Live enjoyment in Peepli

The LIVE word can be construed as live as in live matches or live as we live our lifes.

Peepli Live, most of my friends comprehended, it will be a bore. So what if Aamir Khan is promoting it, it need not be a good movie? And why not Aamir Khan should promote it? He is the producer. When you watch the movie, you realize, you required Aamir Khan to promote this movie? There are interactions, press conferences, you need a face to represent the movie. The posters do reveal a lot about the movie, a poor rural family, few mikes hanging from the top, media swarming from the top, LIVE word in frame and a handpump. So what if the whole caste and the issue is pasted on it? You have little or no idea, how its going to play? One of the rare posters, which captures and narrates the real characters of the movie and summons it at appropriate places.

Take a dig at the other poster pictured below. It a tempu, the mass transporter of rural India. In my native place, it is known as bhoond (Punjabi word for honey bee). It is distastingly painted black with some part of it yellow, may be the front hood or the top part. But the sight of tempu is the same in any part of our truly majestic India, people are hanging from all sides and their daily wares.

Peepli Live is one of the rare movies of Bollywood, which was running without (count it), a named and famed director, no famed actor, no famed actress, no dream sequences, no dances, no item number, no burning issue, no action, no romance, no melodrama, no crying, barely music (definitely can be defined as antonym of musical). What the movie contains? Just the way India was and currently it is progressing. A very nice written and delivered script revolving around a very small incident but a very big issue for India. We should learn to laugh at ourselves that is what director has tried to aim. If you feel ashamed, do something about it? Until then keep laughing at your plight.

Peepli Live is a satire on farmer’s suicide. But I believe, honestly, it is a satire on media and our political system or perhaps the way our country is being run. The moot point the director raises, a farmer may not till his/her land, may not require money/food. All they want is the respect for their lands. We are not able to provide them with a single way of existence, aim, mission, vision and dream of our life.

Media star characters are brilliantly brought to the front. Perhaps a spoof or original cut-outs of Barkha Dutt of NDTV and Chaurasia of AajTak (don’t know if this fellow has switched employers, well must have, we all do). Media is the most creative industry in India. They can make and create a movie and an issue with nobody. This is what they have depicted in the movie. They are trying to address an issue of farmer suicide. Yet it is the last thing, on their mind.

Every character plays to his part with such elegance and poise. The media personnel as they are hogging like dogs and spewing like donkeys. Natha, the real face of the movie, has barely one or two dialogues. But his expressions make his character. I have no idea what is happening in my life, why is it happening and what I am supposed to do about it? Just listens and barely responds. Raghubir Yadav, one of the finest actors in India. The wife, as women are (oh sorry as rural woman are), always screaming and abusing their husbands and in laws.

Politicians and IAS officers, as they are in real life, we are only here to show and project that we are trying to do things. The only beneficiary in the name of WE the people is me, me and me. The handpump in the picture below is granted under the Lal Bahadur Shastri scheme by the District Collector. Natha does ask for the fitting expenses but that is not part of the scheme. Nobody talks about his loan or his land in possession of the bank.

Finally the amma, whose only working limb is her tongue and she uses it to perfection to abuse at every opportunity and appropriate time anybody who comes in front of her. Especially her bahu (daughter in law) with kulta, naaspiti, karamjali, abhouri, naagin, daayein and yes there are few prefixing family relations too.

The ending does not possess a happy ending like a typical Bollywood masala, boy hugging the girl’s parents. Such movies never have a happy ending, instead it creates another level of disruption with no conclusion.

Conclusion or no conclusion, do watch it in theatre and definitely finds a place in the selected DVDs section.

Tere Bin Laden - Watch it or Laugh it

The name of the movie suggests, it’s a satire. It’s a satire on Osama Bin Laden, THE MAN on this earth with $25 million for its headless body and couple of billions or trillions already in the drain for his head. I really admire him for the way; he has made Americans to stalk the Afghanistan. Normally the world wants to stalk or hound Americans till the time they abuse you in public.

For the movie, Mr. Laden raises cocks and hens. He runs a mini poultry farm of his own. He loves and adores his cocks and hens. The irony and parody running in the movie is remarkable and phenomenal. A young Pakistani reporter working with some stupid Danka TV wants to go to America, the land of his dreams. The movie comes at a time when in reality, the Americans have made Pakistan a bigger mess than Afghanistan, that too for supporting America and not fighting them. Though for the reporter, Mr. Ali Zafar should remain stuck to his singing and not acting. He barely knows and seems to show little potential to become an actor.

