The I&B Ministry Doesn’t Want You To Watch This Film On Kashmir

By Marva:

Note: In June 2017, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry denied the screening of “In The Shade Of Fallen Chinar” at the International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala, no specific reason has been cited so far.

“In The Shade Of Fallen Chinar” is a scintillating documentary about the Kashmiri Students and their powerful stories of art, music and resistance formed around a fallen chinar in the University of Kashmir. With the vibrantly moving camera of Fazil NC, together conceived with Shawn Sebastian, “In The Shade Of Fallen Chinar” is an incredibly well made piece of art documenting the evolving culture of music varying from Rap, Rock n Roll to traditional Kashmiri Chakr Sufi Music, art with diverse media like from the bark of the fallen chinar to walls to paper, photographs capturing the blood stained Valley’s moments of torments, protests and anger to memories and dreams of peace. The editing by Appu Bhattathiri is also commendable for its precision and perfection.

The fallen chinar tree is a symbol of the undefeatable rage, protest and spirit of the Kashmiris expressed in multiple forms. The film features the Kashmiri artists Syed Shahriyar for his photojournalism, Saba Nazki, Ovais Ahmad, Mu’Azzam Bhat for his music, Ali Saffudin, Khytul Abyad for her graphic arts, Tabiah Qari, with anecdotes of their art, opinions and hopes.

“If they are not allowing us to have a physical union, why not have a written space that will help us draw our grievances and ideas and what we as a new generation feel about the conflict and the campus,” says Saba Nazki the editor of Mizrab, a University students’ tabloid where they sketch, write and share their decades of pain, hope, anger, protest and sorrow.

Ali Saffiuddin, a rock-n-roll fanatic adds that art for art’s sake is one thing and art for personal healing is another and that this music is not only about conflict but for art too (its aesthetics and appreciation).

“Nobody believed in me,
Nobody to trust me
It feels like every single cop is
Here to bust me
What were you Thinking?
I’d Say Come Here and Arrest Me?!
I am Not Freaking Doing that
Go Ahead You can Test Me!
They Ain’t Got any Courtesy
To address Me.
They Can Barge into My House Anytime
and Arrest Me!
Without any Warrant or
A Government Document
What I am trying to Narrate is
Every Kashmiri’s Predicament”

Raps Mu’azzam Bhatt about the everyday predicament of every Kashmiri, about getting out his years’ accumulated rage through his music. This cinema endeavour is a punch in the face of the nation, who either turn blind or justify the violence in the valley in the name of territorial integrity, especially at the Indian artists, musicians and other intelligentsia who never moves their ass out of the comfort chair of the nation. These guitars and graphics are more powerful than many guns!