Partition (film)

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For the 1987 film of the same name, see Partition (1987 film).

Partition
Movie poster for Partition
Directed by	Vic Sarin
Produced by	Tina Pehme Kim Roberts
Written by	Patricia Finn Vic Sarin
Starring	Jimi Mistry Kristin Kreuk Neve Campbell Irfan Khan John Light
Music by	Brian Tyler
Cinematography	Vic Sarin
Editing by	Reginald Harkema
Release date(s)	February 2, 2007
Country	Canada
Language	English
IMDb profile

Partition is a 2007 film, directed by Vic Sarin, written by Patricia Finn and Vic Sarin, and starring Jimi Mistry and Kristin Kreuk. The film is set in 1947 and based on the partition of India.

Determined to leave the ravages of war behind, 38 year old Gian Singh (Jimi Mistry) resigns from the British Indian Army to a quiet life. His world is soon thrown in turmoil, when he suddenly finds himself responsible for the life of a 17-year-old Muslim girl, separated from her family and traumatized by the religious conflict during the Partition of India. Slowly, resisting all the taboos of religious divide, Gian finds himself falling in love with the vulnerable Naseem (Kristin Kreuk) and she shyly responds. In a moving and epic story, woven into a rich and exotic tapestry, they battle the forces that haunt their innocent love, fighting the odds to survive in a world surrounded by hate.

[edit] Plot

Gian Singh (Jimi Mistry), a Sikh, goes off to war in the British Indian Army with his two best friends Andrew and Avtar. The three are being seen off by Margret, Andrew's sister, and Walter. Gian promises to look after Andrew only to resign after Andrew is killed. Gian is tortured by the guilt of not being able to save Andrew. A young Muslim woman, Naseem (Kristin Kreuk), is separated from her family in a massacre on Muslims and, unaware that her father has been killed, hides in hopes that the marauding Indian soldiers won't find her.

Gian finds Naseem in the woods, having just returned to his home town near the Pakistani border. Their efforts to hide are foiled; Naseem and Gian are forced to bargain for Naseem's life with money. The townspeople, although initially resenting her presence, begin to accept Naseem, and it seems that the bad parts of their lives have faded away until night when both Naseem and Gian suffer from tortured visions of their past. These visions ultimately unite the two and they get married and have a son they call Vijay.

In love, the world seems perfect until Margret shows up on Gian's door step with news that Naseem's family has been found in Pakistan. Naseem leaves to see them in Pakistan. She is to return in a month but does not arrive. Her two brothers, discovering her marriage to a Sikh, lock her up in her room and forbid her to ever return to India. Akbar, the eldest, is particularly stubborn, and vows to keep her away from her husband at all costs. Gian, tired of waiting, sets off on a trip to Pakistan to retrieve Naseem. He disguises himself as a Muslim, cutting off his hair and donning a Kofi. Even with the disguise he has to sneak across the border as his papers are not sufficient.

Gian meets with Walter and Margret, who barely recognize him without his turban, and leaves Vijay with them while he goes to get Naseem. When he arrives, still dressed as a Muslim, Naseem immediately recognises him. As they run toward one another they are stopped by her brothers and Akbar beats Gian. To explain himself to his neighbors he tells them that Gian is a Sikh. Meanwhile Naseem has been locked up by her brother Zakir. Gian is hauled to jail and there he wallows in the darkness, refusing to return to India until he remembers that he has a son who needs him.

Naseem’s mother, realizing that the couple are truly in love, frees Naseem, who runs to the train. She recognizes Vijay immediately and hugs him, unaware that Gian is just on the other side of the tracks. When he calls her name, they begin to fight through the crowd to reach one another. Just as they meet Akbar pulls them apart and begins a struggle with Gian. Gian is pushed over the railing onto the tracks just as the train arrives and is killed. Naseem sobs hysterically as she slowly collapses to the ground.

Naseem and Vijay escape on the train as the police arrive for Akbar. With the help of Margret and Walter they move to England and Walter spreads Gian's ashes over a Banyan tree.