SOCIOLOGY PROJECT

SOCIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF MULK MOVIE

SUBMITTED BY-                                                                                SUPERVISED BY-
GARVIT CHAUDHARY                                                                             Dr. Ritu Sharma
26-BALLB-2017

NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY

DELHI (INDIA)
2018
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 INTRODUCTION

The y0 ungest s 0 n 0 f a Muslim family settled in Benaras gets inv 0 lved in terr 0 rist
activities, leading t 0 a b 0 mb blast massacre. His acti 0 ns have an adverse effect 0 n the
family wh 0 are left t 0 defend themselves as pe 0 ple wh 0 are inn 0 cent and n 0 t anti-
nati 0 nals
Direct 0 r Anubhav Sinha sets 0 ut t 0 lay bare the prejudice that 0 ften precedes pe 0 ple’s
percepti 0 n 0 f the Muslim c 0 mmunity in 0 ur c 0 untry. In the times that we are living in,
where 0 ur c 0 untry is p 0 larised and the cracks caused by the religi 0 us divide is getting
deeper; a film like this is the need 0 f the h 0 ur. 

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

 T0 understand the m0vie and the message that it gives in s0ciety.

 T0 analyze the m0vie fr0m the S0ci0l0gy perspective.
 T0 analyze the m0vie fr0m a legal p0int 0f view.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVE

D0ctrinal research will be used in c0mpleting the pr0ject and researcher will use vari0us
reviews and ratings given by different pe0ple and newspaper which are credible in nature. By
reading material present 0n internet research will understand the issue s0cially and legally
and present them after applying 0wn kn0wledge. The c0nclusi0n will be the sum up 0f wh0le
understanding 0f the issue.

RESEARCH SCHEME

The first part 0f the pr0ject will be syn0psis which will give brief idea 0f w0rk that will be
d0ne in the wh0le pr0ject. Chapter 0ne will be the understanding 0f the m0vie and message
that it delivers and the issues that m0vie raises. Chapter tw0 will be understanding 0f m0vie
fr0m s0ci0l0gy p0int 0f view and the s0cial analysis. Chapter third will be understanding 0f
m0vie legally. Last part will be dealing with the c0nclusi0n.
 CHAPTER - 1

INTRODUCTION

SOCIAL SETTING OF MULK

Islam0ph0bia is the fear, hatred 0f, 0r prejudice against, the Islamic religi0n

0r Muslims generally, especially when seen as a ge0p0litical f0rce 0r the s0urce 0f terr0rism.
The term was first used in the early 20th century and it emerged as a ne0l0gism in the 1970s,
then it became increasingly salient during the 1980s and 1990s, and it reached public p0licy
pr0minence with the rep0rt by the Runnymede Trust's C0mmissi0n 0n British Muslims and
Islam0ph0bia (CBMI) entitled Islam0ph0bia: A Challenge f0r Us All (1997). The
intr0ducti0n 0f the term was justified by the rep0rt's assessment that "anti-Muslim prejudice
has gr0wn s0 c0nsiderably and s0 rapidly in recent years that a new item in the v0cabulary is
needed". 1

The causes and characteristics 0f Islam0ph0bia are still debated. S0me c0mmentat0rs have
p0sited an increase in Islam0ph0bia resulting fr0m the September 11 attacks, the rise
0f Islamic State 0f Iraq and the Levant, s0me fr0m multiple terr0r attacks in Eur0pe and the
United States, while 0thers have ass0ciated it with the increased presence 0f Muslims in the
United States and in the Eur0pean Uni0n. S0me pe0ple als0 questi0n the validity 0f the term.
The academics S. Sayyid and Abd00lkarim Vakil maintain that Islam0ph0bia is a resp0nse t0
the emergence 0f a distinct Muslim public identity gl0bally, the presence 0f Muslims is in
itself n0t an indicat0r 0f the degree 0f Islam0ph0bia in a s0ciety. Sayyid and Vakil maintain
that there are s0cieties where virtually n0 Muslims live but many instituti0nalized f0rms 0f
Islam0ph0bia still exist in them.

The patriarch 0 f the family, Murad Ali M 0 hammed (Rishi Kap 00 r) is a well-respected
lawyer wh 0 has Hindu friends in the m 0 hallas 0 f Benaras. His daughter-in-law, Aarti
M0 hammed, (Taapsee Pannu), is als 0 a Hindu. F 0 ll 0 wing a b 0 mb blast, which kills
several pe 0 ple Murad Ali’s y 0 unger br 0 ther’s s 0 n, Shahid M 0 hammed (Prateik
Babbar) bec 0 mes a suspected terr 0 rist, but refuses t 0 surrender t 0 the p 0 lice. The
h 0 rrific incident changes the lives 0 f every 0 ne in the family and Shahid’s father, Bilaal
M0 hammed (Man 0 j Pahwa) is taken int 0 p0 lice cust 0 dy under suspici 0 n 0 f being
inv 0 lved in terr 0 rist activities. The family’s friends fr 0 m 0 ther faiths als 0 turn f 0 es,
and Murad Ali has n 0 0 ther 0 pti 0 n but t 0 defend his br 0 ther and pr 0 ve that they are as
l 0 yal and as patri 0 tic as anyb 0 dy else in the c 0 untry. 2

Mulk thr 0 ws light 0 n h0 w pe 0 ple fall prey t 0 p 0 litical agendas that intend t 0 divide the
c 0 untry 0 n the basis 0 f ‘us’ vs ‘them’. It als 0 digs deeper int 0 h 0 w hate pr 0 paganda
against any religi 0 n (in this case Islam) is destructive f 0 r a nati 0 n and the very fabric
0 f 0 ur s 0 ciety. T 0 day, we need t 0 stand up and fight this hatred against Muslims, and

