Ek Tha Tiger.......(Comment)

There is mass hysteria about a certain Mr.Salman Khan. The EID specialist if I may. And with great success we get great leeches who attach themselves to the success and leech some moolah out of it. So now the ever so starving multiplex owners have decided that it is not enough that we were being ripped already, that we need some more ripping, 12% to 16% more to be precise. What drives such unethical decisions is beyond me. Yes the film will be a success, yes people will go to watch it no matter what, yes Salman Khan will have another super hit for his EID release but what I beg to question is the way the general audiences are being taken for a ride. Why pay more than average cost?Why does it make any difference that it is releasing on a holiday so people will probably go to see it the day of it's release itself. Isn't this purely selfish and immoral tactics just to make more money! I believe if this is the approach towards the business than in general consumer justification why not pay us back the money when we don't like the film. It makes as much sense. So in name of this bullshit, Happy Tiger Hunting!

Drop That Popcorn Part 2

Let's talk about an actor whom I really like but in context of the real world I don't. Love him or hate him he will always be there, SRK. Now there have been some really fantastic moments with SRK on celluloid, even though he started his career copying Dilip Kumar out and out, he has developed his own style and aura about acting. One such moment that is worth mentioning according to my opinion is from a good film called Chak De India. No, before you jump to conclusions it's not the now famous Sattar Minute wala dialogue. That whole sequence is too repeatative for my taste. If you forget the video and listen just the audio of that scene you will clearly see that Shah Rukh has definitely been inspired by the brilliant voice modulation of the Sr.Bacchan. For me that was an ok sequence which I could have done without in the movie.Characters and situations have been used brilliantly in the film and I wish that the same would have been delivered for the seriousness of the finals. Never the less the moment that took my breath away was the climatic sequence where the team finally wins the championship. Again this was a cliche and we all came to see that as the movie progressed, but the most amazing part was obviously SRK. That one look of content on his face was absolutely ravishing. That look, of years of tarnish and burden being cleared of his shoulders takes my breath away. He is dignified in his persona but even he can't control his self composure at that moment and this is aptly portrayed by this actor. That emotion makes us connect with this character who is after all fighting for justice against the system but importantly against himself. His search for purity ends and he is baffled by the very thought of having nothing to justify to the world or to himself anymore. The way he fills his eyes with tears of jubilation and relief is something marvelous to look at. We all got sucked into that emotion and only an ACTOR can induce such pain in us and never a superstar. We feel his pain and suffering and his true happiness returning, that moment justifies all the follies in the film. I really wish SRK does such roles and dignify his own talent, he does not need a rubber suit or a mental illness to justify his stardom. That smile of feeling proud to be an athlete, a coach, a man, an above all an Indian is justification enough.

(If you think hollywood is better than the hindi film industry, then have a look at the climax scene of The Pursuit Of Happiness, Will Smith is brilliant in that scene and there is no comparison here, but I will be biased and say that we have the better talent.)

I have many such many moments to share but some deserve to stand alone while some to deserve to stand in a crowd.

(Check out the blu ray copy if you haven't seen this flick yet)

Drop That Popcorn Part 1

Anyone who has watched The Dark Knight Rises must have experienced what we like to call the awesome power of expected bullshit. Yes there is bullshit in the climax of that film, but it's good bullshit. Bullshit that you expect but don't want but are kind of accepting it because we suckers for happy endings. But I give credit to Christopher Nolan for making that attempt. He opted for the safe route with a twist which is now synonymous with him except Inception which I believe has literally left everyone hanging. Even the most sharpest of minds cannot deduce the ending of that film, simple reason being the end does not happen. We never see what actually happens and are so left to come to our own conclusions. What a clever way of ending a film and trusting the audience and their intelligence to come to their own conclusions. That defines confidence and knowing one's script. I remember seeing Inception and the theater was drop dead silent throughout the film even though it was packed. I was amazed as to how powerful this medium really is. A movie can really engross you if it conveys the right things. These are the times that make me think about those amazingly brilliant moments we have had on the big screen. These are moments which define the magic of cinema for me. We all love and accept this fact but are differed on the outtake of it all. Maybe it's time we take a look at some of these moments and understand what they signify.

