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Showing reviews from 1 to 50 (total: 110)
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I really miss someone after seeing this movie... don't know to whom I miss... but it really mean to me very much.
10/10
22.6.2009 -
r_mlal555@ - age: 18-25
Its nt only the movie, its all about truth that happened in punjab & people suffer it, our elder's told as same I seen in movie its really great movie.
8/10
8.7.2005 -
jasvir_ind@ - age: 18-25
Terrific movie!
10/10
25.4.2005 -
i_love_jay_sean@ - age: 13-17
I really liked this movie it was one of the best movies that I have seen cause for ppl without knowledege about what happened in 1984, this movie shows it and u can get some not some a lot of information out of this. This movie was pretty special to me so thinking how special it was I also wrote a story essay about this film and now my brother is also going to do the same thing. Once again this was one of my favorites that I have enjoyed and liked.
10/10
24.2.2005 -
rksaini86@ - age: 18-25
Hawayein movie is really the best movie I have ever seen. It increases our knowledge and we came to know what was really happened in1984. The role of Babbu maan was excellent.
10/10
5.11.2004 -
hanji2008@ - age: 18-25
Nice songs. Really nice movie. But too much details.
8/10
2.9.2004 -
hkr72004@ - age: 13-17
It was fab!!!
10/10
29.5.2004 -
luvleen_gill@ - age: 13-17
I loved this movie it was great and I hope most of every person has seen it. I would give the most credit to mr. Mann for doing this for us. Now I have the answers to my questions. Thanks mr. Mann!!!
10/10
11.5.2004 -
hawayein_46@ - age: 18-25
No I do not like the way your work is going down suddenly and most of the people living in Bombay(Bollywood) are kind of poor apart from the billionares (Actors and Actresses)
6/10
18.4.2004 -
bathsheba_osode@ - age: 50+
Yes, I have seen the movie. I should say this movie is one of the fantastic movie. It is really appreciable due to the reality shown in each seen. This movie is made just to tell people what our past was? Rather than rising any issues. Must be seen by each nad every person either hindu, muslim or sikh.
10/10
21.3.2004 -
kamalpreet_kaur97@ - age: 18-25
It is a great effort considering the fact that it is made by people held captives in india. A better effort at portraying the truth would have been indigestible to the hindu rulers. It is really great to see that someone embarked on covering subjects that have touched and changed our lives rather than showing third rate entertainment which is typical of bombay films featuring half clad girls dancing in snow of switzerland. The sikh tragedy is bigger than 84. It also involves the stupid corrupt leadership that is blatantly disinterrested in anything except clinging to power while the brahman constantly trying to bring the free minded sikhs back into its corrupt folds. Furthur to create hopelessness by suggesting it to its youngsters that there is no future for a land locked nation. The film had neither the means nor freedom to go that far. Nevertheless it is a great step in right direction.
7/10
24.2.2004 -
randeepsandhuca@ - age: 26-35
It was preety good.
9/10
17.2.2004 -
neetudhaliwal44@ - age: 13-17
I saw the flim and I fink it was brill and I rate Babbu Mann for showing such an experience that any 1 would knw how it was 4 plp in those days I would really like to knw Babbu's life story because his eyes tell alot ANd why he makes songs on girls that always leave him (man I love him so much coz of his songs)p;s love to meet u in real life Babbu :) man u showed what these plp done to us rate ya!
10/10
1.2.2004 -
gurpz_desikuri@ - age: 13-17
A great potrayal of the riots that occured in delhi due to death of indira gandhi and then in punjab due to the riots in delhi. Some terrific music and songs by BABBU MANN. What I liked the most was the balance maintained in the potrayal of the sikhs, not all of them were shown as criminals and at the same time not all were shown as doing the right stuff, which I think was the truth. All this accompanied by some breathtaking performances by whole of the cast. I personally think Amtojee Mann was not was not too good at the start as a youth in love with a girl but after that he too was stupendous. All in all a great movie and a must see for those who easily blame sikhs for all this not knowing the actual reasons. ADARSH SHARMA.
