People still have strong reactions about Partition: Huma Qureshi

There is no mention of the freedom struggle, Gandhian civil disobedience and resistance...

The film Viceroy's House, now called, Partition: 1947, directed by the British film-maker Gurinder Chadha released in February in the UK and was met with a mixed  response. Set in pre-partition India, it narrates the story of Independence - and events that terminated the British Raj.

Bollywood actor Huma Qureshi, who has a titular role in the movie, said it was natural that her film Partition: 1947 would receive an intense response as the historical event tugged at the heartstrings of millions of people. The 30-year-old actor said the film was made with the intention to “unite people”.

“People will have strong reactions. Partition is a sensitive subject. But it is their choice, what they want to say. The film is intended to unite people and not create division in the society. ‘Partition’ talks about peace and humanity,” said Huma.



She added when an actor works with an experienced director such as Chadha he or she grows a lot professionally. “Working with directors like Gurinder Chadha was a learning experience for me. I grew as an actress and I feel I gained a lot, whenever I have worked with any great director in the past,” she said.

However, people have expressed their reservations over the film's narrative. Fatima Bhutto, author of Songs of Blood and Sword, and niece of the late prime minister, Benazir Bhutto, has questioned the structure of the narrative - of the events that resulted in independence.





"The benevolence of the Mountbattens and, by association, the British Raj is laced throughout Chadha’s film. The second world war, we are told at the start by another pair of Indian valets, has exhausted the British and that is why they have “announced” they will be leaving India," writes a displeased Fatima Bhutto for The Guardian.

This is not the first historical fiction that tells the story of Partition and Independence; Gandhi, Pinjar and Earth, to name a few. It is, however, a first attempt by a film-maker hailing from a diaspora painting the picture of the events.



"Pakistan is a place so nasty it even destroys Aalia and Jeet’s love when she is forced to migrate there (not even her strapping fiancé can thwart Jeet and her romance the way my country can)," Bhutto writes, critically reviewing the film.

The film is due to release in India on August 17, renamed as Partition: 1947. Chadha and actor Huma Qureshi launched the poster of their film Viceroy's House, which will release in South Asia under the title Partition: 1947 in August.



The poster of the film features Tanveer Ghani as Jawaharlal Nehru, Denzil Smith as Muhammad Ali Jinnah and Neeraj Kabi as Mahatma Gandhi.



Chadha also shared the poster and wrote: "Just landed in India. So excited to see this! Very cool for a diaspora film-maker to see how the story of ‘Partition: 1947' is seen globally."

Hindi-dubbed Partition: 1947, which also stars Hugh Bonneville, Gillian Anderson, Manish Dayal and Michael Gambon.

Have something to add to the story? Share it in the comments below.