The irony and parody in the movie, a Pakistani reporter wants to visit America riding on his success of an interview with a fake Osama Bin Laden. What on Earth went in the maker’s mind? Everybody is laughing their way including the producers. I never expected the movie to be a laugh riot. You are laughing and laughing, till it hurts with all the quirky one liners from Noora aka Osama Bin Laden. The best one is “tere behan nu lassi pilawa”. Or Sikander, my star murga, who won the competition; “he, alone has taken control/incharge of 1000 hens”.

The whole effort goes in building the characters, Osama Bin Laden aka Noora, cameraman, owner of the channel, make-up artist, Ted ji, Pakistani brigadiers. Definitely a must watch for all the Asians. In introspection of what we are and what we aim to become and definitely the means we attach to it.

Tweet or Text

One of my friends commented on facebook, “this is most shared video amongst my friends”. I congratulated her on this feat and suggested to put it on resume. Before I begin, personally I don’t have anything against the social networking world/arena/sphere/geography. Really don’t know how anybody wants to define it. It is a great way to connect. I have found schoolmates, friends, love, lost love, found love, have done and used it for all the practical and not so practical things (actually more for it).

Aamir Khan is not normally found in news too much. Except around the release of his movie, he virtually pastes his name, his movie’s name on every wall, street, road, lips of India. But for the past some time, he has been in news for joining twitter. The news reads, Aamir Khan decides to join twitter.

The media frenzy has little or no job, hence they try to make a BREAKING NEWS of any monkey climbing the wall or even falling from it. Aamir Khan’s twitter joining/commencement/launch date was even more anticipated than any of his movies. People lose jobs/stature due to twitter. Big B was the most busy actor till recent and now he is persuading his community (Bollywood) people to join Twitter. As long as Big B is concerned, he never uses a product is he is not endorsing it. He is endorsing all the things that are required in daily life.

Media stays on job for following Twitter of celebrities. The name, profile pic, mahurat of first tweet, every silly aspect, which Aamir otherwise may not have thought for movies even. “Twitter ka baadshah kaun”, we will hear this news and analysis, few months down the line.

Aamir Khan got 37,500 followers on his first day of tweeting.

This morning he joined Twitter officially and said in his first message: "Bhala gardish falak ki chain deti hai kise Insha, ganimat hai ke hum surat yahan do-chaar baithey hain. Esp for you sir. Love. Thanks for the warm welcome guys. Love. Aamir."

Amitabh welcomed him saying, "Thank you Aamir... You give more due than I deserve ... Happy Tweeting ...."

In this narrow world, where SMSes have replaced letters. Tweets are replacing the real touch of a human being.

Raavan – Why and How of it?

I know it’s too late to actually discuss about the movie, “Raavan”, especially these days when the highly anticipated are doomed in three days (maybe first date or during pre-release even) and the much celebrated last 10 days. But still its better to let out the autopsy report after all the dust has settled.

As the saying goes, an exceptional filmmaker is granted pardon for one exceptional blunder of his career. But its still hard to digest, when you name, Mani Ratnam.

Honestly I was not so bored as everybody was while watching Raavan. Not because I have spent money and we should try to enjoy the movie. Every movie has something or the other to offer. In case of Raavan, it was Santosh Sivan’s work. The way he has shot the visuals of the movie even if Abhishiek sliding down the mountain goes out of the frame is worth it. Just enjoy, we only dream about such visuals and places. When you visit, it’s never so enchanting or out of the world, so definitely a high point of the movie.

So the big question is, Why was Raavan made at the first instance? Everybody said before the release, it’s the career defining film for the first couple of Bollywood. It’s definitely career defining movie, I hope they make more sensible choices in future.

Yesterday watching a repeat telecast of IIFA awards and Amitabh was receiving award for Best Actor for his role in PAA. How many great actors in Bollywood have won a Best Actor award without a trophy like actress in their arms in movie? Leave aside SRK, Aamir, none. Actually barring the two, hardly others get a chance. Amitabh Bachchan out of his magnanimity in 1991 or 1992 gave his Best Actor award to the other nominees in Best Actor category and told the baton should be handed over to the next generation. Not that he is less magnanimous or his craving for awards has increased. Its perhaps the first family of Bollywood should only get such awards, since the next generation is not taking the responsibility (the son), hence the elderly has to take the charge (the father). In Bollywood, its not your work or the character you have played, but rather you and your out of the movies personality should exhibit that yes I do deserve an award. The big award winners are always in media circles for most of the things which are not related to movies.

