Legends of Indian Cinema Today

Legends of Indian Cinema Today

 THE LEGENDS

1) DIBAKAR BANERJEE

    They say we can not and shall not call any human “A GOD” but I ask what is God? Who is God? Officially there are different and distinct Gods for every single religion on earth. Does this mean the belief and existence about and of “God-Thing” is relative? If yes, then why can't we call 'God' for any person, perspective or thing that we think is ideal for us? If no, then why there are different kinds/types of beliefs about Gods and even different GODS themselves for every single religion on earth?
    What is the definition of God? Is it a belief system or an existing THING?? What?!!
Whatever!!
    Respected Dibakar Banerjee sir is one living god for me, my respected Father and my GURU respected Hari Gobinda Luitel being other two, among three living Gods of my life, YET.
 
    Khosla ka Ghosla is so so. I have not fully understood what Dibakar Sir is trying to say with Oye Lucky Lucky Oye. I didn't like it the first time but after that I have seen 4-5 times, still not getting it! So I will ask him to write a Detailed review of this movie himself when I get to meet him. It is his third movie LOVE, SEX AUR DHOKHA I like most among his all five (including the short of Bombay Talkies). He is more into the society than anything else, in his movies. So is LSD, soooo beautiful as a Cinema. Characterization ......oh my.. so detailed! Dialogues sooo real and finally as stories, the things revealed/explained/shown are some ugliest truth of society. A masterpiece as a cinema, a tool/material/book to learn for any cinema person and beautifully, carefully crafted “ART for slow-mo lifed hysterics”! I think I need to believe on the belief “soul never dies but finds another hostage to reside/live on after the primary/previous hostage dies/disintegrates” because i see Satyajit Ray doing another 'Pather Panchali' in Mr Dibakar Banerjee every time I watch LSD!
    'Shanghai' is an angry Cinema made by an angry AAM AADMI of India, is a mirror to 'high-end money making periphery and phenomenon, not the corporate but of political and bureaucratic environment'. If NAAYAKI being done by AAM AADMI PARTY nowadays proceeds to orgasm, the reality shown in Shanghai quiet obviously becomes a beautiful documentation of such phenomenon and will be said “once upon a time in India Shanghai used to happen” but if Mr Arvind Kejriwal and his party AAP fails, Shanghai keeps living in India and in Shanghais all around the world for unknown terrifying period, breathing SOCIETY!!
    The short movie of Bombay Talkies is for you, whoever is reading this article ...to watch, to understand, to realize and to weep (secretly though;)
    And with his upcoming movie DETECTIVE BYOMKESH BAKSHI (scheduled to release on December 2014) he seems to enter into a Human from his previous society-doing. I can say this because he himself has said in some interviews that DBB is not a spy movie, but a story of “a boy becoming a man”.
    Characterization of every single characters in his Cinema use to be so detailed, so real and so beautiful... now he is doing a movie on one character itself, on a life of human ...what it's gonna like – can anyone imagine?!!
    Dibakar sir, I know it's difficult for you to do movies frequently, like one movie every six month,  because you have told once somewhere it takes about six month for you to write script and doing some pre and post-scripting works, a year is mandatory for you to make one movie. But at least you can do one movie per year. So it is a humble request, sir please do more, we need more good cinemas. We want to live in the world where more good cinema-doing is happening around.


