Kya Hua Shahar Ko?
Deepa Dhanraj
Documentary/95min/1986/India/Telegu-Hindi with English subtitles
A pioneering political work of contemporary relevance: Communal violence between Hindus and Muslims in 1984 forms the starting point for this film, whose complexity lends it immense political force. The film’s historical perspective is provided by a thorough commentary, which gives the camera’s particular presence the necessary depth and complexity. The mechanisms of political power struggles, the dynamics among those that hold power, and the instrumentalisation of economic relations and urban poverty make for a striking analysis, uniquely anticipating the subsequent development of communalist conflicts and the politics of marginalisation.
Kya hua is shahar ko? has been digitalised, restored and screened again for the first time in 27 years as part of the “Living Archive” project. A DVD including additional historical and contemporary material was released in June 2013.
To be screened with My Mother India.
Sheharnama 