Top ten things to watch out for in 2015

Top ten things to watch out for

As the New Year approaches, one sees a lot an analysis of the past year with a desire to understand an year gone by….

So I thought let me take the lens and flip it 180 degrees to understand what are the top ten things that one should watch out for in 2015!

But Before I begin its important to start with a

Disclaimer :

The list is very subjective and completely my take . Any resemblance to another humans thought is purely coincidental!

Warning : Being pessimistic is bad for health, it is important to read the following write with utmost hope because I haven’t written it with 100% hope alone. Too utopian. Create the hope yourself, be the change.

So let begin the countdown

10. whats next in Bollywood women?

    all weekend newspapers, magazines are talking about how the Bollywood heroine has emerged form the shadows ….if interpreted correctly , how they no longer run around trees, be the hero’s arm candy but now actually play the lead in their own right !. I have been studying this phenomenon since 2010…so I think the thing to look out for in 2015 is what will be the next metamorphosis . Hoping with all my might that it shouldn’t be they displaying the man as arm candy. Though it sound equivalent and empowering, it definitely isn’t

9. how much of water will be left and rivers?

everyday I cross ad river turning first into a dwindling stream but now resembling a pond . My heart sinks. In yesteryears it was called the Yamuna, I can’t all it that today . What a cost to pay for development. Rivers are the source of life, the mothers, gods of human survival on the planet. Hoping that I see my river come back in stream.

8. will India rise above religion

I thought I voted for good governance, my vote had no web or real connectivity with my religion. Can this country I belong to, educate the world on a true democratic functioning. Will the India that could shine but is right now trying to fall at the feet of a God imagination of myopic individuals rise above all.

7. what will be the next fear or psychosis

first it was public functions, then markets then disowned toys, railway trains, airplanes…..now it is school. Of all the places in the world, the attack on helpless young school kids. it may have happened thousands of miles away, but every parent now will live with the dormant feeling of fear when kids go to school .

what more can even happen !

6. will football take over a nation of 125 crore

now for the hopeful. Cricket ahs the new competitor. At last, do I need to say more. Hoping though that football cant be fixed. 

5.  will we see cleaner India

Swach Bharat brought the real hope in our hearts, The daily questioning of why our surrounding suddenly look like heaps of waste strewn everywhere did reach the corridors in Luytens clean corridors. Lets see how much can we clean.

4.  will Arnab’s news still be entertaining and Kapil laughriot be the same

The potential Arnabs and potential Kapils are all gearing up. All imitation has failed. Will they retain their lead?

3. will the robot finally make a debut  at our doorstep

How can a countdown exist without Human being next best friend or only friend today- the lovely GADGET! Any kind any shape any colour…it is so impressive you forget to even raise your neck to see other fellow beings. So will 2015 bring the robot to our house programmed to talk only what we want to hear.

2 will southeast asia finally emerge as the dragon that’s woken up?

They are all looking at the East. Will the region fiannly rise from that slumber or it’s just a numbers game. Wondering…

1.    will we find that new habitable planet !! with friendly aliens

Finally , now that we are hellbent on ruining our dearest habitable planet and have already started conditioning ourselves to movings elsewhere. First destination being Mars , I wonder if 2015 will bring more news on the other options….possibly with company …..LETS keep those fingers crossed!

In any case , have a great year ahead and no harm preparing your own list of top ten wishes.

THE EFFERVESCENCE OF A DIRECTORIAL DEBUT

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!

A THOUSAND WEEKS AND A HUNDRED REFERENCES

Cinema they say is a reflection of society but more than that, I think cinema becomes memorable and reflection itself when it leaves references for everyday life for not just some but an entire generation. In clinical terms (pun intended) we can call it the collective memory syndrome.

To help assist my readers I must explain the dictionary or literal meaning of that term. Collective memory refers to the shared pool of information held in the memories of two or more members of a group.  Every time someone says ‘ kitne addmi the’ the average mind jumps to the same interpretation and response that is if they are part of the specific group that share that collective memory.

To my through delight, a film that created a common pool of references in my youth about love, commitment, nationhood as well a European escapade was DDLJ. (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge ..Precisely for readers beyond the group! Because everyone else will know what I mean!)

As DDLJ celebrates its 1000 weeks in the main corridors of Mumbai, I think of the many occasions when filmmakers tested my referencing of the many moments of DDLJ which have become a part of collective memory for the average Bollywood spectator.

The first visuals that come back to you are that of the train, the extending of the hand and the girl running towards it. I immediately come back to Chennai express and even Yeh Jawaani Hai Diwani when Bunny and Naina interact.

Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge released in 1995 and definition of love was never the same again to a generation of young urban Indians. From serene picturesque locales to a tale of epic romance, DDLJ narrated a fantasy that many Indian if had not experienced would be glad to ride through. Raj and Simran became cult characters and so did their iconic romance.

Soon after, people started to dream of having their own Raj(s) and Simran(s) in their life.  Reference Bachna e haseeno where Ranbir gets a share of RAJ’s fame by recreating the entire sequence for his on screen interest Mahi.

It is fascinating how audiences still connect to those images of DDLJ and extremely depressing when filmmakers bank of the collective memory in a non-creative kind of way.

A classic case is the film Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania released in 2014 that not only shares similar title but also rehashes the entire premise of DDLJ. This film is a classic example of what a director should not attempt to do: bank all creativity to the imagination of the viewer alone and abdicate the responsibility to create probably another reference for epic romance in a different setting.

