Bas bhi karo

Humility is an appreciable virtue but the problem with being humble is you seldom know when to stop. It's very important to understand not everybody gets humility. Just like not everybody gets sarcasm. And that disability can work against you. Unless you are somebody like Gulzarsaab. He can be extremely self-effacing during social dos and at the same time, he can be that person who lambasts Chetan Bhagat in public. My undying love for the celebrated lyricist's work (i don't care much for his personal life) humbles me. Isn't that the SI unit of greatness? You read somebody's poems and begin to acknowledge the sheer tininess of your own poetry. It's like racing against wind, if not cheetah, if not Bolt. Words bow to him because he has been wandering in the garden of wordplay like a kid since time immemorial. Maybe that's why he could come up with lines like “..apna hi hoke sahey dard paraaye..” and “..aye, zindagi gale lagaale..” with the same ease as for “Kajra re...kajre re...” and “..zubaan pe laaga re namak ishq ka...”!

I digressed.

More than half a decade ago, Lata took me to a poetry reading session by Gulzarsaab. This was way before my tryst with film journalism. Thanks to her, i could not only see my idol in flesh but also have a book signed by him. It's one of the finest gifts i ever got and i shall cherish it to my death. He was dressed in his usual whites punctuated by a pair of flashy mojris. There was a bustle in the crowd gathered to witness something none of us would bother to forget. He was sitting quietly on the stage as Javed Siddiqui walked forward to introduce the star of the event. Siddiqui began by saying that it's very easy for even a small candle to get recognized in a room full of darkness. But it takes something extraordinary for a lantern to get noticed in a room full of luminescent lanterns. Of course, he was referring to the rich Urdu world of writers and poets although for the audience, it probably meant the place Gulzarsaab has carved for himself in Hindi cinema. Siddiqui went on and on trying to metaphorize the personality who seemed least interested in verbal accolades. But then, Gulzarsaab knows very well what to do when. He got up from his chair, walked up to Siddiqui from behind and patted his back before saying, “Bas bhi karo, Siddiqui saab, kitna jhooth bologe?”  

Picture abhi baaki hai

This year witnessed more of a downfall than an upswing for Bollywood—not just in commercial terms but also critical—but we give you 10 reasons to stay positive about Hindi cinema for a long time to come. Put into perspective, Bollywood didn't really have a breathtaking year. There were no mind-boggling figures embellishing the box office either. In all fairness, 2014 has been a lukewarm year for the Hindi film industry. Similarly, there were no lateral entrants like Ship of Theseus or Shahid or The Lunchbox to help us wade through the otherwise formulaic assembly. Is there a pattern to be noticed? Are we missing something of a paradigm shift not only at the filmmakers' end but also at the audience's? In any case, it's easy to just override Bollywood for its abject lack of originality, of late. At the same time, however, it'd be farcical to simply assume that Hindi cinema as an entity could possibly be redundant—ever. 

Here are the 10 reasons why i think Bollywood is still worth believing in…

1) Secular fabric

Say what you may about content—or lack thereof—but Hindi films, not to forget their makers, have ensured that the good ol' idea of secularism is upheld under any circumstances. An onscreen character's private beliefs rarely get in the way of the storyline. Seldom do we come across an incident where a storyline offends religious sentiments. On the other hand, most of the controversies pertaining to faith rise just on assumption, much before a given film even hits the marquee. And 2014 takes a good step forward with a film like pk, which takes on religious leaders who lead us astray.

2) Sound of music

The cliché of a hero and his heroine running around a tree while a song is played in the background never goes out of fashion. But what has effectively gone out of the production door in the West is the concept of musical within a feature film. Which might explain why French cinema shies away from musicals while German cinema employs English pop songs. In the meantime, Bollywood films continue to unabashedly celebrate music like there's no tomorrow. 2014 had a plethora of some exceptionally good music with meaningful lyrics, be it Zehnaseeb from Hasee Toh Phasee, Samjhawaan from Humpty Sharma Ki Dulhania, Galliyan from Ek Villain, or Patakha Guddi from Highway or Allah Waariyan from Yaariyan.

3) Source of livelihood

While purists make all kinds of noise, they conveniently forget that Bollywood is a $3.2 billion industry employing nearly two lakh people. And this employment ranges from big-ticket stars to junior technicians, all of them earning their bread thanks to Friday releases. If a brainless film hits the jackpot at the box office, it also translates to further distribution of moolah to the thousands of faceless and nameless contributors. There was one sexist rule in the industry of not allowing women to wield the make-up brush, but that is also history now, thanks to the gritty Charu Khurana.

4) Change is in the air

The recent success of relatively smaller films like Filmistaan, Ankhon Dekhi, Sulemani Keeda, etc. has reinforced the new stream of thinking. So much so that young actors like Shahid Kapoor (Haider) and Varun Dhawan (Badlapur) are willing to push themselves out of their comfort zone. After all, more risk-taking filmmakers are on board and there's an encouraging balance with established studios like Viacom18, UTV and PVR Rare among others taking the initiative to produce and distribute high-content but low-on-budget flicks

5) Godfather? No, thanks

What's common between Honey Singh and Chetan Bhagat? Both are going to be everywhere—if they aren't already. Yet again busting the myth that nepotism rules. Besides, Bollywood has warmly welcomed relative 'nobodies' from the outside world. You may have doubts about their talent, but can't deny that they have made the best use of the opportunity offered to them by Hindi cinema.

