Movie Review : Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters)

Rating : 4/5
Genre : Drama
Year : 2003
Running time : 1 hours 45 minutes
Director : Sabiha Sumar
Cast : Kiron Kher, Amir Ali Khan, Shilpa Shukla
Kid rating : PG-15

Silent Waters is a much acclaimed film, and I’d heard a lot about it. When I watched it recently via Netflix Streaming I was surprised to see the names of so many international organizations fly by on the screen. It appears that Pakistani director Sumar, who wished to make a film about the dangers of ever-increasing fundamentalism, had a hard time getting funding in her home country, and was forced to look for it outside. German and French film groups helped fund this film. Khamosh Pani is a partition-era movie, and it is about the partition and it’s after effects, especially it’s ramifications for women.

Widowed Ayesha (Kiron Kher), and her young son Saleem, the apple of her eye, live in the small, rural village of Charkhi, Pakistan. The village is a close-knit community and Ayesha lives frugally but happily, making a modest living by teaching the Quran to the village kids. Salim is in love with village girl Zubeida (Shilpa Shukla), but while she has dreams of a better, progressive future, he appears rather aimless and drifting.

The political climate (this is 1979) starts to change when Prime Minister Bhutto is assasinated and dictator Zia-ul-Huq takes power. Under him, fundamentalism is stronger and seeps down to Charkhi in the guise of two visitors to the village. The two men try to drum up support for regressive Islamic law by influencing the youth. Saleem is drawn to their dangerous notions, and fancies himself a religious soldier. His mother and Zubeida try to talk sense into him, but to no avail.

Meanwhile a band of Sikhs from across the border (i.e.; India) come to visit the village shrines, and are welcomed by the village people. However Saleem and other fundamentalists in the village would have them return. Tensions further escalate when one of the Sikh visitors spots a familiar face, a face that reminds him of his dead sister . . .

This is a wonderfully well-made film. It is simple, well-paced and narrates an emotional and gut-wrenching story without hype or over-dramatization. “Silent Waters” tells Ayesha’s poignant tale, and through her the tale of many women who were raped, killed or forced to commit suicide by their family members (honor killings) during the riots of the partition. Sumer also makes a statement against religious fundamentalism, and the regressive interpretation of Islamic law which forbids education of women, and the use of music and the arts. Kirron Kher is outstanding as Ayesha and the power behind the film, and Shilpa Shukla (seen in “Chak de India” and “Hazaron Khwaishen aisi“) as Zubeida is good too. Malik as Saleem is a tad weak in his portrayal. Kher and Shukla were the only two Indian actors I recognized; many apparently were not professional actors.

“Khamosh Pani” is a must-watch. Highly recommended.

Kidwise : The focus of this film is atrocities on women, a topic which might be difficult for children under 15.