Songs as History

They say, songs of a nation signify the thought of the nation and songs of a period signify the period. Mementoes of this truth can be found everywhere -scattered like the golden dust that was at some remote time of our history scattered on the beaches of Sind and still concentrated in a quantity and with a molarity that can only be defined by the fact that such must have been the thoughts of the people of that period.....

Furthermore, nothing attracts and impacts human mind and consciousness as deeply and as vividly as the song. Why? Because with a strong core and a vivid imagination, a song literally soars over the minds and takes the mind to realms that can only be imagined and not explained..... The song is indeed the opium of the consciousness and  as is said in Hindi:

Jahan Na Pahunche Ravi.... Wahan Pahunche Kavi!

(Where even the sunlights of the sun fail to penetrate, there also the lofty imagination of the poet can enter)

And so it is borne out.... even Religions as diverse and different from each other like Islam and Hinduism, have used the concept of poetry (the essence of a song) to further their claims.... Every Ayat in the Holy Quran is sheer poetry and so is every mantra in the Rig Veda a delightful song.....

Hindi Films have also not been uneffected by such emotions - the birth of independence and the lefting leanings of the early leaders of our country was well reflected not only in our movies such a Do Beegha Zameen (Bimal Roy), Hum Log (Zia Sarhadi), Mother India (Mehboob Khan), and Daera (K Asif) in Hindi, Meghe Dhake Taara (Rithwik Ghatak) and the Apu trilogy (Satyajit Ray) in Bengali and many other such movies but was also reflected in the music of the period...... And today, it's the music which is still ruling even when even classics as great as the aforementioned have been forgotten in the humdrum of normal life....

Lyrics by such great notables like Majrooh, Sahir, Shailendra and Kavi Pradeep are the greatest treasures that carry a deep story of the social scars and triumphs of those days, the ambitions and the disappointments of those times and the dreams and the realities of that era....

So while Kavi Pradeep goes ful throttle on the Partition and the Hindu-Muslim divide by such brilliant ditties like:

Aaj Ke Insaan Ko Kya Ho Gaya?
Iss Ka Puraana Pyaar Kahan Par Ho Gaya?

or,

Dekh Tere Sansaar Ki Haalat, Kya Hogi Bhagwaan!
Kitna Badal Gaya Insaan, Kitna Badal Gya Insaan!

one is forced to admit and admire the passion of the poet and also feel deep in his heart the anguish of a heart sundered by an artificial partition..... this is how the world will remember those days of the Indian Holocaust when more than 10 million people were sacrificed in the ceremonial fires that gave birth to two nations, each arising from the womb of it's mother, by killing the mother, much like the scorpion tears apart his mother's womb to live his own life......

Or look at Sahir as he talks about the disillusionment with the political scenario and society in 1957, in his celebrated song.....

Ye Mahlon, Ye Takhton, Ye Taajon Ki Duniya
Ye Daulat Ke Bhuke Rawaajon Ki Duniya
Ye Insaan Ke Dushman Samaajon Ki Duniya
Ye Duniya Agar Mil Bhi Jaaye To Kya Hai?

Can there be a more brilliant indictment of the society than the afore-mentioned? This is the voice of an idealist and this will signify what the dreams of the social revolutionaries was and how they looked at society.... But again it's the same poet that proudly celebrates the sovereignty and suzerainty of this country, while hoping that things will turn out better in this song from 1963

Ab Koi Gulshan Na Ujdhe, Ab Watan Aazaad Hai
Rooh Ganga Ki, Himalay Ka Badan Aazaad Hai

These are the songs that will remain in the consciousness of India as the faces of the Indian society and how people reacted to it in those days....

So there was frustration and there was hope, like in India, it has always been, both pessimism and optimism sleeping with each other, both these strands were fully entwined with each other and still independant....

It can only be the poet who can taunt even the high and mighty of the country... Sample this song by Gulzar from 1975, taunting the great Indira Gandhi herself of whom an acolyte called Baruah noted," Indira is India and India is Indira."

