Sukhpreet Kahlon
New Delhi, 05 Feb 2021 12:26 IST
The short film, released ahead of Republic Day this year, makes us think of ways in which violence can be avoided.
Cricket in our country is often regarded as a religion. It divides people with a passion and fervour that is usually the bastion of religious beliefs. But the sport can also bring people and communities together. The short film Inaam deploys a cricket pitch metaphorically to examine the larger playing field of life.
The film unfolds in Kashmir. An army convoy is passing by a ground where a group of young men is playing a cricket match. An army officer stops to watch the game but this moment becomes a different kind of trigger for some of the players. The convoy passes but the lads drop the ball and pick up stones to pelt the soldiers and police.
Released ahead of Republic Day (26 January) this year, the short film examines the impulsive thinking of the boys and of the soldiers who are pitted against each other in the current political scenario. The focus on the cricket ball being replaced by a stone makes us wonder what would happen if passions were to run higher and the stone were to turn into a grenade, unleashing widespread violence.
The film, without dialogues, ends with the message, ‘Choose your pitch, choose your story’, reminding us that no matter what the circumstances, we always have a choice in determining our actions.
Directed by Shahnawaz Baqal, the title refers to the Inaam, or gift, that is given by the officer instead of the severe repercussions the players might otherwise have faced. It urges one to think of the ways in which violence can be avoided even in volatile situations, if we just remember our humanity.
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