Fiza

Plot synopsis:
The film is about Fiza (Karisma Kapoor), whose brother, Amaan (Hrithik Roshan), disappears during the 1993 Bombay riots. Fiza and her mother Nishatbi (Jaya Bachchan) desperately hold on to the hope that one day he will return. However, six years after his disappearance, Fiza, fed up with living with uncertainty, resolves to go in search of her brother. Driven by her mother Nishatbi's fervent hope and her own determination, Fiza decides to use whatever means she can—the law, media, even politicians—to find her brother, which brings her into contact with various characters and situations.
When she does find him, to her horror she sees that he has joined a terrorist group. She forces him to come home, and he finally re-unites with their mother. However his allegiance and thoughts make him want to return to the terrorist network, led by Murad Khan (Manoj Bajpayee) who apparently is a Muslim but is a bad human with no religion in reality. A confrontation with two men who harass Fiza leads to Aman revealing his involvement with the terrorist network in front of his sister, mother and the police. His mother's grief and disappointment eventually lead her to commit suicide.
Fiza tries once more to find her brother, with the help of Aniruddh (Bikram Saluja). Amaan has been sent on a mission to kill two powerful politicians; when he does succeed in assassinating them, his own terrorist group tries to kill him. He escapes and Fiza follows him. They confront each other and with the police closing in on him, he asks her to kill him. As a last resort to give him an honourable end, Fiza kills her brother.

Tags: brainwashing, violence, murder, romantic

Review:
A realistic, brilliant, powerful and poignant film with an all-time great performance by Karisma Kapoor.
This film is about Fiza, a smart, intelligent and strong young woman who lost her brother Aman seven years ago during the 1993 Mumbai riots.
She meets different people in her way and finally meets her brother, just to find out that he is not the simple young man he used to be.The film is so brilliantly narrated, so greatly pictured, so authentically and naturally portrayed and acted that you can feel a real relation to the story, to the characters and to the different situations.
Karisma Kapoor delivers one of the finest performances the Hindi screen has seen.
One particular scene that must be noted is the one in which Fiza breaks down and starts mourning post a very tragic incident (see the film to understand).
It is an extremely powerful and heart-rending moment of real pain and despair.Jaya Bachchan, in one of her best performances, is amazingly compelling and moving as the hurt yet vivacious and lively Nishatbi.
"Aaja Mahiya" and "Tu Fiza Hai" are very melodious and romantic.Khalid Mohammed, a well-known film critic, apparently was fed up of all the crap around and decided to show filmmakers how to make a real and artistic film.
A powerful movie with superb acting from all the actors and actresses.
Hrithik Roshan is a brilliant actor as the role he played was very demanding.Karisma Kapoor was also outstanding and the special appearance by Sushmita Sen was in a class of its own !
This is the best film I have seen in a LONG time.
First time director Khalid Mohammed, who is a respected film critic, dons on a new cap and displays to Indian cinema what can be achieved visually in a film, and how a plot can take its audience to high expectations.
This newly developed plot, with characteristics and representations that is very much three dimensional and anti-stereotype, commends the director for his skills as a film-maker.Its very rare to find an woman, displayed on the moving canvas, as independent, strong and intelligent.
Films like Mother India (1965), Bandit Queen (1996), Roja (1993), Hazzar Churasi Ki Maa (1998) and The Terrorist (1998/1999) are examples and the movie Fiza (2000) joins such list.
Here the main character called Fiza, played wonderfully by Karishma Kapoor, is seen as such.
Fiza, which means seasons, goes out in a dangerous world to find her brother, who is in contrast to Fiza as we soon learn.Amman, played convincingly by the talented Hrithik Roshan, is seen as rather weak willed, easy to command over and psychologically unbalanced while finding his own identity.
It also shows that man is not as perfect as they think to be and really brings out a new representation of them in this Indian film.The characteristic of the mother, played by the wonderful theatrical actor Jaya Bachchan, is also similar to Fiza which has been fully developed making audiences emotionally bonded with her.
