Mr. Jinnah: The Making of Pakistan (2002)
Please post your reviews of the Jinnah documentary here. Film reviews are worth 10% of the grade. Those of you who have not seen either Dev or Jinnah must visit the library and see one of the two and psot a review on the blog.
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18 Comments:
Here are my thought on the movie Dev
Dev Review
“Terrorism has to do with politics, not with our religion”, Dev.
After viewing Dev and Mr. Jinnah: The Making of Pakistan, I saw similarities among Dev’s character, Farhaan, and Jinnah. Popular Muslims within their own fields, both men struggled with personal development in order to win the fight for religious justice. Both characters are examples of regular men who are forced to become popular leaders under extreme measures.
In modern life, Jinnah was a reflective and reserve politician in India during the first half the nineteenth century. Jinnah’s popularity and success from founding Pakistan – a homeland for Muslims – did not come from his own will. Working as a minority within the political system Jinnah found it hard to balance his professional life with his religious values. He only joined the League after it begun to follow the Nationalist views of Congress. But his liberal and secular politics clashed with the popular movement in Congress after World War I and with Gandhi. Feeling isolated, Jinnah left Congress. During World War II, British politicians turned to Jinnah to gain League support against the Allies. Making the deal, Jinnah turned for suggestions as to what to get in return, and a homeland for Muslims was overwhelming the leading suggestion. Jinnah’s political position forced him into the role of the founder of Pakistan. I believe Jinnah would not have asked for a Muslim homeland if he was in any other position for he cared more about politics and his education than religious issues and his personal religious development. Jinnah was forced to accept he was a Muslim who had power within the Indian and British Governments and was one of few who could carry out the task of creating a Muslim homeland.
In Bollywood’s Dev, Farhaan saw it as his duty to carry out his father’s dream of ending religious terrorism. But Farhaan’s character was like Jinnah in the sense that he cared about his studies more than correcting religious disorder. And similar to Jinnah, Farhaan was forced to accept the duty to fight for justice after witnessing his father’s murder. Farhaan acts from his emotions throughout the film as he battles terrorist violence in the city. But again I believe Farhaan would not have been so emotional and driven to fight for religious justice if he wasn’t forced to. In his case, he was forced to because of his father’s death, where Jinnah was forced to by popular movement.
Both Jinnah and Farhaan became popular leaders in the fight for religious justice, but only after a long struggle with their personal development. Both men had to access their personal ties to Islam in order to find their inner-will to lead the fight.
Sarabeth Nicholson 11/27/05
For what I saw of Mr Jinnah: The Making of Pakistan, I thought it was a very interesting film. Mr. Jinnah was a huge figure for the Muslims. In the beginning of the film it showed how his death impacted everyone not just Muslims. Everyone seemed to be at his funeral to show their respect for him. Jinnah seemed to be a very powerful name. I was surprised to see how badly he wanted to go to England to get an education and was in no hurry of coming home even though he had a wife waiting for him. It just showed me that he was his own person. He even married a women outside of his religion for his second marriage although she did convert to his religion. It made his father upset that he did this but again it showed that he was his own person and did what he wanted to do.
The very existance of Mr. Jinnah within the muslim/hindu world has been detrimental to the present day ideas that are currently changing that world and allowing for them to mesh into a global society. The man was a true pioneer to his world, and he showed a way for young muslims/hindus to become global political powers and influences, and give rise to Pakistan. From his earliest years, he realized the importance of recieving an english education, so he strayed form his home and ideals, thus allowing him to network globally. From there he thought ouside of his religion even, marrying outside of his religion, crossing the muslim/hindu line. Something at that time which was unheard of. He then finally developed and strengthened the aspect of education within his nation as a way of gaining future global economic power. He set the mold for how asians today have gained global recognition and become funtioning governmental powers within the global society of today.
The documentary on Mr. Jinnah showed the great impact that Jinnah had on the people of Pakistan. The Pakistanis put a great deal of faith and trust into Jinnah and were very loyal to him. One man expressed this loyalty while listening to a speech Jinnah was making in English. He stated, “I don’t know what he’s saying but I know it’s right.”
