Time for Controversy Again!

Aaja Nachle, a film which I have been looking forward to, released today. In true Bollywood style, it is already knee-deep in controversy.

The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mayavati Kumari, has decided to ban the film from the state. In the title song of the film, there is a reference to Dalits (untouchables) which she found offensive. Because of this, she banned the film from the state she leads. "[It] is not only objectionable and humiliating but also unconstitutional and, therefore, the screening of the film has been banned."

The part of the song which she (and many others who were protesting in Delhi) found offensive was:

maine galati kari thi, meri nathani padi thi - 2
ke sone mein usako ranga gayi, mein rangaake atariya pe aa gai
mohalhe mein kaisi maara maar hai, bole mochi bhi khud ko sonar hai

Which translates to:

I made a mistake, I colored my nose ring gold, and came on the roof. There were fights in the area to see me, and even the low caste shoe makers would call themselves goldsmiths.

To understand Mayawati's decision, one must know about her background. She herself was an untouchable (a dalit), and often cites how successful she has become, despite her background. The party she represents is Bahujan Samaj Party, a party which is known for representing the lower caste. Her victory earlier this year made her the first untouchable woman to become the leader of a state, and her campaign was largely grassroots and attracted upper castes, lower castes, and even other religions.

The line from the song was not smart on the part of the lyricist or the filmmakers, because they are all in powerful positions, and made a regressive statement about castes in India. But, banning the film was not the way to go.

The film should not have been banned. The portrayal of (or the lack of) Dalits in Bollywood needs to be changed, altogether. Instead of banning the movie and creating controversy over one line in a Bollywood film, Mayawati should have simply used this as an example of how the very concept of the caste system needs to change and make progressive decisions as the leader of the most populous state in India. Bollywood shouldn't be her focus.

And, India is still a democracy. If Mayawati bans this film, is it possible for the BJP to call for the banning of the movies they don't approve of? (Trust me, I shouldn't even go there.)

The treatment and portrayal of Dalits and untouchables in India and even in Bollywood needs to change now-- along with the portrayal of other minorities. The line in Aaja Nachle should be discussed, recognized- but not banned.

Cheer for my Blog!

As many of you know, I started this blog for a class. As time went by, it definitely became more than a school project. This assignment challenged me-- looking for stories, writing four times a week, and finding my own voice was difficult, but exactly what I needed.

I was surprised about how much material there is for me to write about. In the beginning, it was hard to find a focus. I initially believed that a blog about how Bollywood is flourishing around the world would provide me with the most material. Obviously, that didn't work out for me. My blog soon morphed into a critique of commercial Bollywood cinema, a topic I had no problem writing about.

I have always enjoyed reading blogs-- Sepia Mutiny, Think Progress, and even some of our class blogs like Laugh Tracker. But, I always admired these bloggers' capability of having that witty sort of style. I never thought I had it (and I don't), but I was able to maintain this blog somewhat, while trying to be factual and frank about my opinions.

I definitely enjoyed writing this blog, and I will without a doubt continue to do so. It keeps me on my toes, and keeps me Bollywood-updated. What more could I want from life?

Some of my friends did read my blog-- although I only know of a few (CB and VM!) who kept up with it. I really thank them for that.

Overall-- it was a great experience, and it definitely hasn't ended!

Mainstream met Parallel... in 2001

Although "Om Shanti Om" has been on the minds of all Bollywood fans this past month, another film captured the attention of an audience at The Museum of Fine Arts last month. The film, titled "Zubeida," was showcased in part of a series dedicated to Indian culture, a weekend-long event the museum has every year.

The film's showing attracted many viewers, some who were fans of parallel cinema, and others who were new to Bollywood. A Boston local made came to watch his first Bollywood film, and made his first visit to the MFA. "It's definitely a unique experience for me," said Jerry (above).

Most others are fans of the director, Shyam Benegal. Benegal, who's films defined the 1980's era, had many loyal followers because of his simplistic style. His actresses seldom would wear make up, unless the role demanded it (like the film about an actress, Bhumika)m and the actors were usually from a more serious house of journalism. The characters were usually from lower class communities, and his storylines were often dramatic (but not over the top) and always nontraditional.

One fan, Anita, was at the event because of Benegal's "brilliance," she stated. But Zubeida was one of her least favorite Benegal movies. In this film, Benegal gave in to the current commercial Bollywood, and Anita said "Bollywood movies, I cannot stand." He had all extremely marketable stars, music, and dancing. The story was about a prince who marries a divorced mother-- not usual Benegal.

