One of most coherent voices from Pakistan, Sabiha Sumar makes films which draw sustenance from the estuary of fact and fiction. Sabiha grew up in a household where story telling and poetry recitation was a way of life. No wonder, from a very young age, Sabiha believed that stories can change the world. And she realised her belief when her first documentary Who Will Cast The First Stone about three women in prison under Islamic law led to quashing of death-by-stoning sentence of Shahida Parveen, accused of adultery. We remember her for Khamosh Paani , the film which dealt with increasing radical influence among youth much before it became a global problem.
More than a decade after the film was released, Sabiha continues her pursuit for finding answers to growing religious intolerance on both sides of the border.
In India to give finish touches to her upcoming feature length documentary Azmayish , Sabiha says, the film is a travelogue with Kalki Koechlin where the actress goes to Pakistan and Sabiha comes to India. “It is a road movie where we are asking questions about contemporary violence and the use of religion in India and Pakistan. I lead the questions in Pakistan and she leads the way in India. We are focussing on people of both countries. What do they want, what is the human angle to the political discord?”
Elaborating her process, Sabiha says she started with certain questions and then allowed them to be challenged and countered on the ground. “India began as a secular country and Pakistan started as an Islamic republic. Where are they today, why is religion becoming an important factor to India’s identity? Has Pakistan gained or lost by creating an Islamic identity? Are Pakistanis questioning that identity? Has it done for them what they wanted to achieve or are they overwhelmed by the problem that it has created?”
In the last decade the space for a liberal believer has shrunk in society. Sabiha’s celebrated work Khamosh Paani delved into that space. “Islam is a monotheistic religion but it is open to interpretation and whoever has the power says his interpretation is correct. It is very clear in the Book that your intention is what governs everything but you should not judge intentions of your fellow beings. If you say you are a believer, I am no one to question that intention. I don’t have that authority over you. But if you politicise a religion, you lose its philosophy and real meaning and you start seeing very rigid lines of good and bad and become self-righteous. This is what has happened in Pakistan all these years and only recently we have started questioning what good has it done to us. Can’t we allow everyone believe in the way they want to believe?” she asks
In Khamosh Paani , reflects Sabiha, Salim asks her mother, ‘If you believe in Islam, why are you scared?’ Sabiha, whose spouse Sachithanandam Sathananthan is of Sri Lankan origin, goes on to add that no religion is free from politicisation. “Buddhism has been politicised in Sri Lanka. It is the most open of all religious philosophies but still there are monks who tell you this is right and this is wrong.”
Azmayish also deals with how over the years the establishment used religion for vested interests to deviate attention from socio-economic development. “Religion has been used to shut out the opposition. When General Zia Ul Haq said, ‘if you believe in Islam, vote for me’, there was little space left for argument. Instead of addressing the daily issues of roti, kapda aur makaan, children were being told what is more important is the afterlife.”
Talking about the recent spurt in the Pakistani film industry with as many as 60 films on the floor, Sabiha says censorship is there but the establishment now wants to encourage Pakistani films. “It allows us to question our religious identity that has become so straitjacketed that arts have gone completely out of the window. Now a dialogue has begun through cinema.” Is the Army part of the process? “The Army also has a vision for the country. Even in cultural sphere, Army remains an important voice. So I am sure it is working in tandem with the government.”
The Pakistani serials on Zindagi channel have opened a window to a society which is seldom seen on news channels. Sabiha, who has herself directed a couple of serials, feels at times fiction represents a more wholesome picture of a society. The opening of the media, she says, has provided financial independence to women. It reflects in her last film Good Morning Karachi , which is about a girl who wants to become a top model. “Before the opening up of the media what chances did Rafina have of finding financial independence in the world? With minimal education and humble background, at best, she could have been a secretary, a receptionist or a kindergarten teacher.” Till the 80s, the situation was no different for the Rafinas in India. “Here before the pressure of marriage comes up, she uses the window to go out and say here I am and I want to do something. She is driven by her ambition.” And today, she exults, this is the real life of Amna Ilyas, the actor who played Rafina. “She came exactly from the same humble background and today she is at the top of the modelling industry. And is part of Pakistan that is modern, liberal and is driven by ambition.”
Somebody who dabbles in both fiction and non-fiction, Sabiha says it the subject that defines the format. “There has to be a strong connect with reality and research is common to both and then I see what is the best possible format. Like Khamosh Paani started as a documentary but then I realised I will not be able to capture the heart of the story unless I feature real women talking about their wounds which I didn’t want to.” Game to direct a film in Bollywood, Sabiha is now working on a popular theme called Love Zindabad which will feature actors from both the countries.
Brave move
In Delhi for the screening of Chhotey Shah , a short film that she has made for Zeal For Unity initiative, Sabiha says it is a brave move. “It is trying to say that we are more connected than we think and we can break political discord by bringing the artistes together. Artistes have never really accepted borders but considering India-Pakistan hostility it becomes difficult for us to work with each other. However, one should give it a try. In the year 2002, at the height of Kargil War, I worked with Kirron Kher and Khamosh Paani was the first Pakistani film in 35 years to be released theatrically in India.”
