Father, Son, and Holy War
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''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 Doordarshan (abbreviated as DD; Hindi: , ) is an Indian public service broadcaster founded by the Government of India, owned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of Prasar Bharati's two divisions. One of India's largest bro ...
'' to screen the film, a screening which eventually occurred on the orders of the
Supreme court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
. The film received numerous national and international awards, and was also seen positively by critics.


Synopsis


Part 1: Trial by Fire

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. The film then describes a connection between the Indian nationalist movement and violent masculinity. In a voice-over, Patwardhan states that as a result of the British Raj stereotypes of "effeminate" Hindus and "martial" non-Hindu communities, the nationalist movement turned to militant symbols like Shivaji and Rama. This led to an identification of Hinduism with the traditions of communities with more militant traditions, such as the Rajputs and the Marathas, which included practices like '' sati''. This leads to a description of the murder of
Roop Kanwar Roop or ROOP may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Roop - Mard Ka Naya Swaroop, Indian television show * The Roop, a Lithuanian pop rock band People With the first name * Roop Durgapal, Indian actress * Roop Kanwar (c. 1969–1987), Raj ...
in Deorala, Rajasthan, in 1987. Kanwar was forced to immolate herself on the funeral pyre of her husband, supposedly in keeping with the tradition of '' sati'', a practice that had been illegal since 1830. The documentary then goes on to describe how the identification of Hinduism with militant traditions also resulted in all opponents of Hindutva, including secular leaders and Muslims, as weak and effeminate. The film depicts several public rallies and speeches in which Hindu leaders use misogynistic language while criticizing Muslims. Instances of misogyny and intolerance in other religious groups is also depicted, with footage of
Sikhs Sikhs ( or ; pa, ਸਿੱਖ, ' ) are people who adhere to Sikhism (Sikhi), a monotheistic religion that originated in the late 15th century in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent, based on the revelation of Guru Nanak. The term ...
demonstrating in favor of '' Khalistan'', and the ''
Fatwa A fatwā ( ; ar, فتوى; plural ''fatāwā'' ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (''sharia'') given by a qualified '' Faqih'' (Islamic jurist) in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist i ...
'' issues against Salman Rushdie.


Part 2: Hero Pharmacy

The second segment of the documentary depicts common icons of masculinity, and explores their connection to misogyny and sexuality. Specifically, the film focuses on symbols of masculinity that are phallic in nature. Many political leaders are heard linking non-violence and secularism to weakness and impotency. A religious leader campaigning for the
Shiv Sena Shiv Sena ( IAST: ''Śiva Sēnā'') () was a right-wing to far-right Marathi regionalist and Hindu ultranationalist political party in India founded in 1966 by cartoonist Bal Thackeray. Originally emerging from nativist movements in Bom ...
in Gujarat is seen asking Hindu women to have eight children apiece, as a means of combating the perceived menace of Muslims. The film shows the visits of several western cultural icons to Mumbai, and the hero-worshiping reactions they generated among male youth from different backgrounds. The film then looks at aggressive and violent depictions of masculinity on television, both in Bollywood movies and in
WWE wrestling World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and var ...
, and at reasons for their popularity. Examples of young children from different class backgrounds are shown exhibiting behavior that idolizes violence. Upper class children are shown mobbing professional wrestler Randy Savage, more commonly known by his stage name of "Macho Man", while young male members of the Shiv Sena, from less wealthy backgrounds, are shown engaged in street-fighting. Several young men are heard off-screen describing how watching rape in movies was "fun", and discussing the possibility of gang-raping a woman that they are not acquainted with.


Reception

The film was completed in 1994, and released the next year. It won two national awards and multiple international awards in the years that followed. In 2004, the European ''DOX'' magazine listed it as one of the 50 most memorable documentaries of all time. As with previous films produced by Patwardhan, the national television channel
Doordarshan Doordarshan (abbreviated as DD; Hindi: , ) is an Indian public service broadcaster founded by the Government of India, owned by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and one of Prasar Bharati's two divisions. One of India's largest bro ...
initially refused to screen the film. Patwardhan challenged this decision in the
Bombay High Court The High Court of Bombay is the high court of the states of Maharashtra and Goa in India, and the union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. It is seated primarily at Mumbai (formerly known as Bombay), and is one of the ol ...
, which ruled in his favor in 2001, ordering Doordarshan to telecast the film. The carrier challenged this decision in the
Indian Supreme Court The Supreme Court of India ( IAST: ) is the supreme judicial authority of India and is the highest court of the Republic of India under the constitution. It is the most senior constitutional court, has the final decision in all legal matters ...
, which ruled in Patwardhan's favor in 2006, ordering that the film be screened without any cuts within eight weeks. The judges observed that "This documentary film ..showcases a real picture of crime and violence against women and members of various religious groups perpetrated by politically motivated leaders for political, social and personal gains." The film was eventually screened following the ruling. History professor
Vinay Lal Vinay Lal is a historian of India. He is Professor of History and Asian American Studies at UCLA. He writes widely on the history and culture of colonial and modern India, popular and public culture in India, cinema, historiography, the politic ...
, writing in the European art journal '' Third Text'', stated that ''Father, Son, and Holy War'' was a nuanced and daring film, that examined the "nexus between communalism, the changing culture of the contemporary Hindi film, violence towards women in many domains of Indian society, vernacular forms of masculinity, and other aspects of Indian society and culture." However, he said that film made a crude distinction between
patriarchy Patriarchy is a social system in which positions of dominance and privilege are primarily held by men. It is used, both as a technical anthropological term for families or clans controlled by the father or eldest male or group of males a ...
and matriarchy, and had a simplistic view of historical matriarchal societies. At the same time, Lal referred to Patwardhan as the most astute and sensitive documentary makers in his portrayals of Hindu
communalism Communalism may refer to: * Communalism (Bookchin), a theory of government in which autonomous communities form confederations * , a historical method that follows the development of communities * Communalism (South Asia), violence across ethnic ...
and the sexual aspects of its ideology.
Gail Minault Gail Minault (born 25 March 1939) is an American historian of South Asia. Life Gail Minault was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on 25 March 1939. She was educated in the public schools of Pottstown, Pennsylvania before completing high school at th ...
, reviewing the film for the ''Journal of South Asian Studies'', wrote that the film was "powerful" and "harrowing."


Awards

* National Film Award, Best Investigative Documentary, India, 1995 * National Film Award, Best Film on Social Issues, India, 1995 * Special Jury Prize, Yamagata International Documentary Film Festival, Japan, 1995 * In The Spirit of Freedom Award,
Jerusalem International Film Festival The Jerusalem Film Festival ( he, פסטיבל הקולנוע ירושלים, ar, مهرجان القدس السينمائي) is an international film festival held annually in Jerusalem, It was established in 1984 by the Director of the Jerusal ...
, Israel, 1995 * Special Jury Prize, Vancouver International Film Festival, 1995 * International Jury Prize, Bombay International Film Festival, 1996 * Audience award,
Sheffield International Documentary Festival Sheffield DocFest (formerly styled Sheffield Doc/Fest), short for Sheffield International Documentary Festival (SIDF), is an international documentary festival and Marketplace held annually in Sheffield, England. The Festival includes film sc ...
, 2012


References


External links

* {{Official website, http://patwardhan.com/wp/?page_id%3D167 Indian documentary films 1995 films Anand Patwardhan Documentary films about violence against women