Replacements for Shiraz in Zinda Bhaag

If in Basti the place where the youth would meet, interact and share ideas is Shiraz the café, there is no strict or rigid structure present for the youth in the movie Zinda Bhaag. This could be attributed to the difference in classes of the group of men. In the 1971 moment, there is no really elite setting where Zakir and his friends can go and so they find solace in the mediocre setting of Shiraz, its friendly and amicable attendant and its tea.

In Zinda Bhaag, Khaldi and friends or the members of his community cannot have the privilege of visiting a place like the Imperial Punjab College. As members of the lower class, they do not have that luxury to them. For them places for social gatherings include the small pool club where they can play or the small shop or café where they can collectively enjoy the horse races. Yet these places are not only for leisure and entertainment but have a greater function. They are places where the youth are always reminded of their economic condition, the various legal or illegal possibilities they have for getting out of that situation and finally become the space where unlawful transactions take place. In both the shop and the pool club, we see Khaldi lost in deep thought; in the first instance he chooses to bet on a horse and its chances of winning the race while in the second instance, Khaldi decides on gambling money by playing cards. These locations then become a thinking space for the protagonist as he weighs the pros and cons of stepping into a risky situation.

The shop or café takes becomes even more significant when Khaldi starts betting and gambling there. He initially wins, raising his hopes for further successive wins. But eventually he fails and loses a great degree of money. It is not just a place for leisure but for transactions and dealings which cause a huge loss for Khaldi. Moreover, the events that take place in this space have an adverse effect on his friendship with Taambi as he ridicules him. Thus the café is not a conducive space for these young members of the lower class society. It robs them of any possibility of enjoyment and friendship. Here, this space can be compared to the café Shiraz as both places reveal to us that the youth has failed to do anything productive for themselves or for their country. They are not places that grooms and nurtures them but highlight their state of exile in the country.