Let's take for example a movie which has many of these brilliant moments. Lagaan. This movie is pure egotistical and really brash in it's approach. But I don't complain because it is filmed brilliantly, every moment has it's due and things flow freely and the tension is built up perfectly. Sitting in a single screen theater at the age of 13, I was amazed to see people shouting at the screen. This was the first time I saw such audience reactions and was a little carried by the energy. Patriotism was rising and everyone was really involved with the film. The climax is very predictable and well, really what we wanted to happen yet felt really good to watch and had an element of satisfaction. This film shows what dramatic moments can really achieve. Victory can never be justified by a worthless cause. The cause defines the victory and this victory was oh so sweet.

Sometimes we don't need dramatic music, overly obvious tension built up, and excessive emotional rain. Sometimes we need the moments which are subtle like Gulzaar saab's lyrics. They might not look much but pack the punch of a thousand poems. One such moment which I thought was brilliantly written and directed was when Ishaan is standing near the edge of his school compound. What damages can be done to the tender psychology of a child is clearly evident. The atmosphere is grimm and we know why he is standing there. Dejection and frustration is aptly portrayed. We want him to be saved, to be understood and in this scene we somehow feel pity and sad for the character. This is one of those crucial scenes which dictate the turning point of the film. He doesn't jump as he stopped by one of his friend's informing him of the new arts teacher and we know the hero has arrived. It is a cliched concept, we know it's Aamir at that point and he will save this child but the way its is driven to the audience is so subtle in it's approach that it adds a new dimension to the film. This moment somehow stayed with me after the film as well maybe it is a reflection of how society is harnessing the responsibilities of an adult on the child and destroying their childhood in the process. It speaks of depression and makes the audience feel that emotion with subtle storytelling.

All that is to be said need not be said. Let's make a part 2...........

Sympathetically Repeatative

Empathize for you all must be tired of sympathy by now. Imagine walking into a film titled "Nothing About Hitler" and as you cozy into your seat with a tub of non tasting popcorn in one hand and with an over sized industrial paint thinner called cola  in the other. The film starts with the usual gusto and fanfare of glamour and   a friendly dose of awe. But now the real part of the tale, what if the film titled above turns out to be the autobiographical take of Adolf himself. What purpose or point is it serving us with that title and projecting a film to be something it definitely isn't. Well let me not be one of our recent movies and come straight to the point or else Pritam is ready with mindlessly catchy tracks to be inserted rather mindlessly. Go away Pritam I don't need you, pester someone else with your music bank filled with other people's currency(inspiration indeed).

The point I am trying to make is very simple and can be explained in one line. Why is a film which is clearly about love stories and blatantly typical called I Hate Luv Stories! What is the difference between that movie and Cocktail? Both films have senseless titles(Cocktail being the bigger culprit. If they wanted a random name then why not name it something Indian like Biryani,  at least I know what biryani tastes like), both films have three people in an emotinallly driven script where love prevails in the end and sacrifices are made(Oh I forgot sarcasm cannot be conveyed through writing), both have good songs which have beautiful scenic backgrounds which really defeats the purpose because half the time I was more interested in the background than the actors (trying to) dancing in front of it, both have really good characters who are literally dropped mid way(not the leads, they are way too under talented to not be on screen all the time, they do need the practice, right!) and last but not the least we definitely have caricatures of cool party going crowd, who for some reason are transformed completely by the end and I can't determine whether it's the script or their ability to self judge their acting skills. Maybe the schedule was too long and the actors forgot how they portrayed their characters in the initial scenes. Ah yes, my point here is, why are we being subjected to the same story again and again. Haven't we learned enough through cinema through the years that the hero always wins and if he doesn't he is the one who is sacrificing, so he still wins.

My question is how many takes can there be on one story! Have they finally run out of idea's? Every love story out there is still basically a love story no matter what you do to it. Just adding some different country(in the above films South Africa was also common, so I guess they did consult with each other), having different actors, changing the scenario by a hair, are these little tricks just enough to rehash a given story! I mean at least get decent actors who understand acting and are not part of the film just because they look good. Such actors can't be left alone on the screen to act, maybe that's why Cocktail was U/A because we had Deepika trying to act drunk through out the film, this performance really needs parental guidance or else the kids will scared to death from the bad acting. But who really listens to us anymore, it is really the irony of  substantial proportions that a domain of the industry(Marketing) which solely relies on understanding the needs of it's consumers can't actually understand what we really want to see. Thank God for such epic stupidity that still prevails with an MBA in hand and money to back a so called DIRECTOR with a so called fail proof script or else I wouldn't have anything to complain about.

You know what I do feel like an unwanted song right about here, let me check if Pritam is still lingering outside my house, maybe I can get a two songs for the price of one.