Shyam Benegal did practically the same update with Kalyug, incidentally. Twenty-eight years ago!

Never mind. Jha’s takes on the badlands of Bihar (Aparahan, Gangaajal) have been vital and volatile. And already there have been guesses that Katrina Kaif is portraying a film version of Sonia Gandhi. Insiders on the project, say nothing of the sort, that she is in fact has shades of the Mahabharata’s Draupadi.

Mani Ratnam is adapting Ramayana, with an accent on Raavan. Whether this project  has a political underlinging isn’t known yet. For the time being, do let it be. Ratnam’s Guru sought to have one with disappointingly mixed results. Meaning a rags-to-riches industrialist’s manipulation of politics and the media was at most, surfacial. And it fostered another guessing game.  Is that Dhirubhai Ambani? Is that Ramnath Goenka? Compared to Ratnam’s last uncompromised work – Iruvar – Guru was fair to middling.

They did it

Point is for popular cinema, politics can be a side dish never the main course.

Politics implies a maze of complications, establishing a stand and a hyperventilation of duh-or-die convictions. There’s no more radical critiquing, no subversion. No M S Sathyu’s lament at a divided nation in Garm Hawa, no Gulzar masquerading Suchitra Sen as Indira Gandhi in Aandhi, no Saeed Mirza leftist-inflected Salim Langde Pe Mat Ro, no Jabbar Patel’s look at chief ministership ke chukkers as in Simhasan, no taking off the lid between politicos-and media barons as in Ramesh Sharma’s New Delhi Times (unless Ram Gopal Varma’s similarly themed Rann turns out to be spot-on).

Politically probing is not allowed. To be politically correct is..because this route often ensures patronage by the ruling party and a slew of awards following fierce lobbying with the ministries, fixers – not to forget those seasoned hangers-on in Delhi’s dank offices and Asoka Hotel’s kabab-and-paneer tikka party halls. So, see the  show business movers as well as wannashakers have to do the right thing.

Not surprisingly, political parties of various hues have drawn star names to pitch in their lot for poll campaigns. Salman Khan achieved the absurd feat of campaigning for rival parties. And some of yesteryear’s heroines, TV termagants, beauty pageant winners and slumdog kiddies are attracted to the fold for cash fees, either for a single campaign trip or as a package deal.

Writing on the wall

Ironically there is little or no danger of the election circus ever becoming a subject for a film script, serious, comedic or both. Rather, the film maker would remain apolitical.If an element of politics is a must, please stick to the tried and tested. To date, it’s a tradition to festoon the walls of government and police chowkies depicted in popular cinema, most frequently with calendar portraits of Pandit Nehru, Lal Bahadur Shashtri and Indira Gandhi. Implication: dead leaders tell no tales.

At one stage, particularly in the 1950s and ‘60s, Bollywood films often flashed stock footage of Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru and for a secular touch Maulana Azad, addressing the nation. Automatically, the flashes drew goose bumps besides thunderous applause from the front benches as well as the balconies. Predictably, such flashes are no longer used, indicating that the moviegoer is no longer excited by post-Independence fervour.

In Mumbai, the practice of screening the National Anthem before the feature film, has been revived of late. Spectators snap to attention dutifully but at the end of the clip, there have been reported instances of sarcastic hoots from the uninhibited section of the audience. Obviously, national pride must be felt by each one of us rather than faced as a clockwork must-do.

Romancing politics

Popular cinema has to adopt a neutral stance, sit on the fence, and go with the current flow. Take the volte-face from the rabble rousing anti-Pakistan movies to the brief abracadabra-like honeymoon with the idea of pro-Pak co-productions. Mahesh-Mukesh Bhatt took the lead towards cross-bordering by  ransacking the sufi-pop music of Pakistan. The Yash Chopra confected Veer-Zara, an Indo-Pak romance, close in genre to RK’s Henna. Very gung-ho, a former Information and Broadcasting Minister Ravishankar Prasad had announced a film on cross-border dosti to be produced by a Pakistani and directed by an Indian. It never happened.

On the other hand we have the recorded instance of the Marxist journalist-filmmaker K.A.Abbas’s Indo-Soviet film Pardesi dating back to  1960s.

Patriotism of the absolutely fantasticated and overwrought kind has been associated with Manoj Kumar. His Upkar was marked by a certain zeal and moral righteousness, touching upon the rural-urban divide. It had its heart in the proverbial right place, the heart pumping out more hits of questionable quality with Purab aur Paschim, Roti Kapda aur Makaan, Shor and Kranti.

Mr Bharat’s legacy

Here were films in an era when audiences were willing to listen and applaud. Manoj Kumar’s brand of nationalism spawned Subhash Ghai’s booming-blasting mind-benders (notably Karma, Pardes) and imitations galore. Indeed, Manoj Kumar’s Purab aur Paschim stands out as a precursor to the east-is-east, west-is-west NRI romance, Aditya Chopra’s Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. And more overtly, of course, to Vipul Shah’s Namaste London.

Sure, old wine can be served in a  Swarovski decanter. Yet  in the ongoing frenzy for commercial success, as opposed, to quality filmmaking, the crystal shatters into pieces. “Where did we go wrong?”, “Didn’t we package every ingredient in the book?” is the buzz in a business that has an astounding failure ratio, with the tanking of 85 per cent of the annual turnover of 170-plus films. Two recent examples: Blue and London Dreams. And in terms of sheer truth-and-dare telling Madhur Bhandarkar’s Jail isn’t a patch even on his Satta, which would in retrospect seem underrated.

Rules have to be followed. There can no in-betweens, no ambiguities, no complexities. The Central Board of Film Certification, read the Censor Board, plays the lamentable role of keeping matters srait-jacketed.

Entertainment mangta hai

Expectedly, panel members of the censors are political appointees, chosen by the ministry in Delhi. Down the years, the I and B ministry has dispensed favours and influence quite blatantly, besides the swift and  debatable appointments to the posts of chiefs of several film making institutions like the Censor Board and the Children’s Film Society of India.

The official policy is to stick to the groove, or to make films which are commercial in intent and execution.  Entertainment, entertainment, entertainmnent mangta hai is the credo without understanding the meaning of the word.

Toe the line

Result: experimentation has been the first casualty. Indeed, it is impossible to imagine any film maker securing a grant or finance from the National Development Corporation for a film that’s non-linear or fiercely individualistic. Toe the line or else take a walk has become the  NFDC’s mantra. This kind of degeneration wasn’t nipped in the bud even by its enlightened chiefs, film producer Manmohan Shetty and subsequently Om Puri.

Students hatched from film schools like the UCLA and freshers who have been assisting directors ranging from Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Aditya Chopra to Karan Johar, are into thrillers, comedies, horror spookfests, dramas of pyaar-ishq-mohabbat,the works. No two ways about it – everyone’s working strictly within the ordained structure.

Those who want to buck the system – in the aspect of complex human relationships – have their messiahs in Anurag Kashyap, who with Dev D broke the barriers of the depiction of sexual polemics. Decades ago, B R Ishara did with Chetna and Society. Society was banned for its sexual frankspeak (have not seen it on DVD or VCD, help!). Did it remain banned or get a hushed, embarrassed..er..release?

Aah, such is politics.

Related posts:

1. Politics in our films
2. Irresponsible medium:Shame on me to be an audience
3. Tamil Cinema and Politics

Are you making your One minute Movie for PFCOne 2010?

