 0-8021-3221-9.
* Baldwin, Shauna Singh," What the Body Remembers" (2001). Anchor: ISBN 0385496052

Feature films

* "Garam Hawa", directed by M. S. Sathyu (1973), [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0073034/ IMDb entry]
* "Meghe Dhaka Tara", directed by Ritwik Ghatak (1960), [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054073/ IMDb entry]
* "Earth", directed by Deepa Mehta (1998), [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0150433/ IMDB entry]
* "Jinnah", directed by Jamil Dehlavi (1998), [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183306/ IMDB entry]
* "Hey Ram" directed by Kamal Hassan (2000), [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0222012/ IMBD entry]
* "", directed by Anil Sharma (2001), [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0284137/ IMDB entry]
* "Partition", directed by Vic Sarin (to be released 2005), [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0213985/ IMDB entry]

References