Playwright Critiques Film Adaptation: 'Lahore's Image Tarnished'

Preeta Mathur, a prominent theatre artist, has been staging the play 'Jis Lahore Nahin Dekhya' for over 20 years. She recently shared her perspective on the film adaptation, 'Batwara 1947'. Mathur described the film as a nice and engaging watch, appreciating the performances of Sunny Deol and Shabana Azmi.

However, she raised concerns about certain changes from the original play. Mathur found the film's depiction of the character Mirza, played by Sunny Deol, as an overly powerful 'He Man' difficult to accept, contrasting with the ordinary character in the play. She also felt the development of relationships and the exploration of the old woman's strength were better conveyed in the theatrical version.

A particularly troubling aspect for Mathur was a scene showing an elderly woman being dragged out of her house, which she felt cast a negative light on Lahore's residents. Mathur also noted the film's avoidance of political and religious commentary, a significant element in the original play that aimed to teach lessons from history and promote secularism.