New Pakistani Movie 'Azaadi'

NEW PAKISTANI MOVIE 'AZAADI'

A new Pakistani movie 'Azaadi' has been released in cinema this Eid-ul-Fitr of 2018. The story of movie is built around the struggle in Kashmir.

In an earlier note on movies like ‘WAAR’, 'KHUDA KAY LIAY' and ‘AZAADI’, I wrote “These movies are destroying the moral fabric of the nation.” Someone would argue that Hollywood movies are being shown day and night on cable TV in Pakistan through movie channels. Most of the other programs on cable TV are also far from the spirit of Islam. So isn’t all that content on TV also destroying the moral fabric of the nation?

We have to admit that the overall situation in Pakistan with regards to media is quite alarming as far as the moral standards of Islam are concerned. We are forced to follow the trends of the West in the name of ‘openness’ and ‘progressiveness’. 60-70 TV channels should have no place in a Muslim country like Pakistan. It would be shocking for some Pakistanis that some owners of these Pakistani TV channels are drug-dealers or doing other similar businesses etc. But we prefer not to bother about such details because we have made a pact with Satan to scream only when our ‘visible’ personal benefits are threatened!

Coming to Pakistani movies made in current times like ‘Azaadi’, ‘Khuda Kay Liay’ etc., these movies are related to the Ideology of Pakistan or the Ideology of Islam. But the plot and story of such movies are polluting the actual ideology of Pakistan and ideology of Islam in the mind of an average viewer born in a Pakistani Muslim household. That way they are doing greater harm to Pakistan and Islam in these times compared to Hollywood movies that are based on fictional themes, though we need to balance out everything.

Kashmir struggle does not need the help of commercial movies like ‘Azaadi’. In these times we have social media where many Facebook pages are dedicated to causes around the world. In fact, that is sufficient to wake us up from our sleep. And even when we didn’t have Facebook, newspapers and TV in Pakistan have been covering the issue of Kashmir since decades.

Regular pictures of struggle in Kashmir show that female college students dressed in Shalwar qameez and even Abaya and Niqab are taking up resistance against the Indian security forces stationed there apart from armed resistance by Kashmiri men of all ages. It is an insult to our sisters in Kashmir that a movie like ‘Azaadi’ shows a woman in highly immodest dress being the love-interest of a ‘Mujahid’ in Kashmir (as per the ‘trailer’ of movie). 

Movies on such important issues should be made with an air of sobriety and grace. They should include no love-stories and songs if the objective is to create awareness rather than just making money. Hollywood movies are successful in drawing huge crowds and they contain no songs while in movies made on Kashmir struggle etc. we are addressing the tragic situation of our Muslim brothers and sisters who are suffering. There we need to be extra careful and be empathetic. 

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A movie made by music Producer Shoaib Mansoor like ‘Khuda Kay Liay’ was basically a project to promote music and it included false interpretations of Islamic philosophies. It was a disservice to Islam and we should fear Allah who will punish those offenders on Judgment Day who work against Islam (we are discussing this generally). Also, a pop-singer in Pakistan would be least interested in offering regular prayers in Pakistan let alone calling out ‘Azaan’ in mosque (as shown in the movie) unless he gives up his profession altogether. We have to confess that many clerics in Pakistan are bigoted (as shown in movie) but on the other hand there are many clerics as well who are doing their job honestly and with dedication. However, only Muslims who offer their regular prayers in mosque would know that!

We don’t need entertainment, entertainment, entertainment all the time. We have a responsibility towards those oppressed in Kashmir and the Muslim world in general apart from defending the image of Islam!

-         By S Roman Ahsan (25^th June, 2018)