As a classic Bollywood rom-com fan, Unfreedom isn’t a film I would normally pick up to watch. However, it is a movie that has incredibly pertinent and important messages that will leave you thinking about your own relationships, religion, and morals. The editing and flow throughout the film is choppy at times and sometimes the violence becomes excessive, but the key is to absorb the greater story of characters who test their faith and fundamental beliefs in society.
Victor Banerjee
Director Raj Amit Kumar creates a work of art that juxtaposes New Delhi and New York, two cities with diverse people and thoughts. In Delhi, the storyline centers around Leela Singh, a lesbian woman who kidnaps her bisexual lover, Sakhi. Leela’s father works with the police and struggles to face society, as her daughter rejected 10 male suitors and publicly roams around with Sakhi.
Raj Amit Kumar
At the same time but in New York, Mohammed Husain is given a mission to kill a liberal Muslim scholar, Fareed Rahmani. Husain takes Rahmani to a torture chamber, forcing him to confess that he is a fraud, hypocrite, and liar.
The stories don’t intertwine with each other, but both parallel situations discuss race, rape, xeno-phobia, and violence thematically. The LGBT drama might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it is a work of art that explores a side of society we rarely discuss.
Raj Amit Kumar
To read more about Victor Banerjee’s (Fareed Rahmani) journey while shooting for this film, check this out!
Have you seen Unfreedom? Although it is banned in India, Unfreedom is releasing across the US this Friday! Let me know your thoughts on the film in the comments.
By: Shivani Bafna
