After I finished the movie.."Up in the air".. once again I realised that how backward our Indian Cinema is when it comes to create a good moralistic yet enjoyable drama conglomerated with fantastic feel and enjoyability. I don't intend to criticize our Indian cinema by any means.. not at all.. as a matter of fact, I acknowledge Indian cinema for progressing miraculously in last 60 years.. From Pakeezah to Veer-Zarra..from Upkar to Rang De Basanti..and from Sholay to Dil Chahta Hai...obviously I am proud that we have progressed .. but somewhere i believe that we have not progressed enough..and the movies like Housefull, Paathshaala, etc etc etc.. and yes Prince of course..how can I forget that one (:-x).. all these releases corroborate the fact that we haven't progressed yet.
Though the movies like RDB, DCH, Lage Raho....even Jab We Met boast of our genuineness and innovation then the likes of, well I would rather not name them.. they are just too many..infact all of them minus a few!!.., substantiate the callowness and the maladroitness of our filmmakers.
Just look at Prince..it was a total bizarre. My sixth standard cousin has got a better imagination and stories than the makers of Prince have who were bragging of extreme stunts and special effect/action sequences their movie possess before the release..Well, I haven't heard anything from them off late.. dun know wat happened to them and that is not my concern is.. What I feel sorry about is that our movies lack stories..lemme rephrase it.. Our movies lack soul .. More than entertainment medium, moviemaking has become a moneymaking business with our filmmakers cashing on the successes of the likes of Om Shanti Om or take any friday flick we have over here..!
Anyway, I am starting this blog for those Indians who are fascinated by the world of movies but Indian Cinema leaves them starving for everything!!
To start with.. just get your copy of.. Up in the air.. get it from ur frnz.. download it.. or rent it.. whateva.. but do not miss this one.. just watch it to make yourself realise the difference..the huge difference!!
Cheers!!
BLOGADDA has chosen me as their NOTABLE NEWBIE!..
I have always believed that Art is a reflection of society.
ReplyDeleteFilms are a form of art. In India, they turn into an estranged form of art. There is a dearth of good directors reflecting substance in their films and a canny abundance of raunchy, over the top, non brainer movie makers. They just need heavy moolah, a plagiarized script, sleazy numbers and a heavy promotion.
In this not so consorted bag of films we are offered, perhaps we also learn to selectively choose the best. The irony is that seldom, some well scripted but less promoted pieces misses the scene and often the nonbrainer rotboilers self proclaim themselves to be hits.
Is this a reflection of what we intend to consume or what we are made to consume?
I yearn for the former.
Way to go dude and look forward to more blogs from you.
@Sreeram
ReplyDeletethanks dude..n dun wry there is plenitude to come..!!
@Sharad - well..indian cinema/directors are simply meeting the demand side..its about business..candy floss mixed with daredevil stunt kinda stuff is what is being liked by the viewers.
ReplyDeleteThere's definitely no dearth of substance/art/culture/realities to depict of..its just that mainstream indian cinema just can't support or cannot come into terms with it.
n if last para is what brings ur issue to fore.than i personally tend to differ...i wont recommend this movie "To start with" to "realise the difference..the huge difference !!"..certainly there are better ones out there..
I think the multiplex culture that has emerged in India has been responsible for this partially. Most of the people just want to go and have a nice time, rather than actually appreciate the movie. And when thats the case, people settle for safer bets like movies with a big star(read Shahrukh Khan)rather than trying out a movie that promises to present something out of the box.
ReplyDeleteHaving said that, theres an inherent advantage to this multiplex culture that film makers can now actually make movies for a niche crowd. They dont need to be worried about numbers anymore, when they venture out to make off the track movies. But sadly, we havent seen that happening yet.
@Amit
ReplyDeleteagree wid u dude..there are many other good movies.. surely it is not the best..but it definitely is among the best ones..anyway..had to choose one..i chose this one..!
I totally agree with the fact that Up in the air is a marvel of a movie.. it's perhaps the only instance where I liked Clooney (yeah.. not even in Ocean's 11).. but the comparison that you've made is not acceptable..
ReplyDeleteIn India.. if you start moving towards the center.. start burrowing inside the metropolitan canvas, you'll see there are people who go to a cinema hall just to spend a few hours in a dream land.. cinema for them is still a dream show.. where they get to see big-bang cars.. big-plush houses.. famous personalities.. and these are the people who constitute the majority in our country.. they are the ones who support the very existence of our film industry.. a normal everyday Indian does not have any access to class English films.. English cinema for him is Titanic.. entertainment for him is watching his favorite pot-belly-ed mustached hero with sunglasses, dance with his favorite big busted heroine is the yellow-flowered-gardens.. he does not care how much thought is incorporated in the movie.. or whether the dance is suited to the script or not.. and feeding his thirst is what Indian Cinema does.. and it IS completely justified... I have no complaints against the mind-less releases (since my money is not at stake) and I won't be ever amazed if I get to see a news that Prince is one of the biggest hit of the century..!!.. anything can happen.. Off lately I have been watching a lot of regional Indian non-commercial movies and I rate them better than many English flicks.. Do try to get access to the National Award winners.. You are bound to get moved by them and then realize that the Art of Indian Cinema is still a shining beacon of hope and it can never be maligned by any Prince or Khans..
PS:.. the comment may sound offensive but I hope you get to know what I really meant..
PPS: a nice read.. I love controversial topics.. keep up and keep the bloggometer running..
cheers..
:)
the comment itself looks like a post!!..
ReplyDeletesorry for eating such a huge footage.. ;P
@Gangeyyo..
ReplyDeletewhoa...!! that was quite alot to read..heavier than mah actual blog I guess..atleast by the weight of words..!!
