" We miss you Dada"

7th July is the birth anniversary of musical maestro Anil Biswas. Anil da's close associate and Delhi based singer-composer Indraneel Mukherjee racalls his memories with the musical genius.

For 6 years going now ….. not long ago that we lost him to time on 31st May 2003; I used to be with Dada Anil Biswas at his South Extension residence in New Delhi where he led a recluses’ life for a long time after he left Bombay in 1965 after Motilal’s last film “Choti Choti Baatein” never to return to the tinsel town which gave him so much yet, as happens mostly to good Godly persons one often get cheated and he was no exception … in his case there were other Gods and Goddesses who were in the fray who cheated on him! Dada was a kind of a Guru to Lata Mangeshkar (besides – Mukesh, Talat and even Manna Da acknowledged it!) Anilda taught Lata to steal breath while singing so that there were no unnecessary punctuations because of lack of breath in a song line … this could be one hell of an education in singing, as anyone who was someone as a singer those days had a great voice … but this technique is what a Guru is all about and Lata was a lucky chosen one who mastered the Master’s technique and everyone knows what a singer she was, but few know that Dada Anil Biswas was a prolific singer himself (of course amongst the few who knew was a Faiz Ahmed Faiz who once said … Kaash meray kalaam ko milay ik Anil ki aawaaz)! Coming back to guru’s, Gods and Goddesses’; Dada was certainly 25 years elder to the girl he met on the sets when he was already married once with a few children, but lost to complaints and intrigues in his personal life and an estranged wife Ashalata Biswas (close to Lata as a friend) … but Meena Kapoor a stunning looker, a Lotus (as Dada told me in as it meant purity) and he was ruling the roost at the time, she met her and the man’s heart was lost yet once again and they married with the song from Anokha Pyaar 1948 Dilip Kumar / Nargis starrer ‘Yaad rakhna chaand taaron , iss suhaani raat ko’ playing in the mind’s background ! Meena ji like many others during that time … all lady singers got drowned in the fierce competition of Lata craftsmanship! However this swan pair left with bags and baggage’s and bade goodbye to the dream city once ‘n for all, for some love was missing from the Goddess Lata Mangeshkar ! Everyone knows after that Dada became a cog in the wheel of the bureaucracy of the Govt. of India’s I&B Ministry where till his retirement he was the Chief Music Producer and Emeritus later and that’s how my fate was lucky, to be sitting at his feet to absorb filmy gossip and great musical subjects between the pair divine of music giants of timeless proportions! I have always felt tremendously sad about great music directors, lyricists and some great studio musicians who were born at that time creating endless masterpieces which we call Golden era melodies … and how not everyone ever remember any song by the name of these great composers and if ever the listeners ever remember anything it is the singers’ name, when a singer is only 3rd in the row for the creation; in a masterpiece the basic soul being that of the poet and the composer who actually provides the words with wings and teaches the singer to make it fly, but essentially it is the composers soul which you find in a musical score ! …. Then why does only a Lata, Rafi, Kishore, Mukesh and a Talat get their names and composers are all forgotten, not known at all ! Yes, barring a few, Anil Biswas remained in this world for 88 years … but what to talk of this generation … amongst previous generation very few handful can recollect about such a great genius in our midst but was essentially a lost musical note from our seven music notes! Lost Anil Biswas was ….. some deliberately saw to it that he was lost, as he did just about 100 movies during the 30 years of his Bombay life (Naushad did around 50 and same with Sachin Dev Burman) when he scored for …. Tarana, Laajawaab, Roti, Aarzoo, Kismat (everyone knows that the film held a world record of running at Roxy cinema in Calcutta for 3 and a half years!) Angulimaal, Sautela Bhai, Hamdard-(who can forget ‘Ritu aye ritu jaaye’ –the Lata - Manna da duet!) Jwar Bhaanta, Jeet, Laadli, Beqasoor, Pardesi, Aasra, Bahen, Nai Roshni, Apna Paraya, Gareeb, Jawaani, Vijay, Hamaari Baat, Char Ankhen, Pehli Nazar, Milan, Bhookh, Naiya etc. (to name few which came to mind without pressurizing it too much) but he was meant to be lost …. As he never was considered by the great Indian bureaucratic selectors to get the Dada Sahab Phalke Award from the Indian Govt. which perhaps he deserved the most; but fellow composer Naushaad Ali got it even when he told the audience of Sa Re Ga Ma … that Anilda was his Rehbar & Guru, “humein ungli pakad kar chalnaa sikhaayaa”, or a Bhupen Hazarika got it composing for a handful Hindi movies and may not have reached double figures what to talk of 100 movies by a certain Anil Biswas !! Anilda was my God and he used to say even if my music has touched the life of or moved one person … my work is rewarded / paid off … but make no mistakes … he was not lost here at all, he was the most loved composer musician as I found out on daily endless gossip sessions … the amount of women fan followings he had … and what not he had I just can’t mention in this small blogspot … Anil Biswas’ music meant sheer magic to me .. I always said that Sur, Taal, Laya, Voice, Talaffuz or Expressions are definite parts of a great song but Anilda had it in him and he never ever lost that … infinite control over ‘ras’ which I call … sheer magic which was what he had the final element which every singer craves. I could write keep writing on my God but I will invoke melancholy over myself and I don’t want to weep anymore even when I know immortal men are never lost … yes, he is always with me … in fact he once told me that I was his counter ego - I remained blessed ever after at heart !!

'Tagore was inescapable'

(7th May was Rabindranath Tagore's 148th birth anniversary. New Delhi Film Society remembers Tagore. Premendra Mazumder goes beyond Tagore's Nobel Prize-winning literature to explore his amazing legacy in cinema, art, music and theatre. And on the rich Tagore adaptations on film by Satyajit Ray, Nitin Bose, Bimal Roy and others)


Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), poet, novelist, playwright, composer and painter, is the most significant cultural figure in 20th century India. He was among the first to recognise that cinema should have its own language. In 1929 he wrote, "The beauty and grandeur of this form in motion has to be developed in such a way that it becomes self-sufficient without the use of words."
Seven decades later, Rituparno Ghosh's film on Tagore's novel Chokher Bali (A Grain of Sand)--like much of Indian cinema--is still greatly dependent on words. Chokher Bali appealed to Ghosh for its "delicate interplay of relationships."
This delicate interplay has persuaded a number of filmmakers to adapt Tagore's stories to celluloid, including Satyajit Ray, Nitin Bose, Tapan Sinha and Kumar Shahani. Ray's immortal masterpiece Charulata (The Lonely Wife) is based on Tagore's novel Nastaneer (The Broken Nest), a thinly disguised autobiographical account of the intimate and complex relationships between the author, his elder brother and his wife. Ray believedthe film to behis best work.
Tagore created a new literary language and received the Nobel Prize for literature in 1913. Ray redefined cinematic language and wonthe Oscar for Lifetime Achievement in 1992.
In Charulata, apart fromTagore's narrative, Ray's musical score repeats motifs of two popular Tagore songs--Rabindra sangeet--Momo chittye and Phule phule. Apart from directing the documentary Rabindranath Tagore, headapted Tagore's Postmaster, Monihara and Samapti as Teen Kanya (Three Daughters), as well as his Ghare Baire (The Home and the World).
According to senior critic Chidananda Dasgupta, Ray never emerged from Tagore's shadow. Ray himself admits that Tagore's "influence was inescapable...we, as students, felt that Tagore was there all the time, hovering behind us or over our heads." Ray had studied at Tagore's open-air university Santiniketan, and Tagore's humanistic fusion of the classical Indian tradition and liberal Western thought is deeply engraved in Ray's art.
Ritwik Ghatak said of Tagore,"That man has culled all my feelings from long before my birth...I read him and find that...I have nothing new to say." In his Meghe Dhaka Tara (The Cloud-capped Star) and Subarnarekha, Ghatak uses Rabindra sangeet to express the poignancy of post-Partition Bengal.
Tagore himself had directed a film, Natir Puja, for New Theatres in 1932--a recording of his own dance-drama. Tapan Sinha adaptedTagore stories into film--Kabuliwala, Kshudita Pashan (Hungry Stone) and Atithi. Bimal Roy produced Kabuliwala in Hindi, directed by Hemen Gupta and starring Balraj Sahni. Nitin Bose adapted Tagore's novel Nauka Dubi as Nauka Dubi (Bengali) and Milan (Hindi). Kumar Shahani's Char Adhyay, based on Tagore's novel,is a love story set duringthe freedom struggle. It unwaveringly advances Tagore's humanist legacy.
(Premendra Mazumdar is a Kolkata based Film Critic & Festival Consultant. This piece was earlier published in DNA)

Manna Dey turns 90

- Indraneel Mukherjee


Jeevan se lambay hain bandhu … yeh jivan ke rustay’ !! Its 1st May 2009..... Manna Dey turned 90 today. People close to Manna Da know that he is so passionate for music that even today he can spent hours in music sittings with his harmonium.
Manna Da was born in West Bengal on 1st May 1919. Very few people know that he began his career as a professional wrestler. He has been awarded Padma Bhushan, although he should have been awarded Dada Sahab Phalke much before or at least by now.
I sincerely feel that Manna Da did not get a fair deal from Bombay fillum music waalaas … of course he sang not only some or in my opinion all the great good Classical based songs … but also songs like… ‘Mere bhais ko danda kyoon maaraa’ …. These songs have a few taans which are very difficult to execute and even today very few singers could do that.
Dada sang for Mehmood which he told me he never regretted and they were all innumerable and tough songs; besides he sang majorly for Raj Kapoor who gave him at least one song in each of his films right till the Joker film happened … when on screen he sang ‘Aye bhai zaraa dekh ke chalo’; Dada laboured throughout his career … may be he did not get his fair share but what a singer, all his hard labour has given him the exquisite distinction of being the most versatile singer with such a beautiful subtlety which few of his contemporaries could match and yet the 1st top position eluded him which once everyone like a Rafi, a Kishore or even say a Mukesh or to some extent Hemant Kumar held it Hemant Da of course when even slightly felt free in Bombay was up there in Calcutta composing big time for Bengali films, but so did Manna da with superb renditions in Bengali film and non film music !
If you look back on his career I have a eerie feel as to how destiny associated this one big day together and it was his destiny to sing lot of these well labored songs with lot of practice etc. which might have gone into in order to do full justice to timeless songs like ‘Pucho naa kaise mainay raine bitaai’ ‘Kaun Aayaa merey mun kay dwaaray ‘ ‘Jhanak jhanak tori baajay paayelia’ ‘Laaga chunri mein daagh’ ‘Tere nainaa talaash kar jisey’ ‘Cham cham baajay re payalia’ and a whole gamut of other great songs such as these ! Very few know that Dada was an assistant composer to Legendary Composers like Khemchand Prakaash, Anil Biswas, S D Burman before he was to be a composer for several movies himself … ! Lekin kintu parantu … but, labour he did but all the labour did bring around at last a lot of colour and even today after 80 plus years of active singing Dada Manna Dey is still singing and the institution by himself inspires us to believe that success is all about Labour and hard work and there is no substitute for it … “rung dilate hai henna … patthar pe piss jaanay ke baad” .. is perhaps so apt as this great man labored a lot, learnt a lot, toiled a lot … but he never took any dictations from any composer, as he is one of the most professionally correct singers who reads notation which even a Saigol, Lata, Rafi, KIshore, Mukesh, Hemant did not … so when composers who faltered while composing, Dada Manna Dey immediately corrected them that this was the note you told me or sang first, now you have changed it ! It is because of this unique distinction of being able to read notations perfectly that Dada so easily mastered the toughest songs put to him by the Industry giants of his times and he mellifluously sang song after song with such brilliance and efficiency as few could or I feel if ever anyone would ? Now for the main point I wanted to make … he is bold, skillful, efficient par excellence and that is the reason why he lasts till today and sings till today and is shopping even till today … simply because he labored in the beginning and that bore fruit till date he is the epitome / icon of hard Labour … he travels the continent criss-cross several times a year where people still wishes to hear this Legend at his young age of 89 going on 90, while his contemporaries have gone … whether Mukesh, Rafi, Kishore, Hemant, Talat or just recently Mehender Kapoor in chronological order of leaving this world, however they are all immortal and none of them can ever die !
I spoke to Dada yesterday, fearing that he may be deluged with calls on 1st … but I got a little sad when I came to know that he had cancelled his shows in Calcutta on the 1st, 3rd and 7th as he is become a little unstable just presently with vertigo and it is a little too dangerous to take chances to venture out without support … but I told him Dada you have to bat a century ! I love him and I know so do you and millions of others - mainay toh unhay bohut saal pehle kaha tha .. “aapko meri umra lug jaaye” waisey hi aap sub bhi pray karein pooja karein … ke aap sab ka umra unko lug jaaye … wish the prayer is heard and we get him down at Delhi soon for a concert at Siri Fort !! Happy Birthday Dada .. May God keep you fit and fine !
( Indraneel Mukherjee is a Delhi based singer-composer and derives streams of musical inspiration from his guru, the great maestro Anil Biswas. He has twenty albums to his credit and is an exponent of devotional, semi classical and regional music, especially bangla. Indraneel has shared stage with Manna Dey, Hemant Kumar, Ghulam Ali, Jagjit Singh, Hema Malini, Dilip Kumar, Udit Narayan, Kavita Krishnamurthy, Nitin Mukesh and many others. He runs the Vintage Heritage Music Institute through which he is making efforts to revive interest in the music of the past. )