Khalid Mohamed | Permalink |
© PassionforCinema, 2009.
Post tags: Aandhi, B.R. Ishara, gulzar, k a abbas, Kalyug, mani ratnam, Manoj Kumar, politics, prakash jha, Raj Kapoor, Rajniti, saeed mirza, shyam benegal

Indian Lifetime achievement award- Shashi Kapoor

Paul Schrader (Jury Member of MAMI FILM FEST 2009)

International Lifetime achievement award- Theo Angelopoulos

Young Critics Award: Whisper With The Wind

Winner of Young Critics Award

Special Mention: Women Without Men

A scene from Women without Men( The Movie Got Special Mention from Jury)

Dimensions Mumbai Award: Sagar Setu ( 1st Prize)
Director – Chandan Arora, Archana Phadke

Mumbai Lego ( 2nd Prize)
Director- Sahil Shah

Kala Khatta-(Special Mention)
Director- Advait Chandan

Udaan-(Special Mention)
Director- Abhay Kumar

Audience Choice Award: Road To Sangam
Director- Amit Rai

Best Camera & Sound: Katalin Varga
Director-Peter Strickland
Cinematographer-Mark Gyori
Editor- Adam Toser

Best Actress: Paprika Steen for Applaus

Best Actor: Edward Hogg for White Lightnin’

Best Director: Adrien Biniez for Gigannte

International Competition for Debut Films
Best Film: White Lightnin’
Director- Dominic Murphy

Jury Grand Prize: La Pivellina
Director- Tizza Covi,Rainer Frimme

The jury members were Paul Schrader, Amercian writer and Director, he was wrote for movies like Taxi Driver,Raging Bull,Last tempatation of Christ to name a few.He has directed movies likes American Gigolo,Mishima and many others.
Shaji N Karun is an Indian Film Director, his movie Swaham was selected in Official Competition AT Cannes in 1994.His Latest Movie Kutty Shrank was premiered at the fest.

Brilliante Ma Mendoza, he is the new face of Philippiness cinema,his last movie Kinatay won him nest director award at this year Cannes film festival.

Irene Bignardi, she is an International Film Critic, author of two tow documentaries written for Gianfranco Mingozzi, with Francesca Bertini.
Jafar Panahi ,the Iranian director, he has received over 52 prestigious international and national awards.

Related posts:

1. MAMI FILM FESTIVAL 2008
2. Spanish Film Festival – Hyderabad 2009
3. Srinivas at MAMI Festival

Are you making your One minute Movie for PFCOne 2010?

Ashwin Varma | Permalink |
© PassionforCinema, 2009.
Post tags: 11 Mumbai Film Festival, 2009, international film festival, Katalin Varga Trailer, MAMI, MAMI 2009, Paul Schrader

‘I am Benito Mussolini’s wife, shouts an angry, sobbing young woman.

‘Every woman in Italy wants to be married to this man, not only you’, says the unbelieving nun in the mental institution that Ida Dalser in incarcerated. Ida Dalser, a beautician, is the first wife of Benito Mussolini, (then a journalist) and mother of his first born. This is their tragic love story which has been long forgotten and buried in the deep in the annals of Italy’s history. The story begins with their meeting in a socialist meeting where she falls in love with him. They publicly marry in 1914 and she gives birth to their son a year later. When his radical views upset his bosses in the Press he vows to publish another paper but does not have the money. Ida sells her apartment and everything she owns as capital for his venture. He becomes a sensational leader thanks to his newspaper and is well on his way to become the undisputable leader of Italy. He becomes a votary for war. When he is injured on duty a nurse Rachel saves his life. Mussolini marries this woman and she later bears him five children. When Ida learns of his new commitment she rages and furiously demands that her status of first wife be restored.

As Mussolini grows in power, Ida is silenced and eventually destroyed. The story unfolds painfully and slowly bringing to the screen the depth of woman’s trauma, her determination and unfailing faith in her man. She tells her sister, ‘he is only testing me. To see if I am prepared for greater things to come’.
‘For the first time’, the lady sitting next to me confessed, ‘I cried.’

The steamy love scenes between the young Benito and Ida lay the foundation of their strong ties. Why did Mussolini thwart Ida and marry Rachel? Why did he not just provide for her and the son at someplace? Why was he intent on destroying the mind and spirit of his lover? After all he was known to have had many love interests in his life. These questions remain unanswered.
A powerful performance by the actors Giovanna Mezzogiorno (Ida Dalser) and Filippo Timi (Benito Mussolini Senior and Junior) is the mainstay of the film. The story has layers of history and covers two generations and a war. Bellochio adds another layer of history –cinema. There are many scenes where people are shown watching a film. The first one is most amusing. As two factions are seated on either side of the aisle, the film is shows Italy entering the war. A pianist is playing live music reading from the sheets. The men in the audience shout slogans. A fist fight breaks out. Their shadows play on the screen but the pianist determinedly continues playing disregarding the violence in the theatre. The other scene which leaves a lasting impact is Ida watching Charlie Chaplin in ‘The Kid’ in the mental institution. The police pull the child from the father and Ida is reminded of her son being kidnapped and held forcefully elsewhere. As time progresses films move from silent to sound movies. Most of Mussolini’s later appearances are real images from archival news reels. In fact we see the father only on this black and white footage as Timi now plays Benito, the grown up son who can imitate the mannerisms of the leader. The film is homage to cinema.

Vincere (Victory!) is salvation for the soul of the brave and dignified Ida Dalser on whose frail body Mussolini stepped to reach his place in history. Perhaps it even reflects the country’s gratitude to a forgotten hero. What is important is that Bellocchio has achieved this without making it into a tear-jerker or a melodrama pleading for sympathy.

As Italian films go, operatic music and rich cinematography is a given thing. One warmly salutes the Italian cinema tradition. Viva Italia!

DEFIANCE- DIRECTOR EDWARD ZWICK

Here is proof that more and more filmmakers are not shy adapting from books. ‘The Bielski Partisans’ by Nechama Tec is the source of the film which tells the unusual story of Jews fighting back during the war. Daniel Craig and Live Schreiber are the elder brothers who lead a motley group of Jews into the woods and build a settlement for them. The four brothers survive the war, Nazis, the cold winter starvation, deaths and typhus to lead more than a thousand people to safety.

The story is layered with conflict between brothers, ideology, belief, rules and loyalty. Tuvia (Craig) is the eldest and is devastated when he sees his parents shot dead in his home. He takes revenge and kills the family of the police officer who ordered the killings. After that he is worried about the moralistic implications of his act. There would be no difference between Nazis and him if he killed for revenge and not just in defense. His younger brother is hot -blooded and leaves his group to join a Russian partisan group.
There is plenty of action where guns, tankers, soldiers and armed Jews take on each other during attacks. The settlement has strict rules where everyone works, no pregnancies are allowed and obedience to the leader is expected. The Bielski Otriad or Partisan Group steals food, weapons and provisions strictly avoiding any clash with the Nazis.
The younger brother (Schrieber) rejoins the group in a dramatic finale which had the entire audience of warm desi film fans cheer, whistle and clap loudly as if he were Shahenshah!

This heartwarming story of bravado, tender love, determination and humanity is yet another addition to the memorable films on the subject. Neither Craig nor Schreiber look Jewish enough but their portrayal brought out the long drawn pain of what it means to be one.

This was the last day of the Festival. I really did not want to miss any of the films but rushing from the scorching heat 36º heat outside into the c-cold theatre inside left me with a nagging cough and fever. Downed some strong medicine and somehow made it to the last two days armed with a shawl. I am glad I did that as I enjoyed these two historic films. I left with a sinking feeling knowing well that I had missed out on some terrific films like ‘Whisper in the Wind’, ‘Applaus’, ‘Gigante’ and ‘Road to Sangam’.

Related posts:

1. Film Fest Fever-MAMI 09-1
2. FILM FEST FEVER –MAMI 09-4
3. FILM FEST FEVER –MAMI 09-2

Are you making your One minute Movie for PFCOne 2010?

Indu Raman | Permalink |
© PassionforCinema, 2009.
Post tags: 11 Mumbai Film Festival, Defiance, EDWARD ZWICK, MAMI 2009, MARIO BELLOCCHIO, Vincere

Koi mile ki bichade, yahan kisko kya padi hai

Sab log chal rahe hain, duniya yahin khadi hai

Khamoshiyon se kahiye chalkar zara pukaarein

Khwabon ke jangalon se aayin hain kya bahaarein

Neendon ka yeh zamaana bas aur do ghadi hai

Sab log chal rahein hain duniya yahin khadi hai

Aankhon mein khushboo ke manzar wahin khilenge

Lagta hai chalte chalte khud se wahin mileinge

Manzil hamare kad se bas do kadam badi hai

Sab log chal rahein hain duniya yahin khadi hai

The only way to watch this movie is to completely submit to it- it automatically puts you in a trance and you start to move with its flow, like a Sufi dervish. One must not think, for the mind will break the trance, just allow Meenaxi to hypnotize you. When you begin to flow with the movie, you understand and recognize everything with a sense you did not know you possessed.

