22 Years of Dil Se, A Film That Exploits Assamese Trauma to Glorify a Stalker and Racist?

However, I was soon to be disappointed, because even when the beautiful frames and melodious tracks distracted me for a while, I could not help but think how uncomfortable it was for a woman to be followed around by a man, after having said no multiple times. But I had just found a movie about ‘us’, I was determined to not write it off so quickly. It was the ‘90s and stalking a woman was a norm at that time. I just needed to be patient.

However, as the film progressed and reached Ladakh, it slowly started slipping away. One of the most triggering experiences of my life was watching Amar grope Meghna and forcefully kiss her. I didn’t think the film could disappoint me any further, but it did, repeatedly.

Throughout the film, I had to watch Amar describe Meghna to several people as “choti choti aankhen, chapti naak” (small eyes, flat nose). To Meghna’s face, Amar would exoticise her “choti aankhen.” I understand that it was the ‘90s but I am saddened how that gave people the free pass to normalise racism in a mainstream film! Was human rights not invented in the 90s? Were Northeast Indians not harassed with racial slur in the ‘90s?

You see, for Assamese people, the trauma was two-pronged. While extremist organisations like ULFA for decades from its inception in 1979 upto the 2010s killed hundreds of people in the state, many suffered due to the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA). Countless innocent people were caught in the crossfire.