Aug 20

Aug 20 Saeed Mirza's Salim Langda, an Indian film classic, was made 30 years ago

Saeed Mirza’s Salim Langda Pe Mat Ro is a pioneering movie about the burden of unemployment, especially for Muslims in India. The characters are similar to those you meet in urban India; the story is set on the streets of Mumbai, Mirza’s hometown.

The 1989 film is one of the first Indian movies to point out the link between unemployment and crime. Mirza’s work has inspired several Indian directors of films and TV serials, some of which are popular hits, to tackle unemployment and other social issues without using the escapist formula of Bollywood productions.

Salim, the central character in the film, is angry seeing his gentle father struggle to find a job and support the family. Taking to petty crime, Salim dreams of becoming a powerful underworld Don. Then, wanting to be a good uncle to his sister’s future kids, he finds a job as a helper in a garage. But his criminal past intervenes.

Salim, played by Pavan Malhotra, is one of the most unique and well developed characters in Hindi films. He is a Mumbai version of Dostoyevesky's Idiot - a simple but street smart youth.

The movie would likely have been a major commercial success if it ended, not as a tragedy, but with an open question: did Salim manage to escape his would-be killer?

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