2) IMTIAZ ALI

       Oh man! Man oh man oh man!!! What an imagination of this man. Although Imtiaz and Dibakar are of two different types, unaffected by one another’s films on greatness of themselves, after 'Highway' releasees, I think Imtiaz will beat Dibakar. 'Love Aaj Kal' -one among the ten best movies of world cinema, along with 'Pather Panchali' and 'Rang De Basanti' being other two in the list, from Indian cinema, has only one flaw: traditional Bollywood cultured lip-synced songs, eg: chor bazzari. The song itself is beautiful though. But in 'Rockstar' this only flaw was cleared off and Imtiaz Ali has said in one interview that there are songs in highway but are all background songs.
    As a cinema,, technical approach,  Rockstar is more complex to make and even to get, being more good, better than 'Love Aaj Kal', but as a human being, an another being of this society and culture, I say 'Love Aaj Kal', is unbeatable. The 'freedom' spoken in 'Rockstar' seems to be the greater subject to deal with, then the 'love' of 'Love Aaj Kal' but practically this freedom seems to create mess, example is the western culture (yea, we know the freedom is taken but is not being get known what to do with, and by materializing the human sentiment, emotion, relationship, love and intimacy west has messed. So, although the freedom did not do the mess, practical and human aspect of this freedom is seen very rare, so 'Love Aaj Kal' is better).
    But I'm not getting in to the analysis of his movies but about the progression of:
- story he tells, message he conveys with the story and
-the method how he tells the story and how beautifully he weaves a beautiful, universal and too human core to so beautifully (either linear or in non linear way) told story.
    'Love Aaj Kal' was/is too tooo toooo human 'Rockstar' was/ is cinematically so beautiful, now I think, I believe, I know -Imtiaz Sir has crossed the limit/mark and boundary he set with 'Love Aaj Kal' and 'Rockstar', while making 'Highway', I can't know what too expect!

Now, a cinema:
- flawless, not having a single mistake either technical (acting etc) or non-technical (concept, story and message told being good)
- cinematically brilliant, visually stunning and
- having a toooo human core!!!
        You imagine how the experience is going to be, watching 'Highway'!
    I have one complain though, not with any movies but with Imtiaz Ali and this is a very big one! Actually I'm angry and very much. Imtiaz Ali despite of being so great, genius, talented and having the ability do a lot, makes one single cinema in two years! Yea I know its not an easy task, but at least you can do one movie a year man! I bet if you want to do and try your best, we can watch your movies every six month. This is you, you can do more, and there you are, doing only one movie in two to three looong yearsss!! Its a terrifying torture Imtiaz Sir! Please don't do this. Please sir do at least one movie a year, if every six month seems impossible for you, Please. please.. please..... please.......!!
    My request is not a begging thing sir but is a desire to learn, know and be good, not just for fun, enjoy and getting entertained but to try to do some good, to self and if possible to some more other self too.
    You are not just another human-thing Imtiaz sir, and I'm not saying it because I am the craziest and the greatest fan of yours but actually you are. Because you have proved by your previous movies. So please accept my/our request and do more, sir please!
 



 

                                     ANURAG KASHYAP
                               (The Rebellion of Indian Cinema)

    Anurag Kashyap is true angry young man of Indian Cinema, a true rebellion and it is seen always, not usually, in his movies. He is so angry, so upset with this political system of country, unbiased distribution of every thing in society fairy tell stories of Bollywood masala movies, if possible he would changed every thing. But it is known that angst brings change but not always the good ones. Usually the change mirrors the angry one's thirst of doing and leads to revenge, bad for society. But in cinema, it works. It works great. It is why Dev-Ds and Gulals are so good.
    He is rebellion in both real life and cinema doing. Nowadoys he is fighting against the anti-smoking disclaimer issue in cinema. He encouraged to do real ground level reality thing in cinema. A lot are doing indie movies but it is him who entered so called main-stream with his indie (in-depended cinema doing) personality and established himself and the cinema too. As said above in cinema-doing too he is a rebellion. He is doing anti Bollywood things in his movies, presenting equal to life or smaller than life, not larger than life things in his movies. His problem facing movie UGLY will probably prove his rebellion nature more when it releases (if releases!).
    Too many people do not like either him or his movies or both because they say he is so GROUND, his movies so boring, un-entertaining (I ask what truly is ENTERTAINMENT? Both 'I Robot' and 'Mahabharat' are doing very well! Some are enjoying brutal massacre type of thing in Quentin Tarantino's and some are feeling ORGASMIC after watching 'Ship of Theseus' and Michael Haneke's 'Amour'! How do one define entertainment?) Whoever whatever says, Anurag Kashyap has already done so much that his name is already registered in golden letters in history books of Indian Cinema. No one can dilute this man, his nature, his works and his givings to Indian Cinema.


