Songs to Remember..... XII

The most interesting thing that can ever happen is that you are somewhere in some kind of mood and then suddenly a song starts playing somewhere in the background that so much empathises with your current feelings that you cannot but stop and listen....

Today as I stood, in the lobby, thinking of my decisions that I have taken since the last few months, there was for a moment, a moment of indecisiveness - did I need to do what I have been doing? was it correct on my part to do what I was doing? how was I to suffer silently the jibes and the taunts on my failed affairs of the heart and for how long..... and for a few moments, my commitments were the only factors that stopped me from taking any action that could have proved detrimental to my ethics or commitments....

It was in one such  moment of deep despair as I kept prancing down the aisle that I managed to catch a few snatches of this beautiful Kishore Kumar song, so well-written by Anand Bakshi and so aptly composed by R D Burman..... and things became better....

The song literally talks about the simple fact that one cannot please everyone .... it clearly accepts that people will talk... we should walk.... what a song, what a depth, what pain, what anguish and still what noble thoughts.... I would not like to translate these words; let it be there for all of us to just listen and love.....

Kuchh To Log Kahenge; Logon Ka Kaam Hai Kehna
Choddo! Bekaar Ki Baaton Mein , Kaheen Beet Naa Jaaye Raina

Kuchh Reet Jagat Ki Aisi Hai; Har Ek Subah Ki Sham Huyee
Tu Kaun Hai? Tera Naam Hai Kya? Sita Bhi Yahan Badnaam Huyee!
Phir Kyoon Sansaar Ki Baaton Se, Bheeg Gaye Tere Naina ???

Hum Ko Jo Taane Dete Hain, 'Hum Khoye Hain Inn Rang Raliyon Mein'
Humne Unn Ko Bhi Chhup-Chhup Ke, Aate Dekha Inn Galiyon Mein
Ye Sach Hain Jhooti Baat Nahi, Tum Bolo Ye Sach Hain Naa?

 So true ... So apt .... A world where even Sita, that most faithful and truely commited and loyal of all women, could be faulted and doubted, what respite can we expect from this world? And why should we let the world decide our decisions? Circumstances are meant to be forced to our needs, if we fall prey to Circumstances, what difference between that dog on that street, who does not have a brain to think and thoughts to communicate and we, human beings, who have everything and still lack everything!

An Affair To Remember - My Thoughts on Silsila (1981)

Marriage is an institution that commands respect for its powerful role in the delineation and propagation of social norms. It binds society or to be more precise, it is the chain that creates and maintains the social edifice since a marriage is not only a bonding of two individuals but also a means to bind together the strata that makes the society and thus to maintain a homogenous society. The class in which we inter-marry often decides our social hierarchy and has been used by kings and commoners alike to further their political and social ambitions. To hold marriage sanctimonious is therefore a command from the structure that survives on this edifice.

Desire that emanates from Love, on the other hand, is not something that awaits sanction from the mandarins of social etiquette. It’s a blind emotion that drowns all considerations of social norms and obligations. Like a river in flood, it can neither be arrested nor secluded within boundaries by muddy embankments or stone walls. The urge to override conventions is overpowering and many a times pays scant respect to the notion of social bonds, often at great cost both to the embankment and the river. Love has no place for artificial man-made barriers and is like a tempest that challenges and tests relationships to the codes that bind them. More has been the loss of many a nations and civilizations that have dared to stand up to this tempest, though the tempest itself has also often suffered, often fatally, the results of such confrontations......

The urge to maintain a relationship outside the confines of Marriage is a Desire that challenges Marriage to its foundations since it implies that one is not amenable to social constraints and hence not averse to finding his or her own happiness outside the sanctimonious bond. Little wonder then, that those who dare to go beyond the line are never forgiven by Society and are condemned to a life of shame and ridicule. But still it continues, for the heart cannot be dictated to and the dictates of the heart are not easily arrested by the most stringent of punishments.

