Pitra, Putra Aur Dharamyuddha (1994)

Father, Son, and Holy War (Pitra, Putra, aur Dharmayuddha) is a 1995 film by Indian documentary filmmaker Anand Patwardhan. The film is shot in two parts, with the first (Trial by Fire) examining the link between the violence of the Hindu nationalist movement, such as the demolition of the Babri Masjid, and sexual violence against women. The second part (Hero Pharmacy) looks at the nature of masculinity in contemporary urban India, and its role in encouraging sexual violence. As with other films of his, Patwardhan had to fight multiple court battles in order to force the national carrier Doordarshan to screen the film, a screening which eventually occurred on the orders of the Supreme court. The film received numerous national and international awards, and was also seen positively by critics.

Synopsis

The title of the first section is a reference to the ordeal that the Hindu god-king Rama used to test the fidelity of his wife after rescuing her from the demon king Ravana. The segment describes the various interconnected instances of communal violence in India in the years prior to the film. The film opens with the aftermath of the anti-Muslim riots in Bombay that followed the demolition of the Babri Masjid in December 1992. Several Hindu youth are heard speaking to the cameraman, saying that they had enjoyed the killing and looting, and that a list of Muslim individuals had been prepared beforehand, and that some authority figures knew of the plans to target Muslims.