Serious cinema should act as reflection of its times:Naseer

New Delhi, Jan 18: Films pundits may describe the new millennium as an era of ''renaissance in Indian cinema'' with many "New Age commercial" films like 'Rang De Basanti' showing a mirror to society but film actor Naseeruddin Shah feels that Indian cinema has not done enough to reflect the momentous events on the socio-economic and political scene in the country.

''It is the responsibility of serious cinema in any country to act as a reflection of its times. In this context, it is sad to note that not enough effort has been made in Indian cinema to reflect socio-political events like the Mumbai riots and the Godhra carnage,''Naseeruddin Shah says.

Addressing a press meet in the Capital for 'Parzania', a film set against the backdrop of the communal conflagration that engulfed Gujarat in early 2002 and which left an indelible scar on the minds and hearts of people around the country and the world, Naseer said,''It is really surprising that so many years after the Godhra incident happened no filmmaker in India thought of making a film on the course of events in Gujarat during that period.

In this regard, he pointed out that it took more than three decades, after the death of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, for someone to make a film on the life of a man who played as monumental role in securing Independence for India from the British rule.

''Even then, it was a foreign filmmaker, Ben Kingsley, and not an Indian one, who ventured to make a film on Mahatma Gandhi,'' Shah said.

Shah said viewed in the above context, it was laudable that someone had finally ventured to make a film based on the Gujarat incidents.

Present at the press meet of the film, which is scheduled for release all over the country on January 26, were the director and producer of the film Rahul Dholakia and its female lead Sarika, who is said to have been chosen for the National award for 'Best actress' for 2006 in the yet-to-be-announced awards.

'Parzania' revolves around the family of Cyrus, a Parsi projectionist in the city of Ahmedabad who is leading a peaceful live with his beautiful wife Shernaz, and two children - Parzan and his eight-year-old little sister Dilshad. Living with them is an American man by the name of Allan Webbings who has come to Ahmedabad in search for answers, praying to find both internal peace and understanding of the horrors that religious differences can create.

The film show how lives of the family are shattered by the course of events that follow killing of several Hindus in a train explosion.

In the huge communal violence that engulfs the city in the wake of the exposion, their son Parzan goes missing. While Cyrus fights for his own sanity and searches for his child, Allan battles to uncover the truth behind the riots.

Speaking on the occasion, the Director Rahul Dholakia said the film was based on a true story of a family which underwent a similar turmoil during the Gujarat riots.

Dholakia said the aim of the film was not to fuel any controversy and that any such impression was a creation of the media. ''For example, just two out of the nearly 300 people who watched the film at IFFI in Goa said the film was one sided. It is just that these two people kept of speaking loudly with the result that the media lapped it up,'' Dholakia said.

''In the film, we have not pointed fingers at anyone. Rather, we have left it upto the audience to make any judgements. Had there been any controvery in the film, the Censor Board would not have passed it with just three minor audio cuts,''he said.

The Director said the title of the film came from the little boy of the family named Parzan who goes missing during the riots.

''Parzan is an imaginative ten-year-old boy who has developed his own world, the world of Parzania, where the buildings are made of chocolate and the mountains of ice cream. Parzan, in his mind, has created the perfect utopian world, a world far removed from the harsh reality outside,'' Mr Dholakia said.

Naseer shah said it was a difficult film to be made.

''It was a difficult shoot in that at times we were strapped for money; difficult also because it was a difficult subject to bring out on the screen. But all through the shooting, all of us associated with it felt that it was imperative that the film be made and even more important that it be seen,'' Mr Shah said.

Stating that the last thing they wanted was to fuel any controversy, Sarika and Naseer said,''Our objective is not to create a controversy not to sensationalise. Rather, we would want the film to be considered on its own merit. Those who come to see the film should see it because they feel strongly about the issue rather that due to the controversy element.

''In any case, we are not looking at, say, a ten weeks run for the film.'' An issue like this is so big that all filmmakers, be it documentary filmmakers or feature film directors, should do their bit in their own way to bring across the message. This is also what we aim to put across through 'Parzania'.'', Sarika said.

Besides Naseer and Sarika, the film stars actors Parzan Dastur, Pear Barsiwala, Raj Zutshi, Ramgopal Bajaj, Sheeba Chadda, Asif Basra and Pushpendra Saini.

UNI