On August 5, 2019, something historic happened. The Indian government got a resolution to amend Article 370 that gave the state of Jammu and Kashmir special status in the Indian Constitution. Before that, the controversial state used to have its separate Constitution and its own flag, and also separate perks from the government. With the repealing of the Act, J&K is now like every other state, and is now open for citizens from other states to come in and set up residence and business. Article 370 Revoked: Kashmir Remains on Edge, Armed Soldiers Patrol Silent Streets of the Valley.

While the BJP Government's move to scrap the Article found appreciation from its supporters, its methods to do so has found criticism. Before the strategic decision was taken, the government has sent troops of soldiers to the state and flew out the Amarnath yatris and the tourists from there under the pretext of an impending terror attack. On the eve of August 5, some of the popular state leaders were put in house arrest, while the mobile and telecom services were shut down throughout. The partial curfew is still happening in the state, now divided into two Union Territories (J&K and Ladakh), as we write this.

Amidst all the protests around how the government has managed to get control of the region, a clip from a film is going viral on social media. The clip is from Haider, the 2014 film starring Shahid Kapoor in the lead. Haider, directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, is his version of the Shakespearean play Hamlet, and is set against the backdrop of the militancy-ridden Kashmir.

The clip is taken from a crucial part of the film, when Shahid Kapoor's titular character acts as if he has gone deranged and delivers a monologue in the middle of the street about the state of the people living in Kashmir.

In his monologue, the character pokes fun at Article 2 of Geneva Convention and Article 370 (now scrapped) of Indian Constitution that left the people living in Kashmir without a proper identity. He also rued the fact that both India and Pakistan are playing 'border border' with each other, tempting the Kashmiris with the idea of 'freedom', but never bothering to ask them what they want. The last point definitely hits the bulls-eye, considering how in real life, the state has been integrated into the country without consulting with the leaders there.

Considered among Shahid's best performances, this scene was one of the powerful moments in Haider. It also attracted a lot of controversy for the director, as Hindutva groups accused the film-maker of taking sides with the militants and not caring about the plight of Kashmiri Pandits. With what's happening in Kashmir right now, we can't help but see the scene again with a sense of poignancy.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 07, 2019 08:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).