LANGUAGE IN INDIA

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Volume 24:4 April 2024
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Earth (1947): A Testimony of Communal Violence and Fanaticism

Mahmud Al Hasan, M.A.


Courtesy: https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movie/1947-earth/cast/

Abstract

The paper attempts to study Bollywood film, Earth (1947), directed by Deepa Mehta based on Bapsi Sidhwa’s partition novel, Ice Candy Man, as a tale of communal madness and fanaticism as well as to analyze the consequences of partition. The Indian subcontinent became a hub of religious persecution, anger, and hatred in the summer of 1947. The paper intends to explore how women became the symbol of national borders and therefore, the targets of the fanatics for inflicting gendered violence in different forms. It also aims to point out how the people suddenly became indulged in the act of communal violence due to the partition of 1947. It further looks into account why people turned violent under the influence of false nationalism and bigotry. The study again tries to highlight the collective madness of the people of the Indian subcontinent leading to a menacing atmosphere and anarchy. It is qualitative research where content analysis is used as the selected method and the film is explored through the lens of postcolonialism. The analysis is supported with the data taken from secondary sources.

Keywords: Partition, violence, religion, communal madness, fanaticism, Earth (1947) movie

I. Introduction

Deepa Mehta’s Earth (1947) depicts communal violence, forced conversion, diaspora, and fanaticism which ultimately resulted in physical and psychological trauma, mass destruction, refugee crisis, chaos, and confusion during the partition of India and Pakistan. Earth (1947), directed by Deepa Mehta, is the second installment in her thematic trilogy known as the Elements trilogy. Mehta's trilogy consists of three films: Fire (1996) was released first, followed by Earth (1947), and finally Water in 2005. The independence of the Indian Subcontinent from British rule brought a sense of loss–a loss of brotherhood, trust, co-existence, and mutual respect. After the partition of India, some Hindus, Muslims, and Sikhs carried out atrocities in the name of safeguarding religion and nationalism. Earth (1947) is a testimony of the bloody division of India which not only tore India apart into two pieces but created a rift among friends of different religious backgrounds of the same territory and thus, made them hostile, and destructive towards one another. Mehta shows the evil face of the Indo-Pakistan partition by recollecting the traumatic memories of those moments through the interactions among the different characters in the film.

The study is conducted to show the heartbreaking consequences of partition on the lives and psyches of people based on religion and cultural diversity. Besides, it attempts to evaluate postcolonial issues such as the victimization of women, and communal madness and how they affected the whole Indian subcontinent. This article is divided into two sections. In the first section, I have tried to explain why the British divided India based on communal grounds, the causes of partition resulting in the total destruction of harmony and friendship among the Indians, and the ramifications of it by analyzing Mehta’s Earth (1947). In brief, it offers a concise overview of the partition of India. It further includes the theoretical scheme of the study. The final section is about the thematic analysis as well as my interpretation of the stylistic features of the film. In this section, an attempt has been made to disclose how women became the worst victims of gender-based communal violence, and traumatic experiences, and how they affected their psychology.

This is only the beginning part of the article. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO READ THE ENTIRE ARTICLE IN PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION.

Mahmud Al Hasan, M.A.
Lecturer, Department of English,
Sheikh Hasina University, Netrokona–2400, Bangladesh
Address: South City, Rowshan Ara Tower, Bodorer Mor, Mymensingh--2200, Bangladesh
Email Address: rakibmhasan94@gmail.com
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