The very first time that the name of Nawaab’s character is mentioned, it sounds like magic. A name that I’ve heard many times before suddenly seems to be transformed into a mystical sound and I am immediately deeply intrigued by this Meenaxi. Nawaab is just as mystified and captivated by her.

He is at his sister’s mehendi ceremony when she appears- in white- the very first glimpse of Meenaxi’s flowing white attire sends shivers down my spine and my hair stands on its end- there is no mistaking that this is no ordinary lady- there is some divinity about her. Nawaab senses her around and looks over his shoulder and there she is- a vision of purity in white. She is always close but one cannot reach out and touch her. She is so many things at once that I am overcome with a feeling that defies description.

Meenaxi and Nawaab

The song Noor-Un-Allah in the background gives us subtle clues about Meenaxi- someone whom I had not known a few minutes back, but who has suddenly caused such a stir in my mind. I know she is not a mere human- I am further intrigued. Noor-Un-Allah deepens my trance- it is a devotional song that praises the Supreme power in a manner that is more profound than anything I’ve ever read or heard- MF Hussain praises Him as the source of all creation and all inspiration- he sees the work of the Lord in everything around him- flowers, leaves, birds, music, the sound of anklets, the love between man and woman, colours, the path, the destination- Chaaron Taraf. In every particularly blissful moment in my life, the chant of Chaaron Taraf always comes to my mind- what a profound and utterly blissful statement of devotion!

It is after his sister is married and gone that Nawaab enters his haveli. The camera looks up at him- Nawaab is walking with his head down- he is deep in thought as he enters- he is in a room full of books blowing the dust off his binoculars. A brilliant play of light at the door announces an entrance. Meenaxi who now seems to be a physical manifestation of pure sunlight enters.

The journey of discovering the essence of Meenaxi now begins. It would be brutal to try and define all that Meenaxi is and so I will refrain from doing so. The greatest quality of the movie is that it is abstract, and that is how it should be- logic kills the beauty of art- logic is for the mind while art is for the soul and Meenaxi is definitely for the soul. Meenaxi introduces herself as someone who sells itr (perfume) requests Nawaab to write about her.

Kahaani ki shuruaat to aap ek shakal se kar sakte hain, ek ehsaas se kar sakte hain, aur kabhi ek khushboo se ich kar sakte hain.

The movie has a fragrance of its own. I associate a strong, earthy, natural and mystical fragrance with it- the smell of sandalwood and musk.

Tabu

Meenaxi at first is playful, teasing Nawaab about the fact that he hasn’t been writing, and expressing her disapproval mildly. Nawaab feels that he is in control- he is after all the narrator- he has absolute authority and control of the story. He sometimes shuns her as a novice and sometimes ridicules her, though he is fully aware of his own shortcomings. Meenaxi sits beside him as he writes- she seems hesitant at first to make any suggestions- she objects to the names of the characters, and mentions that the characters are not well developed, but only makes brief remarks. She mentions that she gets impatient sometimes, especially about things that are associated with her- a casually stated remark but deeply restrained. She goes on to tell Nawaab that she wants to experience, understand and live the character of Meenaxi through the story but that he fails to understand her. She tells him that she wants to experience a different kind of relationship. By now I know that Meenaxi is the character of Nawaab’s story. A character whom he refuses to understand. He is unable to separate Meenaxi from his own beliefs, traditions, knowledge and experiences and is holding her captive within his own rules. In this segment is another gem of a song- Yeh rishta: Is gumsum jheel ke paani mein koi moti aakar girta hai, ek daayara banne lagta hai, aur badhke bhanwar ban jaata hai… In the tranquil lake of the mind, a priceless pearl of a thought drops, it creates a ripple that grows into a whirlpool that drowns you in its depths… incredibly beautiful! Meenaxi becomes increasingly impatient and tied down by the beliefs that Nawaab imposes upon her. She sits in Nawaab’s haveli reading Nawaab’s work while Nawaab sleeps. She is dejected by what she reads and leaves the haveli. She steps out into the world outside, the society, the people and the circumstances that were trying to define and limit her. The cyclist’s rhythm is a sequence that follows this feeling of helplessness and being trapped. Her movement and being is limited, and she is afraid and restricted. Nawaab watches as the helpless Meenaxi tries to break free from the wheels that go round and round in the same path, never allowing her the freedom and expression she so desperately desires. He sees her pain and anguish and in a moment Meenaxi sets fire to the society, the wheels and the story that have bound her and walks away leaving Nawaab with a realisation that a fresh attempt must be made.

Nawaab tries to separate Meenaxi with physical distance placing her in Prague. He tries to remove restrictions of family and tradition by making her an orphan in a far-away land. He manages to create some distance and decides to observe her. However, he is unable to give her wings to fly. He still defines her every move and thought. Meenaxi is dejected and offers to be a victim to this atrocity, but refuses to die. Her rebellion turns into deep depression and Nawaab starts to feel the weight of her anguish weighing him down. Back at the haveli, there is a chilling scene, when Nawaab cuts himself while shaving and starts to bleed. Meenaxi now seems unaffected by Nawaab’s pain- she is nonchalant as she states: Oh! Yeh khoon!Yeh…  yeh aapki kahaani mein to nahin dikhta”. There is an indication of a shift of power. Nawaab who was formerly so assured about his authority over his own story, begins to feel intimidated by Meenaxi and senses her power over himself and his work.  He takes Meenaxi with him and places her in different situations, different cities and gives her a different look and background, while trying to avoid giving her what she truly desires restrained with his own fears and limitations.

Noor-un-Allah

Nawaab is working feverishly on his story slowing losing control, while Meenaxi is constantly becoming more powerful. He is fighting a losing battle with the Meenaxi that he created. She can no longer be satiated with mere words of assurance or be swayed by his taunts. She is relentless and shows no pity ( a sharp contrast to the first interaction between her and Nawaab when she sheds tears at the slightest provocation).

It is clear now that Meenaxi can exist freely only when Nawaab ceases to exist- he must free her of himself. As long as he writes her story she will be bound by him- she will be subject to all that he knows and is accustomed to, she will have to follow his sense of right and wrong. Thus if she must live and experience herself independently, Nawaab must die. In a final moment of liberation, Nawaab dies so that Meenaxi can live on- she snatches the pen from his hands and begins to write her own story. This scene is symbolic of the fact that creativity is limited by a person’s beliefs, nature, experiences and character. And if one has to go beyond that limiting factor, the work of art must be allowed to live independently and must be freed from all such bounds- it is a process in which the creator only becomes a medium and nothing more. He is a spectator, and part of the audience, just as anyone else. Such creativity where one must disassociate creation from the creator naturally does not come from the creator, for the creator has ceased to exist. It is then a higher power that takes over, making the work divine. It is this divine creation that is Meenaxi- she is, like all other creation of God, pure, unrestrained, complete in itself, self-evolving and infinitely beautiful- Noor-un-Allah!

MF Hussain- the creator

The movie is a true work of art in every way- a brilliant thought- executed with amazing beauty and subtlety that is the mark of true abstract art, with amazing colours and cinematography, artistic and moving dialogues, unmatched lyrics, spectacular music, amazing background score, and a spectacular final product- Meenaxi. Tabu is stunning in every sense of the word. The movie is the greatest I have ever seen in my life- philosophical, visually stunning, esthetically pleasing, graceful, serene and divine. That this movie is made by an artist of the stature of MF Hussain comes as no surprise. I am blown-away by the depth in his thoughts and the beauty of his execution. Perhaps the movie has been made in the same manner as the process defined in the movie- for the result seems to come from a higher power and is a triumph of creativity and art.

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2. A new chapter in Tamil cinema? Let’s wait & see!
3. The transformation

Are you making your One minute Movie for PFCOne 2010?

Jyoti Rayaprol | Permalink |
© PassionforCinema, 2009.
Post tags: AR Rahman, meenaxi, MF Hussain, Raghuvir Yadav, Rahat Indori, Tabu

The story is of a 50 year old respected University professor of English Poetry who is asked to resign for inappropriate behaviour with a student. Arrogant and unrelenting, he never stops to indulge his sexual craving be it with hookers or a willing friend. Unable to face the ignominy at home, he visits his daughter who lives alone in the country. She grows vegetables and flowers and takes them to the market on Sundays. She is heavily dependant on her black helper Petrus (Eriq Ebouaney) who freely walks in and out of the small house much to the consternation of the visiting father. How he eventually takes complete control of Lucie is extremely scary. During his stay the Professor learns a few hard lessons from the harsh realities of the changing world.

