‘Raazi’ or ‘Calling Sehmat’: Which Was Better?

Harinder Sikka’s ‘Calling Sehmat’ VS Meghna Gulzar’s ‘Raazi’

‘Raazi’ vs. ‘Calling Sehmat’

(Photo Courtesy: Junglee/PRH)

Alert: Spoilers Ahead!

Whenever a novel serves as a base plot for a film, up pops the inevitable question: Was the book better or the film? Having read Harinder Sikka’s Calling Sehmat and watched Meghna Gulzar’s Raazi within a span of two days, I believe I can answer this with a bit of authority: The book and the film are both great.

The novel is highly engaging, well-written, and is a page turner, providing a 360 degree view of an Indian spy’s life in Pakistan. The film, is a cinematic experience where Meghna Gulzar and Alia Bhatt come together and spell brilliance. In this case, read the book, and watch the film.

But was the film any different from the book? Were there any liberties taken while writing the script that cause the plot to deviate? Read on knowing there are spoilers ahead.

From the beginning, one can notice the changes. Some changes are essential to ensure the film doesn’t drag on, like how the film says nothing of Sehmat’s parent’s controversial love story. Some changes are directly contradictory to the book and may not go down well with bibliophiles.

The Film vs. The Book

Raazi starts with Hidayat’s failing health and the fact that he knows there is a looming threat over India. Now, considering these events take place around the Indo-Pak war of 1971, there was always a looming threat. The entirety of Sehmat’s college romance is excluded. But the father-daughter bond that they share is impeccably depicted in the film. Take for instance the wedding scene below:

Now, Sehmat was not sent into Pakistan for any particular mission. The novel states that she was sent there to manage her father’s already established contacts, to reassert their faith and morale in his absence and send across info IF she came upon anything important. Raazi paints a picture of a Sehmat who has been sent there only for the sake of sending across information. The film quickly goes into Sehmat’s wedding being planned to a high ranking official in Pakistan. As Sehmat’s college life is completely excluded from the film, Sehmat’s portrayal, too, has also undergone a bit of change. They’ve gotten the physical similarities right, but Alia’s Sehmat is a clumsy girl, as opposed to a trained dancer that Sikka’s Sehmat was, who could boast of physical dexterity even in times of duress.

Of course, the clumsy part is what ties the end of the film in a neat little bow, so one can say that this particular liberty is forgivable.

What is not forgivable is the fact that Raazi’s Sehmat plants her equipment in the servant, Abdul’s room to shift the blame onto him (since he’s dead, it makes filmy sense to do so). In the book, Sehmat vehemently denies that Abdul could have anything to do with espionage. She was already guilty of killing the old man who only lived to serve his masters and his country. She was not going to condemn his name to live on as a traitor.

However, the balancing argument one could make is the fact that the Pakistani family Sehmat is married into, never mistreats her due to her Indian nationality. They accept her as one of her own. Her father-in-law is nothing but loving towards her, as is her sister-in-law. We see the gut wrenching pang of guilt Sehmat faces when she is acting normal with her sister-in-law, even though she killed her husband and is waiting for his body to be found. This, very important part, is in keeping with Sikka’s novel.

The book cover of Calling Sehmat. (Photo Courtesy: Penguin Random House)

Sehmat vs. Sehmat

Sikka’s Sehmat spends a lot of time making inroads with other generals and army personnel, securing promotions for her father-in-law and husband. She is even known to walk into a serious meeting, or two, with high ranking officials. The film’s Sehmat is shown a bit maid-like, serving tea and helping out in the kitchen, which would only expose her to 0.05% of the information she sends across.

Sikka’s Sehmat always had the situation under control, without ever looking nervous even when her life was in danger. Raazi’s Sehmat looks physically distraught and lets her emotions known to the audience; this can be overlooked as being able to portray powerful emotions on screen is the definition of acting. However, when Sikka’s Sehmat sent across any info, it was treated as the gospel truth, unlike Raazi’s Sehmat, whom Mir has to fight for to be taken seriously. Which bring us to Mir, Sehmat’s handler in India.

Code Name: Mir

Towards the end of the film, Mir speaks harshly to Sehmat before bringing her back to India. She is brought back to India in a tattered van with Mir and his men. Sikka’s Mir is much more compassionate. In Calling Sehmat, Mir recognises Sehmat’s importance and brings her back to an India that celebrates her stepping off a plane with flowers and a band and reunites her with her mother.

INS Vikrant vs. PNS Ghazi

The film also completely omits the battle undertaken by the Indian Navy to secure the INS Vikrant, that was only possible because of Sehmat. While a few good chapters are devoted to these undersea battles that the INS Rajput and the INS Khukri were a part of against PNS Ghazi, and creating a naval blockade - imperative for the liberation of East Pakistan, the film states nothing of it. Just a comment in passing, a newspaper clipping about the INS Vikrant. We really cannot see the fruits bored by Sehmat’s information. It almost feels that her sacrifices were for naught. Sehmat’s information was the turning point of the Naval war between India and Pakistan. The novel surely does justice to this fact and lets us know the depth of Sehmat’s sacrifice.

Another unforgivable liberty is the ending. While Sikka’s Sehmat takes her docile husband and an innocent child as hostage to the marketplace (unbeknownst to them) where she can secure her return, the film’s Sehmat is confronted by her husband, who points a gun at her. It is understandable that as a human under extreme duress, Sehmat muddled a bit. From the novel’s description, it is evident that she was making up her plan as she was going along the life and death situation. Her husband’s docile nature allowed her to get away, as he was just tagging along with her completely confused. Raazi gives a bit of authority to her husband that makes up for the drama in the end. Of course, the film ends on a positive note, while Sikka’s Sehmat underwent massive PTSD and let herself be disassociated with her half Pakistani son.

All the changes notwithstanding, the film, as well as the book will still manage to make you thank people like Sehmat who live all their lives, only to protect the country, asking for nothing in return. As I said earlier, the book and the film are both great.

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