Salaam Kijiye Aali Janaab Aaye Hain,
Paanch Saalon Ka Dene Hisaab Aaye Hain

(A brilliant taunt on the politicians who meet once in 5 years like long-lost brothers and then disappear like some Indian version of the Halley's comet)

Even Nehru's policy of democracy and Patel's thoery of integration of princely states was shrewdly put in a song in 1956 by the irrepressible and great Shailendra, when he wrote.....

Honge Raaje, Raaj Kunwar, Hum Bigde Dil Shezaade
Hum Sinhasan Par Jaa Biatthen, Jab-Jab Karen Iraade

(A veiled but clear ultimatum to the princely states)

But the song that makes me smile, is the song that speaks about what an Indian is.... his spirit, his confidence and his self-assurance that even if today the world looks at him with derision, tomorrow, it will venerate him with dignity....

Mera Joota Hai Japani,
Ye Patloon English-Taani,
Sar Pe Laal Topi Rusi,
Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani

Today his shoes may be imported from Japan (accepting frankly that industries in this country are still undeveloped, Today even his shame may be wrapped by British fabric (alluding to years of subjugation and colonialism by Britain), Today his head may carry a Russian cap (alluding to those times when everyone was talking of socialism and communism and leftist ideology was the vogue.... Russia was trying to enforce it's politics and policies on India) still the heart that underlay the shoe, the cap and the pant was definitely Indian and would not brook any interference.....

India would develop as it wanted, as it desired and as it preferred

The Curse of Unemployment - My Thoughts on Naukri (1954)

One of the most enduring (across the constraints of time and space and even cultures and religions), almost-catastrophic, and major fear for an adult individual in today’s fast moving and highly consumerist society is the fear of losing employment, the fear of not being able to sustain a lifestyle that considers credit cards, limousines, health spa, laptops and all such other accessories as mandatory necessities of life and not an item of luxury. The stark truth is that in a society wherein your last pay cheque is your signature (and for many an identity), where EMI’s run the roost and burgeoning bills are a part and parcel of normal existence, a loss of employment can very well be a source of interminable terror. This is especially true of times as drastic as today's and scenarios as bleak as today's..... What would one do if tomorrow he wakes up and finds that all the money that he has cannot get him even a decent INR 5 glass of Sugarcane juice on the by lanes? 


Without a regular source of income, how many of us would actually be at the luxury to write reviews or for that matter any kind of blogs sitting in air-conditioned parlours while savouring sips of cool vodka (or Coca-Cola for teetotalers like me) while the world goes on in it’s own unmindful cycle of ups and downs… … certainly not my man-Friday who earns alms for a salary (as per records it’s INR 1800 per month) and certainly not me, though I do earn admittedly a little more than his salary. 


But jokes apart, does one know, what is the pain of unemployment? 


When parents refuse to acknowledge you as the son, when you become a burden on your siblings, when your better half taunts you or when your girl friend ignores you, then is the real import of the impact of being witohut a job brought out in the open.... When those who loved you when you provided for them, call you a parasite, first clandestinely, then whisperingly and then openly; then you understand the import of the situation...... This is unemployment and all men fear this more than even the loss of potency...... 


It may surprise some of our eminent economists but the fact remains that unemployment has since long been a scourge of the youth, despite thier theoretical mumbo-jumbo and many a creative and talented individuals have met their Waterloo at the hands of this indefatigable enemy. Although the problem forms a subset in many movies and in some has also been the cause or rationale for carrying the movie forward, very few movies and movie mughuls have dared take the demon by its’ horns and make a moving copy of celluloid from the same. 


One of the few stalwarts who dared to cage this demon for cinematic purposes was the great Bimal Roy and here we are discussing his epoch-making but long-forgotten Naukri. Unfortunately, Naukri never could capture the imagination of the public the way, a Do Beegha Zameen (one of the greatest movies ever made in India) or Madhumati (one of the most awesome movies of Hindi Cinema) could.... and it was obvious, it would not..... The middle class has been notorious of always trying to live in a world of fantasy, a world of it's own cages disguised as windows, one that exists ephemerally only in the sub-conscious of a class that only can hold it's head high with a turban bestowed or pushed down by another.... how could such a class, accept the pain and frustrations of it's own realities? Indeed, this was what failed Naukri..... Ankush, made in 1986 had to take the protagonist and put him in the lower middle class milieu to gain acceptance from this fickle class..... For the middle class, issues are what happen with others...... our existence is the BEST!


