A Potpourri of Vestiges Review Jinnah (1998): Jamil Dehlavis controversial biopic on Muhammad Ali Jinnah starring Sir Christopher Lee in the titular role Jinnah, directed by Jamil Dehlavi, is a 1998 controversial biopic about the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. The movie stars the legendary English actor Sir Christopher Lee in the titular role. The movie costars Shashi Kapoor, Richard Lintern, James Fox, Indira Verma, Maria Aitken, and Talat Hussain. Dehlavi, a London-based filmmaker of Pakistani-French origin, is best known for The Blood of Hussain (1980)—a critically acclaimed film banned by Zia-ul-Haq as it scandalized his tyrannical regime. The cinematic importance of Dehlavi’s film can be easily gauged by the fact that till date it has been cinema’s first and only major attempt at capturing in essence the philosophies and principles that underlined Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s life. Jinnah being the grand architect behind the partition of British India into two separate states based on religion, a Hindu state and a Muslim state, was hailed as a hero in the newly formed state of Pakistan, but, in India, he was dubbed as a villain, a master perpetrator who was held responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of innocent people. More than six decades have past but very little has changed. Mr. Jinnah continues to remain one of the most enigmatic, controversial and misunderstood figures in History. While Mr. Jinnah has attained apotheosis in Pakistan, his name is still a taboo in India. National leaders of great repute either get expelled or are relegated into oblivion even at the slightest mention of Mr. Jinnah’s name in a favorable light. The treatment that Dehlavi gives his movie is no less interesting than his subject. He chooses to present Mr. Jinnah’s tale in form of flashbacks. The opening scene of the movie shows a terminally ill Mr. Jinnah, accompanied by his sister and confidante Fatima Jinnah, being taken in an ambulance to some hospital. The next scene cuts to an anteroom situated somewhere between Heaven and Hell where Mr. Jinnah is greeted by a friendly, humanoid Angel (played by Shashi Kapoor) who has an hour and a half to prepare Mr. Jinnah’s case, the outcome of which would decide his fate: Will he go to Heaven or Hell? Overall, Jinnah proves to be an important work of cinema that presents the caricature of a highly misunderstood man whose turbulent but celebrated life made his name a synonym for controversy. Although the movie is far from being flawless, it works well on the whole. The historical accuracy is undeniably questionable. Jinnah not a movie for everyone. Only those with open minds should watch it, for it’s bound to hurt the sentiments of those who lack tolerance and empathy. Read more: apotpourriofvestiges/2014/03/jinnah-1998-jamil-dehlavis.html #Jinnah #JamilDehlavi #ChristopherLee
Posted on: Tue, 04 Mar 2014 12:56:22 +0000
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