Bombay.

Bombay is a 1995 Indian film based on the love between a Hindu man and a Muslim woman. Shekhar, the Muslim man, lived in a village of Tamil Nadu. He worked as a journalism student studying in Bombay and would frequently visit home to spend time with his own family. On one of Shekhar's trips home, he noticed a Muslim school girl by the name of Shaila Bano. Shaila Bano is initially shy during Shekhar's pursuit in getting to know her. After a while, Shaila finds herself having feelings for Shekhar. Eventually the two of them fall in love. Shekhar and Shaila introduce their relationship to their families, whom both do not approve. Regardless of the disapproval, the couple leaves the village and go off to Bombay to get married. They live a happy life and go on to have twin boys, Kabir Narayan and Kamal Basheer. The rest of the movie takes place in a time period where there was religious tension in Mumbai and many other parts of India. Family members are killed in their home when their home is burnt down by individuals rioting the streets.

A reoccurring theme is violence and family core values. Also, an issue that kept coming up was whether or not an individual considered themselves to be a Hindu or a Muslim. Even their twin sons are faced with the issue on the streets when violent men are plotting to hurt them. Shekhar joins a movement with religious leaders to stop the rioting and succeeds in his goal. Once the rioting finally comes to an end, the family and children are reunited.

My reaction to the film is positive for the most part. This was my first time watching a Bollywood film in its entirety. I was not a fan of the love story initially, I found it to be very cliché and melodramatic. I believe what helped made it realistic was showing the family's disapproval of the relationship. I was very much a fan of the music. There was one particular song in the middle that I enjoyed, it was a male group dancing outdoors. It was catchy and I even found myself singing some of the words in my head as I watched on. Overall, “Bombay” was a good film with a powerful message.