I was surprised by this blind devotion to his leader. This is because Jinnah seemed to be different from his people in several aspects. For instance, in this case Jinnah was speaking English. Jinnah spent a good deal of time in England for his schooling. He went alone to England at age 16 and when he returned his actions were very British. One commentator mentioned that much of what he did, from the way he walked to how he spoke, was greatly influenced by the British. When he was initially asked to come home from England, Jinnah didn’t want to. He wanted to stay and finish his schooling. Jinnah also differed from his people on a religious level as well. He married a woman of the Hindu faith, which was not considered acceptable of a Muslim leader. This is an important thing when you consider that almost all Pakistanis are Muslims. I would have thought that these divergences from the customs of his people would have hurt Jinnah as a leader. However, the Pakistani people continued to look up to him and regard him with respect, admiration and devotion.
Elizabeth Sullo 11/30
This was a really good film. Jinnah seemed to me to be a very strong and powerful man amongst the muslim people. He lead the muslims to become global political powers and helped to give rise to Pakistan. He was without a doubt a independently thinkning person. A man that is willing to reach out to people outside of religion, and not only befriend them but marry one, is a man who thinks for himself. Also, his decision to learn his education outside of PAkistan, and in English, shows he knew what would help benefit him better to help his people and he was going to do it no matter how we was looked at. From these situations he earned a great deal of respect. His presence not onlly affected Muslims, but everyone. This is evident when you watch his funeral, and just about everyone possible, irregardless of religion or race, was there to pay him his respect for the type of man he was.
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I agree with what Elizabeth and David have to say about Jinnah being a profound and accomplished man. His enduring dedication and determined willpower, allowed the Muslim Indians to join together through the Muslim League, which led to the creation of their own homeland, Pakistan. Jinnah also had the answers as how to deal with the refugee and Kashmir problem, as well as the difficulty when the Indian government retained Pakistani assets. In addition, he outlined a stable economic policy and developed both a national currency and a state bank. Jinnah was an incredible man, one who had tremendous foresight and can be characterized as a valiant human being.
Noah Abrahams: 12/01/05
Sarabeth's comments on how Jinnah and Farhaan both found their political leadership only after finding and maintaining their religious or personal ideas is extremely important to understanding the struggle between Muslims and Hindus. And as Tom Avino stated the formation of “Hindu Nations” and “Muslim Nations” has done more to hurt these two societies than to further them. By taking what Sarabeth and what Tom said it is very important to note that once people found their own personal voice and stance they were then capable to find their way in the political realm.
The movie Mr. Jinnah: The Making of Pakistan was a documentary that shared weaknesses that most other documentaries exhibit. In my opinion it presented Mr. Jinnah as many of the citizens of Pakistan saw him, as a larger than life hero that created their beloved country. The film does not really reveal a balanced view of his life and does not present him as a normal human being who has both strengths and weaknesses. As with many documentaries it also presented his life as a set of facts, Mr. Jinnah did this; Mr. Jinnah said that, etc. However, that is the also a strength of the film because it does not provide critical analysis of the information; it allows the viewer to make decide what they think about Mr. Jinnah. Overall, the documentary, like the man, had both strengths and weaknesses, but provided a much needed perspective on the creation of Pakistan and an alternative to the well known political powerhouse in India, Gandhi.
The film did successfully talk about his earlier years in enough detail to reference their impact on his later political life, but not too much so that the viewer knew more than his own mother knew about his childhood. The film also pointed out the contributions of other groups to the creation of Pakistan, such as the Muslim League and the university that provided much of the younger generation’s ideas about the political situation in India. It also did mention, although not is enough detail that Mr. Jinnah was not very clear about his desire to create a separate Muslim state from India until the very end. This was a very important point to bring up because it just as easily could have been ignored or omitted to make Mr. Jinnah appear as a beacon of the Muslim cause for a separate state from the beginning.
I think it would have been even more useful if the film went into more detail about events that occurred in India and Pakistan during Mr. Jinnah’s later years when he was heavily engaged in politics. In many cases, these events had to have made some sort of impact on him and his beliefs, but the film only briefly mentions things like mass violence between Muslims and Hindus. The film also seemed to use only those who admired and agreed with Mr. Jinnah to comment throughout the film. There was no real representation of those who were not in accordance with his beliefs, except to give general reasons why Gandhi and the Indian Congress did not.
In conclusion, the film had both positive and negative aspects to its telling of the life story of Mr. Jinnah. In many cases the negative aspects were those that are traps that any documentary producer can easily fall into. The positive aspects were those that did reveal Mr. Jinnah as a complex person, (although there were not enough). However, the film does have an overarching sense of Mr. Jinnah as a heroic and larger than life figure.