10/10
29.1.2004 -
adarsh_robin@ - age: 13-17
Awesome movie on an appropriate subject. Excellent!!! Reminds you of your past. Did you remember the riots? Some people might had forgotten. We can not forget our past. But perhaps we were forgetting. This movie will remind you of your history. This movie is real. Every sikh & non sikh should watch this movie. Amtoj is the man!!! Good work. Great movie & on top of that the awesome music that touchs the core of your heart.
10/10
30.12.2003 -
hayer@ - age: 18-25
Good subject but technically week. Non Sikhs should watch and try to understand the emotions of Sikh people.
6/10
22.12.2003 -
romy4@ - age: 26-35
I like this movie. This is a best movie. I love this movie. Babu Mann did good Performance. Ammtoje Mann He did a good too. Also, I Like the songs. Once again, I like that movie very much.
10/10
10.12.2003 -
hap1500@ - age: 18-25
This is the best Punjabi movie ever made. Right now after knowing the orginal movie was abot 4 hour and it was cut down down to 2 hours and 30 min makes me very angry. The movie is a true reality which made me and my whole family cry. My grandfather commented that most is the movie is a reality especially the terriorism that occur after the genocide. They were indeed two type of terriorism, one good, and the other were gready and they killed innocent people in PUNJAB. The good helped many widows, and they fought the correct way to achieve freedom but because of the other group, the movement was not successful.
10/10
9.12.2003 -
pbnrulewhat@ - age: 18-25
I LOVED the movie and everybody should go and see the movie, it shows exactly what had happened, its moving and sad and I strongly believe that "winds do change but the scars still remain.".
10/10
27.11.2003 -
meep_soccerdevil_224@ - age: 13-17
Hawayein film was great. I never saw movie like Hawayein before. I love this movie. It is my favourite movie. Especialy I like the hero (Ammtoje Mann) film. From: Ramneet Kailay.
9/10
24.11.2003 -
kailay_1988@ - age: 13-17
Well done! I salute to Amatoj Mann for his brilliant acting, direction and covering every angle of the story. It is so well balanced story anyone can portrait and hits so close to home. I was in my teens in 80s and can relate to so many incidents in the movie. A tragedy which has been handled very well from the begining to the end. I am proud that someone had the courage to tell it all and pray that he keeps unveiling the dark side of our politicians. Keep the good work up Amatoj and the whole team!!!
10/10
18.11.2003 -
johalkiki@ - age: 26-35
Really good movie. You will come to enjoy it more if you had been through it as I have. To all the people who are writing essays on this web site, this is not the place. There is only so much content that you can put in a movie. Well done A. Maan.
10/10
12.11.2003 -
six_pak14@ - age: 18-25
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Following up on the following post: "Good movie, could been better. It didn't show the attack on golden temple. But it shows how hindu's want to kill sikh and muslims in india. They want to make india a hindu state. The new genration should and will fight for khalistan. Rub rakha. 10/10 2.11.2003 - babersingh@ - age: 18-25" I was actually saddened to read this comment. The entire goal of the movie was wasted it seems. The movie was targetted to show that it was not a religious war technically. The masterminds behind the riots were a few politicians hungry for money or power - it didn't matter if they were sikh or hindu. Whatever that was depicted about the Khalistani movement perse was relatively correctly depicted as well. There is a lot more to it but all of it cannot be shown in a 3-hour span. I lost my grandfather in the years of terrorism - it was a random drive-by shooting by "sikh" terrorists. My grandfather always proudly wore his turban. He was a committed sikh but he was murdered by random "sikh" terrorists for NO reason whatsoever. I remember an incident when I was returning home with my dad from somewhere. A white maruti drove by and a sikh man on a bicycle was shot dead by a man in the car. The man in the car was wearing an orange turban as I recall. I was only 8 years old then. I witnessed it. The poor man who was murdered lied there covered in blood on the road with his lunch box scattered... his almost broken bicycle lying on the side... he was probably going back home to his family after a hard day's work. What wrong did he do to deserve it? All I am trying to say is... NO, religion NEVER teaches u to fight - be it hinduism or sikhism. Being a sikh myself and having lived in punjab during the terrorism era, I can vouch to the fact that the majority of the sikhs in punjab were anti-khalistan... and still are. I mean, think about it with a rational head please, Punjab is a landlocked state!!! How can it even survive as a full-fledged country? Are you stupid to even think of having Punjab different from India? I am proud to be sikh! Guru Gobind Singh Ji established Khalsa to protect the meek... to help others when they need help... to be there for others... NOT to declare an independent state for ourselves. These "hindus" that we condemn now... these were the same "hindus" Guru Teg Bahadur Ji sacrificed his life for! Why? Really I am so apalled... WHY let the gurus sacrifices go to waste? If you are a true sikh, u will uphold the values the gurus taught us and not try to create your own values based on what you believe is correct.