Hum Dekhenge : Alvida Iqbal Bano

- The NDFS Desk
Renowned Pakistani singer Iqbal Bano has passed away. She died in Lahore on Tuesday evening.
Among her fans in India she is best known for singing ghazals, particularly those of Faiz Ahmed Faiz, the legendary Urdu poet.
Her immortal performance is that of 'Hum Dekhenge' in 1985 during General Zia’s dictatorship when there was an unspoken ban on reciting Faiz’s revolutionary poetry. Bano dared and performed ‘Hum Dekhenge’ to an ecstatic audience.
She was singing it to an audience of tens of thousands during the Zia-ul-Huq era. Halfway through the song, during the lines ’sab taaj uchale jayenge/sab takht giraye jaenge’, the crowd broke out into chants of Inquilaab Zindabad.
http://baat.pate.ki.googlepages.com/इकबालबानो (Its a must, just listen)
From that evening the song later became her anthem, which she would sing in all of her concerts to the delight of her many admirers. She was one of the greatest means of support and inspiration during General Zia’s dictatorship. In fact it was Bano who started singing Faiz’s poetry for the first time in 1981 at a time when the poet himself was in exile in Beirut.
Iqbal Bano, A pupil of Ustad Chaand Khan, was born in 1935 in Delhi. She moved to Pakistan in 1952 where she started her career with Radio Pakistan. She married a landlord the same year at age 17, who promised her that he would support her endeavors in music. Her first public concert was in 1957 at the Lahore Arts Council. No one will be able to forget her beautiful renditions, not only of Faiz’s poetry, but also Ghalib, Daagh and Nasir Kazmi. Iqbal Bano we will never forget you, we will never forget 'Hum Dekhenge.....' hum hamesha sunenge, sunte rahenge aapki awaaz, apne dil ki awaaz....Alvida.

Bollywood's Journey from Poetic to Pragmatic Foeticide

-Mafa

At one of the more critical moments in Mughal-e-Azam when Bahar attempts to incite Akbar against Anarkali all she needs to say is ' Aajkal mahal mein anar ki kaliyon pe bahar aayi hai' . Taking the cue, Akbar responds, ' Humne bhi Anarkali ko bahut dinon se nahin dekha. Use hamare saamne pesh kiya jaaye' . No shrewish speeches, no histrionics, just a simple verbal play weaves the intrigue. The art of dialogue is rhetorical speech, of a verbal effect so sharp and arresting that the visuals are left redundant. Here is Anarkali's formal thanks to Akbar for his generosity in pardoning her life ' Baadshaah ki in behisaab bakhshishon ke badle yeh kaniz Jalaluddin Mohammed Akbar ko apna khoon maaf karti hai' . The line combines the irony of a kaniz pardoning an emperor with a higher act of generosity — she judges Akbar by mortal and immortal standards and forgives him by both. It puts paid to all the action for the only proper response to it is to applaud. It comes from the orality of our narrative tradition perhaps, this tendency to celebrate the verbal in our cinema. And if dialogue is the most important ingredient of our cinema (the stuff that remains after all else is forgotten — Deewar, Sholay ) then Mughal-e-Azam remains the most complete and stunning Hindi film ever made. For the first four decades of their existence the Hindi talkies were really Urdu and not Hindi cinema. With good reason too, for the origin of the Bombay talkies lay in Parsi theatre, so called because of the entrepreneurs who controlled it, but written and performed mostly in Urdu. Once they understood the nature and impact of sound, studio managers went overboard in hiring writers who could reproduce the rhetoric, melodrama and rhyming prose of the hugely successful Parsi theatre. Men such as Pandit Narayan Prasad Betaab and Agha Hashr Kashmiri, the leading playwrights of the time, reproduced the language, and the format, of their theatrical past into the films they wrote. For the same reason, dialogue and song, two of Hindi cinema's most crucial ingredients, quickly came to acquire preponderance over all else. For a long time afterward, Hindi cinema remained enchained to the literary moorings of Hindustani/Urdu literature. Villains or vamps, tramps or reformers, debonair rakes or profligate black sheep all spoke a language and employed a vocabulary that was unmistakably literary Urdu. The tradition was strengthened also by the modes of training. Sunil Dutt, acting in B R Chopra's Waqt was given diction classes by Akhtar ul Iman, one of the greatest of modern Urdu poets. Right up to the Bachchan era, in fact, characters, even degenerate ones, who appeared in this cinema spoke in a manner resembling the gentility. When Amitabh tells Iftekhar in Deewar , ' Dawar Saheb, main aaj bhi phenke hue paise nahin uthata hoon', the urbanity of his vocabulary belies his roughness. Over the last decade, this robust dialogic tradition has been steadily emasculated. The growth of satellite television, the explosion of the music industry and the arrival of the NRI market have so transformed Hindi cinema that it is now difficult to call it a mass medium in the same way as it had seemed earlier. Music, television and overseas rights now sometimes contribute more than the collections on the box office and therefore there is no compulsion now to make please-all, catch-all films. Concomitantly, dialogue and the careful crafting of language that was once its leitmotif have lost their importance. Even advertising commercials are forced to rely on old classics when they go looking for punchy dialogues. Today, it is the 10-25 years age group which determines a film's trade-value, and the films they champion have even redefined love in Hindi cinema. Instead of the social, sentiments centring on the family have become the chief obstacle or spur for love. On the other hand, Bobby, Aradhana, Guide , Mughal-e-Azam , all the mega love stories of yesteryears posited a wider social issue as the central conflict in love. While the new action films shed the poor this new love cinema sheds society. Time was when one had to learn Urdu to survive in the Hindi film industry. Now, if one doesn't know English, one would find it difficult to find work of any sort. Most of today's stars can speak only English fluently, if that at all. Hindi film posters and promos rely increasingly on English. Scenarios, screenplays and scripts are written in English and even the dialogues are translations from English. The actors' and the makers' lack of command on written or spoken Hindi seems of no consequence. With a change in personnel, and time, a change in language was bound to occur. But whether this new language will play the same attention to metaphor, poetry, rhetoric and subtlety, as almost all the Indic poetic and literary traditions are wont to do, is unlikely. All to the good then that legendary Lucknawi tangawallah, who asked a tourist to get off because his horse would revolt at the visitor's language is no longer around. The horse needn't bolt any longer, for to paraphrase Ghalib, 'Rau mein hai Rakhsh-e-zubaan, kahan dekhiye thame' . The horse of language flies away, who knows where it will stop!
(Mafa is a Delhi based Dastango and writer. A version of this piece was earlier published in The Times Of India)