John Malkovich as the cynical Prof. David Lurie and first time actor Jessica Haines as Lucie portray their characters with intensity. Those who remember John Malkovich’s steely performance in ‘In Line of Fire’ will see this actor in another challenging role. The few lines of poetry he reads in class reveal his mastery over diction and his prodigious stage experience.

Jacob has adapted the Booker Prize winning novel by J.M. Coetzee and come up with a winner. The photography of the countryside clearly communicates fear and loneliness which is the theme of the film.

IL DIVO- DIRECTOR PAOLO SORRENTINO

The title is a nickname given to Giulio Andreotti seven time prime minister of Italy from 1972 to 1992. This is the story of the trial when he is accused of his connections with the Mafia and the murder of those who were openly critical of his policies. With a flourish of violins and cellos we are introduced to a host of personalities on the political scene and even as the names roll off the tongue of the narrator we lose count of who is who. Finally it doesn’t matter.

Toni Servillo gives a stunning performance as Andreotti whether it is the comic, short-stepping gait, the slouch, his migraines, folded ears, fidgeting hands or the inscrutable expression on his face. Like an evil gnome with magical powers he goes about executing opponents and coming out clean at each trial. The whole film has a zany sense of humour and wit. When reprimanded by the Bishop for spending more time chatting with priests and not God, Andreotti replies, “Priests vote. God does not”.
Sorrentino is an obviously an actor’s director and has drawn a great cameo performance from Bonaiuto as Livia the loyal but long suffering wife. She says, “You can’t spend your life with a man and not know who he is. I know who you are.” Even as she says it she is puzzled by the impassive mask of her husband’s face.
Perhaps the story could have focussed more on the man and his deeds. The elaborate build-up to story with many live characters detracts and confuses those not familiar with the Italian political scene. They could have been shown pictorially as one unit without the names. But then that would be trying to make ‘Gandhi’ without Nehru, Patel, Azad, Jinnah and the rest. The viewer just learns to focus his attention on Il Divo and enjoys the magnificent cinematography, the music and the histrionics.
Il Divo, the central figure, the treatment and the music all remind the viewer of Coppola’s ‘Godfather’. That’s inevitable. That’s incomparable.

Related posts:

1. Film Fest Fever-MAMI 09-1
2. FILM FEST FEVER –MAMI 09-3
3. FILM FEST FEVER –MAMI 09-2

Are you making your One minute Movie for PFCOne 2010?

Indu Raman | Permalink |
© PassionforCinema, 2009.
Post tags: DISGRACE, IL DIVO, MAMI 09, Movie Reviews, PAOLO SORRENTINO, STEVE JACOB

Jail is about the travails of a falsely implicated young man Parag Dixit played by Neil Nitin Mukesh. Through his story the film attempts to throw open a kind of life that most of us will know only through newspapers or films that have dealt with it. This film reinforces ideas we may already have of the overcrowded living conditions of Indian jails and the inhumanity imposed on the inmates who, not only put up with a lack of proper sanitation and food but also fight to survive the alternative system of unspoken rules imposed through connivance of imprisoned criminals and jail authorities. The dehumanizing physical examination of the protagonist in the very first sequence indicates a gritty portrayal of life in the prison. What follows is sometimes moving, but seldom very illuminating.

There is a hiccup in the beginning that grows only bigger and undermines the narrative integrity of the film – this is the constant shifting of narrative axis. In the beginning it seems one will experience the Jail-world with our declared protagonist, Parag Dixit. However soon enough, Nawab’s (Manoj Bajpai) voice-over is introduced which now points to a possibility of a second person narrative commentary. The two “voices” only get tangled as the film progresses. Furthermore, to deal with stories of other characters, the film assumes an omniscient narrative voice. Constant shifts like these, done without much care or purpose, confuse the audience and chip away at the flow of the story.

The story bit too has its share of problems. The crime that Parag Dixit is accused of and lands him in Jail is flimsy. Even if the charge of drug-peddling is serious, there are clear evidences that will speak in his favour and one wonders why it takes so long for him to get them out to the court (a stronger case-building ‘worked backwards’ in the narrative would have made this story more believable). Parag’s inability to utter a single word in his defense can be understood in the beginning as mark of confusion at the quick turn of events, but it soon gets irritating to see an educated man, intelligent enough to be doing well in his career, whimpering inarticulate half-words. Essentially, the protagonist story has only two plot points – his getting in the Jail and his getting out – between the two is a middle that is stretched so thin, it’s nearly invisible.

The plot of Jail is unlayered and uncomplicated. In this, Jail is much like other Madhur Bhandarkar films. Whether it’s Corporate or Fashion he keeps the stories and plots simple and relies on exposes to get the audience hooked. Placing fictitious characters who the audience can indemnify with in factual, thorny worlds has worked well in films like Chandni Bar and Page3. Except in Jail, Bhandarkar takes plain documentation far too seriously, so a good part of the film is squandered in introducing stock characters who neither have a role in the story, nor add any layers to it. This exercise seems all the more pointless because there is no originality in the characters – a cricket bookie, a neta, a cheat, a man who murders for his wife’s honour, an underworld bhai who conducts his business from the prison, and a mandatory gay pair – and all of them talk and behave as you would expect them to (from films you have watched earlier). For long periods nothing happens, you just watch the inmates eating, bathing and washing their clothes. Or worse, you see hordes of them amble aimlessly to provide the ‘passing’ crowd to our main characters who do nothing much either.

Unlike Page3 or Fashion, the director avoids getting his hands dirty. Are crowded cells, bad food and washing your own clothes the biggest issues for a regular inmate? Here there are underworld bhais but they mostly leave the people alone and deal with only those who go asking for help. This jail seems more democratic than the world outside and nobody bothers anybody unnecessarily. The inmates are all nice people (except one Joe D’Souza), victims of circumstances who seem to be having a fairly good time playing carom, telling fortunes and reciting bad poetry!

Neil Nitin Mukesh does a fair job. Manoj Bajpai starts well and would have given the audience something to talk about, but the script fails him. Starting as the sane voice in the prison mayhem he turns into some kind of moral police towards the end (a Bhandarkar trademark by now). He appears at Parag’s side, much like a guardian angel, every time Parag is tempted to go against the authorities. For good or worse, Bajpai character ends up like a mouthpiece of the establishment. Mugdha Godse looks attractive and does the needful. The surprise of the pack is Arya Babbar who comes up with a decent performance. The two odd songs in the film are regrettable.

Realist cinema is valued because it chooses relevant themes, shows us the world we live in and is thought-provoking. One cannot use the style without purpose and justify it as realist cinema. Bhandarkar’s Jail is a faded tapestry of characters, location and situations that hang about aimlessly without striking any real conversation among themselves or with us.

Related posts:

1. Jail Movie Review : What a jail bin machhli!
2. Jail
3. PROJEKT iVIEW: An Opinion on Sanjay Dutt’s Sentence

Are you making your One minute Movie for PFCOne 2010?

Padmaja Thakore | Permalink |
© PassionforCinema, 2009.
Post tags: Arya Babbar, Fashion, Madhur Bhandarkar, Manoj Bajpai, Mughda Godse, neil nitin mukesh, Padmaja Thakore, Page3

Forget unstoppable media frenzy with the stories of powerful Presidents and details of the secret behind the physical beauty of the few of the first ladies, APKGK is far more interesting story of a far more interesting President and only woman (apart from his mother) in his life, Jenni, his love interest.
What if he is the President of “Happy Club”? Unlike political Presidents PREM is here to share only happiness with the rest of the world.

In his introducing scene in the film Prem (Ranbir Kapoor) rides a bicycle which has got no brakes and even though he makes an accident with a man but this accident turns out to be a fruitful incident for Prem and same looks true for the acting career of Ranbir Kapoor also. A fully bloomed acting career is under making. Growth of his acting is going to be an unstoppable journey hence forth. A bud has started flourishing into a beautiful flower.

His performance is the biggest USP and achievement of the film. He alone represents more than 50% soul of the film.