9/10
10.11.2003 -
hawt2handle@ - age: 18-25
It is a Fantastic effort to bring the real causes of the unfortunate'84 riots. It Shows that"Punjab vasda si, vasda hai, te vasda rahega". no matter what. AP Singh.
10/10
9.11.2003 -
apsingh0172@ - age: 18-25
Excellent movie. Worth watching every minute. Depicts true incidents from 1984 riots. Well directed, good songs, keeps your interest. It could have gone more into history that led to the events of 1984. Some false incidents were shown leading to negative image of Sikhs.
9/10
2.11.2003 -
singhduke@ - age: 18-25
Good movie, could been better. It didn't show the attack on golden temple. But it shows how hindu's want to kill sikh and muslims in india. They want to make india a hindu state. The new genration should and will fight for khalistan. Rub rakha.
10/10
2.11.2003 -
babersingh@ - age: 18-25
I've never seen a movie so touching. If there's anythin I have learned from hindi and punjabi movies it's not TO WATCH them BUT Hawayein is one movie that I would die to see again. Its one movie that has brought me bak to reality to thank God for wat we have now. This movie better win an award or sumthin or better yet it people should learn not to repeat mistakes and apperiate wat they have cus thas the only way we can acknowledge Mr. Mann's work. Ps. Im not tryin to promote the movie!!! Judge for your self!
10/10
1.11.2003 -
sony12_@ - age: 18-25
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[ATTENTION: This review reveals content of the movie.]
Congratulations to all who made this great movie possible. To some people religion is more important, to others it's the community and vice-versa. I am a Punjabi first and a Hindu later. I think 84 is the nadir of Indian history. Though the leaders instigated, but the fact is, the crowds participated. Though these hooligans were the lowest of the scum of the society but the fact that they were also Hindus, ashames me. For those who till date believe that Sikhs ditributed Sweets, this movie is a slap in the face. Cause even if some did (which is reasonable based on the hurt incurred by them in past, especially during Opn BlueStar days) should they be burnt alive for that!!! I also liked the fact that this movie gives a reason why the "militants" did what they did (Maachis was anohter good movie that succeeded in this aspect) It separates the bad "terrorists" who were being directed by ISI (perhaps!!?) However in all fairness, though I am personally not a fan of Khalistan movement, I would agree with some of the comments that movie wrongfully depicts "Khlistanis" as thugs. I think the real Khalistanis were genuine in their cause. But how realistic and productive that cause was, can be a debate in itself and better understood after reading George Orwell's Animal Farm. I also liked the inclusion of a couple of Hindus in the Dashmesh team. Growing up in Punjab during those days, though almost all my friends were sikhs and we were always together, I always felt left out on politicl issues. So that was a good point in the script. I also liked that the movie subtly covered all aspects like the bus killings, labor killings, police killings in Punjab. Sikhs may not realize but these became the defining benchmarks and greatly affected the Hindu psyche in those days. These "high profile" killings still act as a moral neutralizer towards 84 riots in a lot of Hindu minds. So I think a real victory was achieved in this movie when they besides showing Delhi riots also showed that the bus killings etc were an act of ISI and bad "terrorists" and not the real militants. My mother who in those days after reading such news, would say stuff like "ena ne saanu v mar chudna hai", was crying through out the movie. She felt sorry for her thoughts in past and admitted that she was stupid and naive in the past; that how media etc succeeded in manipulating her and the likes. So I think that was the real victory of this movie. The real lesson in this movie is peace... that we Punjabis are one. We have different religion and that's all right. Even as a kid I preffered Kada-parshard to fullian anyday... :)
10/10
1.11.2003 -
vizkid@ - age: 26-35
Well all I want to say is that movie was good, but with one of the concept I'm not agree. As it shown in the movie that sikhs took revange. When huh? Instead of that they should have shown that how much sikhs struggled in 1984 riots. Well over all I wouldn't consider a true story. It's Not!