GOOD MEN ON THE LAND

1) RAKEYSH OM PRAKASH MEHRA
 
    Discussion of Indian Cinema ignoring Rang De Basanti will always be an incomplete/KHALLO one. What do we say... Landmark? Mileston? Masterpiece? I can't coin the adjact term for the cinema but can portray the feel by saying 'Rang De Basanti' is the best and greatest cinema ever made in India. People will keep beleiving that the movie suggests people to kill or eradicate the corrupt politician to clean your system, and since it is NOT a god suggestion Rang De Basanti is an emotionally romanticized reality of society. But NO!
    “It is YOU who can bring change, it is YOU who should come to front and it is YOU who need to do, if change is needed in YOUR life/culture/system/belief. Expecting something good to happen or criticizing the bad happening or even knowing the badness very brilliantly is not enough. You have to wake, you have to DO.”  -this is 'Rang De Basanti'.
    It is not just another movie. It is more, it is an inspiration to do, it is a reason to do/wake and a lot of things. And it is what I call a CINEMA!
    But after RDB, Rakeysh Mehra has slipped, both in 'Delhi 6' and 'Bhag Milkha Bhag'. Every one knows Delhi 6 as a good thing but not done well. But people believe Bhag Milkha a good one... NO! It is not! It's too filmy. I'm not going to explain every detail how BMB is bad but have a request to Rakeysh Sir, please get rid of Prasoon Joshi while doing script-writing. If he is mandatory, do inspect the screenplay. Do not try to escape from your responsibility of seeing, analyzing and bug-fixing of screenplay. It is YOU who has made RDB so great, you can do a lot. If you are taking about two years for a movie then you must have time to write the final draft of your screenplay. Write from the beginning, every sentences, each scene. Be careful on dialogues. Of course film making is a collaborative process but sir collaborate on the technical aspects and doings, NOT the creative and core ones. What you want to say is always good but your saying is being too filmy, too non-real and too bad because of others doing that job which you yourself is capable of doing better (than others/them) and best among all. Take five years to do one movie but do Rang De Basanti. It's a plea, a humble request and if do not seem otherwise then a begging ….please.

2) RAJKUMAR HIRANI

    This man is genius! Either he knows what sells or does a vigorous brainstorming with either Abhijat Joshi or self on what might be a good ingridient for a scene. There is not a single scene which just fulfills the story forwarding purpose in his movies! Every scene is humorous, their either is humor, logic, deep emotional sentiment of having ability to relate/connect with viewer directly or a message in each and every scenes!! and hence his movies are both financially successful and Good! Brilliant!! He probably has the ability to make any kind of movies (and obviously it sells!) but he says only good, through cinema. I believe it's because he is a good human being. I can guarantee that his movies will always set new marks on box office every time they release and prove that it is the best of it's time. Ahe can set trends. He has done 202 crore with 3 Idiots, and since Dhoom-3 has reached 500 crores, I am sure there is market for cinema and hence Peekay (P.K./PK) will cross this barrier and set a new mark either at 600 or even 800 crores! I will not go into detailed analysis of his movies but say: I have seen Lage Raho Munnabhai more than 10 times, 3 Idiots more than five, Munnabhai MBBS about 3-4 times! They do have huge repeat viewing value only because of it's entertainment factor.


OLDIES STILL ON THE ROAD

1) MANI RATNAM

    Yuva and Guru are best. I didn't get what he was trying to say with Raavan but it didn't worked, and he is nowadays clouded. But he is one among great film makers whose mere purpose of doing was/is not name/fame and money. Since we don't know any film makers personally and because it's their movies what we make a perspective based on, upon them, I say Mani Ratnam is a great human being. Respected personality of Indian Cinema. I am always waiting for his new movies and will surely watch at least once whatever they are. But if they prove to be Yuvas and Gurus hen will surely do watch occasionally. I probably have seen both Yuva and Guru few times.

2)MADHUR BHANDARKAR

    He is the first person I found doing reality cinema- it was Page-3, after that I was/am very curious watching him (his movies and movie-doing). Fashion is next I liked. Unfortunately I haven't  I haven't got chance to watch them twice since their releasetime but have desire to watch. But in case of Heroin, I do had the movie file in computer but didn't watch or couldn't watch! I don't know why. And even response was not very good. People say it is cocktail of both Fashion and Page-3. I hope he sees the enormously wide terrible and horrifying reality of our society and do something new. But since today Dibakar Banerjee is the master of portraying reality in cinema and similar things some others aretoo doing, Madhur Bhandarkar needs to find the ground to stand. Otherwise other trees are growing faster, it's not one's fault of having a certain height, it is other's nature of growing which excids previous's work/height/trend etc.
    If there is a vast area of doing 'Singham' and 'Rowdy Rathore' but one does 'Traffic Signal' and 'Corporate', then probably the man has good intentions, I hope!


