Fiza

<p>During the , Amaan Ikramullah, a young man, goes missing after witnessing the brutal murder of his friend Firoz. His mother, Nishatbi, and older sister, Fiza, are left devastated but continue to hope for his return. By 1999, after six years of uncertainty, Fiza grows weary of waiting and resolves to search for her brother. She turns to legal avenues, the media, and political contacts in her quest, encountering a wide range of people and revelations along the way. She discovers that Amaan had once pleaded with a police officer for help, only to be dismissed and told to go to —a remark that left a lasting impression on him. He was later assaulted but managed to escape. Meanwhile, his former girlfriend Shehnaaz, who had remained hopeful for his return, is eventually compelled to marry another man, Salim, under familial pressure. Through a lead from her friend Anirudh Roy—who suspects a link between Amaan and a suspected near the border—Fiza locates her brother. She is shocked to learn that Amaan has joined a terrorist organization. Amaan recounts the trauma of the riots and his recruitment by Murad Khan, who had rescued him during his time of distress. Persuaded by Fiza’s emotional plea, Amaan agrees to return home and is reunited with Nishatbi. Back in Mumbai, Amaan learns of Anirudh’s affections for Fiza and his desire to marry her and support their family. Grateful, Amaan gives them his blessing. Attempting to reintegrate into society, he searches for employment but is repeatedly rejected due to his past. Disheartened, he considers returning to Murad’s network. After intervening when two men harass Fiza, Amaan reveals his past affiliations to his family and the police. The revelation shatters Nishatbi, who, unable to bear the loss of her son’s innocence, dies by suicide. Encouraged by Murad, Amaan agrees to carry out an mission targeting two politicians known for inciting communal hatred—ironically, the same figures who had once tried to exploit Fiza during her search. After completing the killings, Amaan is betrayed by his own group and barely escapes. Fiza tracks him down, and as the police close in, Amaan, overwhelmed by guilt and believing he has no future, pleads with Fiza to end his life. In a final act of compassion and sorrow, she complies, shooting her brother to grant him what he perceives as a dignified death. was originally envisioned by writer-director as a more artistic and issue-driven film. He initially wanted to direct the project. The tone of the script emphasized the psychological and emotional fallout of the . However, due to commercial pressure from distributors, Mohammed adapted the film to include broader appeal, integrating song sequences and comedic elements to meet audience expectations. was Mohammed’s first choice for the role of Fiza, but the part eventually went to . was cast as Amaan, Fiza’s younger brother, although he is five months older than Kapoor in real life. Roshan’s role was initially minor, but following the breakout success of his debut film (2000), released earlier the same year, Mohammed significantly expanded his role. Additional scenes, including a workout montage and an extra song, were incorporated to showcase Roshan’s newfound star power. To accommodate the film’s shift from art-house to mainstream sensibility, certain commercial elements were added during production. This included a dance number for Kapoor and a comedic park sequence featuring . was released theatrically on 8 September 2000 and emerged as a commercial success. Made on a budget of ₹55 million, the film earned approximately ₹322 million (US$7.17 million) worldwide. Its box office performance was bolstered by strong critical reception and ’s surging popularity following the success of earlier the same year. In May 2010, was one of 14 Hindi films selected by the to be screened as part of a curated section titled , which aimed to “celebrate and explore the rich influence of Muslim cultural and social traditions on the cinema of Bombay to the present.” The film was banned from screening in Malaysia. received critical acclaim upon release, with praise directed at its lead performances, soundtrack, and treatment of socio-political themes. was particularly lauded for her role, widely regarded as one of the strongest performances of her career. Vinayak Chakravorty of rated the film 4 out of 5 stars, stating, “It is about Kapoor proving a point as an actress of some substance. It is about establishing that he doesn’t need maximum footage or glitz to impress. It is about the return after a hiatus of the ever-delightful .” Mimmy Jain of described as “the kind of movie that every critic prays will never come his way,” adding that it “offers little scope for criticism.” She praised Kapoor’s performance as “superbly flawless.” Suman Tarafdar of and Chaya Unnikrishnan of echoed similar sentiments, highlighting the maturity of the film and the strength of its performances. Sanjeev Bariana of called the film “only a little above average” but expressed strong appreciation for the cast’s acting. of praised the portrayal of the central family dynamic but felt the film’s broader themes remained underdeveloped, writing that “the big picture it wants to capture remains underdeveloped.” Initially, was approached to compose the music for , but he declined due to scheduling conflicts. However, he agreed to contribute one track to the film, resulting in the spiritual song “Piya Haji Ali.” The remainder of the soundtrack was composed by . Rahman would later collaborate with director on his next film, (2003). For the film’s background score, Rahman recommended his associate , who composed the incidental music. The album featured a mix of romantic, devotional, and dance numbers, with popular tracks including “Aaja Mahiya,” “Aankh Milaoongi,” “Tu Fiza Hai,” and “Mehboob Mere.” The latter was performed on screen as an item number by . The soundtrack was among the most popular of the year and received a nomination for ( ) at the . According to , the album sold approximately 2.5 million units, making it one of the highest-selling Bollywood soundtracks of 2000. The film received several accolades, including four , two , two , and two .</p>