Very few films have dwelt on this much-prevalent phenomenon, maybe because like the ostrich that believes that burying it's head in the mud would change reality, society, often believes that keeping a stony silence would chase the reality away. Well! If really wishes were horses, the high Mandarins of Society would ride!

Among the few that have dared and excelled are B R Chopra’s Gumraah and Yash Chopra’s Silsila. Karan Johar in 2007 also brought out a brilliant film on this concept; however I believe it could have been much better if the characterizations would have been reversed. Some other day, I will present my thoughts on that subject but today, In this review, I would like to talk about Silsila… a word which literally means an ongoing relationship.

Silsila revolves around lovers who are forced by circumstances to marry different partners but whose desire for each other’s love and company pushes them beyond their marriages and the relationship they embark on and the impact of this decision on their personal lives and that of their respective spouses.

Amitabh Bachchan as the young fiery poet who cannot accept the loss of his beloved puts in a brilliant performance. His is a performance that is full of contradictions, a man selfless enough to take over on his shoulders someone else’s miseries and at the same time, selfish enough to refuse to let go of the girl he loved even though she is married to someone else. He is all charms if need be, but can also be also callous and self-important, if required. What do you call a man who can love with an intensity that sears but can also trivialize that same love with a brutality that shocks? A formidable characterization .... This role at the hand of a lesser actor would have become too negative for redemption but the actor manages to walk a delicate tight-rope and keep the character lovable despite his flaws.

Rekha as his female counterpart who similarly cannot look beyond the man she loved puts in a moving performance. Love for a woman is all about self and security; it's rare to find a woman who can actually stand true to her commitments when put to test by circumstances ... But her is a woman, who dares to do the impossible.... though it's true that at the final stand, she does falter, she can be forgiven her transgressions.... for her partner also has feet of clay...

Our society is a patriarchal society and often the woman is blamed for all the transgressions of men and in such a scenario, it’s difficult for an actress to walk the thin rope but Rekha manages to do it with her characteristic élan. Her performance has all the nuances of a virtuoso and she manages to hold her own against veteran and seasoned performers.

Jaya Bhaduri as Amitabh’s wife pitches in with an impressive mature performance. Her’s is the role that requires a deep sense of resignation and hurt that transcends all silence but screams at self…. How do you react to a difficult, unsurmountable challenge? Simple! Watch Jaya ... A difficult performance but the actress manages to pull it off with exceptional ease. No doubt Jaya was considered the most talented actress of her time; a worthy successor to Meena and Nutan and a precursor to Shabana and Smita. Her confrontation with Rekha is a defining moment in the film.

But the man who captures our hearts with his simple, understated and calm performance is the great Sanjeev Kumar...... As Rekha’s husband, he pitches in with a bravura performance, that's both memorable and mesmerizing... . The great actor that he was, Sanjeev stands tall among so many excellent performances and his expressions of loss and loss along with his silence are so deafening that you wish he would not have to suffer the indignity heaped on him. His conversation with Jaya in the restaurant is exceptionally brilliant as is his sugar-coated advice to Rekha simply marvelous. Who can forget the pain and the frustration that Sanjeev portrays with a look and a twitch...

Generations of lesser actors would spend tomes of dailogues and spend tons of footage and still get nowhere .... but here is an actor who portrays a cuckold with a grim smile while he observes his wife being seranaded in broad daylight by her lover and all the while his decency and upbringing does not let him let go of his temper.... That's Sanjeev Kumar for you.... an actor that defines excellence!

Shashi Kapoor in his short role is effervescent. Kulbhushan Kharbanda does justice to his role while Devan Verma is at his sarcastic best.

Shiv-Hari in their first score for Hindi films come up with some gems of vintage value. While Amitabh is at his effervescent best with ‘Rang Barse’ a Holi song penned by his father Harivanshrai Bachchan and soothingly soft with ‘Neela Aasmaan’, Kishore and Lata combine to give romanticism a new twist with their title song. ‘Ye Kahan Aa Gaye Hum’ is another song that describes the predicament of its lead actors effectively. The soliloquy ‘Main Aur Meri Tanhayee’ by Javed Akhtar is still heard on the streets after 25 years.