दास्तान-ए-आलम आरा...1

- शरद दत्त

यह बात तकरीबन अस्सी साल पहले की है। तब पारसी थिएटर के मशहूर लेखक जोसेफ डेविड का नाटक आलम आरा रंगमंच पर काफी लोकप्रिय हो चुका था। इसलिए अमेरिकी निर्माता यूनिवर्सल की फिल्म 'शो बोट' देखने के बाद जब आर्देशर इरानी के सिर पर पूरी तरह सवाक फिल्म बनाने की धुन सवार हुई तो बरबस उनका ध्यान इस नाटक की ओर गया। उन्हे लगा कि इस रचना को एक संपूर्ण बोलती फिल्म में रुपांतरित करने की संभावना है। हालांकि उस समय मंच प्रस्तुतियों के अंश फिल्मांकित करने की शुरूआत हो चुकी थी। इसलिए यह स्वाभाविक होता कि आर्देशर भी आलम आरा की नाट्य प्रस्तुति का फिल्मांकन कर देते। लेकिन उन्होने ऐसा नहीं किया। वे चाहते थे कि बाकायदा फिल्म की पटकथा लिखवाई जाए, संवाद लिखवाए जाएं ताकि फिल्म रंगमंच से अलग दिख सके। लेकिन यह काम आसान नहीं था। खैर पटकथा तो जोसेफ डेविड ने ही लिखी और संवाद भी शायद उन्होने ही लिखे होंगे। हालांकि इसका कहीं जिक्र नहीं है। गीतों के बारे में जरुर कहा जाता है कि उनकी धुनों का चुनाव ईरानी ने किया था। इससे दो संकेत मिलते हैं। पहला यह कि नाटक आलम आरा की प्रस्तुति में भी गानों का प्रयोग होता था किंतु आर्देशर ने उन्हे फिल्म में शामिल नहीं किया और दूसरा यह कि फिल्म में इस्तेमाल गाने उस समय लोक में प्रचलित रहे होंगे। मगर गीतों के चुनाव के बाद समस्या रही होगी उनके फिल्मांकन की। उसका कोई आदर्श ईरानी के सामने नहीं था और नहा ही बूम जैसा कोई ध्वनि उपकरण था। सारे गाने टैनार सिंगल सिस्टम कैमरे की मदद से सीधे फिल्म पर ही रिकॉर्ड होने थे और यह काम काफी मुश्किल था। जरा सी खांसी आ जाए या उच्चारण में कोई कमी आ जाए तो पूरा गाना नए सिरे से करो।
बहरहाल यह बात हैरत की है कि पहली सवाक फिल्म में संगीतकार, गीतकार या गायकों के नामों का उल्लेख नहीं है। इस बात के साक्ष्य मौजूद हैं कि आलम आरा पूरे एशिया में मशहूर हुई। अकेले मुंबई के मैजेस्टिक सिनेमा में यह लगातार आठ हफ्ते तक चली थी। लोगों ने सिर्फ गाने सुनने के लिए इस फिल्म को देखा। दुर्भाग्य से इस फिल्म के गाने रिकॉर्ड नहीं किए जा सके। बताते हैं कि फिल्म में कुल सात गाने थे। जिनमें से एक फकीर की भूमिका करने वाले अभिनेता वजीर मुहम्मद खान ने गाया था। उसके बोल थे- 'दे दे खुदा के नाम पर प्यारे, ताकत है गर देने की।' एक और गाने के बारे में एल वी प्रसाद ने अपने संस्मरण में लिखा है- वह गीत सितारा की बहन अलकनंदा ने गाया था- बलमा कहीं होंगे...। बाकी पांच गानों के बोल क्या थे और किसने गाया, पता नहीं। फिल्म के संगीत में केवल तीन साजों का इस्तेमाल किया गया था- तबला, हारमोनियम और वायलिन।
'आलम आरा' के लिए अमेरिका से टैनार साउंड सिस्टम आयात किया गया। उसके साथ उपकरण का प्रशिक्षण देने के लिए विलफोर्ड डेमिंग नाम के साउंड इंजीनियर आए थे। आर्देशर और उनके सहयोगी रुस्तम भड़ूचा ने उनसे एक महीने में ही बारीकियां सीखीं और पूरी फिल्म की रिकॉर्डिंग खुद की। फिल्म की भूमिका में ज़ुबेदा और मास्टर विट्ठल के अलावा कई नामी-गिरामी कलाकार काम कर रहे थे। पृथ्वीराज कपूर, जगदीश सेठी और वजीर मुहम्मद खान के नाम तो फिल्म की प्रचार पुस्तिका में दिए गए हैं। लेकिन सोहराब मोदी और याकूब के नाम नहीं मिलते। एल वी प्रसाद और महबूब खान ने भी फिल्म में छिटपुट भूमिका की थी। आगे चलकर ये नामी निर्माता-निर्देशक बने।
'आलम आरा' में कलात्मकता और तकनीकी गुणवत्ता अधिक नहीं थी, लेकिन पहली सवाक फिल्म होने के कारण उसके महत्व को किसी तरह कम करके नहीं आंका जा सकता। 'द बांबे क्रोनिकल' के दो अप्रैल 1931 के अंक में 'आलम आरा' को लेकर कुछ ऐसे ही विचार व्यक्त किए गए थे। ' किसी खास व्यक्तिगत भारतीय फिल्म के दोषों पर बात करने का मतलब ज्यादातर मामलों में ऐसे दोषों पर बात करना है जो सभी फिल्म में समान रुप से पाए जाते हैं। इन दोषों से आलम आरा भी पूरी तरह मुक्त नहीं है। लेकिन एक सांगोपांग कहानी पर फिल्म बनाने में ध्वनि का अपेक्षित उतार-चढ़ाव और वैविध्य मौजूद है....इसने दिखा दिया कि यथोचित संयम और गंभीर निर्देशन हो तो विट्ठल, पृथ्वीराज और ज़ुबेदा सरीखे कलाकार अपनी प्रभावशाली अभिनय क्षमता और वाणी से ऐसे नाटकीय प्रभाव पैदा कर सकते हैं, जनकी मूक चित्रपट पर कल्पना भी नहीं की जा सकती है।'
पहली सवाक फिल्म होने के कारण सामने आने वाली तमाम समस्याओं के बावजूद आर्देशर ने साढ़े दस हजार फीट लंबी इस फिल्म का निर्माण चार महीने में ही पूरा किया। इस पर कुल मिलाकर चालीस हजार रुपए की लागत आई थी। आखिरकार 14 मार्च 1931 को इसे मैजेस्टिक सिनेमा में रिलीज किया गया, तो वह दिन सिने इतिहास का एक सुनहरा पन्ना बन गया। आर्देशर ईरानी के साझीदार अब्दुल अली यूसुफ अली ने फिल्म के प्रीमियर की चर्चा करते हुए लिखा था- 'जरा अंदाजा लगाइए, हमें कितनी हैरत हुई होगी यह देखकर कि फिल्म रिलीज होने के दिन सुबह सवेरे से ही मैजेस्टिक सिनेमा के पास बेशुमार भीड़ जुटना शुरू हो गई थी और हालात यहां तक पहुंचे कि हमें खुद को भी थिएटर मे दाखिल होने के लिए काफी मशक्कत करनी पड़ी...उस जमाने के दर्शक कतार में लगना नहीं जानते थे और धक्कमधक्का करती बेलगाम भीड़ ने टिकट खिड़की पर सही मायनों में धावा बोल दिया था-हर कोई चाह रहा था कि जिस जबान को वे समझते हैं उसमें बोलने वाली फिल्म देखने का टिकट किसी तरह हथिया लिया जाए। चारों तरफ यातायात ठप हो गया था और भीड़ को काबू करने के लिए पुलिस की मदद लेनी पड़ी थी।' बाद में नानू भाई वकील ने 1956 और 1973 में, दो बार इस फिल्म का पुनर्निर्माण किया।

( शरद दत्त दिल्ली दूरदर्शन केंद्र के पूर्व निदेशक रहे हैं। फिल्मों और संगीत में उनकी गहरी अभिरुचि है। दूरदर्शन के लिए बनाई उनकी सीरीज़ मेलोडी मेकर्स खासी चर्चित रही है। कुंदन लाल सहगल और अनिल बिस्वास पर लिखी किताब के लिए उन्हे 2002 और 2007 में नेशनल अवॉर्ड भी मिला था। प्रस्तुत लेख सारांश प्रकाशन से उनकी जल्द ही प्रकाशित होने वाली किताब दास्तान-ए-आलम आरा से लिया गया है। )

