I AM BACK, I AM BACK…. Don’t get me wrong. I am not trying
to index the saucy dance and produce half-hearted latkas and thumkas that
KJo was able to pull off with such a (feminine) grace. Just that, it’s been a
long time since I last posted on my blog. But as you know, the routine,
time-worned life is so taxing and contains your free will K
Well, this one is something about what’s the discussed
extensively in the Koffee show. The films. Yes, I have been a posting a lot of critical
(seemingly harsh) opinions pertaining to the same on the social media. And
being critical, I myself have been critiqued and reprimanded boldly (wrongly,
many-a-times). But what goes unnoticed is that there are a lot of commendable
productions that have hit the screens in recent times, which I have relished
and praised. This, however, cannot enfeeble
the fact that a myriad are, simply
put, garbage material. And because of numerous reasons.
What pains me the most is that the fact that the base of
almost all Hindi movie is a banal hetero love story, and the entire 120 minutes
are wasted revolving around their over-convoluted, tortuous, however chimerical,
daily routines. A real time simulacrum to this would be going to the same
restaurant forever, with the same dishes being served. Where nothing but the
ambiance and the pretty waiters’ new. Isn’t that revolting? Well, thus I say,
so are most of the bollywood movies. Appeasing aberrations are always welcomed
in life, but it does not seem to be the case here. Same old clichéd thing being
thrown at us, almost like a rusty hacksaw being rubbed with the toothed edge
against our imagination. Even worse, chances are that the foundation, scenes
(or in nauseating cases, the entire dialogue set) are derived from some
random/well known Hollywood, or maybe even movies from the same fraternity. I
need not bother give examples to assert this. It feels like being cheated to
pay for a movie which is not entirely original, whose essence one can absorb by
watching the original one movie. These questions are virtuously reasonable.
Having said that, I would definitely mention movies like Highway, Hasee toh
Phasee, Gangs of Wasseypur, even low budget movies like Total Siyappa which
have struck a different chord in the dilapidated B-town presentations, and save
the day.
I am not trying to patronize, but take a look at THEIR
movies. The Hollywood rather produces the stinking piles once in a blue moon’s
time. Even their primary agenda is to stage and elicit love, but with a twist
or in a multi-faceted manner. Recently, I watched the movie “The Book Thief”. Though
based on a novel (a third of work already done there), the portrayal is
something one may have never experienced. A variety of emotions, ranging from
brotherly love, parental love, calf-love, apprehension, elation etc are so
meticulously and fluently stitched together to produce an artistic master-piece
to be adored by all. Others, like the movie “The Help”, are based on such trivial
topics. Such a simple, yet affective movie recreating first-hand accounts of
injustice during the apartheid reign.
To conclude, many may object to my opinions. I have personally
faced strong opposition by people who take my impressions to heart, considering
it as the penultimate judgment (maybe). Well, love me or hate me, I stick to my
stance. It is debatable as to who is to blame more, the creators to make such films
mostly out of greed or ignorance, or the audience for willingly paying for it (and
the overpriced snacks) without giving it a thought. Though I believe there is
great potential in the current and upcoming lot to revive the untended state of
Hindi Cinema and bring it up to the mark, it needs to be channelized in an
effective manner. After all, it’s one of the biggest film industry in this
world J