6/10
27.10.2003 -
khalsa_19@ - age: 18-25
The only good and true part of the story is the delhi riot part, everything else is a distortion of history. This is not a film which will enlighten the youth of the past, its distorted facts are blatantly biased. If the film was really a true adaption of what REALLY went on, do you think the indian goverment would have let them release this? This is a mainstream effort to further divide the sikhs. Im not relgious but 1984 right through today makes my blood boil, our punjabi brethen, even today, are being manipulated by the corrupt goverment monkeys. Go to punjab and see for yourself!
4/10
27.10.2003 -
fearofus@ - age: 18-25
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This movie should get a rating of 3/10 because it only involved half-truths. Why was the attack on the Golden Temple not shown, that was a pivotal part of the Sikh nation's history, I would say even more than the Delhi riots. Sikh militants did NOT kidnap any ambassadors, much less a Swiss one. This movie was so censored and so many parts were cut out that some parts of the story just looked like they were pasted together. This is a shameless mockery of the truth because that is what the title of Hawayein is, a true story. It is not the truth and this Indian government and these Hindus will never be able to admit the truth; that they are cold-blooded killers. This movie was banned in India. What does that tell you about the Indian people (I don't consider Sikhs Indians) They could not even tolerate half-truths being told. If anyone should be telling the story, it shouldn't be Bollywood. It should be us, Sikhs who can make a re-inactment of every single thing that happened to them and then we should send it to the U. N. and the international film festivals and so forth. The atrocities against the Sikhs have to be shown to the world. We should not let time fade away the impact of what happened to us. We should never forget and never let anyone forget either.
3/10
26.10.2003 -
smart_dakoo@ - age: 18-25
Great movie, very tuching also it is not one sided.
10/10
26.10.2003 -
tejpal2000@ - age: 13-17
Excellent movie! One of the best indian movies I've seen... and my friends agreed. A movie that could have been told with so much bias... but it was told from the eyes of the honest hard working people who just want peace in their own country whether they be hindu or sikh. They couldnt have done it better.
9/10
19.10.2003 -
neena_sidhu@ - age: 26-35
Hawayein was best I've ever seen.
10/10
17.10.2003 -
navi188@ - age: 13-17
It was a great movie, showed why the sikhs need an independent sikh state khalistan, only thing bad about this movie was that it associated the word khalistan with the bad terroists group in the movie (the looters, rapists, robbers,) which is not true. They were the khalistan militants that killed general vadiya who masterminded the attack on the golden temple. They were the khalistani militants that killed cops that tortured and raped families of sikhs for no reason. They were the khalistanis that killed hindus that killed sikhs. The khalistanis showed in the movie were not the true khalistanis but a way to tell everybody that khalistan is a bad word and who ever is a khalistani is a rapist, robber etc. [...]
6/10
6.10.2003 -
firstclassjatt@ - age: 18-25
Yeah it is a very good movie... the only thing wrong about is the way they portrayed khalistanis cuz that is not true. Anybody who is a khalistani believes in khalsa... and khalsa does not just kill innocent people... I guess they had to do that since the movie is being in india and the censors had a problem with it... the best part of the movie are the way they portrayed the delhi riots... I was not even born then.. vaheguru will hear the sikhs pukar one day... and if the sikhs are on the path of justice and rightousness then we will get our rights...
9/10
4.10.2003 -
bakshno1@ - age: 18-25
Very good movie, really worth seeing, excellent work and most of all is that it's telling the truth to your generation who are living outside Punjab & India.
