Where is the change?

Recently a young patient of mine requested me to have a look at his film. He is a first year student of Mass Communication and Videography and his first semester film was called “Voice”. The film had to be shot in a photo montage style. The website is of the Xavier Film Academy—www.sxcfilmstudies.com. This is a remarkable site not only because of its clean, no frill,functional design, but because it truly showcases what young people in the 18—22 year category are really thinking about. Through the site , one can access their activity and skill level, and their take on contemporary society.

Voice is a sincere film. Tightly edited, telling imagery, use of song, and dialogue—all contributing in getting the director’s message across. For a first semester project, it is remarkable and emphasizes the skill level that youngsters are achieving. I do not mean “youngsters” as a condescending description, but as a positive statement –that if they can achieve this much at this level, then their peak production with age and experience should be something to look forward to.

However there are many grey areas—not only in conception but in execution. The executions are correctable as they are technicalities, but proper attention need to be paid to it.

The narration is very amateurish and heavily accented. The play shots are mostly from one angle. The lighting should have been better and  highlighting the correct areas and the sound recording was uneven in parts. This might be due to equipments that were used, but should be looked into. As they develop more, all these problems will disappear.

But my main grouse is the content. Though film makers need to be committed, they must not sacrifice their credibility. They should not be committed to any political line , even if they sympathetic to one. Their role should be of the observer, if they want to retain their neutral image. They should be able to comment dispassionately on any shortcomings in society,  and of any religion. Overtly committed filmmakers are taken with a pinch of salt, because they cannot be taken at face value of giving the audience a truthful picture. The incidents depicted are undoubtedly, true, despicable and ghastly. But this truth is full of omissions—as in this film.

Why was there no comment on Marichjhapi massacre where the armed state calculatingly killed refugees eking out a pitiable existence in the uninhabited Sunderban Islands?

Massacre at Wandhama

Why was there not a mention of the plight of Kashmiri Pandits, driven and banished from their homes in Jammu and Kashmir?

Why is there no mention of Taslima Nusreen and her travails of writing her version of the truth?

Why is there no mention of the siege at Esplanade for four days in front of Statesman House for reprinting an article? This was blacked out of almost all Newspapers and TV channels.

Why is there no mention of the beheading of police officers and killing of ordinary people by Maoist terrorists?

Why is there no mention of the killing of innocent people by the Muslim terrorist organisations or the militants like ULFA and the Mizo terrorists? While Army atrocities are hyped about by intent-faced hyperventilating activists, there is a strange and curious lack of intensity in condemning the separationists violence.

  Why is there no mention of the Kar Sevaks being burnt alive, purportedly due to an accidental fire or deliberate sabotage? Two commissions (Nanavati and Banerjee) have given conflicting reports because commissions and many film makers are actually biased while professing to be neutral and a part of “liberal society”.

Even the bold, uncompromising, fearless film makers are actually lambs inside, unwilling and unable to focus on the TRUE picture.

Nothing has changed. The same slogans , the same dialogues, the same Naked Raja that we saw and heard in our childhood  and student days . The establishment  may change colours and yet will remain the same exploitative power. The ideals, the commitment to ideals have become a commitment to hold on to power even with slipping fingertips. A change of government means more and more clashes and unnecessary ,useless deaths. No one will take voluntary responsibility and go gracefully. They will go kicking and screaming like an unruly child and will be replaced by people who will probably be the same.

And film after film, play after play will be made in the same format, same mime and songs and dance, with the same committed viewpoint, as they were decades back.

When will this incredibly talented young generation chart out their own independent pathways lined by the flaming torches of information and reality?

When will they tell the whole truth, the uncompromising truth, and all the truth?

If there is any song playing already, go down to the previous post and pause the music player. Then listen to this song by Helen Soo. Click on the play button below.

changes.mp3

 

Love, Sex and Dhoka—the Dhoka is final

To all those celebrating LSD as the cult film of the decade, as the great pathbreaker in Indian Cinema, as a member of the Least Common Denominator—the paying public, I differ and differ vehemently.  Duped by a National award winning label on Dibakar Banerjee’s Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye, and the  hullabaloo made by National TV Channels and the big shot newspapers who were falling over themselves to eulogise the movie and more ,its director---I went to see the movie at a noonshow in a well known Central Kolkata Hall.

