Kashmiriyat review: Formulaic, unimaginative, tedious drama

Divyansh Pandit's short film Kashmiriyat, which is intended as a tribute to the victims of terrorism as well as to the army personnel posted in the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir, tells a story that we have seen innumerable times before.

Set in Baramulla, it tracks a young boy Liyaqat (Naveen Pandita), who has been led astray by terrorists, who get him to make a bomb that is targeted at army personnel, in the hope of creating a ‘Free Kashmir’. Even the bomb is named ‘Kashmir’. Pakistani army personnel are seen working in collusion with terrorists to overturn the balance of power and destabilize the valley.

As Liyaqat is making his preparations, his mother Muneera (Zarina Wahab) finds out that her son is involved with terrorists and threatens to call the police. At this point, the son, fuelled by anger and frustration, points his gun at her.

Produced by Ashutosh Pandit and written and directed by Divyansh Pandit, the film references the exodus of Kashmiri Hindus from the valley in 1989, a terrible time in history when tens of thousands of people lost their homeland.

While evoking this moment, the film emphasizes the idea of Kashmiriyat, based on the coexistence for centuries of Hindus and Muslims and their traditions.

Muneera relates her story and poignantly highlights that instead of following the tenets of Islam, which stress on the values of humanism and brotherhood, young boys are being coerced to follow the path of terrorists based on hatred and violence. All it does is create a vortex of anger and revenge.

Although the film has its heart in the right place, it pushes the core sentiment to the fag end and then hurriedly dispenses with it. The underwhelming performances amidst high melodrama and a tedious screenplay make this a middling film.

Veteran Zarina Wahab is the only saving grace, but her role is so poorly conceptualized that even she can do precious little with it. Add to this the long-drawn death scene, with all the important information packed in as the person is dying. All in all, a disappointing film.