It is a very commendable effort on the part of the PVR cinemas to re-release a film after four decades. The much controversial film of the 1970’s ‘Garam Hava’ is going to be screened in 70 PVR theatres across the country. The film was held up by the censor board in those days for a period of eight months as they were afraid that the film might give rise to communal tensions.
The film was based on the lines of 1947 partitions. The film deals with the dilemma of a North Indian Muslim family on whether to move to Pakistan or stay back in their own country during the partition riots. It shows the slow disintegration of Salim Mirza’s family (the protagonist).
The cast of the movie had big names like Balraj Sahani, playing the role of Salim Mirza. Gita Siddarth, A.K.Hangal, Jalal Agha and Farooq Sheikh were also the part of this film.
The film got release from the hands of the Censor Board due to the intervention of the then Prime Minister Smt. Indira Gandhi.The film released in 1974 and proved to be a commercial as well as critical success. To add to the surprise this film won the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Film on National Integration in the subsequent National Film Award.
How ironical!
The film won Filmfare Awards for Best Dialogue, Best Screenplay and the Best Story. The film was directed by M.S. Sathyu and Kaifi Azmi was the dialogue writer. The film also got nominated at the Cannes Film Festival and it was India’s submission in the Best Foreign Film category in the subsequent Academy Awards. In 2005, it was ranked as one of the ‘top 25 must see Bollywood movies’ by Indiatimes Movie.
After forty years the film has been restored and is set to hit the theatres on this Friday. It will be screened at 70 PVR’s across eight metros as a part of the PVR’s Director’s Rare Series. It will be a very different experience for this generation to be able to watch a four decade old film in modern theatres as PVR. Thanks to the PVR authority. Hope they will come up with more and more such projects. Famous personalities like Esha Deol was seen at one of the screenings of the movie in Mumbai.
