Bollywood has made scores of movies about partition set on the western front of the country, this one adds to the narrative with a brotherl at the center of the contorversy. Begum Jaan is one of the many stories from the event that divided people for political gains and power.
The movie is a a remake of Bengali film Rajkahini and is an adaptation of the short story Aanandi written by Ghulam Abbas, which you can say is the real story of Begum Jaan. Begum Jaan is scheduled to release on 14th April 2017.
Begum Jaan Cast
Written and Directed by Srijit Mukherji, Begum Jaan, the remake, is set in the year 1948 in Punjab at the time of partition. The movie has a strong supporting cast and Anu Malik will be seen composing for a Bollywood movie after a long time.
Begum Jaan (2017)
Director: Srijit Mukherji
Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Gauhar Khan, Vidya Balan, Rajit Kapoor, Ashish Vidyarthi
Begum Jaan Story
The decision to divide India based on demography is final and the nation is preparing to hand over parts in the East and West, which will become Pakistan and East Pakistan. Caught in these turbulent times is Begum Jaan. Begum runs a brothel in Punjab which falls on the Radcliffe Line that marks the division of the territories.
The government officers from Congress and Muslim League are ask Begum to vacate the brothel and move to a new place. However, she decides to stay put and not part with her house that means a world to her and the ten odd girls living in the brothel.
As the situation worsens, Begum tries everything in her capacity, from wooing politicians to putting pressure from the Royals to keep her house. When that fails, she decides to take up arms and fights the goons hired by the officers to impose their will on Begum Jaan. Will Begum convince the authorities to let her live, will she move away from her home? The story narrates the mood in Punjab at the time and highlights the many lives it disrupted.
Begum Jaan
Begum Jaan comes across as a hotch-potch job and doesn’t give enough space to any one thing. Crimes against women, the indignities meted out to sex workers, and the trials, tribulations, and trauma experienced by those who had to leave behind their houses because of violence. These and many other themes run in the background. However, the movie fails to tell a story that can communicate anything.
The presence of good actors is perhaps the only thing that will make you sit in the movie halls for the two odd hours. The movie starts on an interesting note as it builds the lives of sex workers in a remote village.
The cynical outlook from the oppressed lot rings true, however the government officers choosing to hire a local goon seems ridiculous. Hence the fabricated tragedy in the title. This one action forms the most of the second half as the women are coerced to vacate their house against their wishes. But hey, there were millions who followed the law and left against their wishes.
The tragedy is of huge proportions and the script invokes all the great women warriors to reiterate that this is a fight against injustice, only it isn’t. It is this weak premise of the fight that gives the entire movie a forced feel. The actions are gallant but without a good reason.
Overall, watch the movie if you are in a mood for tragedy. But there is very little in it that leaves you feeling that you have experienced a good story.
Begum Jaan Trailer
Take a look at this Begum Jaan trailer and tell us if you like Vidya Balan’s explosive role in the movie.
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