10/10
2.10.2003 -
shallymann@
It is time to revive movement for Sikh nation. There should be more movies of this type depicting sinister designs of Hindus towards minorities in India. Make these kinds of movies what Hindus have done to Christians, Buddhism and Muslims.
10/10
27.9.2003 -
maulajatt@ - age: 18-25
I like this movie and the songs.
10/10
25.9.2003 -
rananauman@ - age: 18-25
Interesting movie. I'm not indian but have been in India on a trip, so I'm interested in the country. The movie is a typical 3 hours long musical/romance indian movie. For non-indians, those movies are usually too long and at least 1 hour could be easily cut without affecting the content. The historical part of the movie, I. E. riots and all, is however interesting to see. I would say it lacks context for non-indians who get a bit lost in the story. You get the general picture, however, because the movie tempo is so slow.
6/10
25.9.2003 -
sebrignon@ - age: 26-35
100.000.000.000% good film & true story.
10/10
24.9.2003 -
mq_autosale@ - age: 36-49
Dear Ammetoge I loved your movie. It was great I watched it two times because I love INDIA!!!
10/10
20.9.2003 -
babarsekhon@ - age: 1-12
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[ATTENTION: This review reveals content of the movie.]
Liquefying the Sikh faith Again, the start of the film witnesses the sinister plot of the Bharatya Janata Party (BJP) government to subordinate the Sikh religion, and dissolve it into the Hindu faith. The Sardar who fought so gallantly for India, earning him a Vir Chakar is allowing the marriage of his son (Sarabjeet Singh) to a Pandit's daughter (Muskaan) To emphasise that there is no difference between the faiths, the boy and girl ask each other ''is there anything different between us''. An explicit example of the extent to which the government is prepared to implement its Article 25 (2) of the Indian Constitution, stating that Sikhs are a sect of Hinduism, not a distinct race created by Guru Nanak Dev Ji and nurtured to independence by the Gurus thereafter. Sinister remark about Operation Bluestar Although the film had to start from a specific point, the manner in which Operation Bluestar is mention is scandalous. The 'hero' of the film, Sarabjeet Singh asks his father why the Golden Temple was allowed to be converted into a complex of heavy artillery, a place which sanctioned death warrants rather than the singing of devotional hymns. Thus, suggesting that it was the militant Sikhs that were to blame, giving the Indian government no choice but to 'flush' them out as they sought sanctuary in the Golden Temple Complex. Nevertheless, such an asseztion by the film is totally unfounded. Dr. J. M. Pettigrew, a Scottish anthropologist, who spent much time in Punjab doing independent research on the Punjab problem, writes in "The Sikhs of the Punjab" "The initial crime (Operation Blue Star) was caliberated and indeed had been planned for a year beforehand. The Darbar Sahib complex, a place of a great beauty, the spiritual and political centre of the Sikh way of life and of the Sikhs, as a whole, their historic home through years of invasion from the West, had its sanctity shattered. The army went into Darbar Sahib not to eliminate a political figure or a political movement but to suppress the culture of a people, to attack their heart, to strike a blow at their spirit and self-confidence". Evidently, the sole purpose of Operation Bluestar was to destroy the Sikh morale, and force them into submission. So why does the film attempt to blame the Sikhs for Operation Bluestar, and then claim not to be anti-Sikh in ints film? Yet Hawayein callously ignores this, and attempts to shift the blame to Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale. If the army really only wanted to flush out those who wrote and sanctioned death warrants, then why did they choose to invade the holiest shrine on a highly religious day, when pilgrims were arriving from ever nook and corner of the globe? Punjab was littered with government intelligence throughout its anti-Sikh policies in Punjab, are we really lead to believe that the government failed to realise that it was a holy day? Hawayein fails to address this. The fact that India as a whole condoned the acts of 1984 reveals the direness of the Sikh predicament. The pogroms of 1984 were masterminded by the government and enjoyed popular support; else the carnage would not have been allowed to overrun the country for days. Nearly all would agree that those who are silent in the face of atrocities are as much to blame for them as the perpetrators themselves. So why in Hawayein, did it not emphasise the integral role the government played. A fascist Hindu is heard shouting, ''we only have 36 hours'', the truth is that the