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Before watching "Mr. Jinnah: The Making of Pakistan" in class, I also had not heard of Jinnah despite the critical role he played in the formation of Pakistan. In the documentary, he came across as a very intelligent and well-intentioned political leader who cared about his fellow citizens. In turn, many people respected him as well. Only when the hope for a unified India seemed lost did he advocate for the Muslim state of Pakistan.
It was a shame that Jinnah died so quickly after Pakistan's creation and that he could not have lived longer to help shape the new Islamic state. I wonder if he had lived how different Pakistan would be today.
Steph Scholl 12/3/05
Prior to seeing "Mr. Jinnah:The Making of Pakistan", I was not aware of who Jinnah was. I learned a lot about his life and the influential role he played in forming Pakistan. I was moved by the opening parts of the movie. I found it very interesting at the immense affect this man had on so many people. I would agree with Liz's comment about how much faith the people had in Jinnah. In the documentary, it was mentioned that Jinnah was not thrilled by the pomp and ceremony of his role. He was reserved, reflective, and quiet. His demeanure may have been the reason that so many people respected him. He was a man who could get his message across in a meaningful way.
-Laura Coogan 12/3 10:00pm
Like several other commenters before me, I was not aware of Jinnah, despite his overwhelmingly important role in the creation of the nation of Pakistan. I think his success had much to do with his status as a free thinker. In several instances, from his education in England to his marriage to a much younger mogan outside of his religion, something I thought would have been unheard of especially after watching the Hindu/Muslim conflict play out in "Dev" He clearly wasn't afraid to break down barriers and go against the grain. Despite his unconventional choices, the scene displaying his unfortunate death and subsequent memorial display the immense respect and love people had for him. His passing leaves many questions about the state of Pakistan, and how things may have been different if Mr. Jinnah had more time.
Jessica Blackwell 12/4
It's amazing what one doesn't learn under a "Western education." Mohammad ali Jinnah has had this immense impact in India and Pakistan and it takes a documentary to be introduced to his story.
As "father of the nation" to Pakistan, It was interesting to see Jinnah shape the Muslim Leauge as the sole representative party for Muslims; making it the key for a future Indian constitution. In a polarized society, it takes a poltical mastermind to promote one's party, and not have the other's feel challenged.
I also admired his stance on womens rights and his intrepid decision to marry outside of his religion. Along with Ghandi, it seems that Jinnah's aura as a national leader was unmatched. This was evident in his funeral, where throngs of people from both cultures could put aside their differnces and pay respect to one of history's many unfamiliar heroes.
To me, it seems that Jinnah's influence in India is drowned out by Gandhi's historically Saint-like status. While I in no way wish to downplay Gandhi's leadership and revolutionary secular idealism, I think that he is given a disproportionately large amount of attention when compared to Jinnah. Jinnah was equally, if not more so, responsible for shaping Indian politics and standing up for the rights of the persecuted Muslim people. Many give Gandhi more credit because he believed in a united, secular India, while Jinnah promoted division of the Muslim and Hindu people. However, Jinnah would have ideally wanted a unified India, but he realized that it was a virtually impossible goal. He therefore fought for what he believed would be best for all Indians; the formation of Pakistan.
I thought the film, Mr. Jinnah: The making of Pakistan, was very interesting. It was a documentary about Jinnah.It was interesting seeing how Jinnah became a dominant figure in Pakistan. Jinnah was not born into wealth, and worked very hard for all of his accomplishments. I liked the fact that Jinnah went to England and disobeyed his father commands. He was very stubborn and wanted his own independence.
I found it odd that Jinnah didn’t like to be called a muslim, after arriving back from England. It showed the effects of living in a western society for too long. You only like to be distinguished by your name. Its seemed as if whenever Jinnah encounterd a problem, he would go to England. He went to England to expand his horizons when he was young, and went back again after he was booed, because he rejected Ghandi’s tactics.
It seemed to me Jinnah found his calling through Ghandi. Ghandi was believed to be turning the government in a Hindu government.
Prior to this, Jinnah believed in India unity, and was often considered as a star of India. However, after he was booed, he had a change of thought. Jinnah felt pushed to separate India, into a muslim and hindu state. Jinnah spread his belief of separate states for benefit of Muslims and eventually made Pakistan as the muslim state. Jinnah can be seen as a hero, because he helped stop two decades of fights between muslims and hindus. I was proud to see how much was established by one man, and the affect it had on so many people during the documentary.
