Ram Ramesh Sharma’s provocative Kaafiron Ki Namaaz opens in the troubled Kashmir valley before retiring indoors into a lodge somewhere in Srinagar. A court-martialled Army soldier (Alok Chaturvedi) engages in lengthy polemical debates with a writer (Chandrahas Tiwari) on various ethical and philosophical questions, which are recorded by a mostly unseen camera assistant. For much of its running length (2 hours 30 mins), Kaafiron Ki Namaaz behaves like a play. The dialogue covers a range of issues, mostly suggested by the cynical and spiritually wounded soldier. He expresses his hatred for Mahatma Gandhi (non-violence is for the impotent, he thunders) before moving on to other provocations – sexual intercourse, patriotism, the relationship between the state and citizens, rape by the armed forces, fake encounters, the joys of smoking and masculinity. Not surprisingly, the movie has been released on the internet. The full film is here.
-
1
‘Knowing we’re mortal gives us purpose’: Nobel laureate Venki Ramakrishnan on his new book
-
2
‘We are living in perpetual fear’: Prajwal Revanna video leaks spark panic among women in Hassan
-
3
In Amit Shah’s Gandhinagar, three Lok Sabha candidates allege they faced pressure to withdraw
-
4
‘Exhuma’ review: A grave holds secrets to a troubled Korean past
-
5
What explains reports of infighting within the BJP during the elections?
-
6
Why is the 2024 Congress manifesto silent on pushing back against majoritarianism? History has clues
-
7
‘Naach Ga Ghuma’ review: Soft landings in saga of a woman and her missing maid
-
8
Why are so many young Indians trading in cryptocurrency, especially in tier-two cities?
-
9
Interview: Fight to save Hasdeo has shown that forests belong to everyone
-
10
Unnatural sex between husband and wife not rape, woman’s consent immaterial: Madhya Pradesh HC