I can bet on it, the best villain award for 2010 goes to Abhishiek Bachchan husband of Aishwarya Rai Bachchan (former Miss World) and yes he is still son of Amitabh Bachchan, the lead actor of Bollywood.

Couple of years back, Abhishiek said, paa got an award, maa got an award, I was nominated; I would have been good had I got an award even. I truly and with whole heart sympathize with you Abhishiek. When you are brought up in the setup where only receiving awards and adding honours is the need and purpose of your existence. It definitely feels bad. Even I am undergoing similar type of circumstances, my brother and sister always agree with my father and I am the one, who is always arguing and add to the fact, they always scored good in academics and I was always floundering.

Everybody in the Bachcan family has been awarded Padma Shri, except Abhishiek Bachchan. Going by the profile of the family, isn’t it justified and time for the junior AB to be awarded few or most of the stupid Bollywood awards and followed by the big Padma Shri award in 2011 or maximum by 2012.

Some people have already started crying for what?
For his stupid, uniconic and very useless and superficial act of Beera. The most boring and disturbing element of Beera was his trademark bur-bur-bur-bur or bak-bak-bak while shaking his head, which is like a necessity to be provided to any villain in a Bollywood movie. Gone are the days, when Mogambo would say, “mogambo khush hua”, everybody would get sad on hearing about his khushi. Children living in villages, towns and cities actually feared the Gabbar of Sholay. That was where Mr. Mani failed, casting the Bachchan scion as the villain, a villain never deserves a sympathy. Even if he deserves, it is for his situations and not for his way and means. Beera got it all. Ram and Sita were like unfit blocks disturbing the Raavan. Even the actress was convinced with the villain. The hero, the quintessential good man of Bollywood movies was lost looking for his place in the script. Perhaps that’s the reason it was named RAAVAN and not Ramayana. For the audience, the real RAAVAN still is Mr. Mani Ratnam.

Striker - A new Cinema

Didn’t had anything to do last weekend. No girlfriend. Friends seem so far, thinking about the auto/taxis of Delhi. So had to give-in to my flatmate, who owns a car, Striker, I want to watch the movie without spending on it but ended up paying for him also. Siddharth, one of the reasons for watching the movie, I just fell in love with his attitude in RDB (Rang de Basanti). Couple of years, I had seen BOYS (Telegu Movie) of Siddharth, he was best with his naivety in the movie.

Besides, he takes up one project at a time or for record, one movie in a year. Not a perfectionist though (thank God), for the better only, but definitely tries to put his head in every aspect of his movie. The reviews of Striker suggested, the movie has a lot more meat than the posters or the trailors reveal.

Striker, breaks away from the whole concept of movies, as it is perceived in India. We have cinema, Yashraj, KJo types; parallel cinema; art movies; offbeat (though can be called as parallel) movies, same or different concepts for same or different people. Then there are people like Anurag Kashyap, Abhay Deol, Dibakar Banerjee, who are trying to redefine the definition of cinema, art, entertainment or perhaps may come up with a new term. Striker is a different experience from all these.

A story should have a purpose and a meaning. Striker has none. Like many Hollywood movies, it just narrates about an era in one of the many slums of Mumbai. The movie is set in 80’s with bhaigiri without cellphones against the backdrop of carom. Our common time-pass indoor game. The protagonist does not wish to achieve or change the world or came to put in order the whole lot of mess created by the director on celluloid, he was offered an opportunity and lucky to grab and achieved the desired results without getting head to head with the goons contrary to what happens in Bollywood movie.

Siddharth looks impeccable with his Bombaiya (oops Mumbaiya) dialect and the whole dressing style. We know all the characters of the movie, we have seen them, felt them or visualized them through the n number of flicks made on Mumbai crime, underworld, slums. But this one is different from the times as it introduces the carom board and the whole game of hide and seek ends with the real life dreaded incident of 1992 riots in Mumbai.

My Name is Khan (or whatever)

In Bollywood, if you name ShahRukh or Amitabh Bachchan in the interview or any view/idea to the media, you can be assured of additional space in the media. Some of the people, do try to name them. As part of the glamour industry, we understand that you need to create furore (negative or positive) by our continuous presence in media circles. But the politicians stooping to such low levels, especially when we have names like BalaSaheb getting into such murky affair is really shameful. BalaSaheb is a very respected person and politician, though as person that may be doubtful, but still. For all his insecurities and the ramblings, we should discount his age and the fact, that one of the powerful and invincible person (read person not as person) of Mumbai has been licking his wounds due to betrayal by his own nephew. Bala Saheb is an immensely talented and much better entertainer than Shah Rukh Khan. Read his comments in their party magazine, Saamna, the thoughts are indeed very refreshing jokes vis-à-vis the double meaning jokes that we cherish these days. Shah Rukh cannot never pull such kind of entertainment for his audience.