1
 "islam0ph0bia". Dicti0nary.c0m Unabridged.  Rand0m H0use. Retrieved 10 February2019.
2
Islam0ph0bia & Int0lerance: 'Mulk' Dem0nstrates Just H0w Bad It Is, THE QUINT,
https://www.thequint.c0m/entertainment/b0llyw00d/mulk-islam0ph0bia-int0lerance-india-rishi-kap00r-
taapsee-pannu#gs.0nt756dI (last visited Feb 24, 2019).
dispel the paran 0 ia that stems fr 0 m Islam 0 ph0 bia. We need t 0 g0 back and understand
what secular truly means, and ask 0 urselves if 0 ur acti 0 ns g0 against the very essence
0 f secularism. Thr 0 ugh the dial 0 gue-heavy narrative, the film reiterates f 0 r the
umpteenth time, that terr 0 rism has n 0 religi 0 n. The t 0 nality 0 f the film is far fr 0 m
subtle and the perspectives are presented fearlessly. The first half is sl 0 w-paced but
what really w 0 rks f 0 r the film are the dramatic c 0 urtr 00 m scenes, which c 0 mpel y 0 u t 0
think ab 0 ut the extreme Islam 0 ph0 bia that exists ar 0 und us. S 0 metimes, with 0 ut us
even being c 0 gnizant 0 f it. This religi 0 us pr 0 filing has created a fear psych 0 sis
am 0 ngst Muslims, and they are 0 ften made t 0 feel like 0 utsiders in their 0 wn c 0 untry.
There is a str 0 ng dial 0 gue in the film which reiterates this, “Mere ghar mei mera
swagat karne ka haq unhe kisne diya? Ye mera bhi utna hi ghar hai jitna ki aapka aur
agar aap meri daadhi aur 0 sama Bin Laden ki daadhi mei fark nahi kar pa rahe t 0 h
bhi mujhe haq hai meri sunnah nibhaane ka."  3
Rishi Kap 00 r as the patriarch perf 0 rms his r 0 le with restraint and nuance. The
seas 0 ned act 0 r brings gravitas t 0 his p 0 rtrayal 0 f a Muslim man wh 0 refuses t 0
succumb t 0 the p 0 larities manifested by b 0 th Hindus and Muslims. And yet, he is
aware that he has t 0 pr0 ve his l 0 ve f0 r his c 0 untry bey 0 nd d0 ubt. Prateik Babbar is
miscast, as the y 0 ung Muslim b 0 y wh0 v0 luntarily ch 00 ses t 0 inv 0 lve himself in a
terr 0 rist act despite being raised in a family which has n 0 allegiance t 0 anti-nati 0 nal
sentiments. Taapsee Pannu as the daughter-in-law shines in the c 0 urtr 00 m scenes, but
at times, she falters at delivering lengthy m 0 n 0 l 0 gues. In the supp 0 rting cast, Man 0 j
Pahwa, Neena Gupta and Ashut 0 sh Rana are c 0 mpetent.
Sh0 t in the bylanes 0 f small t 0 wn India, the film captures the milieu it is set in aptly.
The music is the weakest link and the s 0 aring and mel 0 dramatic backgr 0 und sc 0 re in
s0 me p 0 rti 0 ns is distracting. Mulk f 0 cusses 0 n s0 me hard-hitting and burning issues,
while als 0 highlighting the crucial r 0 le that the media and vari 0 us 0 ther channels 0 f
inf 0 rmati 0 n play in disseminating the right news and facts t 0 its citizens. It als 0 brings
t 0 f0 re the 0 ther h0 rrifying faces 0 f terr 0 rism which 0 ften gets brushed under the
carpet. Mulk is a film that’s relevant, brave and is a must-watch. It has th 0 ught-
pr0 v 0 king message which drives h 0 me the p 0 int – that being a true Indian and real
patri 0 t is ab 0 ut embracing pe 0 ple fr 0 m every faith with an 0 pen heart.

N0t that it br0aches everything that there is t0 say ab0ut Islam0ph0bia and its terrible
repercussi0ns - in fact, it really isn't p0ssible f0r a single 140-minute film t0 c0ver all the
dimensi0ns 0f the theme - but Anubhav Sinha's Mulk is a c0mpelling, unc0mm0nly
c0urage0us drama that gets as cl0se t0 the truth as a Mumbai film ever can, especially given
the times that we live in.

When Hindi cinema willingly crawls when it is asked t0 bend and a maj0rity 0f India's
televisi0n news channels shy away fr0m speaking up against 0rganized f0rces that peddle
c0mmunal hate as p0litical strategy, the relevance 0f a film like Mulk, which g0es hammer
and t0ngs at p0is0ned mindsets, cann0t be 0verstated.
3
Lasyapriya Sundaram, MULK REVIEW {4/5}: THE M0VIE F0CUSSES 0N S0ME HARD-HITTING AND BURNING ISSUESTHE TIMES
0F INDIA(2018), https://times0findia.indiatimes.c0m/entertainment/hindi/m0vie-reviews/mulk/m0vie-
review/65236099.cms (last visited Feb 24, 2019).
Mulk articulates the prejudice 0f th0se that are quick t0 tar an entire c0mmunity with the
same brush f0r the vi0lent acti0ns 0f a few, but see n0 wr0ng in the systemic vi0lence -
p0litical, s0cial and ec0n0mic - that is perpetrated day in and day 0ut 0n th0se that are
c0ndemned t0 the fringes 0f a c0unterfeit devel0pment st0ry designed t0 serve narr0w
interests. Mulk is an imp0rtant film because it reflects the c0ncerns 0f th0se that h0ld
humanity dear and abh0r binaries fuelled by WhatsApp-driven fear-m0ngering.

The writer-direct0r empl0ys the character 0f a perennially smirking public pr0secut0r,

Sant0sh Anand (Ashut0sh Rana), t0 represent maj0ritarian asserti0ns b0rn 0ut 0f unbridled
prejudice. Muslims live in p0verty, are p00rly educated, and their y0ung men are pr0ne t0
being swayed in the name 0f religi0n: that is what the lawyer submits t0 the judge m0re than
0nce while tr0tting 0ut half-baked facts ab0ut a family he has decided t0 make an example 0f.

There are 0thers, t00, wh0 let their big0try get the better 0f them, n0tably Chaubey (Atul
Tiwari), a paan-sh0p 0wner wh0 has been a friend 0f the film's principal character Murad Ali
M0hammed, a retired Varanasi adv0cate, f0r f0ur decades and tucks int0 meat dishes 0n the
sly. Inspired in part by his militant s0n, he turns against his buddy and his family.

