Ambimama - India

Last Saturday, I was watching movie in Kannada with subtitles in English on Doordarshan Channel-1. (Yeah I know, who watches DD on Saturday nights anyway!). Unfortunately Titles were Kannada only and I couldn’t get the name of the movie as I can’t ready Kannada.

Movie was about on Muslim women, who are poor and have no place to complain except the Jamaath, which is male dominated. It was more like offbeat commercial cinema. Harsh Realities of male dominated society of Islam are clearly shown in this film, No Fatwa like one on Salmon Rushdie. Salmon may have quoted Mohammed and his teachings and commented. No one usually comments on Mohammed. (Yeah some Danish cartoonish did and got screwed!)

But consider this Mohammed married a widow because at that time thee was war and many men died and more women needed protection (not sex). But this practice of Polygamy is exploited by Muslims and Arabs all over the world marrying women while their wife exist. What a shame!! How much torture that wife will undergo? Can any honest Muslim explain?

The story of film in brief: (Again, I could not understand the title as it was in Kannada)

Yakoob is married to Hasina and she bears three women children. And he is unhappy. The eldest child Munna, is blind by birth. Yakoob, the auto driver in Bangalore who earns enough money deserts the family and constantly threatens the family and wife of not getting a male child. Munna needs an eye operation and needs Rs.20,000/-. The whole families of Hasina with Munna involve in preparing incenses sticks (Bangalore is famous for this) and earn Rs.5, 000/-.

When Yakoob decides to marry another woman, Hasina submits a petition to Jamaath that she should be compensated with money. She needs the money for bringing back sight to Munna and she waits patiently at Mosque for several days and several petitions to the head of Jamaath.

But the Jamaath ignores her petitions. Yakoob comes to the Mosque, where Hasina waited for justice. He is drunk, the Jamaath allows him and hears to his false allegation that Hasina has taken money from the new would-be of him. Hasina’s hard earned money Rs.5,000/- is snatched away from her. And he beats and kicks Hasina who is pregnant (4th child). Munna comes in between and bears all the blows and kicks of Yakoob to protect her mother and the fourth child to be born.

Munna loves the mother and her other siblings and the to be born child.

Munna dies because Munna takes all the kicks of Yakoob to protect her mother and Ayesha, the name given to the fourth child by Munna.

Now the Head of Jamaath is ashamed and comes to Hasina’s home and offers to pay the Talaq money and says he had committed sin and cannot be pardoned even by Allah.

Hasina says the money she wanted is of no use as Munna is dead. And prays to Allah to bless the Head of Jamaath.

The climax is:

The wife of Head of Jamaath and other women decide to storm against Mosque. And the wife of Jamaath who already tried of bearing enough children and request for a family planning is denied of by Head of Jamaath as children are due to Allah’s mercy.

Jammath’s wife decide to go to her mother’s place and get her apportioned in revenge of death of Munna. She also decides to do family planning operation.

Dharma protects itself.