Karan Johar, the producer of My Name is Khan ensured to his audience and the fans of SRK that adequate security has been provided at all the 63 cinema screens across Mumbai, which will be screening My Name is Khan. Mr. Johar, you can go to police but cannot talk to BalaSaheb. You guys are at war with him, why should the audience be victim? We are neutral, neither supporting nor opposing. Bala Saheb possesses his own unique way of looking at things. Amitabh Bachchan apologized for a small remark by Jaya Bachchan in an informal gathering to Manse (MNS, lead by the child prodigy of Bala Saheb). Why cant Mr. Khan apologize to Bala Saheb?

I know SRK does not owe any apology to Bala Saheb. What he felt and said as a team owner and not as Muslim, Indian, Pakistani, entertainer. Bala Saheb, perhaps, believes that SRK is part of Congress and if he apologizes, he would feel Sonia has apologized to his Laughiness (a new word replicating the stature of Holiness/Highness). So much property will be destroyed and an atmosphere of hatred, fear and insecurity will be created for satisfying the ego of Mr. Bala Saheb.

Bala Saheb may be fuming why the movie is named, My Name is Khan. Unfortunately, Bala Saheb, you or you dumb shreds had no role in 9/11. Otherwise, the movie could have been titled My Name is Bhatwadekar/ or something like that.

In the meantime, SRK instead of promoting his film, is unperturbed to show and communicate his Indianness and he is not a Pakistani. I can’t imagine if somebody asks me to prove, I am an INDIAN, why I am Indian, how much I am Indian? Honestly, I don’t have any answer for that. Perhaps, my birth certificate, if you believe it is true and correct. But SRK hats off to you, he is really trying to pull this off.

From where the whole idea started? SRK commented on the exclusion of Pak players from IPL auction that he would have liked the presence of one or two Pakistani players. Inn comes Bala Saheb to invigorate our Indianness and our security issue and is helping us in believing that SRK is a traitor and not an Indian. So what even if he is not? What is Shiv Sena going to make out of it? Shiv Sena stands by and to protect the Mumbai and the Marathi manoos. You cannot prevent your own farmers from committing suicide, what is the point of saving them from whosoever they feel is threatening, frightening them. Mumbai, for God sake, only Thackeray possess the sensibility to destroy Mumbai. Mumbai is not a place or geography. It’s a spirit; it’s the benchmark, which means India for zillions of traders and business travelers. We are talking about making Mumbai, a cosmopolitan, where people of all spheres and walks of life, religions and nationalities, co-exist to create unique phenomena.

Bala Saheb, also alleged, his party will attack Australian cricketers for attacking Indians in Australia. My only stand, if they (Australian, Pakistani, American, Indonesian) attack anybody (India, Afghanistan, Japan, Veitnam), it’s a news, a blunder but still I can attack and threaten anybody, anywhere.

My humble request to Bala Saheb, to focus on the protection of his Marathi manoos, by undertaking something productive for them and leave the larger national issues, esp. issues pertaining to India. Nahi to, aapka bhatija, aapka bacha-kucha bhi lae jayega.

3 IDIOTS

With ‘3 Idiots’ I know I’m in the right. I’m just telling people to see the film and read my book. I know Aamir is a very powerful person. But finally the truth has to prevail, no? I’m no great artist, but there has to be fair play. I’m being accused of trying to get mileage. Ten lakh copies of the book have been sold. The book has been read by one crore readers. Wouldn’t they know the truth?

Finally after days of mud slinging over each other, Chetan Bhagat offered truce. Actually if we look into it, it was one way affair. Chetan Bhagat asserting his credit in the movie. There were hardly any comments from Aamir Khan or the maker of 3 Idiots. Then the media took over, who are experts in cooking biryani from plain rice. The media started discussing the credit points, same points, differences, percentages, 5%, 10%, 70% and 80%. When the media report came, Mr. Chetan Bhagat is paid Rs. 10 Lac for allowing filming rights to his novel, that is the end of the story. A creative person loses his world and charm and passion of his work. It is applicable to 3 Idiots film-makers and marketers too.