His presence in the hindi film Industry is going to bring in a very good competition among actors who are successful stars also. He proves with this film that he also can dance like Hritik Roshan. Rather in one of the songs, “Prem Ki naiyya hai ram ke bharose” (a SEL type song), he has got dance steps shown by Hritik Roshan in films like KMG and Mission Kashmir etc and Ranbir makes the moves of his own. Considering his comfortable singing (lip syncing) and dancing on the screen he is ready to do an Elvis Presley in a musical.

Ranbir has shown full command over comedy also. His timing, facial expressions, body language and dialogue delivery, all the elements have decorated very well his comedy skills.

His comedy does not become loud and does not go entirely into the buffoonery. It comes via his natural expressions.

Kapoor clan has this specialty that most of the male members of the family have almost similar looks (they all look alike once they cross the age of 55 or 60) but every actor hailing from Kapoor clan has been following his own acting style and he does not follow acting style of his predecessors in the family (exception can be found in case of Rajiv Kapoor whose acting style looked similar to the young Shammi Kapoor of the era of 60s).

Can’t remember if Prithvi Raj Kapoor ever did an out and out comedy film in his younger days but Raj kapoor onwards every member of Kapoor clan has given his own type of comedy films. Randhir Kapoor can be said as the one Kapoor who showed more inclination toward comedy than any other genre of filmmaking but even he did not do a film like APKGK. Ranbir Kapoor with APKGK has established his own independent brand among illustrious members of Kapoor clan of actors.

A film is a good film if in spite of knowing what is going to come in a scene as soon as the scene starts, scene brings a full satisfaction to the audience of being a good scene. APKGK has many scenes which we have seen in many old films but still this film presents these scenes as its own. That is the triumph of the director Raj Santoshi.

For example in the scene where Ranbir over hears the conversation of his parents, (where his father is saying that he can not live with Prem and Prem joins the conversation and turns the whole situation on his father) we know since beginning what is going to happen next in the scene but director and his actors have made it a very interesting scene.

New is good but how well it is shown that matters more in a film and if done well then repetitive things also may look appealing.

RS managed the restaurant scene well though it had some similarities with the confrontation scene between Vijay Raaj and his on screen father Anjan Srivastava in Abhishek Bachchan starrer Run. Here it was less dramatic and yet very funny.

APKGK shares some similarities with Kundan Shah’s Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa also but people can find some reservations with Shahrukh’s performance in some scenes there but here in APKGK Ranbir does not leave any room for suggestions that he should have done this scene in this or that manner.

To me at one place only his facial expressions gave an impression (This was during his very first interaction with Katrina where he reacts on her saying the word “Kutta”) that his performnce demanded bit more or bit less from his side.
But in the very next moment he gives a perfect expression when he reacts to her saying the word “Pilla”.

Afterwards he created the situation of “No complaints” with his very good performance and film watching became a smooth journey which generated so many laughs inside the cinema hall. It became a paisa vasool film.

Film has tried to cater the audience of different age group and cartoonish fight scenes creating total anarchy on the screen could be there to lure the kids but even adults were laughing on these fight sequences. Tickets are so costly these days that we have developed a habit to oppose most of the things present in the film but still this film removed those barriers and people seemed to thoroughly enjoy the film.

Ranbir has enjoyed his role. Because of his good performance his character looks a competent character like some characters played by his father in the films of 70s and Amitabh Bachchan’s character in Amar Akbar Anthony.

The way he handles the scene with Salman Khan shows the class of his comedy.

He is good in emotional scenes also. He stammers while passing through emotional stress in the film but his acting does not suffer from any kind of limitation in the film.

Barring few scenes Raj Santoshi has managed well to keep up the comedy factor through out the film. He has used Katrina Kaif‘s presence very well. She remains within the boundaries of her character while majority of characters are displaying comedy everywhere.

Dialogues are funny and attractive. It is possible but still it looked odd that Katrina Kaif says to Ranbir that Upen Patel had gone to Canada and his father also tries to send him again to Canada but U.P. says to Ranbir that he has done MBA from London. If it is not intentional then either Canada or London could have worked in a better manner.

While Raj Santoshi’s another comedy film had many characters like Teja, Crime master Goga etc which became famous in addition to the characters of Aamir Khan and Salman Khan but here in APKGK supporting characters may not get an independent fame.
But in so many other areas APKGK scores over AAA.

Overall it is a nice watch. APKGK connects the present age hindi films to the glorious lineage of romantic comedies of hindi cinema made in the era of 60s.

Related posts:

1. CHAMELI KI SHAADI (1986) – A COMIC LOVE STORY
2. Love Story 2050 – Dud chala dude banne?
3. Ananda Thandavam- A one sided love story not well adapted

Are you making your One minute Movie for PFCOne 2010?

Rk | Permalink |
© PassionforCinema, 2009.
Post tags: aamir khan, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Amar Akbar Anthony, Amitabh Bachchan, andaz apna apna, APKGK, Elvis Presley, Hritik Roshan, Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa, katrina kaif, Koi Mil Gaya, kundan shah, Mission Kashmir, Prithvi Raj Kapoor, Raj Kapoor, Raj Kumar Santoshi, Rajiv Kapoor, Ranbir Kapoor, randhir kapoor, Rishi Kapoor, Salman Khan, Shahrukh Khan, Shammi Kapoor

What I am trying to get at is – “Why do actors contest elections? Or to rephrase is joining politics the only possible way for Bollywood actors to serve the country? What is the need (or dare I say ‘want’) for actors to do so? I have not got the faintest idea and my brain would resign into a dormant mode if, I start pondering upon it. Nevertheless, it produces an inane effect of caustic wit. I am not just saying these things because I have got nothing better to do. Looking at the history of the Bollywood actors when it comes to contesting elections, it would be apt to say that it has majorly been a disaster. Karl Marx sums it up aptly in his famous quote – “history repeats itself, first as a tragedy, second as a farce”.

Recently, Sanjay Dutt riding high on munnabhai idolisation, announced his candidacy from Lucknow, capital of Uttar Pradesh. I do not detest the notion of an actor contesting elections, but the conundrum which pins me down is the moment they start delivering oration to exemplify their cause. Seriously, quit it. Well, Sanjay Dutt was disallowed from running elections in the end.

It’s not the first occasion for an actor to contest election and maintain a self-disciplined tone all the way till the results are out. If the swing is in the favour, a new unexplored journey of verbal attack begins targeting vulnerable individuals. Tersely speaking the coat of social service is worn on the shoulder of an actor, who defies all odds against politicians in a typical bollywood or even the parallel cinema. If the result is unfavourable, which means, our respected actor can always go back to the celluloid, projecting himself as a victim of dirty coated politics.

The actors in bollywood are considered as Demi-Gods and they hold a certain image on screen which they selfishly implement on the masses. As a viewer, I loved watching Amitabh Bachchan’s sturdy image of a good son, doting lover and carrying the burden of nation on his shoulders, to name a few, on the screen. But I was flabbergasted when I found him singing on stage while canvassing for a political party in India. People look up to them as a source of inspiration rather than clowns showing their tomfoolery on a stage in a political rally and begging for votes. And here’s the evidence:

Link 1 (video), Link 2

The jokes and humour about politics is not new and it is enjoyed by people gleefully. But relatively speaking, actors have a choice before venturing out in the political rink. Why don’t they question their moral stand? Can’t they just contemplate a bit and come out clean about politics and fighting elections? Or is it just another feather in their hat.

I would like to quote Govinda as an example, star actor of slap-stick comedies lip-syncing songs genuinely pollution to ears. He contested and won the election but after a while was put on the “Most Wanted List”. Perplexed? I guess I didn’t make myself clear. I could tell you but I would rather let you watch and see it for yourself.

One would have imagined that Mr. Govinda was in a recluse state worrying and finding ways of helping people. If the conscience is true to the heart, all one has to do is to do what you want to do rather than polishing the M.P. name stand in the dark corners.

The list is endless and with voting going on we have yet again witnessed Bollywood lining up for their piece of action on this cul-de-sac. The panoramic view of elections stays on with the actor churning out dialogues on the stage to woo the voters. Do the masses come there to seriously put an ear to the party’s ideology or just to catch a glimpse of their star? Well, the brutal truth is the latter. The politicians are completely soaked in guilt of five years and they resort to actors to find the lost charm with their magnetic touch and the masss’ desire to see the star in flesh, flock to the parade grounds. Does any one care for the poor shabby Democracy in the state of India? The question remains unanswered or is it out in the open and everyone is surreptitiously ignoring it.