अपने आप में एक फिल्म मूवमेंट थे गुरु दत्त

-आलोक नंदन
गुरुदत्त के बिना वर्ल्ड सिनेमा की बात करना बेमानी है। जिस वक्त फ्रांस में न्यू वेव मूवमेंट शुरु भी नहीं हुआ था, उस वक्त गुरुदत्त इस जॉनरा में बहुत काम कर चुके थे। फ्रांस के न्यू वेव मूवमेंट के जन्मदाताओं ने उस समय दुनिया की तमाम फिल्मों को उलट-पलट कर खूब नाप-जोख किया, लेकिन भारतीय फिल्मों की ओर उनका ध्यान नहीं गया। गुरदत्त की फिल्मों का प्रदर्शन उस समय जर्मनी, फ्रांस और जापान में भी किया जा रहा था और सभी शो फुल जा रहे थे। गुरुदत्त हर स्तर पर वर्ल्ड सिनेमा को लीड कर रहे थे। 1950-60 के दशक में गुरुदत्त ने कागज़ के फूल, प्यासा, साहब बीवी और गुलाम और चौदहवीं का चांद जैसी फिल्में बनाई थीं, जिनमें उन्होंने कंटेंट के लेवल पर फिल्मों के क्लासिकल पोयटिक एप्रोच को बरकरार रखते हुये रियलिज्म का भरपूर इस्तेमाल किया था, जो फ्रांस के न्यू वेव मूवमेंट की खास विशेषता थी। वर्ल्ड सिनेमा के परिदृश्य में गुरुदत और उनकी फिल्मों को समझने के लिए फ्रांस के न्यू वेव मूवमेंट के थ्योरिटकल फॉर्मूलों का सहारा लिया जा सकता है, हालांकि गुरुदत्त अपने आप में एक फिल्म मूवमेंट थे। सो किसी और फिल्म मूवमेंट के ग्रामर पर उन्हें नही कसा जा सकता। फ्रेंच न्यू वेव की बात फ्रांस की फिल्मी पत्रिका कैहियर डू सिनेमा से शुरु होती है। इस पत्रिका के सह-संस्थापक और संपादक आंद्रे बाजिन ने अपने अगल-बगल ऐसे लोगों की मंडली बना रखी थी, जो दुनियाभर की फिल्मों के पीछे खूब मगजमारी करते थे। फ्रान्कोई ट्रूफॉ, ज्यां-लुक गोदार, एरिक रोहमर, क्लाउड चाब्रोल और जैकस रिवेटी जैसे लोग इस इस मूवमेंट के खेवैया थे और थ्योरेटिकल लेवल पर फिल्म और उसकी तकनीक के पीछे हाथ धोकर पड़े हुये थे। ऑटर थ्योरी बाजिन के खोपड़ी की उपज थी, जिसे ट्रूफॉ ने सींच कर बड़ा किया। गुरु दत्त को इस फिल्म थ्योरी की कसौटी पर कसने से पहले, इस थ्योरी के विषय में कुछ जान लेना बेहतर होगा। ऑटर थ्योरी के मुताबिक एक फिल्मकार एक लेखक है और फिल्म उसकी कलम। यानि एक फिल्म का रूप और स्वरुप पूरी तरह से एक फिल्म बनाने वाले की सोच पर निर्भर करता है। इस थ्योरी को आगे बढ़ाने में अलेक्जेंडर अस्ट्रक ने कैमरा पेन जैसे तकनीकी शब्द का इस्तेमाल किया था। ट्रूफॉ ने अपने आलेख -फ्रांसीसी फिल्म में एक निश्चित चलन-में इस थ्योरी को मजबूती से स्थापित किया था। उसने लिखा था कि फिल्में अच्छी या बुरी नहीं होती है, बल्कि फिल्मकार अच्छे और बुरे होते हैं। फिल्मों में गुरुदत्त के बहुआयामी कामों को समेटने के लिए यह थ्योरी बहुत ही छोटी है, लेकिन इस थ्योरी के नजरिये से यदि हम गुरुदत्त को एक फिल्मकार के तौर पर देखते हैं, तो उनकी प्रत्येक फिल्म बड़ी मजबूती से उनके व्यक्तित्व को बयां करती है। फ्रेंच न्यू वेव के संचालकों की तरह ही गुरुदत्त ने भी सेकेंड वर्ल्ड वॉर के प्रभाव को करीब से देखा था। अलमोड़ा का उदय शंकर इंडियन कल्चरल सेंटर 1944 में गुरुदत्त के सामने ही सेकेंड वर्ल्ड वॉर के चलते बंद हुआ था। गुरुदत्त यहां पर 1941 से स्कॉलरशिप पर एक छात्र के रूप में रहे थे। बाद में मुंबई में बेरोजगारी के दौरान उन्होंने आत्मकथात्मक फिल्म प्यासा लिखी। इस फिल्म का वास्तविक नाम कशमकश था। फिल्मों की समीक्षा के लिए कुख्यात ट्रूफॉ को 1958 में जब कान फिल्म फेस्टिवल में घुसने नहीं दिया गया था, तो उसने 1959 में फोर हंड्रेड ब्लोज़ नाम की फिल्म बनाई था और कान फिल्म फेस्टिवल में बेस्ट फिल्म डायरेक्टर का अवॉर्ड झटक ले गया था। फोर हंड्रेड ब्लोज़ भी आत्मकथात्मक फिल्म थी, गुरुदत्त की प्यासा की तरह। फोर हंड्रेड ब्लोज़ में एक अटपटे किशोर की कहानी बयां की गई थी, जो उस समय की परिस्थियों में फिट नहीं बैठ रहा था, जबकि प्सासा में शायर युवक की कहानी थी,जिसे दुनिया ने नकार दिया था। अपनी फिल्मों पर पारंपरिक सौंदर्य के साथ ज़मीनी सच्चाई का इस्तेमाल करते हुये गुरुदत्त फ्रेंच न्यू वेव मूवमेंट से मीलों आगे थे। गुरुदत्त ने 1951 में अपनी पहली फिल्म बाजी बनाई थी। यह देवानंद के नवकेतन की फिल्म थी। इस फिल्म में 40 के दशक की हॉलीवुड की फिल्म तकनीक और तेवर को अपनाया गया था। इस फिल्म में गुरुदत्त ने 100 एमएम लेंस के साथ क्लोज-अप शॉट्स का इस्तेमाल किया था। इसके अतिरिक्त पहली बार कंटेट के लेवल पर गानों का इस्तेमाल फिल्म की कहानी को आगे बढ़ाने के लिए किया था। तकनीक और कंटेट दोनों के लेवल पर ये भारतीय सिनेमा को गुरुदत्त की प्रमुख देन हैं। बाज़ी के बाद गुरुदत्त ने जाल और बाज बनाई। इन दोनों फिल्मों को बॉक्स ऑफिस पर कुछ खास सफलता नहीं मिली थी। आरपार (1954), मि. और मिसेज 55, सीआईडी, सैलाब के बाद उन्होंने 1957 में प्यासा बनाई थी। उस वक्त फ्रांस में की ट्रूफॉट फोर हंड्रेड ब्लोज़ नहीं आई थी। प्यासा के साथ रियलिज्म की राह पर कदम बढ़ाने के साथ ही गुरुदत्त तेजी से डिप्रेशन की ओर भी बढ़ रहे थे। 1950 में बनी कागज के फूल गुरुदत्त की इस मनोवृति को व्यक्त करती है। इस फिल्म में सफलता के शिखर तक पहुंचकर गर्त में गिरने वाले डायरेक्टर की भूमिका गुरुदत्त ने खुद निभाई थी। यदि ऑटर थ्योरी पर यकीन करें तो यह फिल्म पूरी तरह से गुरुदत्त की फिल्म थी, और इस फिल्म में गुरुदत्त की एक फिल्मकार के रूप में सुपर अभिव्यक्ति है। 1964 में शराब और नींद की गोलियों का भारी डोज़ लेने के चलते हुई गुरुदत्त की मौत के बाद देवानंद ने कहा था, वह एक युवा व्यक्ति था, उसे डिप्रेसिव फिल्में नही बनानी चाहिय थीं। फ्रेच वेव के अन्य फिल्मकारों की तरह गुरुदत्त सिफ फिल्म के लिए फिल्म नहीं बना रहे थे, बल्कि उनकी हर फिल्म शानदार उपन्यास या काव्य की तरह कुछ न कुछ कह रही थी। वह अपनी खास शैली में फिल्म बना रहे थे, और उस दौर में वर्ल्ड सिनेमा में जड़ पकड़ रहे ऑटर थ्योरी को भी सत्यापित कर रहे थे। साहब बीवी और गुलाम का निर्देशन लेखक अबरार अल्वी ने किया था। इस फिल्म पर भी गुरुदत्त के व्यक्तित्व के स्पष्ट प्रभाव दिखाई देते हैं। एक फिल्म के पूरा होते ही गुरुदत्त रुकते नहीं थे, बल्कि दूसरी फिल्म की तैयारी में जुट जाते थे। एक बार उन्होंने कहा था, लाइफ में यार क्या है। दो ही तो चीज है, कामयाबी और फेल्यर। इन दोनों के बीच कुछ भी नहीं है। फ्रेंच वेव की रियलिस्टिक गूंज उनके इन शब्दों में सुनाई देती है, देखो ना, मुझे डायरेक्टर बनना था, बन गया, एक्टर बनना था बन गया, पिक्चर अच्छी बनानी थी, अच्छी बनी। पैसा है सबकुछ है, पर कुछ भी नहीं रहा। फ्रेंच वेव मूवमेंट के दौरान ऑटर थ्योरी को स्थापित करने के लिए बाजिन और उसकी मंडली ने ज्यां रेनॉय, ज्या विगो,जॉन फॉड, अल्फ्रेड हिचकॉक और निकोलस रे की फिल्मों को आधार बनाया था, उनकी नजर उस समय भारतीय फिल्म के इस रियलिस्टिक फिल्मकार पर नहीं पड़ी थी। हालांकि समय के साथ गुरुदत्त की फिल्मों को अंतरराष्ट्रीय स्तर पर मजबूत पहचान मिली है। टाइम पत्रिका ने प्यासा को 100 सदाबहार फिल्मों की सूची में रखा है।

