Requiem for a reality

It's usually me asking (begging) others to watch so and so movies. But with Lucia (2013), things changed a bit. My dear friend Bee not only recommended this film to me but also took the trouble of sending me the DVD. This was two years ago. However, for some technical reasons, i couldn't watch this Kannada beaut. But that changed last night. I finally caught hold of this psychedelic caper with brilliant subtitles in place. And i must add that it's one of the finest films to come out of our country this decade. During my stint as a film journalist for mid-day, i remember interviewing Goutam Ghose. He was the head of the selection committee that chose the film to be sent for Oscars back in 2013. Since Lucia was one of the 22 shortlisted entries, i remember him praising the film when asked whether it was difficult to come to a unanimous decision. I'd agree with him now. Lucia is indeed enchanting. It's different from usual Kannada flicks and yet similar. Here, too, the hero wants to settle down with his beloved but his journey is not going to be normal. It's filled with a constant fight between dreams, realities and alternate realities. To their credit, the protagonists are brilliant on screen. The screenplay and the innovative camerawork staple your attention for good. The only problem is everybody seems to be in a hurry. The dialogues are so fast paced that the actors aren't allowed to remain in one tempo for long, making some scenes extremely theatrical. Which is quite ironic when the film affords to feature songs that do little to enhance the storyline. All things seen and judged, nothing can prepare you for the climax. No, not even repeated viewings of Fight Club. 

Found in mistranslation

"Manithan unarnthu kølla, ithu manitha kaathal allae...Atheyum thaandi, ithu punithamaanathu.." - Gunaa (1991)

I don't entirely understand the Tamil words mentioned in a song from the aforementioned film starring Kamal Haasan and Roshini. If only my Tamil was as basic as my Urdu! However, i can safely presume that it's beautiful. Way too intense. So touching that it doesn't really matter whether i get it completely. Or not.

Update: It means "That man should be provoked by our love, this is not mortal love. Way beyond that, this love is divine."

Wonderful, isn't it?

Cannes, did she do it?

The best thing about our media is it asks plenty of questions but the problem is it seldom does so to the right person at the right place on the right time. More often than not, what happens is we journos go overboard with a given event and forget to analyze the structural design (read: agenda) behind it. Who led to what and which is to how and when happened to where are those stuff that get broomed beneath the mainstream cover. Perhaps it has a lot to do with the way a reporter look at things. After all, a story will remain the same although the storytellers vary.  

Something of this nature happened at Cannes about three weeks ago when Vidya Balan was invited to be a part of the jury at French Riviera. On cue, as usual, the Indian media went berserk on her elevation to such a pedigreed platform. But nobody—AND I MEAN NOBODY—bothered to ask why? I haven't come across a single column (although i've waited for quite some time now) inquiring why exactly is she on the jury. Instead, everybody started deriding her for her sartorial choices—even though i felt that she looked great in her desi outfits—and totally forgot the real purpose behind her visit. I've nothing against her. In fact, i genuinely feel that she's the finest young actress of our times. The word to be underlined is young. And that's also the reason why her selection seems hotchpotch. The 35-year-old who made her Bollywood debut in 2005 with Parineeta has appeared in less than 20 films since then. Can one assert that she has attained the experience needed to be a juror within a span of just eight years? Her film career is blitzkrieg of sorts given her nose for choosing challenging scripts but still. Besides, we're talking about the biggest film fest in the world here. Even someone as remarkable as Amitabh Bachchan hasn't been considered yet to serve their jury. Because the question is not about an Indian doing the honours. It's about the kind of qualifications a certain task demands. Judging world cinema at its purest form ain't everybody's cup of tea. Besides, what prompted the organizing committee to go for her? Spielberg's recent visit to Mumbai? Her recent wedding to an influential producer? Or let's blame it on globalisation then? If Nandita Das could be there, why not Vidya? Not to undermine her presence but when you look at the group photographs of all the jurors together, our national sweetheart appears like the odd woman out. Sharing the deliberation room with accomplished names like Steven Spielberg, Ang Lee, Naomi Kawase and Christoph Waltz is simply begging one question: what exactly did she bring to the table?