Shikara is a 2020 Indian Hindi-language romantic drama film produced and directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The film is based on the Exodus of Kashmiri Hindus of 1990. The story revolved around the love story of Shanti and Shiv Dhar, who are Kashmiri Pandits in the backdrop of the Exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir. The book Our Moon Has Blood Clots by Rahul Pandita has inspired many parts of the movie. Upon its release, Shikara received widespread criticism, especially from the Kashmiri Pandit community. While it was praised for its cinematography and performances, it was considered a "sanitised take" on the exodus for leaving out the brutal details of its source material and focusing on a love story instead.
Production
In March 2018, it was reported that a film was shot under the title "Love and Letters" in Kashmir by Vidhu Vinod Chopra. In an interview later, he mentioned that almost entirely film was shot in Kashmir. Initially in Summer, then in autumn and again in Winter. Only refugee camps were recreated in Mumbai and some sequences in Agra, but this part of story is brief. Shots in Kashmir included several places such as the Lalit Hotel in Srinagar, on shikaras in the middle of a lake, on the backwaters of the Dal, in a desolate Hindu house, near Hazratbal and many more.
Some scenes were reported to be shot in Wandhama near Ganderbal, where one of the biggest massacres occurred in the Valley. Twenty-three Kashmiri Hindus – four children, nine women and ten men – were massacred in 1998.
Casting
Lead characters of Kashmiri birth, Aadil Khan and Sadia were cast to lend authenticity. Several Kashmiri Pandits were selected for principal cast. Also, to make refugee camps as similar as possible to the real ones 30 years ago (19 January 1990), actual refugees were cast. Approximately 4,000 out of 400,000 refugees, who are currently inhabitants of Jagti Nagrota Migrant Camp and other refugee camps agreed to take part. They were women, children and older people. Refugee camp scenes were shot for several days and nights in Bhagwati Nagar, Jammu. [citation needed]
Release
The film was released on 7 February 2020. It was released digitally on 4 April 2020, on Amazon Prime Video in India.
Reception
While the movie received mixed reviews from critics, the general audience and Kashmiri Pandits were critical of the film for failing to tell the story of the exodus, negative reactions were centered on unrealistic portrayals and for focusing on a love story than on the actual exodus.
The Times of India gave the movie 3 out of 5 stars, and called it largely a one-sided story which does cater to the cinematic appeal of certain movie-goers. Jyoti Kanyal of India Today also gives the movie 3 out of 5 stars and writes that the story "beautifully combines real incidents and a fictional love story". Both TOI and India Today praise debutantes Sadia and Aadil Khan. Newslaundry reviewed the film as a successful love story but a failed political drama. The Hindu gives a more critical review, saying that "Chopra buries politics under the garb of ‘love and hope’" and ends up making the movie simplistic. Livemint also comments on the 'simplification of politics behind the exodus' in the movie. Nandini Ramnath of Scroll.in also writes a similar review, weak in history, strong in love. Firstpost also gave the movie 3 out of 5 stars. According to The Wire, the film is "a poetically told tale that somewhere loses its way".
In a screening of the film especially for Kashmiri Pandits, a woman broke down and lashed out at director Vidhu Vinod Chopra (also present there) for not depicting the brutality of the exodus. The video went viral across social media.
Music
The film score was composed by A. R. Rahman and his apprentice group Qutub-E-Kripa. This marked Rahman's first collaboration with Vidhu Vinod Chopra, 26 years after Rahman declined an offer by Chopra in 1994.
The film's songs are composed by Sandesh Shandilya, Abhay Sopori and Rohit Kulkarni with lyrics written by Irshad Kamil, Bashir Arif and Raqueeb Alam.
Box office
Shikara earned ₹1.20 crore at the domestic box office on its opening day. On the second day, the film collected ₹1.85 crore. On the third day, the film collected ₹1.90 crore, taking total opening weekend collection to ₹4.95 crore. The lifetime collection of the film in net gross India was ₹8.15 crore.
