‘Opportunity’ in Garam Hawa

What’s in it for Muslims living in India, to move to Pakistan, from the Indian Muslim perspective? The movie depicts Hindus’  growing dissent towards Muslims moving to Pakistan and a greater disregard for the Muslim minority that stayed behind. This anti-Muslim sentiment is quite justified because the religious ideology of the Muslims failed their community in India. Notice that the refusal of loans to Salim Mirza is primarily because the Muslims, who fled to Pakistan, in hope of better living conditions, left him with a forbidden reputation.

When we deconstruct the movie –Haleem Mirza’s emigration, Amina’s acceptance of Shamshad’s proposal, Ajmani Sahab’s takeover of the Haveli, Kazim’s scholarhip offer and marriage with the minister’s daughter are all matters of timely opportunity. This not only complies with the maintenance of the socio-economic status in society but also shows Muslims in a negative light. Is it wrong to adopt change and opportunity for better living conditions? Aren’t then Salim Mirza’s deteriorating conditions his own fault to a great extent? In its show of the differences and segregation that partition started, the movie also describes partition as a convenient process and mighty hopeful on the other side of the border. This reconciles the ideas of change with social displacement of some sort. Where part of the Mirza family sees economic elevation, the other half moves out of the big haveli to a small house, almost loses business and settles for Shamshad, whom we as viewers too, find an unworthy choice for Amina. One must consider that Amina’s acceptance of Shamshad’s proposal is the first time a woman depicts some sort of agency in the movie after Dada’s failed attempt to stay behind in the Haveli. This also shows that the youth is more flexible and opportunistic in this new India.