Parzania 2005

Allan, Allan, an American seeking peace and a deeper understanding of his troubled life, arrives in Ahmedabad to use the city as a classroom and Gandhi as the subject of his thesis, hoping this journey will shed light on the world as well as his own inner turmoil.

There he meets the Pithawala family — Cyrus, his wife Shernaz, son Parzan and daughter Dilshad. The Pithawalas, Parsis who follow Zoroastrianism, welcome Allan into their tight-knit circle, and through them and the teachings of a Gandhian mentor, Allan begins to find some measure of peace of mind.

The narrative draws on the real-life story of Rupa Mody, whose son vanished in the turmoil that followed the 2002 Gujarat riots. Ten-year-old Parzan disappears during the violence as surrounding homes are attacked, and Cyrus, Shernaz, and Dilshad narrowly escape the carnage. In the aftermath, Cyrus clings to the hope of finding his missing child while wrestling with his own frayed sanity. Meanwhile, Allan becomes caught up in the larger mystery behind the riots, seeking to make sense of the events that shattered so many lives and challenge simplistic explanations.

As Allan’s investigation unfolds, public suspicion grows over the government’s official account, which many feel downplays any deeper conspiracy. This growing skepticism helps spark the formation of a Human Rights Commission, a platform where witnesses and survivors testify about the police’s apparent indifference and failure to shield people from rioters. The film grounds its emotional and moral questions in these testimonies, presenting a careful, measured look at communal violence, accountability, and the slow process of seeking justice.

The story culminates in a sober, dignified dedication to the victims of communal violence, underscoring a message of remembrance, resilience, and the enduring human drive to understand and heal.