We have the keys to the doors, and all we do is sit quietly inside our rooms instead of voicing our opinions. Help me gather support for what is just and remember that nothing is impossible. We need to put an end to this façade. Let us start by voting for the candidate’s political credibility as opposed to Bollywood strength.

Related posts:

1. Feud – Hindi Cine Stars Vs Politicians :: Latest SRK Vs Amar Singh !
2. 3 politicians back in to the films – Wake up Hindi film Industry !
3. Online Critics Society

Are you making your One minute Movie for PFCOne 2010?

| Permalink |
© PassionforCinema, 2009.
Post tags: Actor Politician, Amitabh Bachchan, Congress, Elections, Govinda, Politician, politics, samajwadi party, Sanjay Dutt

10 years of cinema. The first ten of the 21^st century. Another milestone gets added to the pages of history. An impression, a permanent etching of memories of one’s life collaborated with what movie released during a particular bad phase or a good phase or an unforgettable moment of their life in these past ten years. A few years from now, someone will pick up the keyboard, or perhaps a mic to talk into, that a software will translate, into print on a blog to publish the blogger’s memory of his or her life in these ten years and the cinema. Perhaps there will be a new Torture series that people will be reading 10, 15 years from now. Who knows?

For me 80s created a permanent impression. Cause each second of my life was measured by what movie I saw and how I saw it. 90s just flew by before I could even blink and then just when there was a comfort zone settling in, 10 years have flown by post Y2K.

The flight to San Francisco, in early ’99, was to land me in a shit pool of hell for the 18 months, I had no idea, it was the worst phase of my professional career, and yet in all that, those depressing San Francisco foggy evenings, after another day of no interviews, no calls, no projects, no source of livelihood, in that cramped apartment shared with 5 others, I saw Vaastav – stunned by Sanjay Dutt performance, specially the scene about the first peace talks in the restaurant; Kaun – hit me, I thought it did except the amateurish way I thought it moved towards the end; I could not understand what the hell was this Nimbuda Nimbuda;

18 months later things improved, I found Orange County, fell in love with the place, moved to a small coastal town, a surfing community, enrolled in Taekwondo gave up on Goju-Ru, dislocated the shoulder as I ran first base with the bat in my hand, surfing lessons till I scraped off the flesh off my thighs, bought my first Dell, now all I needed was to connect back to Indian movies. Found a site that would put movies online. Saw Jungle, made a note of the name Jaideep Sahni, bought my first car, drove 48 miles to watch Rajkumar Santoshi’s Khaki, my first Indian film in a desi theater in USA, rented my first pirated DVD on the same day of it’s theatrical release in India – took half the day off from work on the pretext of “not feeling well” as I could barely manage to hold myself back from watching the pirated DVD I had in my hands on Friday of Company.

Ten years later, I realize, as I write this, not much has changed in how I remember moments of my life. They are always, mostly, tied to some movie.

So here it is, a collection of 5 movie related items listed in each part of this series, that come from my music collection on my laptop, a DVD in the living room, a movie I constantly go back to, scenes or songs that hit me hard and have stayed with me since, or memories that keep constantly floating back through those cracks in the door closed on the past. Generally the list will cover years from ’99 onwards… so put on your favorite music, open a beer can, light your poison, dim the lights and float into some real good times these last 10 years have given us… after all it wasn’t as bad as you thought… It never is and never shall be!

Number One in this part, starts with one my favorites, Sheryl Crow, singing – Everyday is a winding road, from the soundtrack of Erin Brokovich.

What hooked me?

The lyrics… especially, the first lines of the song. To me it encapsulates our urban city lives… just perfectly… and so true of the people we come across on the internet.

I hitched a ride with a vending machine repair man
He says he’s been down this road more than twice
He was high on intellectualism
I’ve never been there but the brochure looks nice
Jump in, let’s go
Lay back, enjoy the show
Everybody gets high, everybody gets low,
These are the days when anything goes

Trying listening to this, as you drive on Pacific Coast Highway with the ocean on your left, clear blue skies, bright sunshine, and a gentle breeze hitting the deck of your car. Bliss and a complete surrender to the moment… I kid you not.

Sab Ganda Hain, Par Dhanda Hai Yeh from Company

For week’s before Company released, I was practically eating, drinking and sleeping with this song on non stop loop. And blame it on this song that I excused myself from work that day so I could get to watch Company. I haven’t seen any other song in this genre create so much impact on me. I’m surprised the music director simply vanished from the scene, only to be seen recently in a music video. And tragically, this was the last time, for me, that Ram Gopal Varma did something good. The loss is not only Varma’s, but ours as well.

Sanjay Dutt in Vaastav

Everyone has a unique manner of watching a movie, listening to a song or reading a book. For me, being a chronic ADD, just few seconds, a flicker of the eye, or a few words in the dialogue can hit me, bind me and hook me in. I can’t sit through 90 minutes cause of my condition; I need to take frequent 20 – 30 minute breaks if the movie isn’t going anywhere. As per Dibakar’s excellent analysis of our present day moviegoers – I’m the poster boy for the shag a scene style of story telling. Yet, for me, those tiny played out fraction of a second – moments are enough to hook me in.

The scene that made me pause the video as we were watching Vaastav, unfolds in 3 seconds. Sanjay Dutt’s body language and facial expressions in those 3 – 5 seconds. It was magic. He had got the arithmetic fantastically right. A few years later he would hit it hard again with Munnabhai. But this fraction of a scene (and the climax) turned him, in my books, from a okey dokey actor to Oh Boy he was amazing!

Keep an eye of Sanjay Dutt’s facial expressions from 9:03 onwards. For the first time he was not acting. He so transparently displays his vulnerability…

And from 0:03 onwards, the moment he folds his hands nervously to acknowledge the two guys in front of him as he sits… BANG… that did it for me… Sanjay Dutt had finally turned into an amazing actor (of course besides his lovely performances in Naam and a couple others)

Vaastav is never complete without the amazing heart ripping climax… I was like, is this really Sanjay Dutt? Yes it was!

Dido – Resting here with me from Love Actually

Recently in an interview to Time Out Mumbai, I was asked to name one movie I have in my DVD collection, that’s sort of an embarrassing guilty pleasure.

It wasn’t hard to answer. Love Actually is my favorite and it has left a few jaws open of some visitors at PFC HQ as they see it resting in my DVD collection.

But what makes Love Actually absolutely delightful is the background song tracks of Dido.

There is one scene which leaves me teary eyed each time I watch it. Superbly executed by the actor on screen (Andrew Lincoln), this is a scene where Kiera Knightley realizes that her husband’s best friend (Lincoln) was secretly in love with her.

Watch the scene from 0:05 to about 0:50, unfortunately another 10 seconds of the actual footage is not in this video (a fan boy edit), but it has Lincoln finally breaking down and screaming out at the pain he’s feeling in that foggy London day. Mind-blowing execution.

That 30 – 40 seconds where the camera just follows Lincoln on the streets wrapped in cold winter fog, as Dido’s song reaches a pitch – right at the stroke of Lincoln’s screaming, is potent enough to stab any heart that has experienced pain and depression in love.

My first movie Review

It was just meant to be. I had already started writing standup acts on my blog and cinema was sooner or later bound to be poured in that mix. And that’s what I emailed Magik recently. How I blogged, when I used to. The focus was always a standup comic act. Could I be at the Improv and play this blog out in front of an eating drinking wild audience… and the words would thence flow, the thoughts would now follow a path that had a goal. It was never about trashing or abusing movies, but squeezing the comedy out of watching a bad movie. My standup comic influences remain Lewis Black and Robert Schimmel, both of whom I got to meet and watch their shows in person, many times this decade (another plus to these 10 years). At times you will see a touching influence in later reviews of the late Iqbal Masud and Khalid Mohamed both who’s reviews I religiously read each Sunday while growing up in the seventies and eighties.

Many friends and readers ask me why I’d stopped writing. Cause as the years went by it looked like every blogger had turned into a movie reviewer. Whatever I had to say would be said by a dozen other bloggers and writers. There was nothing new I had to add.

And looking back some of the blogs I wrote look so amateurish to me today. Damn! Did I really write that!

