1971 Prisoners of war

I have just seen the movie ‘1971’ and nothing has moved me so much ever. It is the story of 6 Prisoners of war of 1971, who make an attempt to escape from the toil. It is a fictitious annexation to the true base line of 54 Indian soldiers being captured by the Pakistan in the Bangladesh war during 1971.

The movie is no less than any Oscar winner with excellence shown in every aspect. This is a bold drift from stereotyped bollywood masala movies with item numbers where in the dancer shows her generosity in revealing her skin. The fact that 1971 didn’t run well shows how people crane their necks for such movies and dancers.

The actors though new (except Manoj Bajpai) have competed with each other making it tough for us to chose the best, their faces turning red and lips turning black in the scenes in snow show the pains they have taken in giving it a realistic appearance. The movie has raised many a voice, many a question in me. Questions about life, about hope, about countries, about borders.

The fact that nobody cared about the warriors of the nation, including the government is heart sinking. They live their life in hope, in hope to return to their country, in hope to meet their loved ones. It’s been 37 years now and still nothing is done. 37 years of hope, hope that has been their fuel for survival, hope that has been the reason for life. How hard life might be with the hope shrinking. The young warriors are no more young, they lost their youth, some might have even lost their sanity. Damayanti Tambey, the 18 months wife of one such warrior VV Tambey is still living her life hoping that her husband will return one day. She was 23 when she has last seen him, now she is 50. She lives her life hoping it to be him every time the phone rings, and every time the door bell sings. The family of the POW left no door un knocked in an attempt to find their loved ones. This is what they get for offering their sons to the mother land? The government has taken no action inspite of family members showing evidences about their existence in the Pakistan prisons.

You betray your mother land you are ‘gaddar’ what if your mother land betrays you?