This Presentation is based on Representation of the Horror of Partition in cinema.

1. Representation of
the Horror of
Partition in cinema
Presented by: Drashti Joshi

3. TABLE OF CONTENTS
Movies based on this Partition Horror
What is Partition and its Horror?
Conclusion
01
03
02
04
What is Partition of August 1947?

4. What is Partition of August 1947?
In August, 1947, when, after three hundred years in India, the British finally left,
the subcontinent was partitioned into two independent nation states: Hindu-
majority India and Muslim-majority Pakistan.
Immediately, there began one of the greatest migrations in human history, as
millions of Muslims trekked to West and East Pakistan (the latter now known as
Bangladesh) while millions of Hindus and Sikhs headed in the opposite
direction.
By 1948, as the great migration drew to a close, more than fifteen million people
had been uprooted, and between one and two million were dead.
Today, both India and Pakistan remain crippled by the narratives built around
memories of the crimes of Partition, as politicians (particularly in India) and the
military (particularly in Pakistan) continue to stoke the hatreds of 1947 for their
own ends.

5. What is Partition and its Horror?
The Partition of India was a traumatic event. Apart from destroying the
unity of India, the two-nation theory created a divide between Muslims and
Hindus which has not been, till date, easy to bridge.
But more important was its tremendous human cost—loss of about a
million lives, uprooting of nearly eighteen million people and molestation
and raping of seventy-five thousand or more of women.
The history of the migration of Hindus from East Pakistan after Partition is
one the most tragic episodes of contemporary history. In East Bengal it
was the Hindus who took the most active part in the freedom movement.
They have fought for Independence with total dedication and smilingly went
to the gallows. (Dalrymple)

7. Movies based on
this Partition and
it’s Horror

8. Train to Pakistan is a 1998 Indian Hindi film adapted from Khushwant
Singh's 1956 classic novel by the same name set in the Partition of India
of 1947 and directed by Pamela Rooks.[1] The film stars Nirmal Pandey,
Rajit Kapur, Mohan Agashe, Smriti Mishra, Mangal Dhillon and Divya
Dutta.
The film is set in a Punjabi village on the border between India and
Pakistan in 1947. It highlights the communal tensions and violence that
erupt in the village as the partition unfolds. The characters, including a
Sikh ex-soldier, a Muslim woman, and a Hindu landlord, are caught in the
midst of the chaos and turmoil.
Besides critical acclaim, it was also nominated for Best Film at the 1999
Cinequest Film Festival.
1. Train to Pakistan(1998)
(Rooks)

10. Eyewitness account of railways as focus of communal violence in 1947
Interview with Khawaja Bilal, station master at Lahore, 1947.
"On the 14th of August I was on duty. We heard an announcement that Partition had taken place.
Soon after that the killing started, the slaughter began. Everywhere we looked we saw carnage
and destruction of human life. There was no law and order, even when the soldiers came and
made a barricade with barbed wire outside the station. Despite their presence, many were being
killed on the platforms, on the bridges, in the ticket halls. There were stabbings, rapes, attempts at
arson. I had my charpoy in the station master's office: I didn't dare go back to my house. But at
night I could not sleep because of the screams and moans of the dying coming from the platform.
In the morning, when the light came, bodies would be lying everywhere.
"One morning, I think it was 30th of August, the Bombay Express came in from Delhi via Bhatinda.
There were around two thousand people on this train. We found dead bodies in the lavatories, on
the seats, under the seats. We checked the whole train, but nobody was alive except one person.
There had been a massacre when the train stopped at Bhatinda. The sole survivor told us he had
approached the train driver, an Englishman, who gave him refuge.He hid the man in the watertank
by the engine. When the Sikhs arrived they could not see him so they went away and he survived.
Only one man out of two thousand. After that every train that came from India was attacked. We
used to receive one hundred trains a day. There were corpses in every one. "
(Train to Pakistan movie 1998)

