Bollywood lines up films based on honour killings

Infamous for their conservative outlook towards love and marriage, the khap panchayats are finding their way on to the silver screen with several Bollywood directors lining up films based on honour killings.

TV soap maker Ajai Sinha and director Avtar Bhogal are the latest to try and use a cinematic medium to deal with the complex issue.

Known for soaps such as "Ghar Ek Sapna," "Haasratein" and "Astitva," Sinha decided to make "Khap- A Story Of Honour Killing" after he came across a related newspaper article.

"These killings have taken place even in the capital Delhi also. My film has borrowed from many such incidents and it's not particularly based on any one incident. It is inspired from all and not one," says Sinha.

The film stars Om Puri, Yuvika Chaudhary, Govind Namdeo, Mohnish Behl and Manoj Pahwa in pivotal roles.

"I visited some places in Haryana where this tradition is still followed. I talked to panchayat members and villagers as a part of my research on the film," says Sinha.

Khap panchayats are local caste councils in northern India which are against inter-caste and same gotra (sub-caste) marriages.

Honour killings have taken place in these parts of the country but in recent months there has been a spurt in the cases including a sensational triple murder case in the capital city last month.

Even Non-Resident Indians have carried out heineous crime in countries like Britain. Director Avtar Bhogal's "Honour Killing — God Forgive Me" traces the honour killing issue among NRIs in UK.

The film stars Indian and Pakistani film artists including Zara Shiekh, Javed Shiekh, Tom Alter, Gulshan Grover and Prem Chopra.

"Asians have left their original homes in search of peace and abundance, yet still they carry with them the attitudes from which they wished to escape in the first place. There is no place for such heinous acts in a free, fair and liberal society like Britain which has, after all, given them shelter," says Bhogal, who earlier directed Dimple Kapadia and Raj Babbar starrer "Zakhmi Aurat" in 1988.

He says honour killing is not a subject for commercial cinema and may end up losing part of his investment as a producer.

"I want to urge the authorities to take stringent measures to curb this menace and want to create awareness within the communities engaged in this reprehensible practise," he says.

Both directors feel cinema as a medium has the capacity to bring in the much needed change of mindset in the society.

"My film has the message that its not justice to kill anybody marrying with in a gotra. It is undemocratic and against freedom of choice," says Sinha.

"My film is a protest against such traditions and practise. India is not one Khap Panchyat. Murder in the name of honour is not acceptable. India of today will not tolerate it" says Bhogal.

"Cinema can bring awareness and mould the public opinion  making the Government to act against honour killings. I have made a small attempt at that," he adds.

Sinha is not afraid of offending anybody as the film deals with the much debated issue.

"We are showing the both, good and bad sides of Khap panchayats. Its not a movie on their good part only. I am showing whats in front of our eyes today," he says.

National-award winning director Priyadarshan is making 'Aakrosh', a hard hitting film dealing with love across caste barriers and honour killing set in Bihar. The film stars Ajay Devgn, Akshaye Khanna and Bipasha Basu.

Earlier, Dibakar Banerjee's "Love, Sex aur Dhoka" had made a mention of the issue in one of the three stories in the film.