In search of creative genius in Indian Cinema

-Alok Nandan

'Will is the centre around which all the functions of life moves'- Schopenhauer. The secret of genius lies in the clear and impartial perception of the object, the essential and the universal. On national theatre or better to say on the international theatre –Indian Film Industry is a place where different minds play with the different tools to produce most famous and popular arts, the film; the moving film; the motion picture. Here all the segments of art - photography, music, acting, dialogue, costume, lyric etc- are complied with the help of scientific discoveries, in field of science everyday new technology is being invented and implemented in order to make the film making process easy and effective. A film is the production of conjugation of science and art. So naturally this field-film making world- demands more and more genius.

A natural question arises here, who is genius or what is the criteria of genius? It is universal question and related with many fields, better to say with every walk of life. But with question we move only under the circle of Indian cinema as it is the laboratory where we will investigate the universal question-what is the definition of genius?The basic line of this investigation will be the words of Schopenhauer, the German philosophers who have worked hard to find out the definition of a genius. This is the reason the opening sentence of the article starts with the word of Schopenhauer. Let us go with them in search of genius in Indian cinema.Genius is simply the completest objectivity, -i.e. the objective tendency of mind.

Is Amitabh Bachchan a genius? Does he has the objective tendency of mind to his different characters? To him what is the criteria of selecting a character and how he co-relate himself with the character? Do the audience ever forget Amitabh Bachchan and co-relate themselves to the particular character played by him? Or his own personality stands between audience and the character? He has played and still playing different types of characters, and some of them are still fresh in the public memory while others have been vanished with the course of time. Why? The answer is very simple. The roles that are still fresh in the public mind have been played by a genius mind, with the objective tendency of mind.

The minds of characters have been penetrated by the objective tendency of a genius mind who is not influenced by his own popular personality. Having demolished himself completely he has entered and occupied the other brain objectively and then automatically his body language and behavior have changed and completely a new and different person emerged from him. And people are still fascinated with those characters like Vijay in Deewar and Trishul, Jay in Sholey, and Anthony in Amar Akabar Anthony.When he lacked the tendency of objectivity his own has personality reflected in the characters, that have not stimulated the public mind and all of them have been forgotten. The long journey of Amitabh Bachchan as an actor must be seen in this perspective. It means genius is not a permanent phenomena, it is a state of mind. When a person has an objective tendency of mind he is genius, when he sees the world subjectively his state of mind represents his personality.All actors or their works must be judged according to this way, from V.Shanta Ram to Ajay Devgan.

Again we continue with Schopenhauer, 'Genius is mostly knowledge and little will while the man in general is mostly will and little knowledge.' Is Ram Gopal Verma a genius? Is he a man of mostly knowledge and little will? He has given a new test in Indian Cinema and is considered as a genius by critic and masses. He has touched the zenith in his field, direction. In some extents whatever he has done, he has done with clear sight so why he can be said the man of knowledge. He has gone ahead, leaving his will aside, and understood all the functions of human mind, without involving himself in the affairs. To him, love, anger, satisfaction and dissatisfaction and all the human psychology are just matters of brain. He can be better understood by more and more knowledge. To him, human's reactions are related with will but can be understood only through knowledge, through mind. And only through knowledge they can be perceived and demonstrated on the silver screen.

Schopenhauer says, ''Read the creator rather than the expositors and the critics.'' In the same way Anuragkashyap says,''Better to discuss the film maker than the films.' It can be changed little as 'Better to discuss the mind of a film maker than his films.'' The work produced by a genius mind has value for the masses, but a genius, a man of knowledge, is always ready to jump into the mind of a creator; not its creation; because his hunger for more and more knowledge is infinite.

