Ramchand Pakistani – Slow and Disappointing

A lot of hype surrounds Ramchand Pakistani, mainly because of the success of Khuda Kay Liye. Nandita Das is also in the film, raising expectation even further. But the film fell short of my expectations.

Champa (Das) is a Hindu Dalit living with her farmer husband, Shankar (Farooqui) and 8-year-old son Ramchand (Hussain) in Bhimda, on the Indo-Pak border. Her life turns topsy-turvy when her husband and son accidentally cut cross the border into India and are assumed to be Pakistani agents. They are sent to a prison in Bhuj. Champa has no idea of their whereabouts. She prays for their return. Eventually, she gives up and moves to another town with her relatives. Meanwhile, Shankar and Ramchand bond with their roommates in jail. They are delighted when their release letter arrives two months later, but their joy is short-lived as they are sent back to Delhi. And they are jailed again. This time, they spend over four years in jail, in spite of being innocent.

Ramchand Pakistani is painfully slow and some scenes are very abrupt or loosely-explained. For instance, we are not told the story behind the mad paper-eating painter or the supposed pervert who lures boys with biscuits or why Shankar calls his son to his cell in the middle of the night. The deletion of certain scenes by the Censor Board makes matters even worse.

On the bright side, the performances are good. Syed Fazal Hussain, as the younger Ramchand, is very cute and his performance is heart-rending. The boy steals the show. Farooqui, who plays the protective father, is excellent too. Naved Jabber plays 13-year-old Ramchand and he fits the role of the street-smart boy innocent Ramchand becomes. Nandita Das gets into the skin of her character as usual. The bonding between father and son is sweet and realistic, so are the portrayals of prison life and the plight of the untouchable Dalits. The track showing the attachment between Ramchand and his teacher Kamla (Maria Wasti) is well-handled.

The pre-climactic scene, during which Ramchand is freed, is particularly moving, but the climax is rather abrupt.

The movie has been filmed like a documentary, reminiscent of Middle-Eastern movies like Children of Heaven and Osama.

Watch Ramchand for Syed Fazal Hussain’s performance or are a fan of true stories. But you will have to be patient, the plot moves very slowly.

Janhvi Patel, Hill Road Media