Humanizing the Line: Indo-Pak Border in Ashvin Kumar’s Little Terrorist

Abstract

India and Pakistan are neighboring countries in the South Asian region, bearing centuries of united history, culture and collective struggle against colonial rule. The end of the colonial era of this subcontinent with partition to adhere to the separate nation demanded for Hindus and Muslims created massive havoc to these countries that were once united. Furthermore, the partition of the sub-continent has become the genesis of the severed relationship between these nations. This article delves into discussing the idea of the India and Pakistan border visualized in Ashvin Kumar’s critically acclaimed Hindi short film Little Terrorist (2004). The film presents an alternative viewpoint to the presence of borders and the separation of humans based on nationality by showing the border villages of India and Pakistan. The short film forges a path for friendship between the two nations by reminiscing the shared history through the characters Jamal and Bhola. The film, by showing the border village, is subverting the idea of the Indo-Pak border for the people who once lived together. This article analyzes the concept of borders in the film using the research on Indo-Pak border studies.