Without knowledge or objectivity was Raj kapoor able to make films like Awara, Jis Desh mein Ganga Rahati Hai,Prem Rog, Mera Nam Joker, Ram Teri Ganga Maili, etc.? He was a man of wide knowledge. He observed and perceived everything related to human being very keenly and represented them on the silver screen, using the latest film technology of his time. Knowledge makes a man more objective. In other words the degree of knowledge increase the spectrum of brain and it is a special phenomena of a genius. Guru Dutt, Dev Anand, Rishikesh Mukharji, Gulzar can be interpreted as men of knowledge. Impartial perception of the object comes through knowledge.

Do genius have characteristics of abnormality? According to Schopenhauer, ''the fundamental condition of genius is an abnormal predominance of sensibility and irritability over reproductive power.'' What does mean by abnormal predominance of sensibility? What is sensibility? By nature all men are sensible, but the degree of sensibility plays greater role in genius, as Schopenhauer believes, and it leads to genius to abnormality. The best example of this statement is Nana Patekar, a man full of sensibility. By the masses he is considered as a fanatic man. On the silver screen he has acted many fanatic characters and all the characters of this nature have been admired because whatever he has inside himself or in his conscious, he has acted on the screen. On the silver screen he seems like a real fanatic character. The wall between acting and real life disappeared and audience automatically enjoy the work of an abnormal pre-dominance of sensibility. We must not forget that extreme anger is also a part of abnormality. Nana Patekar, in his acting, creates his real anger and touches the hearts of audience-from Ankush to Apaharan. In Ankush he is a loud violent character but in Apaharan he is a cold violent character. But the degree of the violent nature is same in both the characters. No any other actor has touched this abnormal predominance of sensibility as Nana Patekar has touched. The reason is very simple. What he is in his personal life he reflects before the camera and creates wonder on the screen. And he knows his strength. At the same time he is fond of shooting. He has won many medals in shooting. His shooting tendency also indicates his innermost anger and concentration.

Anger is a negative force or passion if it has no objective. Or it can be said any abnormal pre-dominance of sensibility leads a man to disaster if it is without objective and insight. Nana patekar is very clear to his objective so he plays with his anger in a very systematic way, through concentration. Dramatically he changes his negative energy to positive one. He is not a multi-dimensional actor but with only one dominating passion, anger. His irritability over reproductive or enmity with woman can also be seen in his personal life.

Is Amol Palekar a genius? He has an abnormal predominance of sensibility and irritability over reproductive power? He has tender and delicate approach to society; specially the middle class. He is very simple and lucid in his acting and all the characters played by him on the silver screen were admired specially by the middle class. Why? Again the answer is very simple. By nature he has all the qualities-passion and temperament-of a middle class youth who had his own specific pain and pleasure in day-today life affairs. So here, without temperament of abnormality he has established himself as a natural actor and it is his great achievement. He touches the heart of the middle class family in a very lucid manner. And he is a very perfect performer. Through more and more observation and practice a man can be perfect like any computer operator or a cricket player. His acting is simple as a flow of sleeping river in which anyone can enter without a fear of danger. But Nana Patekar is like a live volcano, full of anger. In the theatre he kidnaps your mind. Even after existing from the theatre many more think and behave like him unconsciously. With Amol Palekar one shares with his won life but Nana Patekar does not give this opportunity. He breaks the threads of the audience's mind through his genius work that has an abnormal predominance of sensibility. Both Nana Patekar and Amol Palekar are performers but with different and opposite temperaments.

Now what about woman, from Madubala to Madhuri Dixit and so many other female beauties who are playing different roles on silver screen ? Feminist thinkers have their right to react against Schopenhauer's words about woman , '' Women may have many great talent, but no genius for them everything is personal and is viewed as means to end.''The unsociability of a genius is emphasized loudly by Schopenhauer. He says, ''A genius is thinking of the fundamental, the universal, the eternal, others are thinking of the temporary, the specific, the immediate; his mind and there ones' have no common ground and never meets. Amir khan is up to mark of this statement of Schopenhauer. He thinks of fundamental, the universal and the eternal and, of course, he is a kind of unsocial animal. Sharukh Khan may be a brilliant performer but not genius.

In conclusion, it can be said that Schopenhauer is not ultimate truth. It just provides a base to think about something deeply. Here an honest attempt has been taken to find out genius from Indian cinema according to the given formula of Schopenhauer. One is free to think according to his own way.

(Alok Nandan is a sensitive cinema lover. After doing journalism for more than a decade, now he is active in films.)