Naukri was one of the first movies to center on the plight of the educated unemployed youth desperately trying to earn their livelihood through decent means. The desperation and frustration of a common man trying to stay true to his ideals as well as earn the basic necessities for his family is so well documented that every man who watches this movie is instantly transported back for some time into a similar time from his or her own past. Every man while watching this classic would be reminded of one bleak day in his or her life when the spectre of life was held hostage to the compromise of circumstance. 


Here I am reminded of a brilliant couplet by the great Sahir, which can capture very well the mood of pain and frustration of the man who has no employment but many responsibilities.....

Taalim Hai Adhuri, Milti Nahin Majuri,
Kis-Kis Ko Hum Sunaayen Rashq-E-Jihaan Humaara

In the title role, Kishore Kumar as Rattan, the protagonist trying desperately to secure employment delivers one of his most efficient and restrained performances. This is Kishore long before he made his mark as a comedian and the great actor revels in a role that shows him in a rare serious light. The idealism of a young man, the frustration of an unemployed and the helplessness of a brother, a son and a lover are so well documented that your heart goes out for him. The scene wherein he receives a letter intimating him of a sanatorium’s acceptance of his sick sister as an inmate alongside another that carries the news of her death makes for a heart-wrenching moment (the postal department was equally efficient in those times). Equally brilliant is the climax when he tries to commit suicide, being unable to face his love after being fired from a job for being true to his ideals. One has to just watch him perform and he will vouch for the fact that Kishore did utmost injustice to his fans and the acting community at large by not paying cognizance to the enormous talent that God chose to bestow on him.

Sheila Ramani as Seema, the girl who dares to love an unemployed person and to top it all, also decides to spend her life with him against all conventional wisdom manages to stay true to her script. Sheila was more of a glamour doll than an actor in her heydays and this is one of the few roles in which she gets to prove her mettle. Although she leaves a lot more to be desired in her enactment of the role, she does manage to do justice to do role to a part that is sketchy at best. The scene wherein she convinces Kishore to a life of struggle and her constant co-operation is a scene worth appreciating both for her performance as well as the chemistry between the lead actors, the cinematographer as well as the director.

Among the supporting actors, the great Kanhaiyalal again proves why class is permanent and form temporary. In a rare positive role, the thespian pulls out all stops to prove his versatility and the scene wherein he lies to save Kishore is stamped ‘Kanhaiyalal’ all over it. It’s indeed unfortunate that Hindi cinema has chosen to forget such greats in a bid to worship and honour hunks and bimbettes as legends. Among the other actors, it’s a pleasure watching Mehmood as a pickpocket in a cameo performance long before he was acknowledged as a great actor. Achala Sachdev as the mother and Noor as the sick sister also manage to perform true to the requirements of the role.

Salil Chowdhary disappoints with the music which although sweet on the ears fails to impart its own philosophy on the listener. Although the song “Chota Sa Ghar Hoga” by Kishore Kumar does bring in a feeling of optimism and hope to a frustrated soul and Geeta Dutt manages to carry us on the wings of first love in “Jhoome Re Kali”, on the whole the album is more of a situational album and there are few ditties that one would remember long after the gramophone has been silenced.

Bimal Roy again proves why despite the presence of great stalwarts like Mehboob, Asif, Gulzar and others in the Hindi film industry, none can ever dislodge the great director from his position of eminence as first among equals when it comes to direction…. that many of the later greats actually were trained under his eagle eye is by itself proof of his excellence and eminence as a director but that is rudimentary considering that a director of his stature does not need testimony of his students for his excellence. Every movie of his from Do Beegha Zameen to Bandini has it’s own moments – moments which put the entire film in perspective and make it impossible for both the masses and the classes to extricate itself easily from its brilliant splendour.

This brilliance is reflected in Naukri as well and one of the best scenes in this film shows the starkness of human necessity when confounded with life in its darkest hue. In a scene reminiscent of human frailty and the complete erosion of the social and political structure of the day, Kishore after seeing a man commit suicide rushes to the deceased’s office hoping to secure that job for self, only to learn that the man committed suicide after being dismissed from the job. Another interesting scene, which depicts the helplessness of the common man, is the scene wherein Kishore Kumar goes for an interview, only to be told that the job has already been assigned to the Manager’s relative.