RANKING

1) Dibakar Banerjee: Only once in a very long time period, such people arise. This man is the true legend of Indian Cinema today. He is unbeatable.

2) Imtiaz Ali: Only very few people get what he says with his movies but a lot people find it entertaining! I haven't seen any other film-maker doing such things, yet ...in whole world!!! No-one can beat him either.

3) Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra: Only because of Rang De Basanti! This single movie is so strong, so good...... he is third.

4) Rajkumar Hirani: Straight, simple and easy to understand humourous portrayl of human behaviour and society + a good message weaved into = a good cinema! Good formula!! A man doing, saying good things with good intentions. He is fourth.

5) Anurag Kashyap: Struggles he has done, lifes he has lived, society he has seen, friends and so called enemies he has and a lot more ...all influence him. It is where he saw, sees and will keep seeing his stories to tell. He is a man with no-bad-intentions. He is just angry. And Anurag Kashyap is the man who has made a lot things possible. After him a lot things are changed and will keep changing. I think (probably I believe) after very long time these days will be called “Anurag Kashyap Era”! He is number five.




Personnal note

    After 3-5 years from now, after entering Bollywood, after doing first two installments of already planed four episoded Indian super-hero movie, taking Nawazuddin Siddiqi as super hero (main character), I will collaborate with Dibakar Sir to make two movies:
    1) अज्ज आखाँ वारीस शाह नु : A movie about India partisan (obviously Amrita Pritam's poem will be in movie) detailing four aspects:
- the terrifying massacre,
-social/psychological aspect of the incident occurred,
-political aspect of the incident/phenomenon and
-some strong proofs of the relevance of the unforgettable terrifying history, in our society today, all around the world.
    In India today, there are only two people who can deal with this subject; Dibakar Banerjee and Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra. For some reason I will go to Dibakar sir (only if till the day I reach Bollywood to do this project, will already not been done exactly the same way I am willing to do).
    2) जिया जाये ना :A movie about teenage sex, relationship, intimacy, effect of west in eastern culture, relevance of and science behind the norms of our eastern culture etc.

About Indie-Cinema-Doing

    I know a lot of people will disagree with my opinion because the goodness and believes about everything is also relative but what I speak/say is truth, and truth is: these two people: Dibakar Banerjee and Imtiyaz Ali are THE LEGENDS of Indian Cinema today. There is no third one who can stand near by them, no one!!
    I am hearing a lot good things about Aanand Gandhi (the man behind 'Sheep of Theseus'), But as I have been always saying, cinema is a media of mass communication and hence the things said with this medium has the ability to reach broader mass, it's upto the film maker how deep one can penetrate the society. And in case of Mr Aanand Gandhi, he is not reaching a broader mass but one needs to. Only cinema geeks if enjoy a movie than it's not doing good. We need go more deep, reach more people. Linux operating system is good for computing but Bill Gates's windows OS is the most popular OS on the globe, Linux being favorite of computer geeks. Here, we know the popularity and using of window OS is increased by collaboration with corporate world, governmemt sectors etc but we should not forget the simplicity of windows. The user interface is so simple that its easier to learn and understand. We need to do the windows thing in cinema and this is what is lacking in those indie films including 'Sheep of Theseus'. No one can beat Imtiaz Ali in this, doing great things with great simplicity just watch 'Love Aajkal' and 'Rockstar'.
    But there is another perspective too: Dibakar Banerjee usually says “if we try to do a movie for everyone, we end up making it for no-one! So, be specific, target your audience”. It's true, if we try to do everything than we might end up doing nothing. But what I say is; not for everyone, not everything but for a greater mass. And my asking is not a terrible thing, it's possible. Only thing we need to do is analyze some Dhooms, Spidermans, Avengers and replace the traditional illogical masalas with some logical ones (It's possible. 300% sweater saccharin is being used in spite of sugar for diabetic's diet!) and incorporate our/your thing/message/believe a good one.



Ramesh Gajurel
Dharampur-8, Jhapa
Nepal

2014/01/13

(Re-post for *ed-syans ekyaunt* :p )