We don't need to show Pakistanis as bad people, they're human too: 'Raazi' director Meghna Gulzar

The film-maker treads carefully with the Indo-Pak subject, making sure that there is no hatred between the two nations

Earlier this month, Alia Bhatt's latest spy thriller Raazi hit screens all across the world - except Pakistan. Directed by Meghna Gulzar, daughter of famed Indian poet and lyricist Gulzar, the film follows a young Kashmiri girl who is trained as a spy by her father and thereafter, married off to a Pakistani army official to report on him.

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Needless to say, no one expected Raazi to be screened in Pakistan. However, in a recent interview, Meghna clarified that her film is not anti-Pakistan at all.

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According to The Indian Express, the film-maker stated that Raazi is about patriotism while also steering clear of "bashing Pakistan." Meghna said, "When you are making a film on patriotism and you are not bashing Pakistan, you need brave people to back it and that's what the cast and crew have done."

Meghna revealed that most films that are based on patriotism tend to get flak for not portraying army officials accurately. However, she made sure not to go wrong on the representation of the army, "whether it was Indian or Pakistani."

Raazi is based on a book by Harinder Sikka titled Calling Sehmat. Throughout the book, the main character Sehmat (played by Alia) is referred to as a Kashmiri. Meghna was asked why, in the film, Sehmat is cited as an Indian instead.

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To clear this misunderstanding, the director stated that it's only Sehmat's father-in-law, who addresses her as an Indian. Meghna explained, "Her father-in-law is a Pakistani and is hence, referring to someone from the other side of the border - which, in this case, is India. Logically, if in my country, I have to refer to somebody, I will use Punjabi, Maharashtrian or Gujarati. But if I am from America, I would call them as ‘that Indian'." She added that she hasn't done anything to camouflage the fact that Sehmat is Kashmiri.

According to reports, Raazi shows Pakistanis through a humane lens - unlike other Bollywood films such as Agent Vinod and Phantom. Meghna said, "Pakistani are humans too. We don't need to show others are bad people just to show ourselves as good. Raazi did not need anything that was anti-Pakistan which is why it was best not to add masala to it to make it saleable."

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Instead of presenting stereotypical in-laws, Raazi shows Pakistanis as real people. From Sehmat's husband Iqbal (played by Vicky Kaushal to Munira and Parvez Syed, the parents-in-law, the film shows the Syeds as a kind and generous family.

The director also spoke of her father's sentiments towards Pakistan and its people. She shared that Gulzar had very warm relations with them and  was welcomed with open arms whenever he visited the country. Meghna added that growing up in her household and because of her parents upbringing, Pakistanis were never considered the enemy but long lost loved ones.

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The film-maker treads around the Indo-Pak subject very carefully, making sure no sentiments are hurt on either side of the border. Iqbal and Sehmat accept that the love they have for their nation is far greater than the love they have for each other. However, they still don't think of the other as an enemy.

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Raazi shows that it's not people but war itself that is the real villain.

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