11. Directed by M.S. Sathyu, "Garm Hava" follows the struggles of a Muslim family in Agra in the
aftermath of partition. The film primarily focuses on the family's head, Salim Mirza, played by
Balraj Sahni, as he grapples with the decision of whether to migrate to Pakistan or stay in India.
The film explores the psychological and emotional trauma experienced by individuals who were
torn between their identities and the new political boundaries.
In the narrative of their national identities, Pakistan and India have approached the partition of
1947 as a defining event of their respective histories. Some refer to it as ‘independence’ from the
imperial rule, others lament the ‘partition’ of their homeland. The semantics and politics can be
forever argued over, however, what remains consistent across borders is a shared sense of
overwhelming trauma carried down the generations.
The film opens with a map of undivided India, followed by portraits of political leaders and a map
of partitioned sub-continent. But the film rarely concerns itself with political discourse, nor does it
seek to emphasize the more violent aspects of the partition, rather it opts for dramatizing the
struggle of the average Indian Muslim. Muslims were the minority in joint India, despite being the
prominent rulers for the last 500 years. So when the time came, the dilemma was overwhelmingly
evident: What is home?
2. Garm Hava (1974):

13. Tamas is a 1988 period television film written and directed by Govind Nihalani.
It is based on the Hindi novel of the same name by Bhisham Sahni (1974),
which won the author the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1975. Set in the backdrop
of riot-stricken Pakistan at the time of the partition of India in 1947, the film
deals with the plight of emigrant Sikh and Hindu families to India as a
consequence of the partition. It was first shown on India's national broadcaster
Doordarshan as a mini-series and later as a one-off four-hour-long feature film.
At the 35th National Film Awards, it won three awards including the Nargis Dutt
Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration. In August 2013, it was
shown on History TV18 as a series.
"Making Tamas was an act of faith. Everything that I felt intensely came into it.
When Partition happened, I was a little kid but my first memory of fear, panic
and blood comes from that period. My family migrated from Karachi and we
settled down in Rajasthan. I was very emotional while making this film," Nihalani
told PTI in an interview. (Nihalani) (“Directing 'Tamas' was an act of faith: Govind Nihalani”)
3. Tamas (1987):

16. Conclusion
In conclusion, the partition of India and Pakistan stands as a haunting chapter in
history, marked by the horror and human suffering that accompanied the
division of a nation. Through the lens of cinema, filmmakers have skilfully delved
into the depths of this tumultuous period, capturing the emotional turmoil,
communal tensions, and personal tragedies that unfolded. Movies such as "
"Garm Hava," "Tamas,“ and "Train to Pakistan" have masterfully portrayed the
horror of partition, reminding us of the profound impact that historical events can
have on individuals and societies.
Ultimately, the movies that have explored the horror of the partition of India and
Pakistan invite us to confront the past, learn from it, and strive for a future where
such divisions and suffering are not repeated. As we engage with these
cinematic narratives, we are reminded of the power of storytelling to shed light
on the darkest corners of history and to inspire compassion and unity in the face
of adversity.

17. Work Cited
Dalrymple, William. “The Bloody Legacy of Indian Partition.” The New Yorker, 22 June
2015, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/06/29/the-great-divide-books-
dalrymple. Accessed 18 August 2023.
“Directing 'Tamas' was an act of faith: Govind Nihalani.” Business Standard, 12 August
2013, https://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/directing-tamas-was-an-
act-of-faith-govind-nihalani-113081300113_1.html. Accessed 18 August 2023.
Imran, Faiq. “Garm Hava [1974]: On the Precipice of Belonging.” High On Films, 15 May
2021, https://www.highonfilms.com/garm-hava-1974-article/. Accessed 18 August
2023.
Nihalani, Govind, director. Tamas. Blaze Entertainment Pvt Ltd, 1988.
Rooks, Pamela, director. Train to Pakistan. Kaleidoscope Entertainment, 1998.
“Train to Pakistan movie 1998 directed by Pamela Rooks.” Cliomuse.com,
https://www.cliomuse.com/train-to-pakistan.html. Accessed 18 August 2023.