International Journal of Social Science Research (IJSSR)

Catastrophic Effects of India’s Partition: Through Cinema and Literature

Abstract: In World War II, when America pushed Britain to loosen its hold on India, Winston Churchill told a diplomat: "I warn you that…………………bloodshed unmatched in history."People thought he was just a stubborn old leader clinging to power. But no one expected the awful struggle for India’s freedom—a split that broke the country apart. This caused a terrible crisis, with around 15 million people forced to leave their homes in a messy, desperate move. Over a million were killed in horrible fighting, as bad as some of the worst Nazi crimes. These pangs touched the creative minds to bring this horrific deed into various forms like poetry, prose, and movies etc. The present work focuses on movies that show the lasting hurt of this split, poems that share its deep sadness, and new research that tells us more about those hard years. For years, Indians worked hard to escape British control. They got freedom in 1947, but it cost them dearly. The land was split into two- India and Pakistan. Due to this separation, countless lives were lost and innumerable homes and possessions were shattered. August 15 is India’s Independence Day, but for folks in Punjab, it brings back memories of a nightmare. Writers and poets showed their creativity to present their sorrow in the form of words and tales. Even after more than seven decades, this division is an apple of discord between these two countries.