WHO ARE YOU FIGHTING FOR?
One of the protagonists, Nawab Malik (Shahid Kapoor) who was in the British Indian Army, got caught in a battle with the Imperial Japanese Army and its ally, the INA (Indian National Army, lead by Subhash Bose) at the beginning of the movie and been taken, hostage.
He then 'escaped' and managed to return to the British camp in India. The British commander, Major General Harding was told by Nawab that he killed several Japanese troops to escape, to the Major General's delight, of course.
But deep inside, being a cheeky and insidious self (like General Landa in Inglorious Basterds), his doubt about the account is well hidden throughout the film, right up until the very end when Nawab Malik revealed that he is an INA spy.
That hair-raising scene alone is one of many memorable moments in the film. He did it while reciting the INA anthem.
There it shows that Malik Nawab knows who he is fighting for. Not for the British who have been channeling the wealth of India (worth 45 trillion dollars from 1765 to 1938) across the English Channel, and have enslaved millions to work and bleed for them.
It is during his captive in the INA that he has been unindoctrinated.
His mission to guard Julia for her tour to Rangoon is also a covert mission appointed by the King to hand over the royal sword to the INA to finance their military campaign against British India.
Such a selfless act by the King, sacrificing His most invaluable belonging for India. Something that even now in 2021 Malaysia, in the middle of a pandemic, is a rare if not impossible story to be heard of. They are instead trapped in a never-ending cycle of greed, looking for more power.
Who, or what are you fighting for?
Nawab Malik reminds me so much of Nam Ron's character in the 2003 Malaysian film, Paloh, despite being slightly different, but in a similar context. Near the ending, his character, Osman got shot by the Bintang Tiga, and life flashes in front of his eyes.
He was trained by the British to be in their police force. Then when the Japanese came he is with the Japanese police. Then be with the Bintang Tiga just to get shot by the returning British army, when he actually just want to be reunited with his love again, Siew Lan.
Nawab Malik too got involved in a love relationship with Julia. despite two different people in two different social hierarchies and allegiance. Like Osman, whose father is Chinese and his mother is a Malay. And he knows Chinese, Japanese and English.
What does that make him?
"...they may say that I am a liar. But history is written by those who hanged heroes." Robert DeBruce, Braveheart.
It is an identity crisis that the ones in power (and who write history and control the media) in this country are taking the colonialist template to keep us in the same cocoon and divided according to their classification. To be unified as one is their worst nightmare.
“...this is just colonialization cloaked in local colors.” - Marina Mahathir
Though, despite Nawab Malik's heroics, he is not, like I said earlier, is the main protagonist. To be continued in Part 3...