By IndiaFM News Bureau, February 18, 2004 - 16:11 IST
'Sheen' in Kashmiri means snow. The snow-clad mountains of the Himalayas are the crown of Kashmir and Kashmir is the crown of India. Sheen is Kashmir's soul, it's purity and it's overall innocence.
Terrorism has stained the vast stretches of Kashmir's white snow with the blood of the innocents. Terrorism, in the name of religion and hatred has snatched away the identity of Kashmir, and i.e. Sheen, the soul of Kashmir, and for the last 14 years, it is bleeding. Very few know that there is a blazing heat below the cooling snow and the burning heat is its pain.
The film tries to bring the pain of Kashmir in front of the world. People only know that it is a political issue and our neighboring country at regular intervals add fuel to the already existing fire. People are only aware of the fact that there are talks going on between both the countries and the leaders of the respective countries are busy giving speeches and statements on the issue and at times the situation worsens to this extent that there is possible atmosphere of war.
Sheen portrays the screams and agony of the bleeding Kashmiri soul, its struggles, humiliation, beliefs and hopes. The biggest mass exodus, that happened after the partition of 1947 has been put up on the big screen for the first time with complete fearless honesty. This is such a truth, that it might seem unbelievable.
Character Sketch
Raj Babbar as Pandit Amarnath
Pandit Amarnath is a Kashmiri Pandit who is hit by the brunt of terrorism. He is uprooted from his own motherland, Kashmir and forced to live in the refugee camps of Jammu. Pt. Amarnath is the symbol of the constant struggle against terrorism in Kashmir. This non-violent struggle against violence takes him from the refugee camps of Jammu to Geneva where he informs the international community about the step motherly treatment dished out to the Kashmiri Pandits in their own country.
Introducing Sheen as Sheen
Sheen is the daughter of Pandit Amarnath and is the main protagonist of the film. Inspite of terrorism being at its peak, Sheen refuses to leave Kashmir but circumstances force her to leave and settle in the refugee camps of Jammu. She is an active worker in the refugee camps and becomes a part of the woes of others, struggling to survive in the refugee camps.
Introducing Tarun Arora as Mannu
Mannu is the love interest of Sheen. He loses his family to terrorism but instead of cowering down, he displays a brave front against the terrorist inspite of his life being in danger.
Anoop Soni as Shaukat
A childhood friend of Sheen and Manu. He lands up becoming a Muslim fundamentalist who in the name of freedom has waged a war against India. His only aim is to fight for Nizam-e-mustafa and spread terror in the valley.
Kiran Juneja as Janakrani
A woman with roots deep in Kashmiri tradition and culture, she is the wife of Pt. Amarnath and the mother of Sheen. She cannot live with the fact that she is being thrown out of her own house. Inspite of living in the refugee camps, she lives with the hope that one day she would return with her family back to her own house…her motherland, Kashmir.
Introducing Samay Pandit as Raja
Raja is the son of Pandit Amarnath and Janakrani and younger brother of Sheen. Raja is the turning point in the main protagonist's outlook towards the fanaticism of the terrorists. Gunpowder does not shear Raja's innocence but the sheer pain of his family and patriotism makes him revolt.
Ashok Pandit – the director
Winner of the RAPA awards for his documentary film “Sharnarthi Apne Hi Desh Mein” based on the displaced Kashmiri Pandits who were forced to become refugees in their own country, Ashok Pandit is an activist for their cause. His debut film 'Sheen' is a bigger version of the same documentary.
Having worked with well-known directors like Kundan Shah, Aziz Mirza, Ramesh Talwar, Saeed Mirza, Raman Kumar, Sudhir Mishra, Manjul Sinha and M.S. Sathyu, Pandit even directed one of the most successful serials on Zee TV – “Filmi Chakkar”.
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