This is Yash Chopra at his romantic best. Long before Yashraj films became a mass factory producing romantic candyfloss of no value, the director had already proved his capability with some of the best romantic films ever made in India. Silsila is definitely one of them. The director proves why despite a career that began in 1959, he is still a hot draw in 2007 with this sensitive and emotional portrayal of an extra-marital affair. If the film does not become either vulgar or preachy, it’s to the credit of the director who knows on where to draw the line and still maintain sensationalism.

Every adult of consenting age has the right and the freedom to decide on his or her life but before taking a step as irrevocable as this, a thought should be given to the consequences of this move – not only on you but also on the other two - the spouse and the lover; move ahead by all means, but once you do, stand tall but please find out before moving ahead if your hope has the same convictions as you.... it would not look good to find yourself standing on the road waiting for a lover who loved his / her own security more than you. In today's world, there is no word more abused than Commitment; though it's the most important word in any Relationship.....

After all, it’s all about making and maintaining a Relationship – it’s all about a Silsila!

The Truth and My Truth - My Thoughts on Sau Jhoot, Ek Sach (2005)

In every argument, there are three sides – there’s my side, there’s your side and then there is Truth’s side…. Unfortunately there are few if any who are inclined to look at any event from the third angle. The first and the second invariably are often the only arbitrators of what the truth may be, irrespective of whatever it maybe. Actually, more than the truth, we all are interested in maintaining our version of truth – simply because our version inevitably makes us the hero of the event and justifies all our actions. Hence, what we consider Truth is often a half-truth – a truth of convenience.  Sometimes, the truth of convenience may be so different from the actual truth that one cannot even be sure whether, it can be considered the truth or it's at best only a travesty of the truth. In such cases, Conscience is often the only thing that remains of the truth, although by itself conscience, however strong, can never be a substitute to the truth. Men live their entire lives in the hope of a permanent escape from its clutches but conscience is like the web of a canny spider; the more you try to run away, the more it binds you and brings you within the ambit of the truth.

Nothing is more dangerous than a half-truth. Unfortunately, nothing is more common than a half-truth. In a bid to play up to our conscience, all of us end up dressing our versions of the truth as if it’s the only version; never mind the repercussions of this unhealthy exercise on our lives.

Based on one of the best psychological stories ever (An Inspector Calls by J B Priestley), “Sau Jhooth Ek Sach” is a brilliant rendition of the hour of confession and redemption and its aftereffects on a family that prides itself on its high class morality and values. Although the film drives heavily from the Uttam Kumar’s classic Bengali movie, “Thana Theke Ashchi”, the brilliance of the plot lies in the way the director has not implanted the movie in the current milieu but successfully made it relevant to today’s age and times.

Set in the house of a famous and respected industrialist and spread over the period of one night, – but with periodic flashbacks of the dark acts of it’s characters- the film studies in deep detail the impact of a half-truth on a family that lives in the shadow of it’s conscience, in selective remembrance of the victim of their acts of omission and commission and the gradual coming of age of the unpleasant Truth.

Mammooty in the author-backed role of the no-nonsense Inspector Vivek is perfectly cast in the role of a man who is in the singular pursuit of the Truth. The quiet professionalism, the silent demeanour, the stern yet benevolent look all combine to add an air of mystery to a characterization that pervades the inner conscience of the viewer and chills him to the bone. The actor not only gives out an aura of mystery but also is responsible for the curiosity. The only point of his performance that jars somewhat is his diction which jars to the point that at times, you fell, wouldn't it have been better if the dialogues were dubbed. However, to the whole, the actor remains as much a part of the movie as required and as the movie progresses, one just gets deeper into the narrative and forgets all about the diction.

