Nakkash is a 2019 Hindi language film written and directed by Zaigham Imam, and produced by actor/producer Pawan Tiwari’s Jalsa Pictures & AB Infosoft Creation in association with Padmaja Productions, starring Filmistaan trio InaamulhaqSharib Hashmi and Kumud Mishra. Nakkash was premiered at DCSAFF where the lead actor Inaamulhaq bagged 'Best Actor Award' for outstanding performance in "Nakkash". It was also screened at SgSAIFF where director Zaigham Imam bags Emerging Filmmaker of the Year award. The first look poster of Nakkash was unveiled in Indian Pavilion at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival in 2018. Nakkash was released in India on limited screens on 31 May 2019 and received positive reviews from the critics and audience as well.
Plot
Nakkash is the story of a talented craftsman named Allah Rakha Siddiqui, who is a widower in present Varanasi and lives with his only son Mohammad. Allah Rakha is a Muslim man who works on the designs and engraves the idols of Gods in the temple. Everyone in his community looks down upon him and also his son, Mohammad gets refusal for Madrasa admission because of Allah Rakha's profession. The trustee of the temple, Bhagwandas Tripathi aka Vendanti ji supports Allah Rakha a lot as he respects his art & creativity, which he believes is given to him by God. Soon, Allah Rakha gains popularity as a symbol of accord with a news article for which Munna, an aspirant politician loses his election ticket. What happens to Allah Rakha, a cast-off from his commune and disdained from Munna is the tale of NAKKASH ‘The Craftsman’.
Cast
Inaamulhaq as Alla Rakkha Siddiqui
Sharib Hashmi as Samad
Kumud Mishra as Bhagwandas Vedanti
Rajesh Sharma as Inspector
Gulki Joshi as Sabia Bano
Pawan Tiwari as Munna Bhaiya
Harminder Singh Alag as Mohammad
Anil Rastogi as Politician
Siddharth Bhardwaj as Chand Miyan
Shobhna Bhardwaj as Samina
Simala Prasad as Journalist
Production
Inspired by the real life characters based in Varanasi, the entire film was canned at the real locations in Varanasi in November 2017.
Awards
Lead Actor Inaamulhaq won 'Best Actor Award' at the DCSAFF 2108, for outstanding performance in "Nakkash.
Director Zaigham Imam won Emerging Filmmaker of the Year award at SgSAIFF 2018.
Unique Promotion
Being an independent film, and due to limitations of promotional budget the cast of Nakkash held Cycle-Yatra through the Mumbai city’s teeming thoroughfares to spread love and peace in the Mumbaikers. Inspired by the infamous Juhu Cirlce Baba’s quote ‘Apne Dharam Per Chalo, Sabse Pyaar Karo’, Nakkash team started their Cycle-Yatra from Juhu Circle and reached Juhu Chowpati, where they became the "Human-Hoarding" to grab the people and media's attention. In his Media interaction during the campaign the lead actor Inaamulhaq, said that he feels that the idea of becoming a human hoarding was far better way than the hoarding on a pole. He believes that it was taken in a very positive way by the people as they had a yearning to ask questions about it, which spread the idea of peace between people, which is the central idea of Nakkash and that is why it is very crucial that the film like this reaches the viewers and teach the people of the country the way of love and accord between each other.
Critical reception
In most of the reviews Nakkash was tagged as the 'Most Essential Film' of today's time. Here are few major reviews from critics-
Pallabi Dey Purkayastha from The Times of India wrote "In a nutshell, this drama on social issues ticks all the boxes of a progressive and offbeat movie"
Anna M. M. Vetticad's headline of his review at Firstpost says 'Hindutva hate and Muslim bigotry get a tongue lashing in a touching Varanasi saga.
Troy Ribeiro' quotes Nakkash as 'An impressive, balanced faith film' at sify.com'
National Film Award winning film critic, Namrata Joshi wrote at The Hindu "film’s plea to save manushyata is well-intentioned and hits the right spot"
Subhash K. Jha at Bollyspice.com quotes “Nakkash Has Something To Say That We Must Hear”.
Sakshma Srivastav in her review at Times Now mentioned "Nakkash is a sweet film with a powerful message and even more powerful performances" and also included the film in her list of 10 best Bollywood films of 2019.
Syeda Eba at millenniumpost.in makes her review's headline quoting "A Compelling Film With Social Message"
Suparna Sharma culminates her review at The Asian Age mentioning "Nakkash is important — because it’s a good thing when movies refuse to let us slip into complacency. Because it’s a good thing when movies remind us that democracy, secularism cannot and must not be taken for granted. Because it’s a good thing when movies tell us that our job is not done just by standing proudly and humming along when Jan Gan Man is played on the screen. All we did was take a pledge. Now we must honour those words with our actions, work."
ET Bureau at The Economic Times in their review makes headline"A simple tale that raises important questions about religion and prejudice"
Chirag Shah at cineeye quotes in his review "A surprising film about how love can overpower hate."
Mubarak at The Lallantop Wrote in his Hindi language review "ज़ैगम इमाम और इनामुलहक़ की ये फिल्म समय निकालकर देखी जानी चाहिए, ‘नक्काश’ वाकई बेहद ज़रूरी फिल्म है. जाइए, देख आइए."
Ravindra Tripathi in his Hindi Review at Jansatta wrote "फिल्म ‘नक्काश’ बहुत सही तरीके से उभरते मजहबी कठमुल्लापन और उग्र राजनीति में फंसे आम आदमी की पीड़ा को व्यक्त करती है। जिस विचारधारात्मक उभार के तहत ‘खुदा हाफिज’ की जगह ‘अल्ला हाफिज’ पर जोर दिया जा रहा है, यह फिल्म उसे भी सामने लाती है। फिल्म यह भी दिखाती है कि समाज में परस्पर धार्मिक सहयोग की परंपरा रही है, जो अब खतरे में है।"
Pankaj Pandey at Rajexpress.co makes headline of his hindi language review "सोचने पर मजबूर करती है फिल्म ‘नक्काश’"
Boomindya.com giving Nakkash highest rating of 4.5 star in their hindi language review wrote- "धर्म और जाति को भूलकर प्रेम को समझना हैं तो इस फिल्म को ज़रूर देखें।"
