On Regional Cinema

Today I will take a break from my normal activity on this blog and hence today's blog will not be about a movie, a song or an album that's close to my heart or one that makes me go "wow."

Today, I wish to speak about the term, "Indian Cinema" and understand it's connotations.... Is Indian Cinema only Hindi Cinema? What about the other equally brilliant films that are made in India - what about Cinema that's made in other parts of the country and which is equally brilliant, if not more brilliant than Hindi Cinema? Malayalam Cinema, Bengali Cinema, Marathi Cinema, Tamil Cinema, Telugu Cinema, Kannada Cinema and many others have also made some brilliant, movies that have lent a new dimension to the overall expression of cinematic art and thus enriched this medium.

Who can forget Parashakti - the oppressed and anguished voice of a common man against a stagnant and cruel society? Sivaji Ganeshan not only walked his way to stardom with his brilliant performance but also ensured that the power of his performance would be always respected across the nation and beyond..... Again, Parashakti was no flash in the pan - watch the great performer in Karnan or any of his other movies and you will feel in your heart what you have missed, if oyu have not watched these movies!

Imagine, what would be the power of our cinema had the two great thespians - Dilip Kumar and Sivaji Ganeshan matched each other across the spectrum in one epic movie! I can vouch that it would have been something to watch for.... why do I feel so? Because I have seen Sivaji Ganeshan performing in Navrathri and Sanjeev Kumar essaying the same role in Naya Din Nayee Raat .... Similarly, who can forget MGR in Yenga Vitthoo Pillay and Dilip Kumar in the remake - Ram Aur Shyam?

And why should we stop at these two stalwarts? Gemini Ganesh (although known to many a Hindi old timers for his wonderful performances in Hindi movies like Miss Mary and Nazrana) is also a stalwart in his right... and then who can forget Kamal Hasan and Rajnikanth, easily the greatest superstars ever in the history of Hindi Cinema.... And what about the movies by the great K Balachandran... and what the music by maestoes like A R Rehman, G. Vishwanathan and Illiayaraja? Can these be forgotten or dismissed, even if they did not perform in Hindi Cinema?

Malayalam Cinema is again a veritable treasure trove of gems.... Right from the legendary Sathyan in Chemmeen to Mohanlal in "Vanaprastham", movies in this beautiful and soft language have always been different from all other movies, made anywhere else in India - just like Kerala has always been a little different from the rest of the country.... If you want a simple movie, which is built up on the edifice of a strong script, imaginative direction and intense performances, nothing can beat Malayalam Cinema.... There are so many brilliant movies in Malayalam, so much that it would be a travesty of justice for me to even dare and pick up a few..... but I do recommend "Manucharithazhu", "Piraavi" and "Kireedam" to beginners in Malayalam Cinema .... Nothing can beat a Malayalam movie for it's script and simple storyline

Bengali Cinema is another major strand in the composite fabric of Indian Cinema... Right from the days of Satyajit Ray, Bengali Cinema has been a strong player in the national and international arena; but if you ask me, what makes me rever the films of beautiful and artistic Bengal is the work of great, unsung directors like Tapan Sinha, Nitin Bose and the great master - Rithwik Ghatak.... Do not forget the greatest movie ever made in Bengali "Meghe Dhake Taara" for an understanding of how reel and real life cinema can be juxtaposed in one simple session of story-telling

How can I then not speak about Marathi Cinema.... the first ever National Award for the best film was not to a Hindi / Malayalam / Bengali movie but to a Marathi movie - "Shyamchi Aai".... the rise of Bombay as the home of Hindi movies put a spanner in the quest of Marathi to develop as a strong regional power but Marathi Cinema never melted away, there was always a "Saamna" or a "Pinjra" that would make one proud of Marathi Cinema and there have been quite a few strong movies recently, some of them more than brilliant.... "Shwaas" would be a brilliant example.

I doff my hat in respect of all these centres of excellence that have made Indian movie the force that it is... and it would be a gross lie if one were to say that Hindi movie was a stand-alone....But at the same time I am averse to criticism that states that Hindi Cinema is nothing but a copying machine - one that copies great cinema from across the world and takes credit of things that are not it's own by merit....

What can be further from the truth.... Granted, Hindi Cinema has seen many a remakes and other such odd ones but had Hindi Cinema not been meritorious, had it's span not crossed equally the Himalayas and the Vindhyas, would it have been able to stand for so long at the top? Would it have seen as many migrations from all centres, had it not been so accomodating and so powerful, had it not had a reach that transcended all others?

I do not wish to say that success in Hindi Cinema was what they wanted but it's true that the reach of Hindi Cinema is much more enriching an experience than being only known for their prowess in their own regional backyard.

One interesting tidbit before I end... Bombay, being the capital of Maharashtra should have been the centre for Marathi films, like Chennai for Tamil, Calcutta for Bengali and Hyderabad for Telugu but surprisingly it became the centre for Hindi films and by a strange coincidence, for Indian films for the vast majority of people.... why did Delhi or the other Hindi / Urdu speaking regions fail...

Now therein lies another story!