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Deep Dive: War and Peace (2002)

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War and Peace
War and Peace (Jang Aur Aman) is a 2002 Indian documentary directed by Anand Patwardhan. The film covers the Indian and Pakistani nuclear weapons tests in 1998, examining the nationalist rhetoric that surrounded these events. It discusses the impact of the Indian tests on local populations and the reactions from both the government and the public. The documentary also presents the perception of nuclear weapons in Japan and the United States, providing a broader context to the issue of nuclear arms. The film begins with the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948 and traces the history of nuclear arms, including the United States' use of the atomic bomb and India's first nuclear test in 1974. Patwardhan critiques the rise of nuclear nationalism in India, particularly the Hindu-nationalist rhetoric of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The film features interviews in both India and Pakistan, including discussions with schoolgirls debating the use of nuclear weapons, and concludes with insights from hibakusha in Japan and curators in the United States regarding the atomic bomb's legacy.

Why Watch

  • •See the impact of nuclear tests on local populations.
  • •Meet activists opposing nuclear nationalism in India.
  • •Find out about the blocked exhibition on atomic bomb effects.

Did You Know

•The Indian censor board demanded 21 cuts before the film's release.
•The Bombay high court ruled in favor of Patwardhan a year after the cuts demand.
•The documentary was shot over three years following the 1998 nuclear tests.
•Patwardhan interviewed hibakusha, survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Perfect For

Nuclear disarmamentIndian historyDocumentary filmmaking