Tamas (film)
| Tamas | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Govind Nihalani |
| Produced by |
|
| Screenplay by | Govind Nihalani |
| Based on |
Tamas by Bhisham Sahni |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Vanraj Bhatia |
| Cinematography |
V. K. Murthy Govind Nihalani |
| Edited by | Sutanu Gupta |
| Distributed by | Blaze Entertainment Pvt Ltd |
|
Release date
|
1988 |
|
Running time
|
298 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
Tamas (lit. Darkness) is a 1988 period television film written and directed by Govind Nihalani. It is based on the Hindi novel of the same name by Bhisham Sahni (1974), which won the author the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1975. Set in the backdrop of riot-stricken Pakistan at the time of Partition of India in 1947, the film deals with the plight of emigrant Sikh and Hindu families to India as a consequence of the partition. It was first shown on India's national broadcaster Doordarshan as a mini-series and later as a one-off four-hour-long feature film. At the 35th National Film Awards, it won three awards including the Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration. In August 2013, it was shown on History TV18 as a series.
Nathu (Om Puri), a Chamar, is finishing his work in his shop when the thekedar (Pankaj Kapur) walks in and asks him to entice a pig from a nearby piggery into his shop and kill it for the Veterinary doctor who needs it for medical purposes. Nathu tries to decline saying he has never killed a pig before and doesn't have the necessary skill for it, offering instead to tan the hide if required provided the people from the piggery kill it. Thekedar insists that he wants Nathu to do it and gives him 5 rupees for it and leaves the shop saying that the work must be done by morning when the jamadar will come to take the carcass.
Early next morning Bakshiji (A.K. Hangal) and a few other members of the Congress party gather at the Congress office and march out for cleaning the drains in a Muslim mohalla for propaganda, singing patriotic songs. Initially they're received at the mohalla warmly and are joined in by the residents in cleaning the drains. Later they are confronted by an old Muslim and asked to leave for their own good. Soon stones fly at the party members from neighboring houses and they flee the scene. Party members soon discover that someone has thrown a pig carcass at the steps of a mosque.
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