Or was it another marketing gimmick from one and all the interested parties. Aamir Khan possesses innovative market strategies. Had he thought, the name of the author/book could help him in leveraging his movie’s box office collections, Chetan Bhagat would have been laughing all his way to the bank. Chetan Bhagat saying in the end, I’m just telling people to see the film and read my book. Chetan Bhagat knows that a book only adds to numbers when it is released or when a movie is made on it. Like in the case of Slumdog Millionaire, the book was sold in lakhs after the movie release against its early distribution of 50,000. Chetan Bhagat knows anyhow after selling a million copies, this is the only chance to sell few more lakhs of copies of the book, esp. after the publisher had printed a million copies prior to the release of the movie (probably it may be the case). I don’t know how much credit should be given to the author of the book. In American/British movies, majority of the moviemakers don’t even mention the book and the author. The titles present only Based on Novel by ......, A Book Adaptation, etc. A filmmaker is inspired from a novel. A filmmaker can never ever justify the novel.

I would like to suggest to Mr. Chetan Bhagat, India is not a readers country. He should be really happy for his feat. His book made many Indians sit and read the one and only book of their life. In India, a book cannot compete with a movie. Indians like to watch movies. There’ll be very few people who will still read the novel. Majority of the people, who read novels before or after watching the movie, must have already read his novel.

Chetan Bhagat, himself said, ten lakh copies sold and one crore readers, need one say more. Most of the friends said after watching the movie, the novel was better. It’s difficult to share limelight/spotlight with Aamir Khan. In the end, these days only media wins, rest everybody is painted in an ugly frame.

New York - Thought Review

A lot has been said and written about the movie New York. I know I am late, I got to watch New York three weeks after its release and that too, after three months of lockout on multiplexes. All of us know it’s a good movie, amazing story, direction, cinematography. Finally a good movie from Yash Raj productions after boring and disappointing audiences for two years.

I knew John could act and everyone gets better with experience. John fits the bill for intense roles. Remember Jism and its power packed dialogues, monosyllables. As always Irfan Khan was brilliant but somehow I am not convinced with the dialogues written for him. Neil Nitin Mukesh needs to work harder. He was very different from Johny Gaddaar.

Getting back to the issue of the terrorism and the way America has approached this issue. Irfan does tell about the magnanimity of the Americans, the American culture. No doubt, he was right about it. That’s why ‘Barack Hussain Obama’ is their President. But 9/11 also brought the shallowness, double-standards, diplomatic, hypocritic attitude of the Americans in the open. Bush always said, “we can and we always will are committed to fight terrorism and ensure no evil forces touch the American soil in future”. Inspite of the fact that USA may become the only country on this earth with living population.

Kabir Khan has wonderfully portrayed the shallowness and non-intelligence of American intelligence forces and offices. Anybody who would or could have taken the photographs of WTC was taken under suspicion. It seems they had implicated all the Muslims, who went on that street in past ten years and must have framed the person even if he was standing with his back to WTC.

Look at the way, Kabir disguised the full name of Sameer from the audience till interval. Sameer didn’t belong to a religion like most of us from our generation. Our generation belongs to a genre of ideas. Religion is a myth or a belief. Well that’s another long debate? Sameer was made to feel his religion, Muslim in that detention centre. Just before entering one, his name is revealed to the audience, “Sameer Sheikh”. Americans felt the threat in the name.

What they have done to protect America is very disappointing? Radicalizing the Islamism to its extreme, a person is not born terrorist from its mother’s womb. Its only the surroundings which make a human being. They have made them reach a point where only the true path is terrorism.

Everywhere in the world there are mistakes to fight a menace like terrorism. I know I belong to Punjab and grew up during the years of intense terrorism in Punjab. There were mistakes, tortures, innocents became victims. But then the Govt. of Punjab and its law and order forces, that they have to uproot this menace from its underground level. At one time, police was killing more people in Punjab than terrorists. It was painful but then it was the ultimate strategy to restore peace in my homeland.

America (read Bush) acted like a smuggler in a suit. When you let lose the goons (read FBI) in the open market in the name of protecting yourself, that day you are harming yourself more than others can do to you. There have been articles when people were terrified to finding armed cops and agents around everywhere.

The most dramatic thing about movie ‘New York’ is that earlier when Sameer (John Abraham) had not done anything. He was caught and kept in detention centre for nine months. But when he was really planning to do something and FBI was sure of the fact. They could have caught him and could do anything. But don’t know why it was not. I guess then the movie could not be made.