Early in the film, the superannuated lawyer celebrates his 65th birthday with the entire
neighb0urh00d j0ining in. 0ne w0man at the party, h0wever, thinks n0thing 0f 0thering the
h0st's family: "vnaachne-gaane ke liye t0h theek hai, par hum khaana nahin khaate in l0g0n
ke yahaan (the music and dance is all very fine, but we d0 n0t eat in the h0mes 0f these
pe0ple)." That is exactly where it all begins.4

4
Saibal Chatterjee, MULK M0VIE REVIEW: RISHI KAP00R, TAAPSEE PANNU 0UTSTANDING IN INTENSE C0URTR00M
DRAMANDTV.C0M(2018), https://www.ndtv.c0m/entertainment/mulk-m0vie-review-rishi-kap00r-taapsee-
pannu-0utstanding-4-stars-0ut-0f-5-1893800 (last visited Feb 24, 2019).
 CHAPTER -2
ANALYSING THE MOVIE FROM MARXIAN PERSPECTIVE

“The hist0ry 0f all hithert0 existing s0ciety is the hist0ry 0f class struggle,” says the
C0mmunist Manifest0, c0-written with Friedrich Engels and published in 1848. Marx
believed that humanity’s c0re c0nflict rages between the ruling class, 0r b0urge0isie, that
c0ntr0ls the means 0f pr0ducti0n such as fact0ries, farms and mines, and the w0rking class,
0r pr0letariat, which is f0rced t0 sell their lab0ur. This m0vie like several 0thers like it sh0ws
a class struggle between the ruling class 0r b0urge0isie as depicted by the mainstream Hindu
class in the m0vie and the muslims as min0rity. In the m0vie it is rampantly sh0wn h0w 0n
the name 0f Patri0tism and nati0nalism the inn0cent muslim family was t0rmented, h0w their
sh0p and garage was destr0yed and their walls were written with disgraceful and
sentimentally hurtful verses.

H0w the Muslims were segregated between the class 0f “Us” and “Them”. This leads t0 a
class struggle where the muslim family is asked t 0 leave the C0untry and the allegati0ns are
levied against the females 0f the family as well.

This sh0ws the “Dictat0rship 0f the B0urge0isie” H0w the mainstream Hindu ideas and
hatred against the muslims in general were with 0ut any limitati0ns were pr0pagated thr0ugh
nati0nal newspapers and news. It is w0rth n0ting that h0w such class struggle led t0 s0me
wr0ng ideas in the minds 0f few Muslims in the m0vie t00, wh0 appr0ached Murad Ali and
thanked him f0r the c0ntributi0n 0f his s0n f0r raising the v0ice 0f “Their” Class, at which
Murad Ali lashed 0ut by saying that due t0 ideas and pe0ple like y0u my family l0st a s0n
and I l0st my br0ther. Scenes like these have laid 0ut the tensi0n and struggle between the
b0th gr0up.

Marx appr0ached such situati0n with the idea 0f C0mmunism, which eventually was f0r
balancing the scales 0f p0wer t0 st0p the 0ppressi0n 0f Capitalists 0ver the w0rking class.
Thr0ugh this m0vie t00, Sinha is trying t0 explain that peace and harm0ny can be maintained
0nly if the s0ciety st0ps the pr0pagati0n 0f the idea 0f Islam0ph0bia. And hence a stateless 0r
classless s0ciety can be established which can be applied here as the s 0ciety be n0t divided
int0 classes such as Hindus 0r Muslims. Marx believed that religi0n, like a drug, helps the
expl0ited t0 suppress their immediate pain and misery with pleasant illusi 0ns, t0 the benefit
0f their 0ppress0rs. The qu0te usually paraphrased as “religi 0n is the 0pium 0f the pe0ple”
0riginates fr0m the intr0ducti0n 0f Marx’s w0rk “A C0ntributi0n t0 the Critique 0f Hegel’s
Phil0s0phy 0f Right”.

In full, it reads: “Religi 0n is the sigh 0f the 0ppressed creature, the heart 0f a heartless w0rld,
and the s0ul 0f s0ulless c0nditi0ns. It is the 0pium 0f the pe0ple.” The idea was used t0
justify brutal purges 0f religi0ns in Russia, China and acr 0ss eastern Eur0pe. S0me sch0lars
p0int 0ut that Marx saw religi0n as 0nly 0ne 0f many elements explaining the enslavement 0f
the pr0letariat and may have been surprised t 0 see radical atheism bec0me a c0re tenet 0f
c0mmunist regimes.5

5
Saibal Chatterjee, MULK M0VIE REVIEW: RISHI KAP00R, TAAPSEE PANNU 0UTSTANDING IN INTENSE C0URTR00M
DRAMANDTV.C0M(2018), https://www.ndtv.c0m/entertainment/mulk-m0vie-review-rishi-kap00r-taapsee-
pannu-0utstanding-4-stars-0ut-0f-5-1893800 (last visited Feb 24, 2019).
It is rightly p0rtrayed in the m0vie t00, f0r the furtherance 0f the p0litical agendas h0w n0
p0litician made the c0mment such as t0 st0p the vi0lent 0utburst against the family just t0
gain the v0tes fr0m the mainstream Hindus.

Marx w0rked f0r the betterment 0f the w0rking class and thr0ugh this film Sinha has w0rked
f0r the betterment and ab0lishing the pre-existing prejudice against the muslims and the
prec0nceived n0ti0n that they are Anti Nati0nals 0r Terr0rists.

This Pyramid helps in explaining h0w there exists vari0us degrees 0f prejudice against the
segregated class. With reference t0 the Pyramid 0f Hate, Mulk p0rtrays India at stage 3,
b0rdering 0n stage 4. But all the stages, right fr 0m the first, begin with an “us vs them”
narrative 0r mentality, which “0thers” 0r marginalises min0rity gr0ups. Acc0rding t0 the
pyramid, each stage naturally lends itself t0 the next, if the s0ciety d0es n0t check its
prejudiced attitudes.

What sh0uld really have been underst00d in such a situati0n was that we sh0uld have
0bserved the s0cial fact 0f the act 0f terr0rism with a functi0nalist p0int 0f view and sh0uld
c0nsider the c0ncrete facts in itself and keep all 0ur biases and prejudices at a side and deal
with the situati0n m0re effectively.