This adds another reason why Fiza needs to find her brother, to make sure that her mother remains strong like her and that her believes that her son is still alive is true.Yet when she sees the real colors of her son, she is dismayed and admits defeat.
Clearly the director has thought-out the characters past, present and future rather wonderfully and intelligent audience who capture this understand engage in the film more deeply then what the film offers us on the surface.There are moments when the film does play on stereotypes with the ministers, leaders, hit men and media, and this could have been improved upon.
Other minor disappointments with the movie is the way songs come into the narrative structure making this film seem more apt-able for commercial cinema audiences.
Dances, glamor and overly high modern songs seen in this film don't agree with the overall narrative jarring the viewing senses and prolonging time.
Cinematography by Santosh Sivan is excellent throughout capturing the images and light effects with perfection, while art design work is also very realistic and helps with the overall look of the film.
Editing is also rather good and manages to blend the scenes rather well never deviating from the core matter, just wish those useless songs were edited out.The film is an interesting concept from the new director and displays that his future work will be something all audiences will view with high expectations.
But the director must move away from the 20 year old conventions we have seen in all of Indian films, in order to achieve something properly intellectual.
Still Fiza is a good movie with brilliant characters, acting and technical credits..
Fiza is the best Indian Movie I ever saw..
I love everything of that movie, especially the song Baba Haji Ali and Mehboob Mere with Susmita Sen, she was wonderful.
Karisma and Jaya Bachan did also a great job she was so fantastic, the role of Fiza suite Karisme Kapoor very well.
Having not really watched Bollywood films, since the days of the action movies of the 70's & 80's, I wasn't really interested in watching the more recent offerings from Bollywood, since I assumed they were mostly love stories and were full of songs which had no reason for being there.But, having watched a few (subtitled) films shown as part of an Indian season over here in the UK, I've started to change my mind.I watched Fiza last night and even though it was full of songs and was let down slightly by the second half, I was amazed to find a film dealing with the Bombay Hindu/Muslim riots of 1993 and it's consequences on a Muslim family.It starts with the 1993.
Amaan (Hrithik Roshan) lives with his mother (Jaya Bachchan) and sister Fiza (Karishma Kapoor).
We then jump to 1999 and the first half of the film then deals with the consequences, as Fiza determines to find her brother.Through flashback we find out what happened, as Amaan finds himself a outsider in his own country, but the real reasons for his disappearance are only discovered when Fiza discovers her brother hiding out with terrorists.I won't reveal the rest of the story, but I will say, it was refreshing to see a film from the Indian-Muslim viewpoint and having central characters who were Muslim.
Being British and of Indian-Hindu descent, I hadn't really thought about it before.I know the film isn't an in-depth look at the problem or even that it represents Indian-Muslims in general, but it did open my eyes slightly to the problems facing India today, especially since the recent (2002) Hindu/Muslim riots in Gujarat showed how bad the violence could be and how much politics played it's part in them.One last point, the performances from the three main leads is excellent.
Hrithik Roshan was much better than I expected, but Jaya Bachchan and Karishma Kapoor were really outstanding.Although, not a perfect film and still very Bollywood in it's style, I still found it much better then the standard Bollywood fare and I would highly recommend it..
Fiza is definitely one of the better movies churned out by Bollywood in recent times.
Since the past 50 years, every time India has got back on its feet a new politician created calamity has dragged it back down preventing it from being a power to reckon with and doing away with national problems like poverty and illiteracy which prevents people from leading a normal existence.
The film has good music and both Karisma & Hrithik have rendered superb award winning performances.
Some people may feel that Hrithik's character is not very strong but looking at it from a perspective of what he is subjected to and circumstances which he cannot control make him the person portrayed in the movie.
Having recently seen FIZA in Bombay, I certainly understood what all the fuss about the movie is about.
Addressing the highly controversial Indo-Pak issue in a fashion which may be viewed as anti-Indian, the controversy goes well beyond the Muslim-Hindu conflicts, the 1993 Bombay Riots, and India/Pakistan themes.