Although these scenes hardly stand out as something different they are in fact the microcosm of the entire film in a few frames. The frustration, the depression and the helplessness of a talented man roaming wanton on the streets of a metropolitan city is mirrored in each and every frame and every man will definitely be able to empathize with the scores of millions who teems the streets of these cities looking for that elusive employment, straining their ears for that sweet call all while hoping that someday they will get the job they rightly deserve. And this continues for days, weeks, months and years on end till either they tire out or life tires them out. 

Only one voice that speaks out repeatedly… only one sound that can be heard incessantly– "Naukri Chaahiye … Kaam Chaahiye… Zindagi Chaahiye."

To my friends and colleagues out there, I wish to state the following:

Maana Ke Abhi Tere-Mere Armanon Ki Keemat Kuchh Bhi Naheen
Mitti Ka Bhi Hai Kuchh Mol Magar, Insaanon Kee Keemat Kuchh Bhi Naheen

Insaanon Ki Izzat Jab Jhoote Seekon Mein Naa Tauli Jaayegi
Woh Subah Kabhi To Aayegi....... Woh Subah Kabhi To Aayegi

Woh Subaah Kabhi To Aayegi.....

Anatomy of a Scar - My Thoughts on Firaaq (2009)

"Good to Forsake, Better to Forgive, Best to Forget"

An adage from my days of yore... but as they say, easy to preach, difficult to follow....

Why look far off? Look at my own body; so many different scars; some physical, some psychological, but each and every one of them still alive with it's own feelings, it's own story, it's own anatomy of truth..... Every scar tells a tale of it's own; complete with it's own truth, it's own viewpoint, it's own perception; neither welcoming a contrary view or a contrary opinion, however well-merited and sadly, neither does it forget nor does it allow me to forget.... True, some of the scars have lost their intensity, their pain has dulled beyond perception and even the scar no longer is perceivable to the casual eye, but they still exist - in the myriad scheme of time, they still have their relevance and it takes only a slight stimulus to bring forth the remembrance, the anger and the pain.....

Firaaq also brings forth a few remembrances, a few green tinges of pain and a few silent patches of anger; back in the open; as if the wound has resurfaced and the blood gushes forth yet again.... No issue is ever completely pushed below the carpet; Firaaq reminds us of this fact and strongly too....

Firaaq is a quest, it's also a separation but it cannot be just thee two words - Firaaq is more than that; it's the pursuit of redemption and it's the impotence of silence, (impregnated by revenge, raped by mistrust and defiled by anger); it's  the chasms that exist and the bridges that have failed....

Set in the Gujarat of 2002, after the riots, it's the after-effects of the riots long after the riots are over..... Why should it not be so? If the effects of Hiroshima and Nagasaki can punish us humans for one act of dastardly cowardice, why should not one act of human infamy not punish us more?

Ek Qadam Galat Uttha Tha Shauq-E-Yaar Mein;
Zindagi Tamam Umr Mujhe Dhoondhti Phiri

A brilliantly crafted story of separate incidents, all carved together into one story, still more fluid than any other such attempt in recent Hindi Cinema.... if I had to remember a similar ensemble of separate stories, coming together to form a narrative, I would remember Musafirkhana, directed by Hrishikesh Mukherjee in 1956 (a movie much ahead of it's time), starring Dilip Kumar, Kishore Kumar and Usha Kiron and in recent times, the exceptionally brilliant and well-made classic Crash.....

There are so many different aspects to the movie, that I do not think I will ever be able to do justice to all of them in my thoughts on the movie, I just hope this does not turn out to be a weak piece of writing like the one on Delhi -6 (I could never do justice to that film) but there are a few aspects that I would love to talk about

Story No. 1: Firaaq of a Family

The common point between the different stories in the movie - the story that relates all other stories; the story that talks of the tragedy that befell Gujarat.... It relates the story of Mohsin, a young boy who has lost everyone and is in 'Firaaq' of his family ..... The young boy, Mohammed Samad is awesome - he is innocence personified and to add to it, he has been well-utilized by the director....

