Chronotopic Consonance in Garm Hawa (1974) and Mammo (1994)

Author(s): Pravin Raj Singh

Abstract:

M.S. Sathyu’s Garm Hawa (1973) and Shyam Benegal’s Mammo (1994) are two germane works in Indian cinema, each offering poignant reflections on the trauma and dislocation following the Partition of India in 1947. Through the lens of their protagonists, both films examine the existential and socio-political struggles faced by individuals caught in the divide between India and Pakistan. While Garm Hawa portrays the challenges of a Muslim family’s survival and belonging in post-Partition India, Mammo focuses on an elderly woman’s experience of exile and her struggle for identity in the face of an unyielding bureaucracy. This paper explores the Chronotopic intersections between Garm Hawa and Mammo, separated by twenty years in their release, by examining how each film confronts issues of identity, statelessness, and marginalization. By applying critical perspectives from scholars such as Ashis Nandy, Bhaskar Sarkar, Homi Bhabha and Ira Bhaskar (among others), this analysis situates both films within the larger discourse of Partition studies and postcolonial trauma, and try to demonstrate how both Sathyu and Benegal navigate the complex terrain of national identity and individual resilience. The analysis concludes by considering the enduring relevance of these films in contemporary contexts marked by issues of migration, displacement, and nationalism.

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Pages: 90-94     |    2 View     |    0 Download