Chandni bar [2001]
Mumtaz played by Tabu is simple girl hailing from Meerut. When in the riots her house burnt down she is compelled to Mumbai with her mama who tells her to take up a job as a bar dancer, much against her wishes. What worsens things is when her own mama rapes her. It while dancing in the bar that she happens to meet underworld kingpin Potya. They marry have children. Potya is killed in a police encounter. She is compelled to return back to dance bar sadly her wish for her children to have more dignified life too remains unfulfilled.

Fiza [2000]
Nishtabi is a widow living a content life. She has two children Amaan and Fiza. Sadly in the communal riots Amaan gets lost. Attempts to track him down prove futile! Nistbahi continues to make endless rounds to the police station, enquiring about her son. Aman who has joined hands with terrorists is found by her sister. Aman returns home. Nishtabv is happy. But the happiness is short lived. Amaan is compelled to commit a murder and is wanted by the police. Unable to handle the grief Nishtabi commits suicide. It was one of the most memorable characters Jaya Bachchan had played.



Mission Kashmir [2000]
"Mujhe mere Hindustani hone ka sabot bar bar dena padta hai kyonki main despande nahin inyat khan hoon, exclaimed DIG Inayat Khan in Mission Kashmir. Tired of the govt's insinuations that because he is a Muslim he is letting Altaaf played by Hrithik Roshan, a dreaded terrorist go free. Sanjay Dutt played this role to the best of his ability and came across as a honest and loyal Muslim officer. Playing father to Hrithik Roshan too seemed to suit him and the pairing was appreciated on the big screen.





Sarfarosh [1999]
Director John Mathew Matthan projected the pain of the Indian Muslim who is vulnerable to accusations of disloyalty and unpatriotic activities... through the eyes of Inspector Salim (Mukesh Rishi). The character conveys the pain of being held suspect for his actions just because he is of the same religion as of the terrorists. The Inspector not only conveys his emotions to his senior played by Aamir Khan but also convinces the audience of his sincerity.


Zakhm [1998]
The Muslim woman whose marriage to a Hindu film director is not given sanction from the society and the law. The Muslim mother whose true religion is revealed to her sons when a Muslim in the Bombay riots kills her. And this is to the horror of her second son who has grown up to be religious Hindu fanatic and who is member of that particular Hindu fundamentalist party who had started the communal riots. Her first son gets to know of his mother's religion only by accident. The woman herself prays to all gods and visits every religious place regularly is seen as a symbol of the hurt and pained humanity that is killed whenever men and women fight in the name of religion.

Ghulam-E-Mustafa [1997]
Ghulam-E-Mustafa an orphan is brought up by Abba an underworld don. Soon he becomes Abba’s right hand man. Mustafa falls in love with a dancer Raveena tandon. But the Abbas rival gang kill her. Her death has deep impact on him. He wonders if this is the kind of life he wants to lead. Nana Patekar is Mustafa was brilliant.





Khuda Gawah [1992]
Badshah Khan the leader of the Afghan tribe marries the girl of a rival tribe. He travels to India to kill an enemy. He yearns to go back home but is not aware of the laws of the foreign land as he becomes a victim himself. He tells the police that he will return and to allow him to go to meet his wife just once. He keeps his promise that causes his wife to suffer mentally. Amitabh Bachchan as Badshah Khan suited the role to the T.






Mammo [1994]
Mehmooda Begum fondly called Mammo had to leave India during the partition. She returns to meet her sister Fazsiaya and grandson Rizzu. On the pretext that her visa has expired she asked to return back to Pakistan. This sensitive story is told from the eyes of Rizzu. Farida Jalal as Mammo made the character absolutely warm and playful by her childish nuances.

Henna [1991]
Henna tells the story of Henna played by Zeba Bakhtiar a Pakistani girl who falls for a victim of amnesia. It is only the day of the nikaah that is discovered that the boy who she was about to marry is a Hindu. What worsens the situation when they learn that he is an Indian and is engaged to someone. Henna is unaffected by his identity as she helps him cross the border at the expense of her life.

Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro [1990]
Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro brought to focus the issue of youngster resorting to crime. Salim, played by Pawan Malhotra, is a frustrated youth. He can’t find a job and also put off by the corruption around him. He thus joins a gang and becomes a criminal. When he relaises that the path that he has chosen is not the right one, it is too late. He is killed by the rival gang.




Mirch Masala [1987]
He is the devout old watchman in Mirch Masala. The tax collector forces an entire village to their knees when he demands them to send a local woman Sonbai to him. They march on to the huge mirchi factory where Sonbai is holed up. The factory courtyard full of women who work at grinding the red mirchis to a powder and sensing danger the women close the huge gates. The tax collector and his officials who demand of the women to send Sonbai out besiege the courtyard. When the whole village stands silent, Abu Miyan the watchman of the factory closes the gate and is the only man who stands up to tax collector refuses to open the gate. Finally the officials prepare to break the gate open. In the ensuing scene the old man does his last prayer, then cleans his gun and stands right inside gate waiting for the attack. The gate is finally smashed and bullets cut down his body.

Coolie [1983]
Coolie happened to be the first film where Amitabh played a Muslim character. Iqbal is an honest coolie who has been brought up by a Hindu. The film had religious undertones as his badge number was 786 and he also had a falcon called Allahrakha. Incidentally it is while shooting for this film that Bachchan met a near fatal accident.




Bazaar [1982]
Is it right to get a young girl married to an old man much against her wishes? The question formed the premise of Bazaar that had Smita Patil play a muslim woman who gets a young girl, played by Supriya Pathak, married to an older man. The girl commits suicide on her wedding night leaving Smita with guilt and pain.

Shaan [1980]
Naam Abdul hai mera sabki khabar rakhta hoon crooned the handicapped beggar of Shaan. The character was the pulse of the film and as the song goes the informer who spills the beans for the right amount. Mazhar Khan as Abdul evoked a kind of romance and adventure as wheeled himself on wooden board through the streets of Mumbai. Perhaps because he seemed to capture the tough survivor spirit of the city, the character was the most popular in the film in spite of greats like Amitabh Bachchan and Shashi Kapoor

Amar Akbar Anthony [1977]
Boyishly menacing and spunky, Rishi Kapoor plays Akbar a qawalli singer. He is in love with Neetu Singh, he defies her father who is opposed to the match by calling him pyar ka dushman through quawaali and his urges his beloved to accept him in public while giving a qawali performance.





Zanjeer [1973]
Yeh police station tere baap ki nahin says the young inspector Vijay who has just taken charge of the local police chowky as he confronts the local goon Sher Khan. Apne ilaake mein kutta bhi sher hota hai… taunts Sher Khan aka Pran. That night Vijay decides to confront the lion in his den and in the ensuing fight Sher Khan loses the battle but wins a friend. The tough Sher Khan melts at the sight of his friend. "Yaari hai imaan mera yaar meri Zindagi... Zanjeer that launched the angry young man also gave birth to the goon turned good guy friend of the hero trend! .