There is such an innocence in his face, that I fear for him; it's an innocence that can transform a socity and a nation to a dream and it's an innocence that can be manipulated such that it devours the society and the nation into a nightmare that can only be imagined; not even thought of

Look at the terrorists and the rioters, all of them at one level are innocents - innocents not because they are not guilty of whatever they have done but innocents because of the reasons why they have done what they have done - What would you call Mohsin if tomorrow he becomes a terrorist - Guilty of course,  a threat to sociey of course but who made him into what he is? If Mohsin tomorrow is guily, so are we all, all of us!

Every riot, whether it's 1984 in Delhi, 1992-1993 in Bombay or 2002 in Gujarat has made use of these innocents; either it has raped them of their innocence or killed them in their innocence; and in the process either made these innocents, agents of change in an impotent society or angels of death in a decayed milieu.

One Interesting point to note, every 10 years, India has seen a riot more devastating than the other..... another Firaaq is here, can you find out the reasons for the same?

Story No. 2: Firaaq of an Identity

Sanjay Suri and Tisca Chopra combined well in this brilliant story of an inter-religious couple forced to look at life and relationships in the face of a war that involves their communities - the elegance of the story lies in the way the difference between a Khan and a Desai was brought out

What is it that marks the difference between Sameer Khan and Sameer Desai? How does the difference of the God that you worship, or the religion that you follow make a man better or worse for it? Questions of existentionalism, so well explained, so well depicted - Sanjay Suri shows his dilemma and his frustration of being a Muslim, a persona-non-grata quite well but of equal brilliance is the performance of Tisca Chopra as his wife, trying to deal with the identity crises and the emotional crises, incumbent in the issue. She is a Hindu married to a Muslim; in an environment where being a Muslim is a crime and a sin. How does she reconcile herself to her own heart, while being what she is? A difficult point for someone to understand who has not been through it.

Look at the option the couple chooses for itself:  "Run" - Run from the city, run from the riots, run from the people, run from their roots - and run they do, but can run away from his or her own conscience; this is the question they ask

In a way, there's is a Firaaq of an ideal, one that has been tattered to pieces and one that is troubling them no end... Add to it, the fact that Sameer has his own separate Firaaq - his Firaaq of self-identification and self-acceptance.... Does being a Muslim negate being a human? Tisca has the more difficult of the roles but she is admirably restrained. I love the scene, where Sanjay Suri decides to assert himself in front of the communal police and the way he does it - no heroics, no aggressiveness, just a silent assertion!

But is it really important to do so? Have we reached this nadir?

Main Apne Aap Se Sharma Gaya Hoon;
Mujhko, Aie Zindagi! Deewana Kar De!

Story No. 3: Firaaq of Redemption

Deepti Naval and Paresh Rawal are just too good in this brilliant story of Inaction in the face of Danger and the consequences it has impacted on each of the protagonists of the story

Deepti Naval has psyched herself very well in the role of a person who has chosen her own security in place of her conscience in the heat of the moment and has to now pay for it, every moment and every second of her life... Her 'Firaaq' for redemption from her guilt of inaction, when action could have saved someone's life; punishing herself physically for her silent act of tacit approval is so well portrayed that it gnaws at your conscience from within. A very difficult role, but so aptly performed that one can only marvel at her understanding of the character of the housewife, whose silence hides her pain effectively but cannot save her from the pangs of her conscience.

The roads of redemption pass through the gates of hell - and so it is for this woman who has to now traverse her own personal hell, meet her own self to reach her own point of understanding with her own heart - only then can this Firaaq be completed

Paresh Rawal on the other hand as a man who had a role in the riots, a man whose hatred for the other community transcends all levels of hurt and anger is exceptional.

He's a normal man, one you would meet on the streets, one who on the face of it effectively hides his anger and disgust within his mind. Had he reflected on his reasons, he would have found, the ones like him, whom he hates, have the same reasons to hate him too; making them both more closely entwined than he would now. His 'Firaaq' for a cleansing of all that he hates is also a continuing one, one that will continue till he understands either the futility of his feelings or his concience has the better of him or he's able to exercise it to such an extent that all his enemies are exhumed by it; hopefully before he is exhumed of it!