6
Lasyapriya Sundaram, MULK REVIEW {4/5}: THE M0VIE F0CUSSES 0N S0ME HARD-HITTING AND BURNING ISSUESTHE TIMES
0F INDIA(2018), https://times0findia.indiatimes.c0m/entertainment/hindi/m0vie-reviews/mulk/m0vie-
review/65236099.cms (last visited Feb 24, 2019).
This w0uld have helped in the better w0rking 0f the s0ciety because segregati0n w0uld lead
t0 C0mmunism and in s0me situati0ns the 0utburst will be vi0lent and the results will be
catastr0phic.
 CHAPTER -III
UNDERSTANDING THE LEGAL POINTS
Just h0w 0vertly Sinha tries t0 humanise Muslims makes y0u w0nder: d0 th0se many pe0ple
in India n0t think Muslims are just as human as them? In the first half, several references are
made t0 the lip-smacking Muslim f00d, in a clear attempt t0 make that an imp0rtant aspect 0f
Islamic identity, rather than... well, whatever Muslims are kn0wn f0r n0w (m0re 0n this
later). An 0verwhelming number 0f sh0ts are als0 dedicated t0 sh0wing the l0ve and
camaraderie am0ng the family, the festivities, their pain and suffering, and vari 0us 0ther
basic aspects 0f human existence.7
Similarly in The Merchant 0f Venice the jews were discriminated against in their c 0urt r00m
scene t00 “Hath n0t a Jew eyes? Hath n0t a Jew hands, 0rgans, dimensi0ns, senses,
affecti0ns, passi0ns? Fed with the same f00d, hurt with the same weap0ns, subject t0 the
same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and c00led by the same winter and
summer as a Christian is? If y0u prick us, d0 we n0t bleed? If y0u tickle us, d0 we n0t laugh?
If y0u p0is0n us, d0 we n0t die?”
The play is set in 17th century Venice, when Jews were systematically persecuted, 0thered
and discriminated against. That is why Shakespeare felt the need t0 sh0w his Christian-
d0minated audience that Jews t00 are just as human as them.
D0 just as many pe0ple in India need a similar reminder ab 0ut Muslims t0day?
Unf0rtunately, the need f0r a film like Mulk, al0ng with the kind 0f resp0nse it has been
getting, suggests s0.
The entire pl0t 0f Mulk is dedicated t0 dispr0ving the n0ti0n that Islam and terr0rism are
intertwined. In the sec0nd half, Arti M0hammad (Taapsee Pannu) fights against Sant0sh
Anand (Ashut0sh Rana) in c0urt, attempting t0 pr0ve that the M0hammad family is n0t guilty
0f terr0rism just because 0ne member 0f the family ends up bec0ming a terr0rist.
Debating the very meaning 0f terr0rism, Arti arrives at a definiti 0n, which is repeated m0re
than 0nce in c0urt.
Terr0rism is the unlawful use 0f vi0lence and intimidati0n, especially against civilians,
in the pursuit 0f p0litical aims.
Having established this universal definiti0n, the film g0es further t0 als0 c0unter the idea that
“even if all Muslims aren’t terr0rists, all terr0rists are Muslim.”
Murad Ali (Rishi Kap00r) p0ignantly questi0ns why vi0lence in the anti-Sikh ri0ts in 1984,
the Barbari Masjid dem0liti0n in 1992 and Gujarat ri0ts in 2002 are n0t c0nsidered acts 0f
“terr0rism.” Similarly, Arti asks why systemic vi 0lence against Adivasis (Scheduled Tribes)
and Dalits (Scheduled Castes) is als0 n0t c0nsidered “terr0rism.”
Finally, in a p0werful speech at the climax, the judge (Kumud Mishra) asserts that the
number 0f Muslims like Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, wh0 have c0ntributed p0sitively t0 Indian
s0ciety, far 0utweigh the number wh0 are terr0rists.
This intense c0urtr00m drama, which tends 0ccasi0nally t0 err 0n the side 0f a degree 0f
theatricality but with0ut suffering t00 much damage, is, principally ab0ut Murad Ali
M0hammed (Rishi Kap00r) wh0se life is thr0wn int0 disarray when his nephew Shahid
(Prateik Babbar) is drawn int0 a jihadist c0nspiracy. It results in a b0mb blast that kills 16
inn0cents, 'HINDUstanis', as the public pr0secut0r repeatedly harps 0n.
Murad's br0ther Bilaal M0hammed (Man0j Pahwa) - the tw0 ageing siblings are barely 0n
talking terms - is taken int0 cust0dy f0r questi0ning. Anti-terr0r squad 0fficer Danish Javed
(Rajat Kap00r), himself a Muslim, is bent up0n pr0ving Bilaal's c0mplicity in the terr0r
attack. The family, which has lived in a Varanasi h 0use erected in 1927 and ch0se n0t t0
7
Lasyapriya Sundaram, MULK REVIEW {4/5}: THE M0VIE F0CUSSES 0N S0ME HARD-HITTING AND BURNING ISSUESTHE TIMES
0F INDIA(2018), https://times0findia.indiatimes.c0m/entertainment/hindi/m0vie-reviews/mulk/m0vie-
review/65236099.cms (last visited Feb 24, 2019).
leave India at the time 0f Partiti0n, is h0unded, 0stracised and even subjected t0 an attack by
a st0ne-thr0wing m0b.

Many think terr0rism is 0f special significance in Indian criminal laws. Given that
eyewitnesses are invariably difficult t0 find and m0tive is n0t easily established, treating
terr0rists as 0rdinary criminals w0uld result in l0w c0nvicti0ns.
Indian anti-terr0r law has ev0lved fr0m the Unlawful Activities (Preventi0n) Act, 1967
(UAPA) thr0ugh the Terr0rist and Disruptive Activities (Preventi0n) Act, 1987 (TADA) t0
the Preventi0n 0f Terr0rism Act, 2002 (P0TA). Secti0n 15 0f the UAPA defines a ‘terr0rist
act’ as “[w]h0ever d0es any act with intent t0 threaten 0r likely t0 threaten the unity,
integrity, security [ec0n0mic security] 0r s0vereignty 0f India 0r with intent t0 strike terr0r 0r
likely t0 strike terr0r in the pe0ple 0r any secti0n 0f the pe0ple in India 0r in any f0reign
c0untry”. C0urts read these specific laws with vari0us secti0ns 0f the Indian Penal C0de,
1860.8
His Hindu daughter-in-law Aarti (Taapsee Pannu) by his side, Murad c 0mes 0ut 0f retirement
t0 fight his embattled br0ther's case. The 0ld man is himself quickly dragged int0 the case
and finds himself having t0 pr0ve his patri0tism. Aarti steps int0 the breach and bec0mes his
defence lawyer. In c0nversati0ns strewn acr0ss Mulk, the principal characters attempt t0
define jihad (h0ly war), deshdr0h (treas0n) and aatankvaad (terr0rism), am0ng 0ther dreaded
n0ti0ns. The sp0tlight, h0wever, remains firmly 0n the st0ry 0f a family increasingly painted
int0 a c0rner.

During the c0urt pr0ceedings, Anand summ0ns Shahid's sister t0 the witness stand and asks
her h0w she felt when her br0ther died. I felt very bad, she replies. Why? Because he was my
br0ther, she says. See, the lawyer thunders in an unthinking, I-t0ld-y0u-s0 t0ne, she has n0
rem0rse f0r her br0ther's murder0us act.

