Cast: Paresh Rawal, Deepti Naval, Naseeruddin Shah and Sanjay Suri
Directed by: Nandita Das

Firaaq is based on a 24-hour period, one month after the Hindu-Muslim riots which ravaged Gujarat in 2002.

The film traces the emotional journeys of ordinary people, some of whom were victims, some perpetrators, while yet others chose to watch silently.

The film showcases multiple narratives that are emotionally interconnected. There is a middle class housewife who closes the door on a woman desperately seeking refuge.... and then struggles to overcome her guilt.

The loyalty of two best friends is challenged in a time rife with fear and suspicion. Meanwhile, a group of victimised young men seek revenge as a way out of their helplessness and anger.

Elsewhere, a modern day Hindu-Muslim couple struggle to hide their true identities. And a boy, having lost his family in the riots, wanders aimlessly through the streets searching for his missing father.

It is through these characters that the film traces ways in which violence impacts on people's lives.

Actress Nandita Das makes her directorial debut in Firaaq, which was showcased at the London Film Festival in October 2008.