Story No. 4: Firaaq of Faith

The story of how an event can take a toll on one relationship is well-depicted in this brilliant thread of the friednship between Muneera and Jyoti. How a lifetime of friendship and trust can dissolve in minutes is so aptly described in this segment that one can only doff the hat on the debutant director and the brilliant actresses for their fiesty performances

Shahana Goswami as Muneera and Amruta Subhash as Jyoti bring to life the brilliant interplay of emotions of what actually happens when a fault-line develops across the contours of even a close relationship in times of distress and pain. How doubt can cleave into the wamest of hearts and how it can burn the most strong of relationships. The manner in which Shahana keeps asking the same query time and again and the manner in which Amruta keeps on trying to sidestep the query is so well written and directed and obviously performed that one can feel what happens when a friendship falls prey to the fault lines of a hatred as ancient as the history of the communities to which the two protagonists belong

The Firaaq of friendship and trust that binds and separates both is so well woven with the personal feelings of quest of each other that one can not only empathise with both Muneera and Jyoti but also understand the pain and frustration a single event, to which neither subscribed, can have on the lives and relationships of both the protagonists

Sub-Plot  - Firaaq of Revenge

One person who further impresses in this sub-plot within the main story is the man who plays the role of Muneera's husband; I do not know his name ( I think it's Nowaz though) but his frustration at having lost his property and seen all his earnings stolen and his accommodation burnt down is so real and so earnest that you feel for that man. The man has a raw energy and an intensity that could put many a superstars to shame

Story No. 5: Firaaq of a Dream

The great combination of the two thespians sets the tone of this brillaint piece of story-telling. Both Naseeruddin Shah and Raghuvir Yadav have been among the best of our acting talents across the 70s to today. And when they come together in roles that require both finesse and power, it is a treat for connissuers.

Nasseruddin Shah as an elderly Muslim musician and Raghuvir Yadav as his faithful and elderly Man Friday plays the role with extreme conviction and brilliance. The escapist mode of Raghuvir, coupled with the idealism of Maseeruddin Shah brings to life a reality that's often shrouded in events of such deep magnitude and impact

I loved the way in which Naseer reacts when he comes to know of the deep-rooted animosity among the principal communities and the way he reacts - And I really was in tears to see the manner in which the normally angst-filled Raghuvir reacts at that moment and turns out to be the torch-bearer for hope - he was the one who never had hope; the passing of the mantle of hope from the idealist Naseeruddin to the practical Raghuvir is one of the highlights of the movie and a reckoner that maybe hope is still alive

Story No. 6: Firaaq of Peace

This is less of a story and more of a commentary. The perfomance of Nasser (not to be confused with Naseer in the preceding story) is one of exceptional brilliance. As a grave-digger who has seen thousands of people of his community butchered and has done a mass-burial of them all, the man lends credence to his brilliance as an actor..... I have seen Nasser in Malayalam and Tamil movies and always thought that a great talent was lost to the Hindi world and so I was very impressed to see him perform in this movie of exceptional grit and depth

His Firaaq is the one that will pain one and all, the Firaaq of self-absolution and Peace; one that can not happen and the other that cannot be attained is the Firaaq that guides the entire film

Direction by Nandita Das is awesome. It's so hard-hitting that I would safely say that this is the best film I have seen on Gujarat pogrom barring Parzania, which is again in a class of it's own. I hope at last we have a director of substance and the future also shows her in a similar flattering light

I am impressed by her - deeply impressed.

Before I end, I would say to those who ask why rake up uneccessary questions - Woulds may heal but the Scars remain. If the Scars have to go, we have to learn the art of shedding our skins or we have to become mature enough to face the face the truth behind the scars

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!

A Tale of Two Women - My Thoughts on Dev D (2009)

Ek Radha, Ek Meera, Donon Ne Shyam Ko Chaaha...

Antar Kya Donon Ke Pyaar Mein Bolo...?

Ek Prem Deewani, Ek Daras Deewani!

Dev D is not as it was expected by all a movie about Devdas - in case one wants to see a movie about Devdas, one is advised to go ahead and watch the old masterpiece by Bimal Da which has the great Dilip Kumar performing the only Devdas that touches our soul. If the connoisseur thereafter wishes to go further, he's strongly advised to watch the great K L Saigal perform this role in the 1935 movie of the same name. Regional Cinema aficionados can also have a glimpse of N T Rama Rao appraising the same role in Telugu.