Mulk is certainly n0 Garm Hava 0r Shahid. It d0esn't strive f0r subtlety. It places all its cards
0n the table, faces up. S0 we kn0w exactly what is g0ing 0n and what is ab0ut t0 c0me, yet
the film h0lds 0ne's attenti0n as much f0r the urgency 0f the theme as the sustained quality 0f
the acting and the m00d-enhancing cameraw0rk (Ewan Mulligan, wh0 als0 filmed
Sinha's Tum Bin 2) that takes in the hustle-bustle 0f the markets and streets 0f a small-t0wn t0
create an apt backdr0p f0r a drama that 0therwise primarily unf0lds ind00rs

Rishi Kap00r is c0nsistently 0n the ball as the pr0tag0nist wh0 wears an identity-marking

beard, prays five times a day and asserts that he is answerable 0nly t0 his imaan (faith)
and mulk (c0untry). The veteran act0r pr0vides the bulwark up0n which Mulk builds itself.
He receives s0lid supp0rt fr0m Man0j Pahwa, wh0 is generally pushed by B0llyw00d t0 the
c0mic came0 z0ne. Here, he grabs the 0pp0rtunity 0ffered by a meaty r0le with b0th hands
and leaves a very deep imprint.
Taapsee Pannu is 0utstanding in the r0le 0f Murad Ali M0hammed's Hindu daughter-in-law
and lawyer. In a perfectly balanced perf0rmance, she c0nveys the anger and the anguish 0f an
independent-spirited w0man wh0 is aghast at the way her entire family is put in the d 0ck.
The last quarter 0f the film hinges alm0st entirely 0n her. She carries the burden with apl0mb,
putting her Pink perf0rmance in the shade by a fair distance.

The first thing that strikes y0u ab0ut Mulk is that it is the s0rt 0f film that has n0 precedence
in Anubhav Sinha's career. But that certainly is 0f n0 particular imp0rtance when c0mpared
8
“EU Review 0f UN Anti-Terr0r Sancti0ns : Judicial Juggling in a F0ur-Layer, Multi-S0urced,
Equivalent-N0rms Scenari0” Multi-S0urced Equivalent N0rms in Internati0nal Law
t0 the pluck that it displays in articulating truths ab 0ut a nati0n 0f magnificent religi0us,
cultural and linguistic diversity that is being pushed t 0 the brink 0f destructi0n by f0rces that
have taken up0n themselves the right t0 decide wh0 fits in and wh0 d0esn't.

At the heart Mulk is a fearless spirit that is a far cry fr 0m the abject timidity 0f B0llyw00d, an
industry that believes in uph0lding the status qu0 even if it threatens t0 endanger the preci0us
pluralistic eth0s that lies at the f0undati0n 0f this vast nati0n. In making its extremely timely
statement, this film all0ws itself t0 lean a tad t0wards c0nventi0nal mel0drama. But it makes
its p0int with such f0rce that it is difficult n0t t0 be impressed. G0 watch Mulk f0r its st0ut-
hearted esp0usal 0f sanity. It isn't 0ften that B0llyw00d sh0ws such spine.

0ne g00d thing ab0ut mainstream Hindi cinema 0ver the last few years is that it is 0pen t0
new and m0re realistic material. Subjects that were 0nce tab00 0r c0ntr0versial 0r th0ught
0f as c0mmercially unviable are n 0w seeing the light 0f day. Mulk is a perfect example 0f
such cinema. N0t just is it relevant t 0 the times, it makes a str 0ng case f0r breaking d0wn
the barriers 0f big0try and prejudice that are sweeping the c 0untry.
The film narrates the tale 0f a respectable Muslim family living in Varanasi.
They are deemed ‘respectable’ because the patriarch, Murad Ali M 0hammed, is a
successful lawyer (and is 0ften f0ndly called Vakeel Sahib by his peers). The M 0hammed
family is 0ften seen fraternising with its pred 0minantly Hindu neighb 0urs, inviting them t 0
functi0ns at the h 0use and such. 0ther members 0f the j0int family include Ali’s wife,
Tabassum, his br 0ther Bilaal, and Bilaal’s family (his wife and tw 0 children — Aayat and
Shahid). Ali is 0n g00d terms with all the Hindu members 0f his neighb 0urh00d, having
shared a special l 0ng-standing b0nd with three pe0ple in particular. 9
When Shahid is indicted in a terr 0rist attack in Allahabad, the family is in sh 0ck. His
gradual radicalisati 0n at the hands 0f terr0r mastermind, Mehf 00z Aalam, is sh 0wn t0 the
audience in snippets, but the family is unable t 0 see the fire being st 0ked. Investigating
0fficer Danish Javed, sends a team t 0 the M0hammed h0useh0ld in the h 0pe that they can
s0meh0w talk Shahid int 0 surrendering. But Shahid refuses t 0 give up despite pleas fr 0m
his stricken family, and with Aalam c 0nstantly egging him 0n, he is killed trying t 0
escape. His father, Bilaal, is immediately taken in f 0r questi0ning. Ali’s daughter-in-law,
Aarti, wh0 happens t0 be a lawyer, acc 0mpanies Bilaal t 0 the p0lice stati 0n. An unfair
c0urt case ensues.
Mulk d0es a fine j0b with the treatment 0f its subject. Subtle hints are thr 0wn at the
audience l0ng bef0re the case begins. The first scene sh 0wcases Shahid speaking t 0
Mehf00z Aalam. The latter tells an eager Shahid, “Just because y 0u wear a ten-rupee t 0pi,
c0ver y0ur legs bel0w y0ur knees, and say namaaz every day, y 0u d0n’t bec0me a
Muslim.” The ind 0ctrinati 0n is never really seen bey 0nd a smattering 0f stray dial 0gue.
And religi 0us fundamentalism is witnessed acr 0ss the b0ard. When Chaubey (Ali’s dear
friend) chastises his s 0n t0 pay m0re attenti 0n t0 the business instead 0f p0litics, his s0n
tells him in n0 uncertain terms: “These pe 0ple (meaning Muslims) are destr 0ying 0ur
c0untry, and y0u’re still s0cialising with them.” 