And then there is life, I still haven’t learnt to crack a joke in rough seas… someday perhaps I’ll learn that art and it would be a good time to start the engines again.

Here’s my first review I ever wrote… and then it just snowballed into bigger and bigger things… today we have had to create two separate sections for Reviews on PFC… boy O boy!!! What a decade this has been!

January 31, 2005

Ab Tumhare Hawale “D A N D A” Saathiyon

I swear I’m completely normal, sane and in a chirpy, jovial mood discussing current events with my roommates over the dining table. I finish the brunch, and move to the living room to watch Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyon (ATHWS), directed by Anil Sharma.

Saturday, 2:30pm:
I knock on my first roommate’s door, and ask him to come to the living room. I then knock on my second roommate’s door and ask him to come down to the living room. With both of them in the room, I give each of them my tennis racquets. I kneel down and put my head on the floor. I then ask them to whack my head with the racquets till I cry out and agree that there is not a single drop of hope in my body, hope that Bollywood will give me a good movie, at least one in a year.

My roommates refused to do that… they thought this was a cunning ploy on my part to kick them out of my house where they have not paid me rent for the last… I have lost count of the months… In fact another month like this and I’m ready to scratch the word rent out of my dictionary. I already have moments where I have to think real hard to understand what rent really means.

After my roommates’ refusal, I sat down and thought. I thought hard. In fact I thought very very hard. And I still am, while writing this blog, thinking whether Mr. Sharma thinks we are human beings who have FUCKING MELTED BRAINS IN THEIR FUCKING SKULL. WE WERE SITTING THERE CRYING OUT “GIVE US A FUCKING MOVIE WHICH WILL TELL US HOW FUCKING STUPID WE ARE” …and Mr. Sharma listened to our prayers, and did give us one.

What’s the story?…aaa my dear blog reader. Please don’t make this mistake again of asking someone this question: What’s the story of ATHWS?

Please don’t ask, if you care for your head not being smashed over and over by the person you asked the question to. But due to the protective barriers of the Internet, I will tell you the answer while I smash my computer monitor with the racquet. Hopefully I would have told you the complete story before my computer monitor starts looking like a 12th century piece of shitty art.

…bear with me for second …another second …another second please …I …the story …WHAT THE FUCK, THE STORY IS SO SCREWED UP, I DON’T KNOW WHERE TO FUCKING START.  Ok… Amitabh’s son Bobby Deol is killed in war. Amitabh raises his grandson Bobby (again) along with Nagma, Amitabh’s daughter-in-law. So she is Bobby’s mother. No no not the Bobby I mentioned earlier, but the later one. She is Bobby’s wife and the uhhh Bobby’s mother uhh HELL WHO THE FUCK IS SHE? BOBBYS MOTHER? BOBBYS WIFE? WHAT?

…calm down.

She’s the wife of Bobby Amitabh’s son who is killed in war. She has Bobby (again) as her son. This new Bobby is Amitabh’s grandson. Now Bobby is in the army cause he wants to make grandpa and momma happy, but really he wants to fly to America and start his own business. Really? True. Bobby is one of those people who does every thing in the book and outside the book to enter America legally, look for work, look for nice place to stay and end up staying WITH ME AND FUCKING PAY ME NO RENT FOR YEARS. I’M PISSED I NEED MY RENT!!!

And someone please explain to me on why does Nagma look more as Bobby’s younger sister or daughter INSTEAD OF HIS MOTHER. WHAT DOES SHARMA THINK – THAT NOT ONLY HAVE OUR BRAINS MELTED BUT ALSO WE HAVE TURNED FUCKING BLIND????

Calm down…

Moving on, Bobby falls in love with girl. Girl was married to Akshay Kumar who had to attend the call of duty on his suhaag raat. He gets captured by the enemy and the girl thinks he is dead. Just when things are heating up between our dear old Bobby and Girl, Akshay comes back, having escaped from enemy. Bobby’s heart breaks. Some funky stuff and more freaky stuff happen and we reach the climax (of the movie NOT the suhaag raat) and good wins and bad loses.

I have always loved shero shayari and was a regular at Kavi Sammelans (Poets gatherings). But I would never in my living life start reciting poetry when MY FUCKING ASS IS GETTING KICKED BY THE ENEMY. Watching Akshay break into singing poetry when the enemy is torturing him wants me to rush and do two things. Give him a Superman’s cap and paint a big S on his shirt. Yes. He is superman. He doesn’t feel pain; he doesn’t feel the iron rods hitting his body. The enemy is always intelligent enough not to beat him on his face, because they would then have to report to human rights groups who would demand an explanation for beating an enemy on the face. MY FOOT!!!!

More than half of the movie was watched in fast forward note. What would happen if there were no fast forward science, no fast forward buttons? What would happen? What happened to those who watched this movie in the theaters? Maybe the viewers in theaters jump on their seats or run around in the hall, aping the fast forward action.

But I want to know is this: Did Sharma and his crew read the script or story they created before actually moving on to make it. And since they did make and release this movie I can only imagine they raising their glasses all excited on what an exciting story they had in their hands. Well here’s my quandary. Since Sharma and his team already think we are brainless morons, why even bother to make the movie. All they have to do, is go door to door, and tell this: We created an exciting story last night over scotch and beer. We are very excited reading this story; hence we demand money for being excited. Take the money from each home and that’s the end.

They then move on to creating a new story and get excited and take money from each house they knock on. At least that would save MY FUCKING BRAINS FROM GETTING FRIED WHILE WATCHING THE FUCKING STORY AND THINKING I AM A FUCKING IDIOT FOR WATCHING THIS MOVIE FROM START TO END!!!

Minus Z Grade. Avoid at all costs.

Related posts:

1. Satya- A Decade Later
2. Best directorial debut of the decade
3. “The Feel-Good Fillum Of The Decade”

Are you making your One minute Movie for PFCOne 2010?

oz | Permalink |
© PassionforCinema, 2009.
Post tags: Ab Tumhare Hawale Watan Saathiyo, Audio, Company, Dhanda Hai, Everyday is a winding road, Love Actually, Memories, Music, Resting Here With Me, Sanjay Dutt, Sheryl Crow, Vaastav, Video, Y2K The Decade That Was : Series

Ajab Prem ki Ghazab Kahani

Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Salman Khan (for a minute!)

Director: Raj Kumar Santoshi

Rating: Two and a half stars

The kid’s brilliant. So watch it Hrithik Roshan, Shahid Kapoor and all the big and small Khans. At the rate he’s going – by sheer evidence of his screen charisma, technical felicity and youth power – Ranbir Kapoor is more than likely to be the Next Best Thing, if he isn’t one already. He’s RK Jr and he’s more than super A-Ok.

One BIG movie that can accommodate his talent, and he’ll be unstoppable. Alas, Raj Kumar Santoshi’s Ajab Prem ki Ghazab Kahani (tongue-twister of a title that) is not that Biggie. Yet the actor does make the old-wine-in-newish-bottle watchable and remarkable for it wow moments –  like RK Jr’s soliloquy in church and that scene of self-reflection on losing out on love, picturised against a hillscape in the declining evening. Applause please.

There is a bubbling chemistry, too, between goofball Prem (Ranbir Kapoor) and the Cinderella-like Jenny (Katrina Kaif). It’s heartening to see them together, never mind that corny in-joke about her fan mania for Salman Khan, who by the way, pops up in an uncredited guest appearance. Indeed, that’s the problem with director and co-writer Santoshi: he lays on the romcom much too thick like an entire tub of butter expended on a single muffin. Too much huffin’ and puffin’, including Santoshi fetching up in a Hitchcokian appearance to shrug grandpa-like at the lead pair. Cute? Just a little.

In fact in sum, Ajab..Ghazab is just that. Quite zany and ticklish occasionally but far too pancake-flat for most of the way. No Andaz Apna Apna this, which incidentally, is recalled very quietly in the background score. Or was it sound engineer Rakesh Ranjan fiddling around with the AAA soundtrack cleverly?

Aah, Santoshi was far more peppy and punchy then. This time around, there is an element of the woodenly retro, what with Prem and his pals running a ‘happy club’, besides dashing off for skirmishes with  eunuchs (two even tumble and kiss!) and bellicose police officers. Balloons fly, a nasty stepma hisses, the only Nasir Husain touch that’s missing is the good old, late Rajindernath in a woman’s frilly nightie. Oh oh, no that’s there,too. Only Prem opts for the heroine’s pink sleeveless top instead. How gulabi is that!