Dev D is different - granted it's  a movie that's about Dev D (the modern Devdas wannabe) but more than that, this movie is about the two women in his life who are more stronger and more mature than the protagonist of the movie can ever be....

This is not to say that these roles were not well-defined in the earlier versions - they were and have always been strong focal points of the story but Dev D adapts the movie to a different milieu and while doing so, brings a different kind of maturity and power to the two women in the story. Oddly, the love that is the depth of Devdas conviction in the 1956 movie, is somehow destroyed in the process and what we have here amongst us is not the lover Devdas, for whom Paro was life but a Devdas whose love is still a slave of his ego and his frustrations.....

Mahie Gill as Paro has what would be termed a dream debut..... Paro is unconventional, her love is a torch-bearer and so is her self-respect a matter of life and death for her... she is prepared to go the extra mile for the guy she loves but it not ready to negate herself for the man she loves.... she surely knows how to love but is unaware of what is love and thaqt true love transcends all boundaries of self and the other. She is vindicative and ruthless but at the same time one can not say that the depths of her love are illusionary. She loves like a true Jat and lives life like one too.....

Imagine a woman who loves so much that she can send over a naked snap of hers` to her beau despite knowing the odds of getting it developed and printed, a girl who's ready to go beyond all boundaries for the sake of requiting her love and still being arrogant enough to reject him at the slightest hint of prejudice.... this has to be one heck of a woman... it's only a woman that's so strong as this who can break into a jig at her own marriage, abandoning all notions of social and familial pride... This is Paro, born to win and born to lead... Strong, resilient and confident - a woman of substance, a woman of power, a woman of drive and a woman of character but a woman who has failed the test of love....

She is what would be signified by this famous couplet of the great Iqbal....

Jis Khet Se Mayassar Na Ho Dehkaan Ko Roti
Uss Khet Ke Har Zarra-O-Gandham Ko Jala Do

On the other spectrum of the story is Chanda.... a woman who was not allowed by society a second chance at life after a small error, early on in life... a girl who was forced to become a woman due to one small error made at one forgotten path in life.. a child who was forced to grow because her survival depended on her growth..... this is Chanda.... a woman who becomes a prostitute because she has to live in a society that has nothing but entertainment value for her....

Ek Qadam Galat Uttha Tha Shauq-E-Yaar Main
Zindagi Tamam Umr Humein Dhoondhti Phiri

She is strong too.... one has to be strong if one incident of publicised impropriety can lead to a person losing a father, a family and a life.... She is mature...... one has to be if she has to survive a life that's nothing but destruction written all over it.... She is practical.... one has to be when life takes away everything and all your actions are forced and not an option.... but more than all that.... she is forgiving.... one has to be if she to live and not survive......

 Kalki Koechlin as Chanda brings life to the pain and tears that could have easily become a major occasion for histrionics in other actresses.... in contrast, Kalki is patient, silent and lets her understatement do all the talking.... Chanda requires pain in the eyes, stony emotions in the face, ruthlessness in the heart and still silence in the soul.... this is not the Chandramukhi of Devdas, this is Chanda and it's very important for the audience to be able to differentiate between the two... Kalki does it and does it well.... I am not sure whether she will be able to take this further but in this one movie, she is the quintessential Chanda....

Chanda is what would be exemplified by that another great couplet by Iqbal:

Hazaaro Saal Nargis Apni Be-Noori Pe Roti Hai,

Badi Mushqil Se Hota Hai Chaman Mein Deedawar Paida.....

So where does Chanda differ from Paro..... in a simple way.... Chanda understands forgiveness, Paro knows vengeance.... Chanda find love in the middle of nothing, Paro loses love in middle of everything

And then there is Dev..... a wimp of a man, a man who can never love anyone but who still thinks of himself in love... This is a man who loves himself and is in love with the fact that he loves himself... although he gives it the name of pining for a lost love - a love that would have been always his, had he learned to control his ego and be a little more open regarding the freedom that's every woman's right and desire.... But Dev is a man in the old mould, he desperately seeks exclusivity where there should be freedom; his love tends to be on terms that he believes in, not knowing that love that has terms is not love but a trade-off and can never achieve the hieghts of a love that originates from the heart and trancends the soul....

