The
title of my piece clearly reflects the analysis that the cinephile in me is
doing.
The
instigator to this thought process is my viewing of the film PK.
The
newspaper reports are either taking of the controversies or the box office
collections but after watching the film, my first response was
‘The
effervescence of a directorial debut’
For
those of you who are still wondering why I say this is because I hold Rajkumar
Hirani in high esteem as a director. Before I say further, I must remind you
with the fact that Rajkumar
Hirani's first directorial venture was Munnabhai
Mbbs (2003), which
is considered a cult classic.
The approach to a journey of a Mawali faking being a doctor and the peripheries
of everything else so cleverly chalked out. I was floored by the construction
and implementation of the thought.
PK
did not create any of
that feeling in me. The combination of a meticulous director and a
perfectionist actor and the result that ensued lacked the innocence of that
first time director to take all of us on a journey which can be absurd but can
still create ripples in your soul.
Since I am talking about that sparkle in
a first ever effort of cinematic storytelling, the names which immediately
strike me are Vishal Bhardwaj .
His first
directorial debut was children's film Makdee, which was critically acclaimed.
Another example
could be Vikramaditya Motwane who released his debut feature film, titled Udaan (2010). The film was not immediately
successful at the box office when released, but is regarded as a cult film.
I
wonder how the craft of filmmaking affects a person who cracks the formula in
the very first go. Does it wither away with time in some people or does it need
a re-polish every few years. If one thinks from the point of view of these
celebrated directors, maybe honest critics start dwindling away in their
circuit as they rise up the ladder …almost like the Emperors new clothes story.
But how can me a mere mortal know !
I
can only comment humbly on the final product as a consumer!
PK also brought in my mind
comparisons in how the subject was treated in the film Oh my God , which to me has been one of the most uncelebrated works
in the recent years. The film subtly ruptures the entire fabric of religious
fanaticism and the lack of vision in the legal system. And most importantly no
inclusion of the favorite emotion that Indian directors play with ‘love’ no
matter what genre they indulge in. Kudos to Umesh Shukla who directed the Indian drama film Oh My God.
I still am on
the effervescence and shall wait for my thought to explode when I see another
screening of a acclaimed director …till then,
let me sip my adrak chai!
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