Zakhm (1998)

This masterfully crafted social drama revolves around Ajay, a successful Bombay-based music director, who lives with his widowed mother, Mrs Desai and pregnant wife, Sonia. Ajay has a younger brother, Anand, a staunch Hindu who is currently involved in a right-wing organisation run by Subodh Malgaonkar.

Their quiet lives are set ablaze when militants storm the Babri Masjid in Uttar Pradesh and demolish it. Anger runs high amongst the Muslim community which lead to riots, even in far-off Bombay. The Bombay police move quickly and a curfew is imposed in the more sensitive parts such as Mohammed Ali Road, Jogeshwari, and Dharavi.

It is on this day that Mrs. Desai goes to offer prayers at her usual place of worship, and it is here that she will be attacked by militants, set ablaze, admitted to the Holy Family Hospital with more than 80% burns, and virtually no chance of surviving.

Ajay must now deal with conflicts with Sonia, who wants to leave India, and re-locate to England, where she wants to give birth to her child without any constraints as to religion and caste, on one hand, and on another attempt to cool a vengeful Anand into attacking other innocent Muslims. But the main thing Ajay has to do is carry out his mother's last request, which is to bury her in accordance with Muslim final rites and rituals.

Ajay is the only one who knows the truth of his mother's origins and the reason for her strange request. It is up to him to explain to his brother the events from his mother's past and ensure that her last request is fulfilled despite of Subodh Malgaonkar's increasing pressure that his mother be cremated according to Hindu Rites. Why does Mrs Desai wish to be buried according to Muslim traditions? How will Anand react when he comes to know of his true origins? Will Ajay succeed in convincing Sonia to stay in India?