Every other film exploring the plight of Kashmiri Pandits usually tells its story through a political lens, thus making broad points about the government and the status quo. Some films, such as The Kashmir Files and Baramulla, have also been facing accusations of spreading propaganda and/or being politically problematic. In such a political climate where films tend to hurt religious sentiments more easily than ever before, Siddarth Koul and Ankit Wali’s film Batt Koch looks at the struggles of a displaced Kashmiri Pandit family in a humane way and their longstanding desire to return to their homeland. The film explores universal themes such as familial bonds, memory and grief.
Ahead of the premiere of Batt Koch (The Lost Lane) at the New York Indian Film Festival, Siddarth and Ankit spoke to CE about the themes of the film. Regarding the decision to not take a political stand with the film, Siddarth says, “We could have gone down that path, but our goal was simply to tell a human story and depict a family's struggle to return home.”
Echoing Siddarth’s point, Ankit adds, “Many have shown Kashmir in various ways in films. When one thinks of Kashmir in a cinematic sense, images of guns, bombs, stones and so forth spring to mind. Instead of all that, we wanted to show the beauty of Kashmir.”
Batt Koch does not point an accusatory finger at any particular religion and advocates peace and unity, which are important values in a Kashmiri film at a time when geopolitical tensions still exist in the region. In contrast, the right-wing has long been characterising the exodus of the Pandit community as an act of ‘genocide,’ something that secularists and scholars disagree with. Interestingly, even the filmmakers shy away from commenting on these right-wing ideologies for a specific reason. Addressing the topic, Siddarth says, “We both are not well-read with it. We have a general idea about the insurgency in Kashmir, but we do not want to give half information about such a sensitive topic without proper research. This is also a reason why our film does not explore that aspect of Kashmir.”
Ankit adds, “Our parents have told us that militancy was high back in the day and Kashmiri Pandits had to leave because they were targeted. The film shows what happened to our parents; they had three options at the time: join the insurgents, die at their hands, or leave Kashmir.” Backing up his collaborator, Siddarth reveals that they have used his grandfather’s experience with the exodus as an inspiration for the film. “My grandfather only took a shaving kit, believing they would return in a week. The same thing happened to Ankit’s parents and countless others who packed only basic necessities, expecting to go back—a return that never materialised.”
Touching upon the core theme of Batt Koch, Ankit discloses that longing to return to one’s homeland is a universal theme relatable for any audience. “When one is thrown out of their house, they will carry their childhood memories for years and want to revive these, including areas where they used to roam and play and friends they would often visit,” the director shares.
Even the actors in the film, including MK Raina, Anil Koul Chingari, Kusum Tikoo, and Kusum Dhar have experienced the displacement situation in their lives. “Therefore, they adapted those characters very smoothly,” Siddarth reveals. “They did not have to perform. The feelings inside them just came out,” Ankit adds. As a result, for the actors, Batt Koch proved a vicarious experience. “They immersed themselves into some scenes and started crying, reflecting on those traumatic thoughts,” Ankit shares. Meanwhile, Siddarth candidly admits, “We did not consider such aspects while filming. Unfortunately, we did not have much time and budget and wanted to shoot the film as quickly as possible. For example, we chose actors that meant that we did not have to tell them how exactly to deliver their lines or speak Kashmiri.”
Speaking of which, Siddarth cites culture preservation as another one of the main goals of using a mix of Kashmiri and Hindi dialogues in the film. “The Kashmiri language is becoming extinct gradually. Language plays a very important role in preserving any culture. With Batt Koch, we also aim to preserve our language and save our culture,” the filmmaker explains. He adds, “Kashmiri Pandits are segregated all over the world, which makes it difficult to safeguard our linguistic heritage.”
Meanwhile, shooting the film in real locations meant going back to Kashmir for Ankit and the rest of their team. “For a long time, I did not even know where in Kashmir my parents are from. Even during this shoot, I tried to go there but could not find that place. Emotions were high when we entered that tunnel between Jammu and Kashmir, and Siddarth even shot a video of the journey. I also felt happy about going back to the place my parents called home,” the director shares.
In Batt Koch, it appears that the grandparent characters have not shared horrific details about their displacement to the children in the family to keep them away from the trauma. However, Siddarth and Ankit clarify that this is an interpretation and not their intention with the film and that it does not reflect the lived reality of their community. Ankit shares, “In real life, everyone in a family would know about the terrorism in Kashmir of the 1990s and what it was like living there at the time. However, today’s generation do not focus on those things that much because they are all busy with their work, life, and so forth. It is not like the truth about Kashmir has been hidden from them.”
Interestingly, Ankit cites The Kashmir Files as a film that lays bare the facts about Kashmir. “It is the best film to use as reference to learn about the history of Kashmir,” the director adds. Both Ankit and Siddarth affirm that it is not a propaganda film and everything it shows is true and that if anything, it is only a fraction of the reality. “Many people got to know about the migration and the genocide from this film. It is an eye-opener,” Siddarth concludes.