In direct contrast to Inspector Vivek, is the character of Vikram Gokhale as the unrepentant industrialist Vikrant Pradhan. In a role that signifies and brings to fore the other side of human nature, the deception, the greed, the self-serving capacity of the multitude of those who treat truth as a personal fiefdom, Vikram manages to walk tall over a carcass of seemingly broken dreams and ambitions. His ruthlessness, his habitual stab at authority and power, his perfect take on the state of inebriation all go towards making him the perfect example of a man who has traded off his conscience for his ambitions in life. Vikram, though a good actor, has never been given the kind of canvas that could have showcased his versatility in the industry so it's indeed a connisuer's delight to see him in an author-backed role in this production and needless to say, he proves equal to the task.

Joy Sengupta as the defeatist face of today’s youth, as someone who is unable to stand for his own principles but who tries to blend his own identity with the group identity is brilliant. As a man who is willing to trade his own individuality in the hope of gaining an identity, Joy’s portrayal is one of the most earnest seen in recent times. The actor manages to effortlessly convey the frustration and the duplicity of a human being whose existence and life is not his own but a favour from his ancestors. Secondly, his performance throws an indelible light on the question - Do I need to destroy my identity to be a part of my peers? A pertinent question for many in our generation, today.

Neha Dubey is efficient in her portrayal of a girl who has taken to a show of supercilious arrogance to hide her own insecurities. As a woman who suffers from an inferiority complex, Neha brings to the character of Zoya an inherent empathy. The scene wherein the character faces the mirror and is unable to appreciate her own self shows a lack of self-esteem that is a masterstroke of performance. As a person who seeks appreciation of her beauty in the eyes of the others, Neha scores brilliantly. Her mother, Lillette Dubey as a woman who has no identity beyond being a mother and a wife is brilliant. Kiran Janjani on the other hand as a man labouring beneath the shadow of his own conscience is true to the script.

It’s rare for a director to take up such a complex and difficult subject for his debut. Normally first-time directors shy away from such attempts. In this context it’s really an evidence of the director’s self-belief and trust in his own directorial abilities that not only did he take up the challenge but has also been brilliant both in the characterization of the actors and the execution of the story. The way in which he builds up the pressure, giving the audience small hints here and there and still keeping them confused till the end is the hallmark of an accomplished director and hence it’s no hyperbole to say that Bappaditya Roy has arrived as a director. We hope he remains true to his calling and we, as an audience, are treated to more such exciting movies.

The effect of a thriller lies in the script and no thriller can succeed without a taut script. Pankaj Kapur deserves accolades for the way he manages to keep the script taut and relentless to its end.

A movie to watch, if only to appreciate the Truth…. So what if the Truth is bitter!

The Affairs of the State - My Thoughts on Raajneeti (2010)

Mahabharata is among one of our most loved stories and the echo of the great epic has been seen in many of our movies since we started making movies in India – especially the characters of Karna and Arjuna that have been a staple point in many movies but surprisingly, depictions of the film on celluloid have always failed the epic … here I do not speak of such fabulous versions such as Daanveer Karna, which was a landmark in both Telugu and Tamil Cinema, but of Hindi versions that either very melodramatic or just listless. The best Mahabharat ever made in Hindi was the serial that was aired on DD and which to date remains a benchmark for the present crop.


Adaptations have also not been very inspired and impressive, except a few like Hum Paanch (1980) and Kalyug (1980), which has been reviewed elsewhere on my blog. Hum Paanch was obviously from the Pandava point of view with Raj Babbar, Naseeruddin Shah, Mithun Chakraborty playing the contemporary Pandavas battling the evil feudal Duryodhan played by Amrish Puri, Kalyug was Mahabharat adapted brilliantly to a feud between two warring business families and told from the perspective from Karna (Shashi Kapoor)….. To this list, I would add Raajneeti, a brilliant movie with a strong binding script, adapting Mahabharat to the political circles and told from the perspective of Arjun.