6) Single screen, great hope

Multiplexes account for just eight per cent of India's 12,000 screens but rake in a third of the total box office receipts. So one can imagine the pressure single screens must be reeling under. Besides, the number of single-screen cinemas in India continues to fall beyond 10,000 (the estimated figure in 2012). Regardless, there's a long way to go before all of them are shut down—making way for multiplexes—or the unruly whistles of the boisterous are silenced.

7) Giving theatre its due

In the recent past, more actors with a strong stage background are pouring into the industry. This year saw talent powerhouses including Manav Kaul, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Seema Pahwa and Niharika Singh, impressing Hindi cinema lovers.

8) Going global

As far as the overseas market is concerned, Bollywood is no longer limited to the diaspora. NRIs are anyway going to watch Hindi films. On a greater scale, we are witnessing a phase where collaborations between the promising East and the meticulous West is so obviously on. And it's not just about AR Rahman composing music for Hollywood films or Irrfan acting in them but also about the steady exchange of ideas on the technical and infrastructural front. Happy New Year took a happy step ahead in being innovative with its release and instead of going for the traditional satellite rights, the producers decided to release it on the digital platform. This is just a start.

9) Long live Urdu

Post-independence, there was a rather long phase when Urdu defined the verbal side of a movie. However, that fastidious nature of the poetic language has changed. Irrespective of all these evolutionary changes, Urdu somehow manages to flourish in Hindi film songs. Like Haider not only stole our hearts with its beautiful poetry but also gave Urdu its rightful place yet again.

10) Entertainment factor

Bollywood was reasonably high on entertainment this year too. Don't believe us? Look at Govinda in his comeback roles in Kill Dil and Happy Ending. Or Arjun Kapoor and Ranveer Singh’s bromance on-screen as well as off it. Also, the Khan triumvirate reestablished their hold on the box-office—as was expected of them—although it'd be more interesting to see them turn 50 next year.

N.B. In case you feel that my writing is too grey and paragraph-less on blog, you can check out this piece on mid-day with pictures and all that jazz.

This year witnessed more of a downfall than an upswing for Bollywood — not just in commercial terms but also critical — but we give you 10 reasons to stay positive about Hindi cinema for a long time to come - See more at: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/2014-rewind-10-reasons-why-hindi-cinema-still-matters/15860195#sthash.FnB07ndC.dpuf

That underrated actor

If Farooque Shaikh were alive, he'd have disapproved of what i'm going to write. Not because it's false but because of his nature. The endearing actor cautiously stayed away from accolades and made sure he was as stardom-free as humanly possible. However, interestingly enough, he cared about his films and how they turned out in their essence compared to box-office figures. And this is from what i know of him. Having met him twice and having spoken on phone more, i'm pretty sure that there are very few actors around who ponder about the kind of work they are doing than the consequences it's going to have. With him gone now, that precious number has dwindled further. Remember that climactic scene in Shanghai where he's unable to enjoy his food after Abhay Deol's rebellious character has left him with no choice? Or throughout Club 60 where he balanced Sarika? Well, these are instances from his second innings (although he denied ever going back to the pavilion) and there are a lot more from his younger days. The range he exhibited was par excellence—be it the so-called middle-of-the-road cinema, theatre or television. Come to think of it, his Jeena Isi Ka Naam Hai brought us closer to Bollywood stars long before KJo's caffeine did. He kept moving from one platform to another. The most impressive thing about him was he didn't take himself seriously throughout and admitted that he was painfully lazy. Always the first one to poke fun at himself, i remember him telling me "Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani did so well despite me being in it!" with deadpan expression. I don't know about others but these are the kind of folks i look forward to in my day-to-day existence. They don't own a car but are happy doing what they love. On top of that, they don't harbour bitterness for the boats they missed. They address you with warmth and respect unseen in most of their contemporaries. They are a rare specimen and it's an utter shock to wake up to rude news of their departure. I can only wish him a peaceful second innings.

Quote unquote

"Hi. This is Shakti Shetty calling from Midday." 

"Who?"  

"Shakti from Midday."

"I thought you were female. Shakti sounds like a girl's name."

"Sorry to disappoint you, sir, but do you have 5 minutes?"

"Sure."

"Do you think Bollywood is a surname-driven industry?"

"What?"

Hearts, interrupted

There are movies you like and then, there are movies that like you. Lootera falls in the latter category. It begins as a film but ends as a painting. Also, if a picture speaks a thousand words, a canvas speaks for eternity, right? Absolutely. Still, the dialogues are so few and far between. And interestingly—or rather coincidentally—a painting in this specific piece of art (painted by the supremely gifted Vikramaditya Motwane of the Udaan fame) plays a key role. Set amid an era when zamindars ended up as losers and lovers maintained a winning distance, a conman manages to steal some invaluable pieces of history. While he's at it, the innocence in him robs a strong yet vulnerable girl off her heart, peace and future. The worst part is she loves him even when he's hurting her the most. Maybe love, like cinema, works in mysterious ways. What works for this sincere film though is it has a heart-wrenching tale to share. With as many pictures—and as few words—as possible. The background score punctuated by songs fill in what the protagonists are too stubborn to express. If you remember Raincoat, you might recollect that the room in which it was shot consumes you with a certain amount of claustrophobia. What Motwane does is he keeps claustrophobia out of the room for the most part. Inside it, Sonakshi Sinha delivers THE captivating performance of her life. Given the scale she exhibited, calling her promising is an understatement. Ranveer Singh, on the other hand, tries his best to fit in perfectly as a guy who is far removed from his personality. The first half is flawless while the second half stumbles a bit. Overall, it combines to form a colossal work of art. However, some love stories are meant to end prematurely. But when they do, they leave the spectator with grief as well as a thirst to start all over again. Lootera is one such adaptation.