If Kabir Khan in Shahrukh Khan starred Chak De India puts question mark on the

loyalty of the Indian Muslims towards Indian nation, here is Zaid Ahmad Khan
(ACP), a true, secular, modern Muslim struggling to prove his credentials of being
a loyal citizen towards India. Mukesh Bhatt’s Muzammil Ibrahim starred ‘Dhokha’ or
‘Betrayal’ is the Bollywood’s latest offering that raises several questions about
Muslims and their identity in India. Coming for the first time out the rhetoric of
his fluffy musicals, Mukesh Bhatt’s Dhokha tries to get to the bottom of delicate
question of Hindu-Muslim antagonism. Dhokha displays the actuality of terrorism
and its endless costs. As someone has rightly remarked partition is an unending
process, beginning of the cultivation of categorical Hindu and Muslim dichotomy,
the process that was instigated with partition. After 60 years of partition, there
is a continuing dilemma on the subject of Muslims constituting 16% of the total
population in a Hindu majoritarian state.

Muslims in Dhokha are symbolized as misguided, disloyal other worldly

communities that have taken other form of living to retaliate namely world
celebrated term jihad (holy war). Zaid Ahmad (Muzammil Ibrahim) a true Muslim
nationalist, police officer is suspected of his fidelity towards Hindu India. On
the night of a lethal bombing at the New Century Club, Mumbai, Zaid helps the
horrified victims in the blast. Zaid affirms of donating blood to one of the
injured supposed to be a Hindu. The dilemma mounts when the father of the injured
repudiates to receive any aid from Zaid as he would like to see his daughter dead
rather than letting the blood of a Muslim, a traitor, perfidious creature to flow
in his daughters veins. Though the film progressively engages itself in denouncing
the people who spread terror in the name of religion and tries to find out reasons
for the root cause of terrorism still it doesn’t provide the solution to
Islamophobia that’s deeply inculcated into the psyche of general masses. When the
media reports about the blast without investigation jihadi group compulsorily is
supposed to take the take the responsibility. In an interview with Anti Terrorist
Squad head Raj Mehra (Gulshan Grover) it is made clear that Jihadists or Jihadi
Sanghathan by referring to Muslims are responsible for the Blast. How often do we
see naxalites being termed as Jihadists? By referring jihad without any inquiry
involvement of Muslims becomes necessary. Islam is seen as equivalent of jihad and
Muslims as Jihadists thus terrorists as for the mainstream goes. Muslims are shown
as community never to be believed, as they can be betray at any instance “yeh qaum
Jo hai in ka koi bharosa nahin kabhi bhi kisi ko dhoka desakte hai bloody
traitors”. When Zaid, an honorable police inspector is enquired of his wife’s
involvement in the blast, a question that rises in mind is can a Muslim be an
Indian?

Zaid till now respected, trendy, dedicated young Indian Muslim abruptly
falls in an ambush of proving his dependability as true Muslim Indian police
officer. He is typified as person who has a bit commonnality with Arabs “hindi
samajh main nahin aati Arbi (Arabic) main samjaoon”. There are two sections of
Hindu’s represented in Dhokha. First is the section who believe in Zaid’s
innocence despite knowing infidelity of his wife. This section supporting a Muslim
is branded as pseudo liberals, pseudo secularists by the opposition. The other
group has always remained suspicious of the Muslim loyalty towards India. Their
terminology for Muslims appears to be as terrorists, treacherous (jis thali main
khate hai usi main chedte hai).

At the end even it is shown how the injustices done to person can
transform human beings into human bombs. The question that will remain is why only
Muslims have to prove their loyalty towards India. There can a bad Hindu, but
she/he is never labeled as anti nationalist. Like Hindus, even Muslims have
struggled and strived for the independence of India.