Rajneeti boasts of one of the best ensemble cast gathered together in recent times for a film, where the cast has actually been able to perform and stand true to the roles offered to them. Considering the dearth of real, good talent in today’s world, that’s nothing short of a miracle and a miracle it is …

Ranbir Kapoor, as the modern-day Arjun, brings a sense of diabolical cool to the entire proceedings. His eyes do not let go of intensity nor does his face show chagrin or pain as he uses and abuses one and all; to pull strings, to maneuver his moves or to play the most outlandish of cards. The anger and the pain in the eyes are all evident as he moves from one move to another, not caring and definitely not sharing. The shades of grey go from a light shade of almost-white to the darkest strain of black as the character moves from being naïve to being almost ruthless.

Nana Patekar, as the modern-day Krishna, is all guile and canniness combined in one. A smart behind-the-curtains mover and shaker of all that’s transpiring, a perfect encyclopedia of the political world, a soft-spoken but dangerous, ruthless and manipulative man, he reminds me distinctly of Arya Chanakya. Nana, one of the best actors on the scene today, handles it all with élan and unchallengeable intensity. He is effortless and soft, still there is no mistaking the silences pregnant with meaning and the soft gestures laden with dire warnings.

Ajay Devgan, as the modern-day Karna, does not have an author-baked role, with the focus being on his adversary, Arjuna but he still manages to steal moments of glory from the very little amount of space that he has been given in the movie. The fury of a man deprived of his rightful place, the intensity of a man focused on proving his point, the anger of a man whose merit has been rejected, the hesitation of one who loves but is not loved in return; all these are emotions not easily captured but Ajay has to his credit one of the deepest smoldering eyes in the business and his eyes portray all of these with cool detachment and cold rage. His interaction with Nana and finally the scene where his hesitation changes the destiny of the climax, show an actor who has progressed much beyond his strengths.

Arjun Rampal, as the modern day Bheema is all brawn and no brain. The adage, Power corrupts, is the most-apt to draw for this model-turned-actor who is improving by leaps and bounds from ‘Rock On’ to ‘Rajneeti.’ He depicts a hard, flamboyant exterior with a soft vulnerable interior so well that although you start off by not liking him, by the time you end the movie, he grows on you to such an extent that you start loving him for what he is. You even forget his excesses, his transgressions, such is his transformation.

But the actor who rises heads and shoulders above all others, the actor who captures his role by the pulse and who is inevitably strong and weak, impregnable and vulnerable all at the same time, thus proving his versatility is Manoj Vajpayee as Duryodhana. You feel his sense of loss, his frustration, his pain, his anger, his fury and surpsisingly, though he’s supposed to be the bad guy, at times you actually identify with him! You forgive him his manipulations, turn a blind eye to his machinations and just focus on him …. This is a brilliant performance and the script writer has actually been able to portray the pathos of this character very well.

Katrina Kaif surprisingly reveals talent and actually performs; something I have seen for the first time in my life. Her speech is still jarring but it’s a marked improvement from the Gudiya dolls that she has been doing till now. Sarah Thompson has been under-utilized.

Sadly, Naseeruddin Shah is wasted. We wanted to see some more of his performance, not just his seduction of a party-worker! Darshan Jariwala is also wasted, an actor of his caliber should have got more than what he got.

Shruti Seth acts well, especially, the scene where she’s being ravished by Arjun and she’s consistently mouting a request. Her face is so expressive; would have loved to see more of her but then the script is really taut and I would not like to change anything, except the ‘Jyesth Putra’ dialogues mouthed by an ill-at-ease Kunti. Let’s face it, there are some dialogues in the film that make you cringe. It looks like we are back in the 1870s.

Prakash Jha has been one of our under-rated but brilliant directors for quite some time now. Right from Dhumal in 1984 to Raajneeti in 2010, every film of his has shown a different facet to the true connoisseurs of the art of Cinema and every facet is well-researched and well-directed.

An impressive film, still a film that will go above the heads of people who have grown used to watching paintings masquerading as films (read Raavan).

There have been quite a few posts degrading it as a B-copy of the Godfather. Well, it does have some inspirations from Godfather, you cannot call it a copy, as the director has not blatantly copied the movie but adapted it to a different scenario and has come out trumps while doing so.

