From Hikmat To Kanjari

The movie “Bol” is sectioned into two distinct parts, hinging around Saifi’s death. Both these parts seemingly have little to do with each other, with the focus in the former primarily on Saifi’s struggle to find acceptability within the eyes of his strict father Hakim Hashmutallah, and in the latter with the Hakim’s introduction to the brothel and his relationship with the prostitute Meena. Though functioning as two separate narratives, Saifi’s death in the first part is an important turning point for the character of Hakim Sahib. Before Saifi’s death, the Hakim is seen as a harsh and abusive father and husband. After this event he becomes a murderer, and the irony is that the fear of his son becoming a performer on the streets is what eventually pushes him into the abode of the dancing girls of Lahore, a place he become increasingly intimate with. Though he asserts “hum kanjar ban nahin gaye” the film shows him progressively becoming integrated within the brothel culture, until he reaches a point where even the people of this place look down upon him. Earlier in the movie he rejects the money Saqa gives to him and also gives away the sweets he brings for him, later he not only takes the money Saqa offers but also eats with him. He becomes immersed into the prostitute culture when he too “sells his body” for money. This assimilation becomes complete when Saqa congratulates him on becoming a part of the family, much like the dog he his petting at the moment. Thus Saifi’s murder sets in motion an ironic downfall for the Hakim. He murders one child for he fears what it will become and then knowingly participates in the birth of another with complete knowledge of her future, culminating in a mirror scene where he tries to kill this daughter as well.