bloodbath was allowed to carry on for 5 whole days, organised and carefully planned butchery of Sikhs. DEFAMATION OF SIKHS 禮 Legitimate rights of the Khalistani militants not addressed. In the film, a shocking and unpardonable representation of the Khalistani militants is made. The manner in which the Khalistani militant movement is portrayed is deplorable. They are shown as not spear heading any serious movement, a bunch of arsonists, bandits, looters, murderers, plunderers, drunkards and rapists with no popular support, outcasts and rejects of society who have nothing better to do than brandish an AK-47 at innocent by-standers and police officials. There are two groups of militants in the film: A) the good militants (Kanpuria, Sarabjeet etc) who are mere victims of the system, forced to use arms as a result of the heavy handedness of the government in its desire to eradicate the Sikhs of India. On the other hand there are B) the bad militants who are rapists, murderers, drunks, lead by Pakistan who want the creation of a separate Sikh state, Khalistan. The aim is to make you and I believe that Khalistan is a dirty word, only advocated by those who violate lives, property and women. However, a quick look back in the chapters of Indian history reveal some startling information. Prior to Indian independence (in which Sikhs played a dazzling role, giving 90% of the sacrifices), in appreciation of the great patriotic spirit of the Sikhs and in gratitude for the tremendous sacrifices made by them, a special political status within India was agreed to by the Indian National Congress and announced publicly by Jawahar Lal Nehru himself. He said; "The brave Sikhs of the Punjab are entitled to special consideration; I see nothing wrong in an area and a set up in the North where in the Sikhs can also experience the glow of freedom." The Congress Party, in its annual session at Lahore in 1929, passed a resolution that on achieving independence, no Constitution would be framed unless it was acceptable to Sikhs. Gandhi declared: "I ask you to accept my word and the Resolution of the entire Congress that it will not betray a single individual much less a community. Let God be the witness of the bond that binds me and the Congress with you". When pressed further Gandhi said that Sikhs would be justified in drawing their swords out of the scabbards as Satguru Gobind Singh Ji had asked them to, if the Congress would waver from its commitment. Therefore, the demands of the Khalistani militants is as legitimate as the claims of a woman to her new born baby. When all the Indian leaders promised the Sikhs a separate homeland before independence, then why does the film try and make those who want Khalistan as a group of immoral and revolting characters? When in fact, the real immoral and revolting characters are those like Ghabdi and Nehru who promised and assured Sikhs that they would experience the glow of freedom in their own state, but then discarded such promises. J. N. Sahni, a veteran editor of the national daily, Hindustan Times, says "The letting down of... the Sikhs was not an act of carelessness on the part of the Congress leaders nor even a blunder, but an act of gross unpardonable betrayal." 禮 Diverting the blame for the Punjab crisis The film suggests that the militant Sikhs were the initial perpetrators of violence in Punjab, but the Guardian sheds some truthful light: "Ever since the Prime Minister Indira Gandhi returned to power in 1980, New Delhi has kept alive a crisis in Punjab... to achieve three questionable objectives : to oust the Akali-led coalition state government of 1977-80, to prevent a legitimate constitutional settlement of Punjab's territorial, river waters and other political and economic disputes with the Centre and, finally, to forge a psychological wedge between Hindus and Sikhs. The Congress Party's obsession with power, its dwindling standards of political behaviour and its aversion to losing elections, is what led it to become the midwife of extremism in Punjab". 禮 Hindu Massacre? If one delves into Cynthia Keppley Mahmood's book, 'Fighting for faith and Nation', it becomes vividly clear that the majority of the militants never advocated the mass killings of innocent people. During Sant Jarnail Singh Ji Khalsa Bhindranwale's leadership, only those who were known instigators of atrocities against innocent people were brought to justice. On a number of occasions Sant Bhindranwale helped Hindu families, and even sent a band of his men to rescue a Hindu girl who had been seized by a gang of Hindu youths. In any case, where is the evidence that Hindu's were massacred in Mandir's and on buses? Are we really supposed to believe that the militants who advocated the creation of Khalistan would be prepared to take