By the end of the film, one is left wondering on why one has gone through a surreal nauseating journey of DDLJ lest one loses the utopian touch of romance.

In any case DDLJ will remain one of the most talked about film for a long time. The celebrations are well deserved and one wonders what is the equivalent of the film for youngsters today..the so called GEN Y with all the gadgetry and machines which surround and influence their communication.

Wonder if they ever feel like saying ‘PALAT’! and Only my peers would know the subtext when I say “ jaa simran , jee le apni jindagi”!

1000 weeks and about two decades later, the film is still fresh in the collective memory of the genuine Bollywood audience. 

(you can also view this write up on LOKMARG.IN )

The irony of empowered women imagery in Hindi Cinema

Yesterday, I randomly happened to tune in to a show called PRIME GUPSHUP on a much reputed TV channel. The show is about talking to Film Directors in a informal style by a senior journalist.

The guest in this particular episode was the frank and vocal Farah Khan. I always move into contemplation when I hear a female director’s interview. Sometimes the content can be so casual and yet so reflective of cinema practices in India.

In Farah’s case, there were two bits I am still thinking about. One she said she never faced a gender bias in her work. The reason she quoted was that if you knew your job, the others just follow the gender doesn’t matter.

She is correct on some counts that in Mumbai or the erstwhile Bombay film industry, knowledge about your craft is the power you exercise and colleagues respect homework and skill on your craft. In terms of the acceptance of a female director, I am not so sure because if it was so easy, one would have ended up seeing many more female directors in yesteryears than today. We must not forget that a lot of them either are from film families or Married to film families……so That’s Debate No 1 as ARNAB puts it

The second remark was more volcanic. She commented on her representation of women and how in her films the actress is not just an actress waiting for a hero but also doping her job. In this specific case she mentioned MAIN HOON NA and Sushmita as a Teacher.

This is what got me really thoughtful. I was wondering which subject was Sushmita in charge of because I didn’t hear her speaking anything which displayed her teaching skills. I did though see her curves et all even within the drape. I was also thinking on Kiron Khers profession or was she only NASEERS wife. And the lovely AMRITA , I never heard of any mention of her subjects , her academic interests or her results.

The particular film being mentioned had all shades of the patriarchal view on women though with a revised modernistic approach. It is a pure rehash of the old norm of glamour girls and oomph

something that as a female cinema academician , I sincerely mind from the bottom of my gut.

Then why is her reference point so skewed. Is that because nobody will bell eh cat. Or is it that she genuinely believes this is what empowerment is, having greta bodies and enticing students in class. How was Sushmita used both as an actress and as that character in the case that the hero was set to achieve….i thought she was only arm candy …and that too ina  female directors film.

Compare it to an ENGLISH VINGLISH BY Gauri Shinde Or A Zindgai Na Milegei Dobaara of a ZOYA Akhtar, one would clearly get different results.

Anyways, I am still thinking and I am still not a ‘SOMEONE’ who will be interviewed on that show at least for some years….so I shall leave you with Debate No 2 . Are there enough women in Cinema who reflect skill on their own profession…think about it !

                                                                                                                                          

Interstellar , the enigma of Space and time

On this week end I decided to see Interstellar but the decision a unique because I also decided to take my 12 year old boy and 7 year old girl to the Cinema hall.

I had heard raving reviews from students I teach and believing on my own prowess at convincing students on the distinction between good cinema and money making cinema, I trusted their opinion.

Now the target was not only to watch the film but to also assess my skills at teaching cinema and to get an assessment on how I have taught my own kids the right cinema habits. So with a very curious mind and a thumping heart, I bought the tickets.

First things first, none can challenge Christopher Nolan’s understanding of creating magic with space and time. I don’t mean the space in screen but right now the space as the ingredient to cinema. I was at peace with the pace that the film established the relationship that was being built between me and the storyteller. It was as rotten Tomatoes has Quoted “ represents more of the thrilling , thought provoking and visually resplendent filmmaking movie goers have come to expect from Nolan”

The constant engagement with the visual storytelling and the metamorphosis of a father daughter relationship at a not so ‘current pace’ was a nuance that I admired. In real times, I don’t think father – daughter duos get that kind of time anymore…at least none that I have met.

The premise of looking for a new planet to inhabit might be the fetish of the developed world but its cinematic implementation was impeccable.

On one hand as a cinema lover, I was admiring the pace and the narrative building scene to scene on the other I was wondering what awaits me at the end of the film. Will my kids sleep, are they going to whine, is it going to be a verbal duel after the film on why they were dragged to the theater.

Well full marks to Nolan then, cause when it finished, I looked at my son and popped the question. Guess what the answer was!

 “ SUPERB” .

I felt vindicated. Good cinema and a gifted Director can entice audiences. 

And from then on, the little one wants a change in her bedtime story…currently its INTERSTELLAR in Hindi.

I plan to see the film again, this time alone and with greater intent.

Just announcing my resolution to post every week anything about cinema :)

An interesting read on a Sunday morning

For my blog today , I only wish to identify a newspaper article  which by itself explains most of the negative impact of the growing 'Technology UPrising' in our environs.

Though I am neither a scientist nor a sociologist , I enjoyed reading every line of the article.  Having met certain strange people who value the machine more than the human, I was thoroughly amused at my own prudence in the matter on front page and that too in such a quick witted manner.

It is food for the 'dumb' mind :)

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/relationships/man-woman/They-are-making-you-dumber/articleshow/17349244.cms