Technically Santoshi frequently opts for a gaudy look, even outmoded back-projection shots and Steven Bernard’s awkward editing with antiquated wipes when a jump-cut could have made the pace snappier. Moreover, characters keep multiplying like rats as if Santoshi believes that entertainment means the more the madder. It doesn’t. He just has to re-see the classics of Charlie Chaplin or the breezy romances of Shammi Kapoor  – both of whom are invoked here – to understand that less can be more in the movies. For instance, a nutzoid don and his henchguys in black become irritating as hell, particularly in the climax which makes the Priyadarshan finales seem far less anarchical by comparison.

The plot, if one can call it that, is simply this: hazy lazy Prem-sees-girl-falls-in-love-but-doesn’t-tell-her-so-till-she-drags-out Upen Patel (!) from semi-retirement. Patel’s a politician’s son, gifts Jenny a diamond necklace and irrevocably behaves like a sun-tanned Big Moose. Before this, Jenny has also been saved from a wedding to a beefy bozo rekindling Zabisko from Amar Akbar Anthony. In effect, it takes two weddings and no-funeral for true love to go chirpy-chirpy-cheep-cheep.

Throughout the gags could have been infinitely more inventive. Stillsitting on cream cakes, knocking on wooden heads and personality mix-ups are always good for a few guffaws and giggles. Pritam’s music score in serviceable, not quite in the class of  his Dhoom and Jab We Met, which you hope will not turn out to be the Sholays of his career. Nothing vaguely comparable after those.

Of the lead players,  Katrina Kaif’s looks bankably gorgeous (but pray, she should take care of those worry lines already creasing her forehead), and does reveal an incipient flair for comedy. Without Ranbir Kapoor, of course, this one would have been a mere ajab movie. He brings the much-needed underlining of ghazab to it. Sid has woken up and how.Way to shine!

Related posts:

1. Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani
2. Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani – Trailer
3. Ajab Sanju Ki Gajab Kahani

Are you making your One minute Movie for PFCOne 2010?

Khalid Mohamed | Permalink |
© PassionforCinema, 2009.
Post tags: Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani, Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani Movie Review, katrina kaif, Movie Review, rajkumar santoshi, Ranbir Kapoor

Chetan Anand showed a brave attempt by making Aakhri Khat . He tried to set different boundaries with this film.

He had a 15 months old toddler as the lead actor in his film and elder actors had supporting roles in a story revolving around the kid.

Aakhri Khat reveals that cinema can be so powerful that it may force an audience to wriggle to enter the screen to influence the events happening on the screen. After all it is a matter of 15 months old child. He passes through a lot of troubles and one wants to save him from those troubles. He is left on the busy streets of Bombay where a self indulgent world is operating in its own way.

A 15 months old toddler is wandering here and there on the streets of Bombay. He can barely speak two words “Mamma” and his own name “Buntu”. Hungry Bantu needs something to eat. Children are eating food at their homes. A couple is quarreling and husband takes bottle, having sleeping pills, from his wife and throws it out of window. Bottle falls near where Bantu is standing on the road. Pills come out of the broken bottle. Poor kid picks up one pill and keeps it in his mouth. What an audience would feel and do in such conditions? These are the moments when impression that he is merely watching a film is lost and he wants to stop the kid. Kid picks up another pill and eats it.

Next, this kid is walking on the railway tracks!

Mothers, soft and weak hearted and quite sensitive people should be advised before hand to watch this film with a definite pre-conceived notion that they have to constantly remind themselves throughout the film that it is just a film otherwise film is so powerful that heart of the audience can be affected. Little boy and his predicaments have been shown in such an effective manner that it is impossible not to be carried away with the flow of the film.

Many a times father is searching for his son and boy is searching for his mother in the same locality but they don’t cross each other’s path. This is a film where an audience knows that it is all happening in a film but film becomes so realistic that he prays that Rajesh Khanna should see the child.

Kid is thirsty and tries to open the tap but his hands don’t react at that height. He is unable to quench his thirst. He is dependent on others to feed him and such a helpless kid is searching for his lost mother in Bombay.

Film provokes contradictory feelings in the audience and it happens at same time. Any given time a 15 months old kid is suffering on the streets of Bombay and audience’s heart is wriggling to save the kid from all the sufferings but since the kid can not take impact of this suffering and he is reacting as per his natural instincts so audience can not stop himself from falling for the charming traits and actions of the kid. Kid continuously goes on stealing the heart of the audience with his sweet and charming gestures.

It looks impossible to take out a pre-decided work from a 15-18 months old toddler. In most of the scenes Chetan Anand and his cinematographer Jaal Mistry, captured kid’s natural movements with the help of a hand held camera. Director managed to generate and accelerate the movements of the kid and he wandered here and there on the locations and Director and his camera team followed him. Task was extremely difficult because this footage was to be used in such a way so that it could have assimilated with the flow of the film. Continuity can not be maintained in such a case. Somehow Chetan Anand handled this difficult task and presented a unique performance by the toddler actor Master Bunty Behl.

This is a remarkable thing that Chetan Anand had done this experiment 43 years ago in 1966. A similar experiment was later done by Iranian Filmmaker Jafar Panahi in his 1997 film Ayenah (The Mirror) but he had got a girl who was atleast 5-6 years old.

Aakhri khat was sent to Oscar awards in 1967 as India’s official entry.

A child’s presence changes the whole atmosphere of the home. Everybody in the home becomes a caretaker of that child. Child becomes the most important person in the home. He becomes the master of that space. Other’s schedules are changed according to child’s schedule. Child should not suffer from anything, becomes the most essential task of everybody living in the family.

Children get protection at home. Chetan Anand showed the opposite world and this depiction comes to the audience in a heart wrenching manner. Such a sweet child is wandering on the dangerous roads in the chaotic world of Bombay and visual depiction of this struggle of the kid creates more than enough friction in the mind of an audience. Kid has not got any kind of shelter. He has nothing to eat. At same time to produce the comparison Chetan Anand shows other children enjoying a protected life inside their houses where their parents are feeding them or playing with them.

Characterization aspect is good in Aakhri khat . Rajesh Khanna is quite vulnerable. One passes through both kinds of emotions seeing his character. One feels angry on him and one feels sympathy on his helpless conditionsChetan Anandvery well anticipated this kind of reactions towards Rajesh Khanna’s character and Inspector says,”Is aadmi par gussa bhee aata hai aur is par taras bhee aata hai.”

Nothing heroic is present in the film. Rajesh Khanna, father of the kid, has never seen the kid. He knows that his wife and kid are in Bombay. He gets to know that his wife has been died and now his little kid is lost somewhere on the roads of Bombay. He does not even own the photo of the kid. He did not even have photo of his wife and that is why before he and police could find her she dies. A difficult task is there before him and police. They have to search for a child whose photo is not available with them.

Chetan Anand had this special talent to make a perfect kind of blend of realistic approach and romanticism.

Father and police force both are failed in searching the kid and he himself reaches to the home of his father where he identifies the statue of his mother.

His clinging to the statue of his mother represents the sculpture “Mother and Child” of Henry Moore .

Rajesh Khanna’s moving performance in this climax scene in his debut film (released) clearly shows why he became such a rage in the late 60s and early 70s.

He is crying and still enjoying the actions of the little kid and same happens with the audience throughout the film.

Film makes a person more sensitive toward the little children.

Cinematography and sound, two technical departments have shown the excellent performances in the film.

This is Chetan Anand’s remarkable cinematic attempt.

Aakhri khat is one among those films which have brought laurels and a sense of pride to the hindi cinema.

Related posts:

1. Anand Aur Anand : Raju “Guide” to preach at Cannes
2. Goodbye Chetan Datar
3. Heer Raanjha (1970) – Unique film in Verse !

Are you making your One minute Movie for PFCOne 2010?

Rk | Permalink |
© PassionforCinema, 2009.
Post tags: Aakhri Khat, Ayenah, Chetan Anand, Henry Moore, Indrani Mukherjee, Jaal Mistry, jafar panahi, khayyam, Master Bunty Behl, Mother and Child, Oscar awards, Rajesh Khanna, The Mirror