Hrithik Roshan, the lead actor (though FIZA is his well-meaning sister's name) has been crowned as the undisputed heart throb of the Indian sub continent after this film.
On the other side, the movie continues to be Number 1 at the Box Office, and its songs are constantly played on Indian MTV, and indeed in Pakistan, as well.......The film is high drama, Bollywood-style, with good action and great songs, with plenty of eye candy for males and females alike: the gorgeous Sushmita Sena and Karisma Kapur for males, and Hrithik Roshan leading the handsome men for the female audience.
Perhaps not unexpectedly, but nevertheless bizarre, the lead stars are very fair, very non-Indian looking actors, with light eyes to boot (surely contact lenses in most cases, but nevertheless confirming a disturbing "Michael Jackson trend" in the Indian subcontinent to admire beauty as "Western beauty.") If you see only one Bollywood movie this year, or indeed, if you have never seen one, this is the one to see..
Hrithik Roshan's second and film critic Khalid Mohamed's first movie is an art house film with commercial interludes, obviously deemed necessary for box office performance and integrated with various degrees of success.
The film suffers and profits at the same time from the 6 song/dance numbers and one prayer.
While the prayer is wonderful and convincingly marries the plot with musical and visual elements, providing an esthetic and also emotional highlight of the film, the dance number by Sushmita Sen and the disco number by Karishma Kapoor, although solid and attractive per se, look forced in the context and have little connection to the film's central themes.
This is less the case with the Hrithik-Neha sequence which looks and sounds great and adds some desperately needed happiness to an otherwise rather sad sequence of events.
The reason "Fiza" is nonetheless a quite impressive debut film is due to the three leads, two seasoned performers and a newcomer, but all three giving wonderful performances, and an uncompromising look at a subject that is controversial but anything but irrelevant, the Mumbai riots of the early 90s, the ethnic and religious hatred behind it and the unscrupulous forces causing and exploiting it to further their dubious causes.
This is clearly Karishma Kapoor's best performance so far and likely to fetch awards.
As Fiza she shows great strength, resolution and the courage to lay bare emotional depths unseen from her so far.
Hrithik Roshan, finally, puts to rest all worries that he might be a one film wonder and no real talent.
His performance is simply amazing considering this is only his second film.
He's probably the most charismatic new actor working in films these days, and I'm not talking about India alone.
Although still had a taste of Indian commercial films, Fiza was a different kind of movie.
The story line and direction were good and the actings were super.Herithik is obviously made for films.
His look and talent is all what is needed to become a movie star.
It's amazing that despite being his second film, he perform so powerfully.
A lot of things are unclear, it still has unneeded scenes and songs.It also had flaws like most indian flims.
Before I watched this film, I haven't heard of anyone who had seen it.
The music was horrible, but this is a film to watch for the great acting.Aside from the great performances by the three main characters, I thought the plot was clever.
Karishma plays a devoted sister, looking for her brother after he disappears during the riots.
good movie with strong message.
This film portrays a sensitive issue for the Indian community.An issue that has seen many horrible faces in the past,The religious clashes destroys the mind of an youth,in order to survive, in order to seek answers, in order to find the people responsible for the major change in his life he slowly falls a prey to politics and corrupted religious warmongers.
Another side of the story is a fight of a sister for her brother, a strong woman who wants back the happiness that was taken away.
This film is for mature audience who can view it with open mind rather than debating on whose fault it is ( ie Hindu or Muslim ).The acting is very good, and most of the actors did a very good performance.The music lightens the heavy topic at times and very well composed by A.R Rehman.
