‘Firaaq’-the realistic movie made by the experienced actress and debutant director Nandita Das is being hailed around for its powerful impact.

 So the intention of the film maker seems to have got fulfilled.

 Nandita set out to show how a catastrophic riot triggered off by religious fervor can cause profound damage and disturbance even in the life of people who have nothing to do with the mutiny.

 And she achieved her objective as a film maker through the six tales in ‘Firaaq’ that runs parallel and has no relationship with each other.

 Accompanying the appreciation for making a film on the aftermath of the horrifying Godhra riots in Gujarat are the criticisms on the film being a pro-Muslim work.

 Nandita responding to the allegations says “I totally disagree with those who say the film is pro-Muslim. If I make a film on the Jews and their suffering will I be expected to present the other side’s version? What can I do if there is no other side? What happened to Muslims in Gujarat was not a communal riot, it was carnage. My film is not pro-Muslim. It is pro-humanism. And if some people or political groups want to see ‘Firaaq’ as a communal statement, then so be it”.

 Although the movie’s stories are shown as unfolding in Ahmedabad, the majority part of the movie was shot in Hyderabad.

 Explaining her decision to shoot in Hyederabad, Nandita says “It was impossible to shoot a film like ‘Firaaq’ in Gujarat. There are too many wounds, too many questions and too many hurdles. We could not have made the film the way we wanted to in Gujarat. I took a big risk by shooting in Hyderabad in place of Ahmedabad. We took the decision after checking out a number of cities that matched Ahmedabad’s topography. We finally chose Hyderabad”.