the lives of innocent people? These militants envisioned in Khalistan a state where justice, peace and love for all mankind would prevail, would these militants kill innocent people? Kashmiri and Mcandrew's book 'Soft Target' sheds some astonishing information. In June 1985, Indian Intelligence Agents blew Air India's Plane in the skies, off the coast of Ireland and blamed it on the Sikhs. This truth and harsh reality is revealed in the book Soft Target, which has been banned in India for obvious reasons."Soft target" is an espionage term used to describe a country, institution or group of people that is easy to penetrate and manipulate for subversive purposes... For several years, India has been engaged in a devious and ruthless operation to manipulate and destabilize the Sikh population. The operation has been orchestrated by India's intelligence service and has left the Sikh community estranged from Canadian society. Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) eventually woke up just after the tragic Air-India bombing that left 329 people, mostly Canadians, dead in June 1985. It chased the culprits right to the Indian embassy and consulates. If the Indian Government could sink as low as killing its own people just so the blame could be pointed at the 'terrorist' Sikhs, then as the film shows, would it really be a big deal if these government officials tied turbans and killed a few Hindus, just so Sikh militants could be blamed? The fact of the matter is that these Sikh militants never advocated or even perpetrated these acts of blunder. Zuhair Kashmiri and Brian McAndrew, in Soft Target, write that the Indian government had created a top-secret organization called the Third Agency to unlawfully neutralize the Sikh separatist movement in Punjab. Julio Ribero and K. PS Gill, the men charged with exterminating Sikh militants in Punjab, writes in his autobiography, Bullet for Bullet, that special operations teams were sent in to neutralize Sikhs by any means necessary. These teams would even dress themselves as Sikh militants and target innocent civilians to demolish the public support enjoyed by Sikh separatists. 禮 Who are the real terrorists? For the Indian government, as reflected in Hawayein, the word terrorist is left vague and broad, so that any type of protest against humiliation, indignities and torture can be labelled as such. The Sikhs who want Khalistan in Hawayein are portrayed as the worst type of terrorists, trained by Pakistan with the sole purpose of disintegrating the unity of India. However, students from the Gurdaspur Zaffarwal College had this to say in an independent investigation by the 'Citizens for Democracy, India's foremost Civil Rights Organisation in an article 'Oppression in Punjab, 1982-1984' that ''Police are terrorising the people. All those who are supposed to protect us, like B. S. F, Punjab Police, Central Reserve Police Force, military and Central Government forces are the real terrorists and extremists, because terrorists are those who have crossed all limits of law and humanity. Now the government and its agencies have crossed all those limits. It is not Pakistan which is training terrorists, it is these agencies of the government who are doing all that.'' There we have it, another blunder in Hawayein exposed, Pakistan was not training 'terrorist' Sikhs to obtain an independent state, the government were training its police and army on how to torture innocent Sikhs. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch continually condemn the Indian police and Army for its genocide of the Sikhs, yet to be fair, they are only carrying out orders. If they had tortured Sikhs, they had the green light from the Central Government. India is the only country which did not sign the new UN Convention against torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment. The Indian rulers who say they believe in democracy, secularism, freedom of worship and human rights have themselves enacted black laws and have let loose unabashed State terrorism which has been unleashed specially on the Sikhs- because they are Sikhs. So how are we supposed to loath the militants who want Khalistan, a separate state when they live in a country that does not believe they have a right to live because they wear a turban? ''... violence makes Sikhs fear for their future in India'' (New York Times, Nov. 11, 1984) Why does Hawayein fail to illustrate this? Instead adopting to view the Khalistan movement as an evil plot to bring about the destruction of India. V Seek the truth! In the end, what we should never forget before, during and after watching the film Hawayein is that it was sanctioned and censored by the Indian Government being lead by the BJP (Bharatya Janata Party) who believe that ''India was and is a Hindu nation'', to quote their official website. This BJP is an openly fascist regime, who have made their intention towards the Sikh faith and its people perfectly clear, its fragmentation as a distinct identity, and to then dissolve it into the Hindu faith. The question therefore beckons, why would they release a film on the international stage, that would show the merciless killings of Sikhs in November 1984? Because they could then kill two birds with one stone. 