Critical analysis of the movie “Jinnah”

 

 

“Jinnah”, the only movie on the life of the great leader and founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah, describes some of the aspects of different parts of his life. The movie consists of some of the main events which happened in the life of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, such as his illness, marriage, problems faced by him in the struggle for independence. But still, the movie does not seem too good, due to some of the mistakes and wrong ideology and ill showiness of some scenes. I would break the critical analysis into following headings:

Reality

As this movie is based on a real character who is a very important person and has had an immensely significant role in the history of the world and more specifically in the struggle for independence of sub-continental Muslims, the whole movie should be all based on reality and facts, and should not have a single pinch of any wrong, assumption, fictional or additional element or story. But unfortunately, this movie does consist of such things.

The fictional Jinnah, as shown in much parts of the movie, makes the movie give a non-serious picture and turns the whole movie’s image to 180 degrees. The old Jinnah is shown to be visiting the past and seeing what he had not seen in real and knowing people from behind the scenes. Like when Jawaharlal Nehru was sitting with Lord Mountbatten’s wife and talking personal when in the car Quaid is with her sister Fatima, the old Jinnah in black sherwani suit is shown to be sitting at the front, and most specifically when the young Jinnah meets the old Jinnah in his home’s lawn. This specific scene creates a very unnatural, fictional and reluctant view and image for the viewers, making the viewers uninterested in the realities that really happened in Jinnah’s life and thus downgrading the value of the whole movie. Moreover, in another scene, when some of the locals attack in a conference after the independence of Pakistan when Muhammad Ali Jinnah was delivering his speech, one of the attackers comes to the stage and tries to hit Jinnah with a tool in his hand, the person shown with the fictional Jinnah steps forward causing the attacker fall down and hence saving Jinnah from the attack. This very scene is even more unnatural and wrong in which the future of Jinnah and that guy with him is shown to be influencing Jinnah’s past. What a nonsense idea and scene it is; what did the movie makers think while recording and showing such a scene, a ridiculous attempt I would say.

 Importance

Another issue I would raise about the movie is the importance of the things shown in it. The movie as a whole revolves around the personal life of Jinnah, instead of the main events in his struggle for the independence of Pakistan. There are scenes shown in the movie about his struggle and his manliness and dignity in the path of struggle for the independence, though, but that forms a little part of the movie. As mentioned before, the movie consists of more of his personal life biography, which is of less or no importance when talking about his efforts in the cold war of independence, like it is shown in the movie about his marriage, his wife and his personal life. There are a lot of other things which could be shown and depicted in the movie such as his political career as a member of Congress and afterwards joining Muslim League due to certain reasons, his collaboration with other the then Muslim leaders, his efforts in the last 10 years of struggle for independence and reaction towards the Hindu and British leaders. Though there are things shown related to some of the aspects I mentioned but they are not enough as to the hype the movie creates in the minds of people related to the subcontinent and more specifically to Pakistan, by its name “Jinnah” and ideology.

Ethics

While making a movie about such a great and significant person in history and such a respectful and honourable leader for the people, one should be careful enough about not showing ANYthing which would directly or indirectly influence the image of that person in the minds of the people or would seem a disregard in the honour of that person. Unfortunately such things are a part of this movie, such as the scene where Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s wife has been shown laying on bed and the scene in which she is shown wearing ungrateful dress and smoking. These things, even if they are true and related to facts, should not be depicted because it creates a feeling of disrespect for the better half of our Quaid and also unveils the privacy of such a great person. No one is perfect, everyone has a past and wrong deeds, but those should not be communicated to people as this is forbidden in our religion and is also unethical.

Apart from the criticizes I have made about this movie, there are good things too in this movie, the personality of Muhammad Ali Jinnah is shown very refined, as it was in real, and also his and Muslims sacrifices in the way of struggle for independence and efforts are shown brilliantly.