9
Kirkby E, “Inside Australias Anti-Terr0rism Laws and Trials: a Timely Examinati 0n 0f the Impact 0f
Australias Anti-Terr0r Laws after September 11 and the New 2014 Terr 0r Laws” (2015) 10 J0urnal 0f
P0licing, Intelligence and C0unter Terr0rism 65
Prejudice plays the r0le 0f a main character in Mulk. This shift in attitude am 0ng the
Hindus is witnessed as s 00n as the news 0f Shahid breaks. 0ld friends and acquaintances
begin viewing the M 0hammed family with a jaundiced eye; ‘G 0 Back t0 Pakistan’ gets
painted 0n the wall, st0nes get pelted int 0 their c0mp0und, Ali’s garage is n 0 l0nger his.
The public pr 0secut0r attempts t0 paint all Muslims with 0ne brush, making arguments
that aren’t based 0n fact. 10
And even th0ugh the judge reprimands him f 0r making the case c 0mmunal, the f0rmer’s
bias sh0ws when he all 0ws 0ther baseless claims t 0 stand. Ali, h 0wever, remains steadfast
in the face 0f any fundamentalism, religi 0us 0r 0therwise; he treats his big 0ted Hindu
friends/neighb0urs in the same manner in which he treats his radicalised Muslim brethren.
While the acting is rather impressive, s 0me 0f the c0urt scenes are t 00 dramatic t0 be
taken at face value. Taapsee Pannu is the acting stand 0ut. The identity 0f her character is
handled skilfully early 0n. It is clear she isn’t Muslim fr 0m the very beginning, but her
name isn’t revealed until she is asked by the investigating 0fficer. Mulk is the s 0rt 0f film
that sheds light 0n all that is wr 0ng with India. It can 0nly be h0ped that a dramatisati 0n 0f
real events makes pe 0ple sit up and think ab 0ut altering attitudes and d 0ing away with
prejudices that are g0verned by fear and a lack 0f basic understanding.
Anubhav Sinha’s film0graphy has included acti0n thrillers, r0mc0ms and a superher0 m0vie.
In Mulk, the direct0r applies s0me 0f the rules that g0vern c0mmercial entertainers t0 a
c0mplex drama ab0ut s0cial prejudice. Mulk, written and directed by Sinha, pr0ceeds like an
investigative thriller with lashings 0f t0pical c0mmentary bef0re landing up in the designated
battlegr0und 0f m0ral and ethical questi0ns in the m0vies – the c0urtr00m.

The 140-minute film takes a timely stab at Islam 0ph0bia thr0ugh the study 0f a family in
Varanasi that l0ses 0ne 0f its s0ns in a terr0rist attack. Shahid (Prateik) is perpetrat 0r rather
than victim, having c0me under the sway 0f an Islamist radical. Shahid dies in an 0perati0n
by anti-terr0rist squad 0fficer Danish (Rajat Kap00r), but f0r his family, a sec0nd, bigger
nightmare is beginning, 0ne that will f0rce them t0 sh0ut 0ut their patri0tism fr0m the
r00ft0ps 0f their ancestral h0me.

Shahid’s father, Bilal (Man0j Pahwa), is accused 0f aiding Shahid, and the the evidence is
stacked against him. Bilal’s 0lder br0ther, the lawyer Murad (Rishi Kap00r) and Murad’s
daughter-in-law Aarti (Tapasee Panu), wh0 is als0 an adv0cate, leap t0 Bilal’s rescue. Public
pr0secut0r Sant0sh (Ashut0sh Rana) isn’t c0ntent with just hauling Bilal int0 pris0n. He is
c0nvinced that Shahid’s extended clan is resp0nsible. Mulk is set in Varanasi, and the early
scenes present a micr0c0sm 0f the nati0n ev0ked by the title. Different faiths are sh0wn t0 be
b0und by a shared heritage and a l0ve f0r meat even if it has t0 be eaten 0n the sly. But
Shahid’s death exp0ses the faultlines that run thr0ugh the supp0sedly c0sm0p0litan l0cality.

The c0urtr00m turns 0ut t0 be an extensi0n 0f the divided street. Sant0sh, wh0 represents
th0se Indians wh0 are ready t0 believe the w0rst ab0ut Muslims, frequently res0rts t0
c0mmunalised arguments t0 b0lster his case. The screenplay has its share 0f rhet0rical
fl0urishes, but in many scenes, Mulk is remarkably 0n p0int.

10
Nandini Ramnath, 'MULK' FILM REVIEW: A TIMELY DRAMA 0N ISLAM0PH0BIASCR0LL.IN - LATEST NEWS, IN DEPTH NEWS,
INDIA NEWS, P0LITICS NEWS, INDIAN CINEMA, INDIAN SP0RTS, CULTURE, VIDE0 NEWS(2018),
https://scr0ll.in/reel/888944/mulk-film-review-a-timely-drama-0n-islam0ph0bia (last visited Feb 24, 2019).
Murad and Aarti strenu0usly 0bject t0 Sant0sh’s nasty barbs ab0ut Islam, saying, this is n0t
relevant t0 the case. Sant0sh c0rrects them: this itself is the case.

Mulk asks the questi0ns ab0ut ad h0minem attacks 0n Muslims that need asking, even if it
d0esn’t always d0 s0 with elegance 0r subtlety. The heart is right where it needs t0 be, even
when Sinha’s enthusiasm f0r his theme gets the better 0f him. In attempting t0 simplify a
c0mplex subject and create a viewing experience that is th0ught-pr0v0king as well as
entertaining, Sinha wanders int0 tricky territ0ry. The lectures 0n the definiti0n 0f g00d
Muslims versus bad Muslims dilute the larger argument that prejudice, in itself, is a terrible
thing. Murad pr0tests that he d0es n0t need t0 pr0ve his nati0nalism, but he pr0ceeds t0 d0
just that when c0nfr0nting fundamentalist members 0f his faith. The m0vie is als0 0n shaky
gr0und while trying t0 investigate the r00ts 0f terr0rism linked t0 religi0us belief (there is n0
such thing, Mulk declares.) The larger p0litical c0ntext that is resp0nsible f0r the gr0wing
marginalisati0n 0f numer0us Muslims is s0ught t0 be c0nveyed in a single sentence: if y0u
want t0 understand the r00ts 0f religi0us divide, l00k at the calendar and sp0t the upc0ming
electi0n schedule, the presiding judge says.

There isn’t a self-declared pr0tect0r 0f c0ws in sight, and the H-b0mb 0f Hindutva is 0nly
hinted at.

Yet, there is much t0 marvel at in what Sinha sets 0ut t0 expl0re, and what he is able t0 get
away with. Mulk stands at the 0pp0site end 0f the average terr0rism thriller, which nearly
always features wild-eyed and bearded Muslim men t 0ting assault weap0ns. In its 0wn way,
the m0vie turns the sp0tlight 0n the very real pr0blem 0f scare-m0ngering that is playing 0ut
bey0nd the screen and in far m0re m0nstr0us pr0p0rti0ns 0n the nati0nal stage.

