Gujarat petrified of Parzania 
By IndiaFM News Bureau, January 30, 2007 - 12:16 IST
Rahul Dholakia is disappointed to learn that his directorial venture Parzania, set against the backdrop of the 2002 Godhra riots, is not finding any takers in Gujarat.
Parzania is a film about how a Parsi family loses their son in the murderous civil riots that took place at Godhra. It is based on the true story of Dara Modi’s family. It talks candidly about the socio-political situation in Gujarat at the time. Fearing that the movie will rekindle dormant emotions and garner hatred, theatre owners in Gujarat have refused to screen Parzania. They also fear that the movie will hurt the sensibilities of Hindu activists and enrage them. Rahul however, says that there may be some political undertones in his film, but it's a human interest story at the end of the day. Reportedly, he had put ads in Gujarati newspapers and booked theatres. But not a single cinema hall is screening his film as yet.
Rahul has not given up hope. He is confident that the film will reach Gujarat for sure. A local rights group called Drishti has started an online campaign, requesting the screening of Parzania in Gujarat. A lot of people have already signed the petition. The Modi family has also come forward making the same plea, so that they can find their lost son. Hopefully, these petitions will yield results soon.
Rahul is not afraid of making bold films that deal with sensitive issues. He is now set to make a film based on the Kashmir militancy. Apparently, Rahul was moved when some students from a Kashmir Valley told him that they feel like aliens in their own country. That is when he decided to make the film, which according to him, will be a human interest story like Parzania.
Parzania stars Naseeruddin Shah, Sarika and Raj Zutshi in lead roles. The film has been doing rounds in festivals world over and saw a mass release in India in cities like Mumbai and Pune on Jan 26, 2007.
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