12/05/05
The Aga Khan considered him "the greatest man he ever met", Beverley Nichols, the author of `Verdict on India', called him "the most important man in Asia", and Dr. Kailashnath Katju, the West Bengal Governor in 1948, thought of him as "an outstanding figure of this century not only in India, but in the whole world". While Abdul Rahman Azzam Pasha, Secretary General of the Arab League, called him "one of the greatest leaders in the Muslim world", the Grand Mufti of Palestine considered his death as a "great loss" to the entire world of Islam. Surat Chandra Bose, leader of the Forward Bloc wing of the Indian National Congress, on his death in 1948, said Jinnah "was great as a lawyer, once great as a Congressman, great as a leader of Muslims, great as a world politician and diplomat, and greatest of all as a man of action, By Mr. Jinnah's passing away, the world has lost one of the greatest statesmen and Pakistan its life-giver, philosopher and guide". Prior to viewing the documentary devoted to the life and works of Mohammed Ali Jinnah, I had never heard the name before, which after viewing and reading about his rather enormous and significant accomplishments and contributions to the world, seems rather strange and disturbing. While I did not have significant enough knowledge of Pakistan or Jinnah prior to viewing the film to write a thorough or critical analysis of the film in regard to accuracy, I found the film to be very interesting, creative in comparison to other documentaries that I have viewed, and a honorable attempt at bringing forth the work and achievements of a great man.
The movie opens in 1948. A year has passed since the creation of Pakistan and a convoy of army trucks is escorting a dying Jinnah and his devoted sister Fatimah. The ambulance carrying Jinnah breaks down and he is put on a respirator. Darkness follows and then Jinnah is shown walking through a library, which we can assume is some form of heavenly place or after-life. It is here that Jinnah is awaiting his final judgment on the activities of his life. He meets a scholar who tells him that the computerized system bearing his records is down and his records are missing. The scholar then tells Jinnah that they must revisit the past events of his life. The revisiting of Jinnah’s past life as told by the scholar, who narrates the film, comprises the main part of the film.
Jinnah's tale begins in 1947 as England prepares to grant India its freedom. Muslims have always been a minority in the diverse country and Jinnah wants to create a country especially for them. The Muslim leader's nemesis, Viceroy Mountbatten finds Jinnah's proposal disturbing and so attempts to convince Ghandi and Nehru to dissuade Jinnah from starting more trouble. They do not succeed. The story then jumps backward to 1916 when Jinnah was a young man serving as a prominent member of the India Congress Party. It was during this time that he also married a beautiful Parsee named Ruttie.
The young Jinnah, a brilliant lawyer, played by Richard Lintern, is an idealist who wants to free his country from imperial Britain. As a member of the Congress, Jinnah fought for Hindu-Muslim Unity and this was viewed as his initial fight or goal. He felt that the only way to achieve this unification was to remove the imperialism of Britain from the country. However, Jinnah soon realizes that realizes that Gandhi and Nehru are trying to indoctrinate Hindu ideals into what was an essentially secular independence movement. He is convinced that a Muslim minority population living under Hindu majority rule would essentially become second-class citizens. Frustrated with Congress, he quits politics and settles in England as a barrister. There he is persuaded by poet-philosopher Allama Iqbal to return to India and use his unique leadership skills in the service of the Muslims. So he returns to India and from the platform of the Muslim League, demands a separate homeland for Indian Muslims. While Jinnah’s initial goals was to unify Hindus and Muslims, he realized that this was not a realistic goal and only then did he begun his push for the independent state of Pakistan.
Jinnah faced many obstacles and adversaries in his initial quest for hindu-muslim unity and in his final fight for the independent Muslim state of Pakistan. However with will, strict discipline, and principled stand, overcame all the hurdles and carves out the homeland for Muslim aspirations. While Jinnah remains a complex and controversial man, who was not without his own mistakes, inconsistencies and regrets, such as not spending more time and attention on his wife Ruttie, but instead choosing to remain for long periods of time in England focusing on his own education and affairs, his conviction, hard work, and accomplishments are admirable and well displayed through the Jinnah Documentary. The undying and sometimes blind loyalty and respect that Pakistani as well as the global community had for him show that whatever his faults and despite criticism, he will remain a great man in history.
Tarilyn Little
12/05
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