Dark clouds are gathering over the country's cultural horizon: Nihalani

KASAULI: His early films, Aakrosh and Ardh Satya, seethed with rage and ripped open the rot within the system. He has mellowed a lot since those angry years of early Eighties but director Govind Nihalani remains a much-respected filmmaker in Hindi cinema.
That’s why when he reacts to the recent killings of rationalists, the lynching of a Muslim over alleged beef-eating, on writers returning their awards in protest, Malayalam novelist Sarah Joseph being the latest, one listens in rapt attention.
“These are worrying times. There is a tremendous unease in general over the recent incidents. One feels that very dark clouds are gathering over the cultural horizon of this country. We can see communal divide and polarization becoming more and more acute. One only hopes that the government responds to these developments with sensitivity and a broader vision of society,” says Nihalani told TOI.
The film director is appreciative of writers and artists who have raised their voice against the dangers of bigotry and prejudice. “Artists are individuals. They are members of the general society. Apart from gestures of protests, there is very limited they can do. The important thing is: whatever they can do, they are doing it. Because if this trend continues, it can only result in fast deterioration of the social and cultural fabric of society and impact the politics of the country. The only hope is that the powers-that-be act with determination to stem the tide,” says Nihalani, whose telefilm Tamas, based on Bhisham Sahni’s novel, is one of the most moving celluloid documents on the horrors of Partition.
The film director believes that Tamas has contemporary echoes. “Tamas can be seen as a film that has focused on a very important issue which was manipulating the sentiments of communities in the name of religion to achieve political goals. From that point of view, it also draws attention to the situation in your own country today. The most positive outcome could be that a serious debate on such issues can lead to some serious thinking,” he said.
Nihalani also spoke on the controversy related to the appointments in FTII and the Censor Board chief. “I don’t want to get into specifics. The government has put somebody in charge of the Censors. Only the filmmakers who are interacting with him will be able to say, whether it is ok or not. We might believe that a certain person believes in a certain ideology but when he gets responsibility or a position of power, we don’t know how he might respond. But our government should be sensitive and responsive to the protest and not make them prestige issues,” he said.
Nihalani has just completed an animation feature film, Fly Kamlu Fly, likely to be released early next year. The film marks a radical departure from Nihalani’s earlier work. It is about a baby camel called Kamlu and his dream to fly. “The film is about why he wants to fly and whether he succeeds or not. But is also about dreaming the impossible and making it happen,” he said.