This movie was really good and a powerful movie.The first half was terrific.It was about a girl who lost her brother in th 1993 riots she asks every body.Then later see shes her brother he is a terrorist.The story line was really strong.Khalid Mohammeds story telling is superb for no doubt.Dialogs are good.The visuals are breath taking.Cinematography is good.I liked the theme as well and liked how it was presented.It had a gripping story line.It was a very realistic and almost an heart warming movieActing is first rate.Hrithik Roshan has done a good job in an interesting role.Having like him from this to Koi Mil Gaya he is surely a treat.Why not his looks.He proves that he can look good and act dramatically at the same time too.Jaya also performed good too.Her expressions feeling thoughts were amazing especially when she finds her sons true colors.Manoj Bajpai is Good too in a brief role.The life of this movie is Karishma Kapoor she has given a marvelous performance in a power packed role a well deserved award.She bring life into her character.She is able to portray her emotions convincingly.Isha Koppikar gets no scope.Songs are good especially Piya Haiji Ali which is beautifully composed.And not to forget the visuals were stunning.Direction is really good.Dialogs are all powerful and emotional.Characetrisations are powerful.Ending was sad through.It was a very different movie.Although the second half was not as good as the first one but was still great.All,i can say is this was the best movie of 2000.Highjly recommended.
The music is great, and the story was really really good.
I think this was a great way to introduce us to Hindi movies since the story was so compelling and included a look at Hindu/Muslim relations that Americans don't really know or understand.
Some of the poignant scenes and music in the movie are etched in my mind.
Being the grand daughter of the greatest Indian Film Maker-Raj Kapoor, she has certainly inhertited the genes.
Now the much ballyhood actor of recent times- Hrithik Roshan, This guy is so chisseled and handsome that he almost looks like a funny looking kid.
The looks draw the audience initially but to sustain thereon you need a talent like Anil Kapoor or Amitab Bachchan.
I loved the music including the prayer song, the duet, and the very aesthetic and sexy number by Sushmita Sen so much so she made it to the cover of a Hollywood Film Magazine.
Suffice to say that I have seen the above movies just for the Song and dance numbers and if done well they could be highly entertaining..
If you are looking a movie around this theme, please stay away from Fiza, even if it is aired for free on telly.After watching this movie, Khalid Mohammed will remain in my memory as one of the worst movie makers in Indian cinema.
It takes great ineptness to even mess the things like Johny Lever's comedy in a movie.
Being a Muslim living in Britain I didn't want my religious tendencies to affect my view of this film.
However, time and again 'Muslim' films made either in England, Hollywood or Bollywood constantly and deliberately show aspects of the religion that are incorrect and mislead the non-Muslim public about the religion.
Karishma turned in another fine performance but Jaya Bachan was the best of the lot.
Her humour and style of acting will never age, even though she appears to have.Half way through I was thinking, inaccuracies aside, this film is quite good.
However, that is when the director must have reached a cul de sac as his message was becoming blurred and the film took on too many angles at once:****SPOILERS BEGINWhy the mother had to commit suicide after seeing her son shoot the two ghundas no one could understand.
By the way, try to watch this film on DVD for the songs alone..
Karisma's one of best performances but Khalid Mohammad's confusion.
Fiza was his second film after KNPH naturally people were overexcited but the film let people down.
It had Hrithik paired with Karisma but she playing his elder sisterThis was Khalid's debut as a director, Khalid Mohammed was a film critic and he turned director with this film.
The film starts off well, Karisma's search for her brother is well handled, the flashback portions too are well handled but in the second half after Hrithik comes home, the plot stagnates.
There are several flaws in the second half, Manoj Bajpai's character seems sketchy, Also towards the end the script gets lose and the climax which seems straight from VAASTAV doesn't seem satisfying.Direction is mixed bag, good in several portions of the first half but weak in parts Music by Anu Malik was good, Mehboob Mere by Sunidhi Chauhan became a rage, Aaja Mahiya too is a good number, Tu Hawa Hai is superb but seems forced in the screenplay.Hrithik Roshan showed that he was capable to carry off an authorbacked role and does a good job in this role as well, In just his second film he proved he was here to stay.
Karisma who normally played the bimbette in Govinda films suddenly shifted to strong roles, here she proves she has more then just her screeching annoying weeping, she plays her role perfectly Bikram Saluja has a small role and is okay Jaya Bachchan is good, Neha is okay Manoj Bajpai who is her husband in real life does well but his role could be better, rest are okay