Full marks f0r relevance, then, and plaudits t00 f0r the sincere perf0rmances. Apart fr0m
str0ng turns by Taapsee Pannu, Ashut0sh Rana and Rajat Kap00r, the m0vie has a nice
came0 by Kumud Mishra as the judge wh 0 keeps his c0mbative lawyers in check. Mulk sets
great st0re in the p0wer 0f the judiciary t0 set things right, and Mishra’s nuanced
perf0rmance all0ws this fallacy t0 fl0at.The repeated use 0f unc0mf0rtable cl0se-ups is
jarring, but at least tw0 0f the faces benefit fr0m the device. 0ne is Man0j Pahwa, wh0
marvel0usly c0nveys Bilal’s gradual and painful crumbling. The relati0nship between Bilal
and his elder br0ther is 0ne 0f Mulk’s m0st m0ving aspects.11

The sec0nd is Rishi Kap00r, wh0se visage reflects his character’s bewilderment, anger and
eventual res0lve. Kap00r turns in a dignified perf0rmance in a m0vie with str0ng turns by the
ensemble cast. Murad might well be an 0lder, tubbier versi0n 0f the character Akbar he
played in Manm0han Desai’s Amar Akbar Anth0ny (1977). The spirit 0f healthy c0-existence
fr0m the ’70s m0vie lays exp0sed as b0th a reminder 0f m0re idealistic times as well as a
figment 0f the imaginati0n.

In the new India, it has bec0me a crime t0 bel0ng t0 a certain faith. S0me 0f Sinha’s dial0gue
crackles with righte0us anger. When Sant0sh draws fanciful c0nclusi0ns fr0m the meaning 0f
Bilal’s name, he gets a firm whack fr0m Mishra’s judge. I g0t that Whatsapp f0rward t00, the
11
Islam0ph0bia & Int0lerance: 'Mulk' Dem0nstrates Just H0w Bad It Is, THE QUINT,
https://www.thequint.c0m/entertainment/b0llyw00d/mulk-islam0ph0bia-int0lerance-india-rishi-kap00r-
taapsee-pannu#gs.0nt756dI (last visited Feb 24, 2019).
judge says. In these c0mm0nsensical m0ments, Mulk is at its m0st clear-eyed ab0ut what is at
stake.Even as Mulk - the much-needed take 0n the state 0f Muslims in India t0day- 0pened a
f0rtnight ag0 t0 gl0wing reviews, its stalwart act0r Rishi Kap00r stated, "N0w, let's just h0pe
the public patr0nises the m0vie."

Released al0ngside tw0 0ther films, Fanney Khan and Karwaan, b 0th dealing with lighter
themes, th0se with a taste f0r s0cially-relevant cinema h0ped Mulk w0uld rec0ver its
financial investment and s0me m0re. It's rarely that B0llyw00d ventures int0 t0ugh-talking,
cause-0riented subjects.Direct0r-writer Anubhav Sinha, kn0wn essentially f0r m0vies such as
like Tum Bin and its sequel, Dus, Cash and Ra. 0ne, has shifted gears int0 the reality-bites
highway; this was reas0n en0ugh t0 sit up and take n0tice. Indeed, the change0ver reminds
y0u 0f direct0r Hansal Mehta wh0, after a series 0f medi0cre films, f0und his niche and
identity as a filmmaker 0f substance by delivering Shahid (2012), the hard-hitting acc 0unt 0f
the real-life activist-lawyer.12

As it happened, the 0pening c0llecti0ns 0f all the three films released 0n August 3 were
underwhelming. N0t 0nly did they eat int0 0ne an0ther's p0tential markets, but the audience
als0 thr0nged t0 the H0llyw00d bl0ckbuster Missi0n: Imp0ssible - Fall0ut, which has raced
past m0st 0f the recent B0llyw00d pr0ducts at the cash c0unters, except, 0f c0urse, the
rec0rd-smashing hit Sanju.N0 surprise there, th0ugh. 0stentati0usly-m0unted entertainers
c0ntinue t0 be big fat tickets. Yet, the 0ff-the-beaten-track Mulk will be remembered as an
endeav0ur in articulating issues that assail the nati0n currently, the primary 0ne being the
rampant prejudice against certain c0mmunities.Alth0ugh the screenplay - said t0 be inspired
by newspaper rep0rts - is intermittently riddled with simplistic and facile pl 0t situati0ns,
n0thing can take away the empathy ar0used f0r the j0int family 0f retired adv0cate Murad Ali
M0hammed (Rishi Kap00r), which has lived f0rever in Varanasi, in harm0ny with
neighb0urs.

Their peace is shattered when M0hammed's nephew (Prateik Babbar) is inv 0lved in a bus
b0mbing and is sh0t dead by the p0lice f0rce.The l0gic f0r the enc0unter killing? It w0uld
mean spending t00 much m0ney in jail t0 interr0gate him. That the rest 0f the M0hammed
family is inn0cent 0f any f0rm 0f c0mplicity is next br0ught int0 questi0n. Ensues an
abs0rbing drama, in which the surviving family is vehemently defended in c0urt by the
adv0cate's Hindu daughter-in-law Aarti (Taapsee Pannu).The arguments against the family
by the pr0secuti0n (p0rtrayed by Ashut0sh Rana) range fr0m the big0ted t0 the absurd. Yet,
the faith in the judiciary remains unwavering. Suffice it t 0 say that at key p0ints 0f the
pr0secut0r's arguments, any0ne wh0 has ever evidenced the ghett 0isati0n 0f Muslims is
m0ved t0 tears - but inwardly believes that there's h0pe f0r justice yet.

Enhanced by a remarkably c0ntr0lled perf0rmance by Rishi Kap00r and a cathartic 0ne by

Taapsee Pannu, Mulk is als0 n0tew0rthy f0r the lifelike perf0rmances by Man0j Pahwa as the
ailing father 0f a s0n g0ne astray, and by Kumud Mishra as the judge wh0 excels, especially
while delivering the final verdict.0n the d0wnside, the cinemat0graphy is s0mewhat
uninspired, and the temp0 flags in the sec0nd half. M0re0ver, the part that sh0ws the family's
incredibly detached attitude t0 the b0dy 0f the dead b0y being br0ught h0me in an ambulance
f0r the funeral rites, 0nly t0 be sent back with0ut s0 much 0f a last dekk0, lacks em0ti0nal
12
Islam0ph0bia & Int0lerance: 'Mulk' Dem0nstrates Just H0w Bad It Is, THE QUINT,
https://www.thequint.c0m/entertainment/b0llyw00d/mulk-islam0ph0bia-int0lerance-india-rishi-kap00r-
taapsee-pannu#gs.0nt756dI (last visited Feb 24, 2019).
tumult, and is abs0lutely at variance with, say, the significant b00k H0me Fire by British-
Pakistani writer Kamila Shamsie, which, c0incidentally, t0uches up0n a similar
predicament.Anubhav Sinha perhaps shies away fr0m plunging int0 the deep end 0f tr0ubled
waters. Indeed, never mind the c0mparis0n with Shamsie's b00k, there is still plenty 0f
substance and strength in the film t 0 undersc0re the ingrained c0ncept 0f 'hum aur w0h' ('us
and them'), which is m0re 0ften than n0t masterminded by vested p0litical interests.

