While the controversial film Parzania may have been successful in reviving the sad memories of 2002 Gujarat riots through the real life story of a Parsi family, it has left the Muslims in the State disappointed and ignored despite suffering maximum scars in communal violence.
People belonging to the Muslim community here are unhappy that the critically acclaimed movie, intended to bring latent truth in open, failed to showcase their wounds and suffering during the communal violence.
"The film is based on a Parsi family. What happened to them was really sad, we sympathies with them. But the Muslims suffered more then them during the Gujarat riot. Our family suffered during the riot as well," rued Sheikh Safibhai, the relative of a riot victim.
Muslim feels that the movie should have covered the sufferings of their community too to make the world aware of the truth.
"The film Parzania is based on the sufferings of just one family. They should have made a movie on how everyone suffered during the riots, so that everyone would come to know what actually happened at that time. Humanity died during that riot," said Ilias Bhai, son of a riot victim.
Parzania is based on the true story of the disappearance of a 13-year-old Parsi boy, Azhar, during the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat, and his parent's five-year long search for him.
{{/usCountry}}Parzania is based on the true story of the disappearance of a 13-year-old Parsi boy, Azhar, during the 2002 communal riots in Gujarat, and his parent's five-year long search for him.
{{/usCountry}}Rioters attacked the young boy's family, members of the Zoroastrian community in Gujarat, even though they were not Muslims.
The riots erupted after 59 Kar Sevaks (religious volunteers) travelling on a train in S-6 bogey of a train were burnt alive near Godhra railway platform, sparking widespread rioting in the state among Hindus and Muslims.
About 2,500 people, majority of them from Muslim families, lost their lives due to communal violence.
Parzania derives its name from a fantasy world in the film created by its 10-year-old protagonist Parzan.
Much has been written about the riots and it was the Muslim community's suffering that captivated everyone's attention.The film is the first to focus on the impact the violence had on India's small community of Parsis, a distinct religious group.
Film distributors in Gujarat, however, could not release the film in the state, for fear of violence by hard-line Hindu groups, who are not favourably disposed to the film's treatment of the riots.