Anyway.. dude your answer lies in your comment.. see, the thing is that our people..(normal everyday indian people!) enjoy watching movies.. in your words .. "they love to spend a few hours in a dream land.. cinema for them is still a dream show.. where they get to see big-bang cars.. big-plush houses.. famous personalities.. and these are the people who constitute the majority in our country.."..and yes now the most imp part... filmmakers are just serving their needs..!! See, here where the problem is.. movies are definitely a reflection of what society is but at the same time they even reflect how the society can be or should be.. by just serving their needs we are not actually gaining anything..the kind of movies that were made 10 years back are still made the same way..same style.. same dialogues..same cars.. same plush houses.. same locations..same everything..!! Dude.. where is the progress.. movies are not just to entertain the society.. they also help in in improving the way people think !! So, mah question is..that by just serving their needs, are we going in the right way.. i dun think so..coz they will keep on making movies the same way ..without minds.. and will keep earning..the same way.. and yeah..people like..normal indian people wont ever complain..neither i expect them to.. but sadly..even people like you (who understand the importance of social development and progression) wont even complain..!!
Ah.. my dream of an Indian MEMENTO will always be a dream..surp surp :(:(!!
good to know that my thoughts have reached the right part of your understanding.. I was planning to delete the comment because it did not sound right when I read it myself.. but my inability to make you understand the point hurts me..
ReplyDeletesee.. what is good and what is bad, can neither be judged by Gangeyyo Bhattacharjee nor by Mr. Nelson Mandela.. We all have our own perspective.. What for you and me is a nice touching movie, can very well be a disgusting experience for others.. I was amazed when I recommended Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to one of my friends, and got bad reviews in response..
What for you and me is progression, may be a degradation for many.. If you serve a fine Vietnamese delicacy to a south Indian Dosa eater, will he appreciate the taste?. How can he??. For him his food is the best.. or better than any other food.. and he's actually not looking for a change,.. It's us, who have developed a taste for the other delicacies, who can come up and comment upon both the varieties.. Now the question is what can be done with the south indian guy??.. well.. we can now make amends to improve his dosa quality, and if that does not work, let him enjoy whatever he is having...
In the same way, if people love full time entertaining movies, then we should not bother them with the highly thought provoking ones.. (in our words, the improved ones).. a completely new genre.. it will not fit their system..
so, let them decide whats good or bad.. let them choose their own standards.. and as you've mentioned in your post that we are already undergoing a paradigm shift in our movie making approach.. the result of which are the path breaking cinemas like The Wednesday, Bow Barracks Forever and many more.. But this does not mean the full time commercial movies do not stand a chance and they are mindless.. They also involve a lot at stake and turn out successful to woo the audience and serve their purpose.. The purpose of entertainment.. So if our entertainment lies in THE MEMENTO, their entertainment may be fulfilled by GHAJINI.. However mindless the Hindi version of MEMENTO - ie ghajini may seem, I am dead sure that MEMENTO, or a movie made on the similar lines would have failed to collect even a hundredth of what ghajini collected.. This does not show how money-minded the producers have become, but this shows what is liked by the country audience.. what rule is followed here..
So, the style of Indian entertainment is very unique.. Our taste is and will always be a culmination of many things.. A genre which entertains the enormous population in the world cannot just be labeled as mindless.. instead we should find out what it offers and how it offers and appreciate.. the necessary changes have always come and the process is still going on.. we should not reach conclusions and force our likings onto them and repent later.. I still wish I didn't recommend Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind...
@Gangeyyo
ReplyDeleteI remember when I was in class 2, I abhorred going to school and studying.. but mah mum used to wake me up..against all mah wishes.. I had to go there..and then when I used to come back..she used to take care if I learned everything!!I hated it..trust me..coz I was so happy being at home..watchin TV..dat the idea of going to school felt like an alien to me..
Thanks to my mum I went to school..infact got well educated..
She could have just let me watch TV and do nothing and enjoy (as per your words!!)..!!..but alas!! mah mum's ideas were totaly different from yours!!but she knew that I needed to study..for my development..my progress..she forced me.. and see results are quite positive indeed..Today I can say..THANK GOD SHE FORCED ME..!!!
Dude, u are absolutely right that I am nobody to decide what is good or what is bad for them..coz it is so very subjective, agreed..!! but then somewhere we need to draw a line..set up parameters ..The whole idea of development is that you aim for something at the top and try to achieve it..and only when you are able to do it..it's called progress..
By neglecting that you are actually ruining the whole concept of Progression..!!!!
People from slums hate the idea of education..so should we drop the idea of educating them??!!..well i dun think so..and u knw why..coz being educated..i understand the importance of education..
We all know the difference in our and their cinema..one can not deny the stark difference in quality..obviously they are far ahead in terms of everything..be it script..direction..performances..everything..I dont find anything wrong in taking and keeping them as our AIM..and then when we will be able to achieve it..then it will surely be a PROGRESS..dun u think so..?? If not then think again..coz a Normal Indian Man cannot think this way..he is not EDUCATED enough u see!!
And yeah..about ur frnd whom u recommended eternal sunshine.. and he dislykd ....!!
Well.. can you expect a 2nd year old to solve an integral problem..!! well he need to go through the procedure..class 3, 4, 5....11th ..and then he surely will be able to solve it..!!
Dude..you actually gave wrong movie to a wrong person..thats my point..let him go through stages first..!!!
See.. Change is unacceptable by we humans.. we just want to live the way we want to live..anything different bothers us.. but then ..change is ineluctable and yes trust me.. Change is IMPORTANT..
Think bout it..!!