Pinjar – Der Preis der Freiheit (2003)

Pinjar – Der Preis der Freiheit: Directed by Chandra Prakash Dwivedi. With Urmila Matondkar, Manoj Bajpayee, Sanjay Suri, Sandali Sinha. In the days leading up to Partition, a Hindu woman is abducted by a Muslim man. Soon, she finds herself not only forced into marriage, but living in a new country as the borders between India and Pakistan are drawn.

“I come to Pinjar from a completely different background than most of the other reviewers who have posted here. Iu0026#39;m relatively new to Bollywood films and was born and raised in the US. So I donu0026#39;t have a broad basis for comparing Pinjar to other Indian films. Luckily, no comparison is needed.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003ePinjar stands on its own as nothing less than a masterpiece.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIn one line I can tell you that Pinjar is one of the most important films to come out of any studio anywhere at any time. On a mass-appeal scale, it *could* have been the Indian equivalent of u0026quot;Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragonu0026quot; had it been adequately promoted in the US. This could very well have been the film that put Bollywood on the American map. The American movie-going public has a long-standing love affair with u0026quot;Gone With the Windu0026quot;, and while Pinjar doesnu0026#39;t borrow from that plot there are some passing similarities. Not the least of which is the whopping (by US standards) 183-minute run time.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eSet against the gritty backdrop of the India-Pakistan partition in 1947-48 is a compelling human drama of a young woman imprisoned by circumstances and thrust into troubles she had no hand in creating. Put into an untenable position, she somehow manages to not only survive, but to grow — and even flourish.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIf the story is lacking in any way, itu0026#39;s in the exposition. Purou0026#39;s (the protagonist) growth as a person would be better illustrated — at least for western audiences unfamiliar with Indian culture — if her characteru0026#39;s u0026quot;back storyu0026quot; were more fully developed in the early part of the film. But that would have stretched a 3-hour movie to 3 1/2 hours or perhaps even more. Because not one minute of the film is wasted, and none of what made it out of editing could really be cut for the sake of time. Better that the audience has to fill in some of what came before than to leave out any of what remains.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eI could use many words to describe Pinjar: u0026quot;poignantu0026quot;, u0026quot;disturbingu0026quot;, u0026quot;compellingu0026quot;, u0026quot;heart-wrenchingu0026quot; come to mind immediately. But u0026quot;upliftingu0026quot; is perhaps as apropos as any of those. Any story that points up the indomitability of the human spirit against the worst of odds has to be considered such. And Purou0026#39;s triumph — while possibly not immediately evident to those around her — is no less than inspirational. For strength of story alone I cannot recommend this film highly enough.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eEqually inspiring is Urmila Matondkaru0026#39;s portrayal of Puro. All too often overlooked amid the bevy of younger, newer actresses, Urmila has the unique capability to deliver a completely credible character in any role she plays. She doesnu0026#39;t merely act Purou0026#39;s part, she breathes life into the character. Manoj Bajpaiu0026#39;s selection as Rashid was inspired. He manages something far too few Indian film heroes can: subtlety. His command of expression and nuance is essential to the role. He brings more menace to the early part of the film with his piercing stare than all of the sword-wielding rioters combined.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eIf you only see one Bollywood film in your life, make it Pinjar.”