1)Operation Bluestar was carried out by the Congress Party, although they too represent the Hindi majority, by showing the blunder of Operation Bluestar, it blackens Congress as a legitimate political force, thus ensuring that people would think twice about electing them again. Paving the way for prolonged BJP rule in India. 2)While they blacken Congress, they are then allowed to stem the desire for Khailistan (because it will give Sikhs greater autonomy) and condemn Khalistani militants as blood thirsty animals. After watching the film, the unaware and uneducated viewer would for future reference come to view the word Khalistan as a dirty word, because it conjurs images of rapists and looters. The Sikh Republic of Khalistan was declared independent in 1986 but due to the state terrorism from India Govt, the people of Punjab and Sikh's in India have suffered greatly and suppressed into silence. Those brave enough to speak of Khalistan in Punjab or India are treated as a criminals or terrorists. That's the political genius of the corrupt Indian machinery, as they condemn both Sikh militants and Congress, while they smell of roses because they released a 'hard-hitting' film! V Should we forget how the Sikh reference library was burned in a Nazi like manner three days after the attack? V Should we forget those Hindus that came running into the streets and gave ladoo (sweets) and whisky to the soldiers burning Amritsar? Should we forget the "tilaks" (sacred Hindu marks) that were put on tanks as they mutated the city of Nectar into the flames of Hell? V Should we forget the operations Woodrose or Blackthunder that were a follow-up to Bluestar? Should we forget how an entire generation of Sikh boys were literally exterminated village by village? No we should not, but the government and the makers of Hawayein obviously want us to, because none of these feature in the film. Undoubtedly, not every aspect of the conflict can be covered from every angle, but if the producer/director, Ammtoje Mann has embarked upon a venture of retelling the story of Punjab, then to omit and exclude this is to rob the viewer of the truth. What the government thinks u the viewer are, is a soft target, prove them wrong and challenge the notions who hear about the militants by doing your own research. Although the gruesome systematic oppression of the Sikh community has aroused international attention, in this film, India as a nation must prevail, not the truth.. A. Singh.
5/10
17.9.2003 -
p_eng2001@ - age: 26-35
As a Caucasian Canadian not familiar with all the cultures and customs of India and taking his girlfriend on a date. I found this to be an enlightening, heartwarming of these people, and a well noted story of terrible tragedies that should never repeat themselves. I'm very glad I saw this movie! Glen.
10/10
17.9.2003 -
gkinner@ - age: 26-35
GREAttt movie aaammmiii.
8/10
16.9.2003 -
robansoos@ - age: 13-17
Hawayein is the greatest movie I ever seen. Movie came out little late but never too late to show the truth. Movie shows how innocent Sikhs people were killed and destroyed their house who were living peacefully. It is good movie to know people how safe we are in our country.
10/10
16.9.2003 -
rajasingh_us@ - age: 18-25
Hey I have seen it and its amazing I would give this cause its so good I especially like Ammtoje Mann hes really good it was really sad and I love the songs.
10/10
15.9.2003 -
money_girl@ - age: 13-17
Great film, everyone should see it to get an idea of what happened, the riots are portrayed really good, however I can tell you know that they were even worse than what shown, only so much can be shown on screen. Also the movie should given a little more scope into operation blue star, as for people who dont know about it wont understand why the riots happened, this was a big glitch in the film, otherwise a great movie, and first time effort from the makers amtoje, Babbu et all.
9/10
15.9.2003 -
devinder@ - age: 36-49
I just loved this movie. It was so amazing that it took my breath away. I loved Ammtoje Mann and Babbu Mann, theses two were great including the others. I LOVE this movie.
10/10
12.9.2003 -
jasmine352209@ - age: 13-17
I lv this movie!!!
10/10
11.9.2003 -
balpreetdhaliwal@ - age: 13-17
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