In 1974, the film Garm Hava released and won accolades, not only in India but also abroad.
It was a small-budget film, part funded by the government’s Film Finance Corporation. A searing look at how partition broke up many Muslim families, it has left a lasting impact on Indian cinema.
Starring stalwarts like Balraj Sahni, Shaukat Azmi, Farooq Shaikh, Jalal Agha and Gita Siddharth, it tells the story of Mirza family of Agra which is divided on the issue of moving to the newly formed country of Pakistan.
The script was written by Shama Zaidi and Kaifi Azmi. It is now considered one of the best ever films of the Partition.
Garm Hava was also the first film made by M.S. Sathyu and won the National Award at the time. Sathyu received the Padma Shri in 1975.
In this interview, he speaks to The Wire’s Sidharth Bhatia about his early career as an art director, and how this film came to be made.