Cinema of politics

Nahin Abhi Nahin (1980), directed by the progressive filmmaker Nazrul Islam and released during the period of strict Islamic laws of General Ziaul Haque was not perceived as anything more than a coming of age romance, but was it just that?

Beginning as an Aligarh desire of a peasant couple wanting their son to receive high education, the story follows the son, Armaan (literally meaning aspiration) to a hostel in the city.

1. Kuchh bhi karo yeh rokien: Armaan, the innocent boy from village is advised by his street-smart roommate Bobby to pluck flowers if he likes (prohibited by authorities in the public park). "These excessive prohibitions are conspiracy hatched against us by a few fanatics," says Bobby. An old gentleman interrupts compassionately, "No, my son. This is how we, who are your elders, are offering you guidance." When Armaan takes sides with the oldman, Bobby responds by singing this song - symbolic criticism of General Zia's version of "Islamization"?

2. Samaan woh khwab sa: Adolescent Armaan is searching for the older woman Shabnam on whom he has a crush - or is it about a teenager in the days of General Zia regretting to have missed the more liberal 1970s because he was too young at that time ('samaan woh "khwab sa" samaan')?

3. Uss nay dekha: Armaan meets his older crush, Shabnam, who kisses him on the forehead just as he had seen in a Hollywood film earlier - is he misinterpreting her gesture because his head is filled with imported fantasies? He narrates the incident to his buddy Bobby, imagining a romantic future: "We'll have a little courtyard, and a life like flowers; she'll live for me and I'll live for her". In those days, students were getting carried away with political activism, aspiring to bring back the liberal democratic setup of the bygone days (just a little later they were going to hijack a PIA plane and demand release of political prisoners).

4. Ban jao tum filmstar: in the days of the Hudood Ordinance, a schoolgirl could do such things on a beach only in her fantasy. In this dream sequence, Aarzoo (whose name is almost synonymous to Armaan) advises the boy of her dreams to become a filmstar and imagines his later years filled with showbiz fame along with related problems: alcohol, women and loss of true love. Similar to what occured soon after the end of Zia period, with mushroom growth of private channels and liberal policies of the rulers?

5. Climax: Shabnam gets upset when Armaan proposes to her: she had been seeing in him a reflection of her young brother who died in an accident. Armaan attempts suicide, is rescued, and gets reformed: when offered an apple by Arzoo, who had been loving him without getting any response so far, he replies, "Our elders are right. Flowers which bloom before their time also die premature. I shall eat this fruit but no, not now (nahin abhi nahin)." Students should concentrate on studies because they cannot bring back the older democracy of the past through agitation, but will find a new one of their own in due time?