Social Semiotics of Trauma, Betrayal, and Displacement in the Screenplay Jo Bichar Gaye: A Multimodal Analysis
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The study uses Multimodal Discourse Analysis (MDA) to explore the social semiotics of trauma, betrayal, and displacement in the Pakistani screenplay Jo Bichar Gaye. This play represents memories of a soldier playing back on events that led to the separation of East Pakistan. Scenes were purposively selected based on their significance to the themes under investigation. The screenplay provided multi-modal text in a hybrid form of linguistic and visual elements for cohesive ties in the characters’ conversations as well as meaningful cinemascope techniques. The analysis revealed the emotional and psychological effects of the upheaval that led to Pakistan’s capitulation. The findings show that the screenplay’s portrayal of conflicting beliefs, extreme sentiments and the loss of lives, highlighted the influence of the third Indo-Pakistan conflict as part of the pre-war discourse and the effects on individuals and society. The multifaceted interplay of attitudes and experiences associated with historical trauma, also call attention to the media's role in enriching the academic discourse, and the relevance of the screenplay as a significant cultural artifact providing insights into traumatic historical events.
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