The other night I was watching a Bollywood movie called "Kurbaan" about an Indian couple who becomes involved in a terrorist plot to bomb subway stations in New York. I enjoyed this thriller because it had all the elements that I enjoy, Bollywood music, mystery, intrigue, a love story, and action. The movie began in "chick flick" fashion of boy meets girl, boy romances girl through song and dance, and boy gets girl. The plot thickens when the boy gets the girl, moves to New York, and the plot reveals that the boy is the infamous terrorist leader on the FBI wanted list. This film provided me the opportunity to gain insight into another culture and obtain a perspective that differs from my own and I believe that is important to be informed of other viewpoints as I continue to evolve into a well-rounded individual.
The title of the film, "Kurbaan", means "Sacrifice" in hindi which causes one initially to believe that the love affair between the two main characters will be the ultimate sacrifice. The movie provided an interesting perspective that is different from the American mainstream perspective of eastern sociopolitical views. Members of the Indian community wrote and produced the film so they were able to be creative in their promotion of the sacrificial theme throughout the movie. Every character demonstrates in some fashion what it means to be intimately involved in some level of sacrifice.
In keeping with the theme of "Sacrifice", one of the most important thematic elements of the film is the idea that not all members of the Muslim faith believe in killing "innocents" in the name of Islam. A central character in the movie was an Indian-American reporter of the Islamic faith. His fundamentalist father criticized him for his westernized coverage of the conflict in Iraq. They shared an interesting dialogue on the amount of coverage that westerners provide on the number of lost lives in the current conflict and the possibility of an unbiased Muslim presenting information on the American lives that are lost in Iraq. This theme was a key factor in the plot as the Muslim reporter goes undercover in the terrorist cell to avenge the death of his fiance.
Overall, the film was entertaining and thought provoking as it provided cinematic intrigue with a Bollywood flair. Of course, there are those who disagree for various reasons. Kaveree Bamsai of India Today gave the movie a poor review indicating that the movie lacked heart and noting that the movie made terrorism look terribly simple with the "good Muslim vs. misled Muslim"theme. Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India made a compelling point that the dialogue provides a textbook view of Islamic fundamentalism. This same reporter also mirrored my sentiments with the statement that the film attempts to put Islamic fundamentalism into perspective post 9/11. The film brought to light the idea that through the sacrifice of lives pain will result, and the cycle will continue until someone takes a stand to stop the loss of innocent lives. This ultimately opens the door for discourse which is apparent in the classroom scene on the topic. In the end, one must consider who will make the ultimate "sacrifice" that will end the conflict and bring peace.
It would be interesting to learn the perspective of others on this film. It is available on Netflix....take a look and tell me what you think!
The title of the film, "Kurbaan", means "Sacrifice" in hindi which causes one initially to believe that the love affair between the two main characters will be the ultimate sacrifice. The movie provided an interesting perspective that is different from the American mainstream perspective of eastern sociopolitical views. Members of the Indian community wrote and produced the film so they were able to be creative in their promotion of the sacrificial theme throughout the movie. Every character demonstrates in some fashion what it means to be intimately involved in some level of sacrifice.
In keeping with the theme of "Sacrifice", one of the most important thematic elements of the film is the idea that not all members of the Muslim faith believe in killing "innocents" in the name of Islam. A central character in the movie was an Indian-American reporter of the Islamic faith. His fundamentalist father criticized him for his westernized coverage of the conflict in Iraq. They shared an interesting dialogue on the amount of coverage that westerners provide on the number of lost lives in the current conflict and the possibility of an unbiased Muslim presenting information on the American lives that are lost in Iraq. This theme was a key factor in the plot as the Muslim reporter goes undercover in the terrorist cell to avenge the death of his fiance.
Overall, the film was entertaining and thought provoking as it provided cinematic intrigue with a Bollywood flair. Of course, there are those who disagree for various reasons. Kaveree Bamsai of India Today gave the movie a poor review indicating that the movie lacked heart and noting that the movie made terrorism look terribly simple with the "good Muslim vs. misled Muslim"theme. Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India made a compelling point that the dialogue provides a textbook view of Islamic fundamentalism. This same reporter also mirrored my sentiments with the statement that the film attempts to put Islamic fundamentalism into perspective post 9/11. The film brought to light the idea that through the sacrifice of lives pain will result, and the cycle will continue until someone takes a stand to stop the loss of innocent lives. This ultimately opens the door for discourse which is apparent in the classroom scene on the topic. In the end, one must consider who will make the ultimate "sacrifice" that will end the conflict and bring peace.
It would be interesting to learn the perspective of others on this film. It is available on Netflix....take a look and tell me what you think!