Abhay Deol has done a brilliant job - one that makes one feel that even in an era such as ours when true art is at a premium and mimickry in the name of art at a discount, there are a few who do dare to go beyond the limits and perform beyond the pale of the ordinary..... Abhay is one of a breed that I personally feel is talented, meticulous and should be on the path to achieving greater successes and appreciation.... This is the first Devdas that I have seen in recent years that I can say has an original look to it.... It may not be as natural as Dilip Saab or as memorable as Saigal Saab but it definitely outshines most of the others who dared to do the same enactment.

Dibyendu Bhattacharya, the young man on the block again manages to come up with a triumphant performance.... one that sears you and makes you look at the world with new eyes..... Chunnilal in Devdas is not a pimp but a man who visits brothels and is given to the seamy side of pleasure... here he is one advocating that side and making a fortune out of it... what a performance man! Awesome... Just Awesome.

Parakh Madan as Rasika looks hot and I am sure many would have found her alluring as well.... she is also formidable in her role and her disgust in the scene where she breaks up with Dev says a lot for her acting capabilities....

The music track by Amit Trivedi is fantastic and speaks volumes for the man's talents.... Emotional Atyachar, composed to the beats of a Marriage Band is a brilliant piece of crativity and I am really impressed with the way that song has been both conceptualized and shot.

Saali Khushi is another song which touches a deep chord somewhere in the deepest recesses of my heart... paining me like hell and still bringing a smile on my face... someone said once...."Pain and Pleasure are complementary"... I agree..... Completely....

Anurag Kashyap is a great director.... I just love his work.... His 'Black Friday' tore me apart.. his Dev D tore my heart apart.... (Delhi looks so very different in this movie that I feel like re-visiting that city today....  it has been so, since I watched Delhi 6 and Dev D, two exceedingly brilliant movies on the same day... There can be no greater praise that this.... for no Bombay guy would ever appreciate Delhi even in his dreams!) Anurag is the kind of director that makes you feel for the characters first and makes you forget the actors who performed the role..... each and every frame in the movie speaks for his brilliance.... I am very impressed by this director and looking forward to Gulaal fervently...


Devdas is not an easy movie to make or remake. It carries with it the illustrious names of many top-ranking and honorary members of the Hindi Film fraternity - names that are etched in iron and steel on the sands of Hindi Cinema and hence a matter of great challenge when one dares to biuld it up in his / her own version. When SRK released his version of Devdas, I was among the first to see the movie.(it was released in 2002 - a particularly painful period in my life; wherein I struggled (in vain) to get a defunct personal life and non-existent professional life back on track) I had lots of expectations from the flick, it had the magical combination of SRK and SLB but needless, to say it disappointed me no end.

I was particularly displeased with SRK and SLB for trying to portray Devdas and his selfless love as a wimp's love and it helped no one that Shah Rukh was no Dilip and SLB no Bimal Roy! Over a point of time, though still rejecting their version of Devdas, I have quite managed to try and look at their side of the argument as well; though in all fairness I have not and could never accept it in entirety. Hence when Dev D was released, I had immense misgivings about how it would turn out .... However, today after watching this movie 7 times and still being unable to describe it in it's entirety; I am compelled to accept that this is the best tribute to Bimal Roy's moving saga of love and tragedy, which in itself is the best tribute to Saratchandra's book that created this franchisee.

Dev D is the best thing that could have happened to Devdas and his saga.... To make this movie stand out among such brilliant versions of this movie as the ones by Dilip and K L Saigal in Hindi and N T R Ramarao in Telugu requires a lot of guts and gumption, specifically when you are not basing it in the milieu for which this movie was intended and are making it more of a movie that has been adapted to a very different and difficult time.

Coming back to the two women... I can sum up my feelings in these words....

Ek Radha, Ek Meera, Donon Ne Shyam Ko Chaaha....

Antar Kya Donon Ke Preet Mein Bolo....?

Ek Jeet Naa Jaani, Ek Haar Na Maani