Dharm

Dharm (religion) is a masterpiece, a ground zero point of view on religion. The Brahmins are the upholders of the Hindu religion , their discipline and dedication to the obedience of all Hindu Vedic customs is the very thread that has kept Hinduism alive and unmarred for thousands of years.

Dharm is a story of such a Brahmin, who is staunch about his beliefs yet manages to evade ego and power that comes with such a revered position in Hindu society.

His life and beliefs are put to the test when his family unknowingly welcomes an orphan into their circle & raises him, believing he too is a Brahmin. But an unspoken truth is revealed that shatters their dreams and forces them to weigh their faith against love. The trials and turmoil tears the Brahmin's soul apart till realization & the true meaning of 'Dharm' dawns upon him.

What ensues next is for you to unfold by watching this magnificent movie. The cinematography of this movie is flawless. Each frame is well thought out, each character true to life. Thought provoking and soul moving, Dharm is a must watch movie for all!

Such a movie is once in a decade thing, if not more. Dharm is about religion, as the word literally mean in English, and explores religion in a new way. We have seen many movies where orthodoxy is slammed but Dharm justifies it beautifully and slowly transcends into a secular mode which, again, is affirmed by Dharm only. Religious faith is not seen with disregard but with respect. Rituals are not panned. They are redefined. Its story of a priest known for his values. He is a bit rigid with what he follows. Once incident takes place what follows has definitely no parallel in whatever cinema I had witnessed till today.

Pankaj Kapoor as Pandit Chaturvedi and Supriya Pathak as obedient wife raised their bar of acting to a new level.

Dharm is too good film and it is really deserve to get Oscar for 2008. Pankaj Kapur is too brilliant in his acting. In fact No one can perform like Pankaj for the role "Pandit Chaturvedji". Hats of to you Pankaj Kapur. I remembered when i used to watch "Arya Chankya" serial of Dr. Chandra Prakash. I can co-relate the sense of dialogs and Sanskrit featured in the Arya Chankya. One should always remember his karma before his religion and perform duties towards it. I wish we get such movies to watch in future. Thanks to Director and Script writer of this movie. Wish you best of luck and thanks a lot again for such wonderful movie

It won Nargis Dutt Award for Best Feature Film on National Integration.. beautifully crafted that makes many technically superior and big-budget movies seem so piddling.. the religion that flows in our body, why it fails to reach our hearts at times and how we perceive religion so subjectively and ostensibly .. have we ever understood the religion? If so, then how can we stoop so low and kill on the name of it? What defines us? Religion, ego, beliefs, spirituality, values or humanity? A great watch especially in today's time and age... superb performances, as usual Pankaj Kapoor at his best.. Loved the way Vedasara Shiva Stotram is used in the movie..

Dharm is a film that needs to be made mandatory viewing in all schools across India if we really want to build a secular nation, whilst not giving up on our traditional heritage. More importantly, it needs to be screened – FREE public viewings – for each and every communally sensitive town, locality, and colony. Finally, it should be made compulsory viewing for some of our political leaders – and I don't take names – who have made a killing out of orchestrated communal frenzy and caste violence.

Dharm is not an ordinary film. Its power lies in the fact that it gives us a progressive interpretation of religion, straight from the head pontiff who has pursued a life of unwavering religiosity. A respected Brahmin priest, Pandit Chaturvedi (Pankaj Kapoor) has dominated the spiritual landscape of Benares with his strict adherence to the traditional tenets of practiced Hinduism. Like all conventional priests, he believes in the caste and communal differences and his world almost falls apart when he realizes he has adopted a Muslim child. The foundling who became Kartikeya for him was actually Mustafa, a child lost in the communal carnage that had ripped the city apart. When the child's mother returns, Pankaj as the devout priest; as the man who falls in love with the child; not only lets Kartikeya go, but as the torchbearer of his faith also cleanses his home, mind, body and soul by undergoing days of penance.

Is this the true essence of Dharm? No, declares the devout priest, when the city begins to rage once again in the communal cauldron and his followers brandish their sharpened swords in half-burnt colonies. Then, an enlightened Priest is the one who stands amidst the bloodbath and challenges his followers who attack with swords and fire torches. Eyes drop, swords fall to the ground, as he calls out to Kartikeya in the locality they have come to burn, and kill, and walks hand-in-hand with a Muslim child.

Set against the scenic backdrop of the Benares ghats, the film ends up equating Dharm with its true tenets: the world is one big family; any discrimination on the basis of caste, color, community and religion is anti Dharm. Pankaj Kapoor towers like a colossus amidst the dying social fabric and what could have been an instructive sermon on spirituality,turns up as an uplifting soul curry.

Brilliant photography, a very good soundtrack and top class performance from Pankaj Kapoor. I would recommend this film for every youngster. In fact, schools should put up a circular urging their students, besides facilitating them, to see this movie. Education begins at the grass roots. Let's teach the future of our nation, that religion is all about humanity. That to love one another as God loves us is the biggest act of faith.