We live in a time when speaking out is often considered foolhardy. I came across a 20-minute short film that is the epitome of ‘fearlessness’. And for that reason alone, you should give it a shot.
ASHOK’s FIVE reviews #Bebaak written and directed by #ShaziaIqbal and produced by #AnuragKashyap. Released on 23 May 2019, the title literally means ‘defiant’ and most definitely it is. It is available on #MUBI and also on YouTube.
#Bebaak tells the story of a young woman Fatin (#SarahHashmi in a brilliant role) who has to appear for an interview with a hard-line Muslim cleric for a scholarship. Her family is largely supportive but do not have the means and this is an important milestone for them. The cleric questions her on the modesty of a woman and castigates her for not being in Hijab. Meanwhile little Shireen who looks on at her with dreams in her eyes influences her to take a decision that leaves you rooting for her.
1. #SarahHashmi enacts the role of Fatin with aplomb. She is a little harried, a little nervous, a lot confident and very very defiant! The film opens with her wearing her clothes in a hurry to head out and she has this little lost but sullen look in her eyes throughout. In the bus, she texts her friend about where she is going, quickly replacing ‘bhendi bazaar’ with ‘town’. Every little detail in the film is spelt out to depict the double standards of our society. Fatin is an architecture student with dreams in her eyes and her womanhood is thrust bang in the middle of a debate between traditional values and individualism. Full marks to her portrayal of a woman who acquits herself well under the circumstances. The one time she loses it is when she yells at her dad “Who do you have so many children when you can’t provide for them?”
2. I think the stand-out feature of #Bebaak is that it is unapologetically angry and in your face. All the support characters are on the edge and emote perfectly. #VipinSharma and #SheebaChaddha play the parents. They are reasonable and modern in their outlook. They are content to let their girls wear jeans or step out without the Hijab and let them be but equally aware of their circumstances and plead with them to behave differently in the presence of their grandparents. They also favour English education for their children but are painfully aware of their economic situation. The mother prays five times but encourages her daughter not to compromise on their principles. #NawazuddinSiddiqui makes your blood boil as he addresses Fatin as sister and then goes on to deliver his lecture on modesty.
3. We have seen films making a comment on misogynism and patriarchy. I have reviewed several of these on this platform. But I think the one thing we tend to turn a blind eye to is the communalising of social events. In recent times, the Covid 19 discourse did turn communal as the news pertaining to the Tablighi Jamaat evolved. #Bebaak stands out for not shying away from leaving things unsaid stands its foot defiantly.
4. The film opens with a quote from Alejandro Jodorowsky that says “Birds born in a cage think flying is an illness. Metaphorically, this is the subtle message for us – the moment we make peace with our circumstances, we not only say goodbye to the possibilities but also think that it is unnatural. I think the next time you hear someone talk about carving your own path, you must spare a thought for those who do that while battling the cage that society has built over the decades.
5. Bebaak premiered at the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles last year and has been talked about for how the economy of duration and production has not impacted the overall delivery.
For me though the lingering moment was the look in little Shireen’s eyes when she sees Fatin in the Hijab. It is at that moment that Fatin makes up her mind and leaves. Her absence in the last frame makes her defiance very powerful!
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