And about people speaking about the violent nature of the film, it would do well for the same people to research elections in Kashmir and Coastal Andhra Pradesh in the 1990s, Bengal in the 1970s, and Assam in the 1980s. The level of violence may just shock you! And of course, the assassinations of Indira Gandhi and Rajeev Gandhi are there for all, who may want to dispute it.

The Rape of the Hindi Film Industry

Hindi Film Industry began in 1913 with Raja Harishchandra; saw it's first talkie in 1931 with Alam Ara; saw colour in 1937 with Kisaan Kanya; saw it's golden age in the 1950s and 60s, gave vent to the angst and anger of the Indian populace in the 1970s, fell into mediocrity in the 1980s, saw a revival in the 1990s and then sold itself into perpetual slavery to the Americanized Non-Reliable India based outshore in the 2000s....... and by the time we reach 2013, the centennary of film-making in India, we will finally find out that the Indian Industry just does not exist; it's become a failed clone-copy of Hollywood .....

The directors of today prefer to make a cut-to-cut, frame-by-frame copy of Hollywood rather than work out something on their own.... They swear by Steven Spielberg and do not recognize Shyam Benegal. Bimal Roy for them is somebody who made some movies, but they are incapable of remembering which movies...... Mehboob Khan for them is too melodramatic, and K Asif a one-film wonder!

The actors of today talk of Dustin Hoffman but have not seen a film starring Dilip Kumar. They have not heard of Motilal and Yakub ... Raj Kapoor for them is an 'indianised' version of Charles Chaplin and for them Naseeruddin Shah is no match to Nicholas Cage! They have heard of even second-rate performers in Hollywood but are not aware of stellar performances by great actors like David and Abhi Bhattacharya.

What can one expect from someone who rates Angelina Jolie and Jennifer Lopez as an actor! Wow - what a laugh! Sir, have you heard of Nutan? What about Meena Kumari? And if recent histroy is all you remember, I guess Sridevi should do the trick? Fans of Merlyn Monroe would be stunned to see that we had Madhubala in the 50s and Madhuri Dixit in the 90s ... but then, to appreciate them, you need to see them .... and who wants to see them?

You ask them of their favourite singers and everyone from the Beatles to Micheal Jackson and Prince and who-knows-who is spoken of but the names that ruled not only hearts but also had exceptional command over sur and taal (something no Westerner can claim to having) are not even spoken off in the same breath ..... Mohammed Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar are not even on their hear-list!

The result in all but evident ..... I managed to see a film called Kites recently, the best example of the malaise that's destroying the character of our Film Industry..... it has everything - a good and handsome actor, a beautiful, brilliant and bountiful actress, awesome locales, brilliant cinematrography ... everything but no 'soul' ... like the mannequin placed in some corner of a shop, it can show off some dresses but in itself it's nothing.....

Like a Biryaani, that has the finest meat, the best of other ingredients, has been cooked well and also served well but has no salt and no edibility.... Kites, like all contemporary cinema of today is beuatiful in appearance but lacking in soul

And that's expected; in an near-incestous industry, where only family connections get you an opportunity and where real talent in raped and murdered every instant, and the bigwigs of the industry themselves are no more than prostitutes, ready and eager to sell themselves to mediocrity and for money to their clientiele in US and UK, what else can be expected.....

The Hindi Film Industry is being raped ... just like Draupadi was violated and again Bhishma, Drona and Karna are silent! That led to Kurukshetra and the eradication of the entire Hastinapur line .... what will this lead to, only Lord Krishna knows:

I end with a beautiful couplet from Iqbal:

Watan Ki Fiqrr Kar Naadaan, Qayamat Aane Waali Hai,
Teri Barbaadiyon Ke Mashwarre Hain Aasmaanon Mein .....
Na Samjhoge To Mitt Jaoge Ae Hindostaanwaalon,
Tumhaari Daastaan Tak Na Hogi Daataanon Mein .....