Fiza's enduring message on communal violence and Hindi cinema's silence

Khalid Mohamed's 2000 film Fiza examined the aftermath of the Bombay riots through the lens of a Muslim family torn apart by communal violence. The film posed difficult questions about survival and trauma in the wake of such upheaval.

More than two decades after its release, Hindi cinema has produced far fewer narratives that grapple with communal violence and its human cost. The industry's reluctance to engage with such themes raises questions about the stories contemporary Indian cinema chooses—or avoids—telling.