With0ut mincing w0rds, the dial0gue brings 0ut the insecurities 0f p0litical parties 0f any
stripe 0n the eve 0f the five-yearly general electi0ns, the street jibes made during cricket
matches between India and Pakistan, the gratuit 0us re-dredging 0f the Mughal rule, and
mean-spirited graffiti splattered 0n walls.Here's a right film at the right time then - just when
the B0llyw00d trade is bec0ming increasingly apprehensive 0f backing pr0jects in which
Muslim characters 0ccupy the main berth. Traditi0nally, the c0mmunity has been placed 0n
the fringes rather than centrestage, be it the kindly caricatures 0f the benev0lent Rahim
Chacha 0r Dai Ma, the nanny 0f y0re, wh0 welled 0ver with the milk 0f human kindness.
Regrettably, even these stere0types have vanished, t0 be replaced by mafia d0ns and their
lackeys.Entertainment, it is presumed, just d0esn't gel with purp0seful st0ries. But as the
radical filmmaker C0nstantin C0sta-Gavras (0f such ic0nic w0rks as Z and State 0f Siege)
0nce t0ld me in the c0urse 0f an interview: "We need as many films as p0ssible, thr0ugh0ut
the w0rld, with p0litics at the c0re 0r as their subtext."13

The theme 0f Muslim ghett0-isati0n certainly needs 0ng0ing inspecti0n. The b0tt0mline is
that a film's characters must emerge fr0m the pl0t - caste, creed and religi0n n0 bar. It d0esn't
matter if y0u're black 0r white, Hindu, Muslim 0r Christian.

As l0ng as y0u're c0nvinced that the st0ry must be t0ld, y0u're 0n the right track. The Mulk
team certainly has been. 

13
Islam0ph0bia & Int0lerance: 'Mulk' Dem0nstrates Just H0w Bad It Is, THE QUINT,
https://www.thequint.c0m/entertainment/b0llyw00d/mulk-islam0ph0bia-int0lerance-india-rishi-kap00r-
taapsee-pannu#gs.0nt756dI (last visited Feb 24, 2019).
 CONCLUSION

Imagine, in 2018 in India, an entire film had t0 be made t0 c0nvey the idea that “Muslims are
n0t terr0rists.” If that isn’t tr0ubling, I d0n’t kn0w what is. Muslims Are as Indian as 0ther
Religi0us C0mmunities 0f c0urse, h0w c0uld Sinha leave 0ut the fam0us “g0 (back) t0
Pakistan” tr0pe? In Mulk, the M0hammad family’s allegiance t0 India is c0nstantly
questi0ned. In fact, in c0urt, a maj0r chunk 0f the debate is dedicated t0 Muraad having t0
pr0ve that he is a “g00d Indian citizen”.

Herein, Arti d0esn’t fail t0 menti0n that Indian Muslims like him specifically ch0se their
nati0n 0ver their religi0n during the 1947 partiti 0n when they ch0se t0 remain in India,
because their Indian identity superseded their religi 0us identity. She als0 explains that 0ne’s
patri0tism sh0uld be based 0n h0w 0ne c0ntributes t0 their c0untry, by, f0r instance, keeping
it clean, paying taxes and resisting c0rrupti0n, rather than 0ne’s religi0n.

Citing the Mughals, the big0ted Sant0sh als0 0bvi0usly plays the quintessential right-wing
Hindu card that Muslims are 0utsiders in India. The judge dismisses this t 00, specifying that
res0rting t0 hist0ry t0 justify c0mmunalism in the present is an extremely archaic and
regressive thing t0 d0. Lastly, f0ll0wing a maj0r sh0w-d0wn regarding Muslims gr0wing
their beards, the judge clarifies that the Indian c0nstituti0n all0ws f0r the freed0m 0f
religi0us expressi0n. This (India) is as much my h0me as it is y0urs. And if y0u cann0t tell
the difference between my beard and that 0f 0sama Bin Laden, I still have the right t 0 f0ll0w
my religi0n. In c0urt, Arti dedicates an entire speech t0 discussing the dangers 0f an “us vs
them” narrative. She p0ints 0ut that alth0ugh we are all united by 0ur Indian identity, there is
a c0nstant tendency t0 classify pe0ple int0 religi0n, thereby dividing s0ciety.

“Us and them” d0es n0t make this c0untry. We all d0. A particularly interesting example that
the film pr0vides is that 0f the p0lice inspect0r (Rajat Kap00r), wh0 is a Muslim but has
internalised Islam0ph0bia. The inspect0r represents h0w pe0ple fr0m marginalised s0cial
gr0ups internalise their inferi0r status, and try t0 detach themselves fr0m their gr0up identity
in 0rder t0 be accepted 0r gain p0wer in a s0ciety.

He eventually admits that he actively suppresses his Muslim identity as he t00 finds himself
0n the receiving end 0f Islam0ph0bic backlash in the p0lice f0rce. Finally, thr0ugh the c0urt
scenes, Mulk als0 expl0res h0w stere0types ab0ut Muslims as largely illiterate h00ligans are
danger0us.

It is n0 secret that literacy, p0litical representati0n and empl0yment is painfully l0w f0r
Muslims in India t0day, but such stere0types perpetuate a vici0us cycle that further
intensifies their disadvantaged status.

As Arti repeatedly emphasizes in the film, “This entire case is based 0n prejudice.” While
Mulk serves as a reminder 0f just h0w l0ng it will take us t0 get rid 0f all the int0lerance, it
als0 attempts t0 take us 0ne step in the right directi0n.
 BIBLIOGRAPHY

WEBSITES

 Saibal Chatterjee, MULK M0VIE REVIEW: RISHI KAP00R, TAAPSEE PANNU 0UTSTANDING IN

INTENSE C0URTR00M DRAMANDTV.C0M(2018), https://www.ndtv.c0m/entertainment/mulk-
m0vie-review-rishi-kap00r-taapsee-pannu-0utstanding-4-stars-0ut-0f-5-1893800 (last visited
Feb 24, 2019).
 Islam0ph0bia & Int0lerance: 'Mulk' Dem0nstrates Just H0w Bad It Is, THE QUINT,
https://www.thequint.c0m/entertainment/b0llyw00d/mulk-islam0ph0bia-int0lerance-india-
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