I was dampened by the sight of only 4 occupants in the Dress circle at Rs.80/ticket and hardly a hundred people in the hall.The hall was something like the above. From the beginning I was informed that we are all basically in front of various types of cameras and a participant in a reality show by Dee Bee enterprises. After a few minutes ,I was rubbing my eyes ,not in disbelief but in real pain as the story( more evident in its absence) evolved with jerkiness, deliberate hand held shakes and unfocussed. That , I was assured, was the New Age filmmaking—more real than skilled. Cinema , or the Cult Film Zamana is a director’s viewpoint and only that—the poor audience could always have a splitting headache—but that does not matter at all. Ekta Kapoor, the producer, screamed when she saw the preview. For once, I agreed with her. However she settled down as she realised that the 3 crores had already been spent. She refused however to show it to her parents.

The film  evolved in three parts—Love—Sex and Dhoka. The Love part was a traditional spoof on a rich girl-poor boy love story, with an eager father getting a role in the film by a budding director making his diploma film. The poor director falls in love with the rich heroine and finally brother with his goons kill and bury them . An ad nauseum plot, made cleverly by juxtaposing film with reality, and moving front and back in style. However, the old DDLJ prevails(Simran and all that) and there is the tragic end of this part.

Sex then takes over and a manager of the firm is bent on taking a store attendant to bed as a challenge and then selling the clip for Rupees seventy thousand to a reality TV show!!!!

The great pataoing goes on and finally the girl agrees to a rendezvous  in the store room!!!!The camera is framed to catch the VITAL moment. It turns out that the previous section “Love” protagonists are this girl’s friend. On learning of their death, the girl in a moment of emotional turmoil, clutches onto the male.The Moment arrives and the male protagonist is allowed to  do his act which he does staring at the camera.   Thank God, the censors pixellated the scene as this alone might just have made this film popular (that of course was the director’s intent…)The clip is sold, rages as a superhit, and invades the mobile denizens. The girl wants to commit suicide.  The thread continues in the third part as a girl attempting suicide is saved by a  person who has already failed in an attempt to do the same.

 

The third part is called DHOKA. Here the rescued girl and this  cameraman run a sting operation for the Reality TV company. They trap the victim, an aging pop star, on camera talking about sex for work. They are finally re instructed to film the victim giving them money. After a confused rigmarole, all the three couples are seen in a stylised finale of  being Reality TV participants.

Unfortunately, we felt that the Dhoka is all that we were left with as we lurched out of the hall.

The film goes forward and back and laterally as the main characters twine and intertwine between the three sections. “Inspired” by the real life incidences like the Delhi MMS scandal, the intercaste/inter status marriages and their violent sequelae to retain honour and the sting operation phenomenon that sweeps the country now and then—the film is cleverly constructed. DB cocks a snook at the establishment and with racy editing, pushes the film to an ending.

However as a member of the paying public, there were too many inconsistencies which could not be glazed over by the glossiness and pace.

Was there a story of any merit anywhere? No, not at all. The  plot is hackneyed and predictable and seen before in Dev D and the bad “Reconstructions” in TV channels. Was the concept of the camera playing all the time, unique ? No, it was irritating, never allowed the viewer to watch the film with any degree of ease and seen before in Paranormal. Maybe DB wanted the film to make his audience feel disturbed? This disturbance is not of any social value. We have felt disturbed by Pather Panchali on one side or Satya or Rang De Basanti or Paa or My Name is Khan on the other. But those were positive disturbances which made us think and react. Here the effect is trying to forget it as fast as possible!!! Here the film is irritating and obnoxious, the feeling of being taken for a ride and duped of our hard earned money by a director who wants to snigger at the Industry and the traditional methods of films. It is really unfair that we have to finance DB’s personal quirks and also have a splitting headache and eyeache in the bargain.

 

The critics will love the movie as it provides a break from tradition. Unfortunately, the ordinary viewer goes to see a film with certain expectations. Not all the time do we go for Time Pass entertainment. We go to be stirred, emotionally and creatively, willing and wanting to appreciate art and creativity, not only for gloss and glamour. We do unfortunately have our own views derived from our own intelligence (surprise for our all knowing directors—we can actually think!!!). So when a director thinks that we can be walked over by oversmartness and mis experimentation—he is in for a surprise. If he disregards our sentiments, he will find acclaim from select interested groups, but not at the box office and hopefully not from any producer who values his money.

Wikipedia informs us thus. The film has been critically acclaimed by the movie reviewers for its unique filming style, acting, realistic story and superb editing.

Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama reviewed positively saying, "On the whole, Love Sex aur Dhokha is original, innovative and ground-breaking cinema, which will shock and provoke you. The film is definitely not for the faint-hearted or those who swear by stereotypical fares, but for those who yearn for a change." and rated it 4 out of 5 stars..

Rajeev Masand of CNN IBN rated it 4 out of 5, stating "Dibakar Banerjee's Love, Sex aur Dhoka is the most riveting Hindi film in recent memory. [...] You will be shocked, you will be startled, but walking out of the theatre, you know you have just seen what is possibly the most important Hindi film since Satya and Dil Chahta Hai. Not only does it redefine the concept of "realistic cinema", it opens a world of possibilities in terms of how you can shoot films now."

Subhash Jha of Bollywood Hungama critically criticised the film stating, "The film never belittles or sentimentalizes the characters' lack of choices. While inventing a unique format of cinematic expression Dibakar Banerjee has not emotionally emasculated the characters. [...] In terms of technique this film gets as rough and jolting as any film can. The actors look like reality-show rejects making a last-bid attempt to prove their worth." .

Martin D'Souza of film portal glamsham.com rated it 4 out of 5 and verdict, "What is very smart is the way Banerjee weaves the lives of all three couples to make it one smart movie. At first, it appears as three separate issues but the end surprises. Intelligent cinema. It real and it's scary."

Sarita Tanwar of Mid Day, gives it a 4 and a half out of 5 and stated, " LSD has all the makings of a contemporary cult classic this season's best film. It's a must-watch.

Gaurav Malani of India Times gives it a four out of five, and stated, "At several levels, Love Sex aur Dhokha is at par with some of the best titles in world cinema in terms of its treatment."

 Nikhat Kazmi of Times of India gave a three and a half to the film, and stated, "Don't expect time-pass entertainment. Think beyond run-of-the-mill and see how Ekta Kapoor re-invents herself as the producer of contemporary Indian cinema's first full-blown experimental film.

Raja Sen, of web portal Rediff.com, gives it a perfect five, and stated "It's bleak, bittersweet, funny and markedly unglamorous, and yet you come out humming the theme tune, your head blown clear off your shoulders.

Mayank Shekhar of Hindustan Times gives it a three and half, and stated, it as " truly an experiment" in Bollywood.

^{The final comment however is reserved for us –the audience.}

“The film has done below average performance at the box office, with it's targeted multiplex audience not reaching to the expectation.”  ( www.boxofficeindia.com).

And rightly so. Forgettable music, oft repeated theme, reality show acting as bad as it can get, boring, gimmicky, tiring and repeatedly irritating, portraying a small aberrant portion of society with a prominence it did not deserve, descending to cheap titillation from the title, dialogue and lyrics in an attempt to cover up for creative deficiencies, promoting voyeurism as a way of life, and disregarding audience likings for a critics review bonanza—this film will of course crash resoundingly at the Box Office.

But does DB care? Watch this movie only if you feel like sponsoring this tiresome DB snigger at Bollywood!!!

Fireflies

Celebrating a birthday at this age seems like a desperate ploy to look lively and happening. After all what is a birthday but a celebration of your continuing presence in this world.

Thanks to  the web, there was a plethora of messages from  social sites, shopping malls, music stores etc. The ones from the social sites were warm and personal and genuine while the others had a commercial twinge in them. The “live” ones came from family ,friends and colleagues and were more intense. Cakes and flowers and sweets  kept on coming and in a peculiar way made me feel “wanted”. I suppose that is in a nutshell what a birthday celebration means—that you feel that you can still contribute meaningfully to others.

 

Later on, in a rare moment of soliloquy, I started reflecting on whether such a day is a good time to reiterate my own philosophy in life. Quagmired in routine, one can fall into the dangerous trap of comfortable existence in familiar circumstances. The challenges are all external—i.e. what other people throw at you. How much better it would be if you can challenge yourself intellectually and performance wise. But can you do that? All the time? Every day?

So, it boils down to a philosophy, a statement of intent, a methodology.

We are all like fireflies. Flickering, floating, here and there…With one surety. That one day, we will cease lighting up our surroundings—and subside to the ground. But see the way, the boundless enthusiasm with which the way the firefly moves , committed to brightening the  world when it in darkness---because it must.

There is a beautiful line from the Chandrabindu song “Adarer Nouko”

Clutch the beauty of the firefly to

your heart …and run…and run.

How about that for a way to live??