But the film was an attempted blend of commercial and parallel films, an attempt which worked. Richard Delacy (in the middle), Lecturer for Urdu-Hindi, Department of Sanskrit and Indian Studies, said that:

"One could look at the parallel cinema movement collapsing into commercial cinema.... it's necessary for directors like him to make movies that appeal to a rural audience. It's not as viable to make films like Benegal made today. He's experimenting and using different forms, continually, and that's great."

But although the film was mainstream, it still had the staple Benagal parallel vibe. An audience member, who was from Pakistan, pointed out how brilliantly Benegal was able to cover intelligent themes, without losing the commercial effect. She referred to problems Muslims faced in India after the Partition in the 1950's, and even the core issue of the lonely lives all the women in his film had.

Although this film may not have been a true Benegal fan's favorite film, it was a film, that I believe, helped usher in the current slowly growing parallel movement. Zubeida was still a brilliant film, and a romance-- but without the cliched dialogues, horrible acting, and predictable storyline.

The film won many awards, and although it wasn't a box office hit, it had great reviews. Today, it's possible that this film would have been a hit (box office wise). This film is definitely a model to follow for Bollywood film directors.

** Fulfills Assignment 5

Adolescent Bollywood

Seems like Bollywood has matured, but still has a long way to go-- or so says Naseeruddin Shah, one of Bollywood's most respected actors.

In an interview with Reuters India, the actor says that, "I do not think our industry has matured but yes the attempts to experiment with different subjects, different themes have surely gone up."

Shah is known for his brilliant acting in off-beat films, and flourished in the parallel cinema movement of the 1980's.

So, how can Bollywood mature and grow? With the producers, of course, as I stated in a previous blog. "A lot depends on the producers... They should support fresh content and push originality. India has some very talented directors and they can do well with the help."

Redundant story lines and dialogues and over-the-top romances should no longer dominate Bollywood. There has been some progress, especially in 2006. Even this year, progressive films have become marketable. But, there is still a long way to go.

Producers need to start taking risks-- or Bollywood will always be stuck in its adolescent stage.

Munnabhai's Back!

All you Munnabhai fans, rejoice!

Sanjay Dutt, who was sentenced to six years in prison for being "peripherally linked" to the 1993 bombings in Mumbai, was released on bail today.

After serving a sixteen month sentence after the bombings in 1993, Dutt received the six year sentence fourteen years after the actual event.

The film industry, and even politicians such as Sonia Gandhi came out in support of Dutt, as I wrote in an earlier post.

Personally, I'm glad he's back!

Where The UN meets Indian Idol

What do The United Nations, A.R. Rahman (the best composer in Bollywood, maybe India), a former Miss Universe, and a Hindi entertainment channel have in common?

A musical reality show, of course! The show is called "Mission Ustaad: Jaago India" (wake up India), which showcases big names in the Bollywood music scene, and has AR Rahman, Javed Akhtar (a lyricist) and Lara Dutta, former Miss Universe and now a Bollywood actress, as judges.

The show's goal is to unite and enlighten India through music. There will be four teams, and each will be competing to see which team will be able to bring to light many of India's problems.

The UN has a set of goals, titled The UN Millennium Development Goals, in which India has to complete certain promises by 2015. According to The Tribune, UN Millennium Campaign Director Salil Shetty said:

"If India does not achieve the MDGs by 2015, the world will not achieve them. For the marginalised people of India like the Dalits, tribals and minorities, the Goals offer a real hope to achieve better education, health and livelihood. Mission Ustaad will act as a reminder that time is running out."

I don't know if it will work, but it definitely is a noble cause. The kind of outreach these stars have through television is incredible, and if something good can come out of these reality shows (there is a new one almost every month), then I'm definitely for it.

It's not the media's fault this time!

After the only real failure in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's career, "Saanwariya," he decided to blame the media.

Bhansali reportedly said that "Saawariya is the biggest hit of my career so far... Media manipulation won't kill my film.” Honestly, Saawariya was not the biggest hit of his career. Devdas (which won eleven Filmfare awards, including best actor, actress, director, and film), Khamoshi (my favorite), or Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (which won best actress and film and director), were all better movies.

In this film, Bhansali launched two newcomers, who were not very talented. The first hour had four songs, and it was really difficult to get through the rest. Even The New York Times (which is obviously outside the Indian media) gave the film a bad review.

Blaming the media doesn't always work. How about trying to make better movies for the sake of art, not for the money.