The Journey of Firaaq…continues…

- Nandita Das

The journey of making Firaaq has been a cathartic experience that has pushed my boundaries in more ways than one. For me it is both a personal and a political film. It is a work of fiction, based on a thousand true stories. It was my response to the growing divide that was seeing all around me. That’s why the film is called Firaaq, an Urdu word that means separation. The other meaning of the word is quest, which also resonates with the hopeful aspect of the film. Firaaq explores the impact of violence on people and their relationships. Most films about riots are full of violence that they set out to critique. Instead I wanted to explore the fierce and delicate emotions, like fear, anxiety, prejudice and ambivalence that surfaces in such times.
I don’t remember exactly when the seed of this film was sown. It had to do with waking up to newspapers filled with stories of violence. It had to do with conversations about identity and the notion of the ‘other’ that would soon turn into arguments, polarizing people instantly. It had to do with meeting many victims of violence and even some who perpetrated it. But, most of all it had to do with those who remained willfully silent. The sadness, the anger, the helplessness kept growing and a deep desire to share all those stories with a larger group of people began to take roots. In some ways it became a personal catharsis. I didn’t start out looking for a story that I could direct, instead the stories compelled me to become a director.
The script started with one story but then there were all these other stories that were inside me, rearing to come out, and that’s how an ensemble structure evolved. The process of scripting Firaaq took three years and I found a great collaborator in Shuchi Kothari, a screenplay writer, based in Auckland, who shared similar concerns. The many drafts of the script were written between 2005 and 2008, through our meetings in India, UK and New Zealand, and via every conceivable medium of communication. We are especially indebted to Skype for those long distance sessions that finally shaped the screenplay! As we skyped our way through various drafts, national and world events continued to impact our perceptions and many conversations found their way, directly or indirectly into our writing. The long gestation period was good for the script because it allowed stories to breathe and the characters to grow in a more organic manner.
While writing the script, I would mentally start casting. Although I was not lucky enough to get all of them, the four I did were precious- Naseeruddin Shah, Paresh Rawal, Raghubir Yadav and Deepti Naval. I got to experience a diverse range of talent as I searched for my characters; and finally an incredible cast came together. In addition to the four gems we have Sanjay Suri, Tisca Chopra, Shahana Goswami and Nowaz, and each one of them is no less. But the most challenging casting was for Mohsin, a six-year-old child in the film. I looked at many children in about ten schools and finally found Mohd. Samad. His eyes are full of wonderment, innocence, intelligence and resilience and he makes a perfect Mohsin.
But shooting this film was like doing five short films, one after another. We moved to a new location and had different set of actors every five days, and I myself had to be in a different state of mind each time, to tell that particular story. To do a sync sound film where silence forms a large part of the soundscape, was not easy. In India to find silence in a city on any day at any time is asking for the impossible. On one occasion, when we needed pin drop silence in the middle of the night, there were 10,000 people gathered to watch the shoot, and our production team could not quite keep them at bay. When all failed, I took the mike and reached out to the people, with an impassioned speech. To every one’s surprise, it actually worked! And we shot rest of the night in peace.
The creative aspects seemed to be a fraction of things I had to look into - from securing permits at the local police station, to calling in favours from anybody and everybody that I knew, and answering a hundred different questions posed by ten different departments, at any given time. Guess in my 1st film I learnt more than I needed to! But in the midst of production issues and worrying about many different things, I had to keep my creative sanity intact, and keep the spirits of the cast and crew, high. Working with so many people, especially during the shoot was not easy as one has to deal with different personalities, psyches, different ways of working etc. but at the same time the synergy that emerges because of so many people coming together, is also exciting. So what was most important was to create a sense of equanimity for everyone, including me, so we could do our best best.
While shooting is the most essential part of the film making process, there is lots more after that, which was completely new to me. I personally found editing to be the most exciting part of the whole filmmaking process. For one, after the madness of the shoot, it is a great to be in a quiet room, with just one more person as your collaborator. Second, you feel that things are finally under your control as there is so much you can do in the process of editing. Although I had heard a million times that a film is really made at the editing table, I understood the true meaning of it only when I got into the editing room. And for this I had the best partner I could have ever wished for - Sreekar Prasad, an eminent editor, whose sensitivity and temperament were exactly what I needed.
I have enjoyed every phase of film making, with all its challenges, big and small. While it is a collaborative process, it is also a lonely one. I have never had to make so many decisions, multi task at all times and be responsible for so many different things. With almost 13 years of acting experience in more than 30 films, I expected the transition to not be a difficult one. But making a film entailed much more than what I could have ever imagined. From an actor to a director, is like taking a quantum leap!
But the journey doesn’t end with just that. Taking it to as many audiences as one can, becomes just as important. My festival journey began at the Telluride Film Festival, where the new films of the likes of Danny Boyle (Slumdog....) and Mike Leigh (happy go lucky) were being screened. I was apprehensive how a contextual and local film like Firaaq will resonate with people outside India. Also the bar there was so high that I wasn’t sure if it would live upto the expectations. Due to public demand, Firaaq was one of the three films that had an additional screening on the last day. After that there has been no looking back. Going by the reactions I have got thus far from audiences across board- Toronto, NY, London, Pusan (S. Korea), Thessaloniki (Greece), Singapore, Dubai, Karachi, France....the list continues...I feel far more reassured. I am truly overwhelmed by the amazing responses it continues to get. After every screening people want to engage, share their stories and ask a hundred questions. People of all race, community, age and nationality have had similar responses, so I feel Firaaq connects at a very primordial level. What more could I ask for?! Yes the awards were a bonus and now we are spoilt, as every competition it has entered, it has one at least one award! But what I am most waiting for is the India release, on the 20th of March. For me this film is not an end in itself. The issue of sectarian violence is dividing our pluralist country and I think the dialogue it will trigger will be very important. But I also believe that having good intentions is not enough; the form it adopts in telling the story is just as vital. But I am happy that the intent with which I made Firaaq is being fulfilled and it has been well worth making it, against all odds.
(Firaaq is Nandita Das' directorial debut film. The film, scheduled to be released on 20th March, has already won 7 international awards. Nandita has sent this director's note for New Delhi Film Society.)

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Film Review: Gulaal

- by Prabuddha

Unapologetic, cares two hoots about everyone including the censors…if it thinks his films can’t do without an ‘A’ then be it...Here is one man who would not stoop low to please the producers or censors or moral brigade even if it takes five years to get his films released. That you call the power of conviction and that precisely is the reason why you have to have an opinion on his films and that too a strong one: unbearable or excellent, most of the time.

Gulaal, Anurag Kashyap’s latest outing in an election year is bound to create ripples for all the right reasons. The opening scene sets the tone for the story: Rajputana is to be freed as the Indian Govt has not only snatched the Princes’ privy purses but also failed to deliver on promises. Dukey Bana(Kay Kay) is the chosen man for the job. From the bigger picture to the not so bigger: student politics. A seedha-sada boy, Dileep(Raja Singh Chaudhary) who comes to study in Rajpur is sucked into politics after being stripped and ragged. He gets a crash-course in duniyadari from his room-mate, Rananjay Singh Ransa (Abhimanyu Singh) who is the angst ridden son of an erstwhile king. Dukey Bana is the uncrowned king of the town. He convinces Ransa to contest university election who finds his own illegitimate sister, Kiran (Ayesha Mohan) against him. He is killed by Karan ( Aditya Srivastava), his illegitimate brother who has some big plans for himself and his sister. Dileep is made to replace Ransa and win a rigged election by Dukey Bana. And from here starts Dileep’s journey downhill. He is seduced by Kiran to her advantage. She becomes the General Secy. of the union who later goes on to seduce Dukey Bana coz her brother, Karan wants to replace him as the senapati of the free Rajputana movement. The dirty game of politics becomes a bit heavy for Dileep who is already dejected by Kiran’s betrayal.

Gulaal has some bloody red (passionate) performances. Kay Kay as Dukey Bana steals the show whichever frame he stands in. Abhimanyu Singh gives an in-your-face performance who by the way, is also given some of the finest dialogues that he delivers with panache. Dileep’s character leaves a little more to be desired though he leaves an impact and is certainly a lambi race ka ghoda. Aditya as the restrained rogue is awesome. Mahie Gill in a loud cameo is lovable. Ayesha Mohan is the find of the film. Ah, this gives me immense pleasure- yes, Deepak Dobriyal as the right hand man of Dukey Bana and Piyush Mishra, the lost-in-his-own-world brother of Dukey Bana. One, who speaks also when he is silent and the other who utters gibberish and makes sense. Jesse Randhawa doesn’t get much scope in her ill drawn character of a ragged teacher.

If the first half gives you no time to look who is sitting next to you, the second half is a little sluggish. The film handles too many issues at one go- student politics, ragging, separatist state movements (you will be clearly reminded of Raj Thackeray in one scene where Dileep tells Dukey Bana that Rajputana is not for the Rajuputs alone) illegitimate children of the royals and hunger for power. Kudos to Piyush Mishra for Gulaal’s music and lyrics which give the film its authenticity, force, appeal and help take the narrative forward. The film not only has the best of lyrics but also the acidic dialogues (lend an ear!) And hey, like all his films, Gulaal too is high on metaphors. Just do yourself a favor- try to find as many as you can. A little observation and attention in the scenes and I promise you a smile on your face, enriching your movie watching experience. BTW, the first time Kiran meets Dileep asking for favors, the background wall screams of a lager beer ad- Democracy Lager- for strong people! ! !

Don’t go for this film if you are looking for some light entertainment. It won’t give you any. It hits you hard… hard in your face, tough on your heart, thought provoking for your brain. Watch it for some original brainwash !

(Prabuddha is a tv journalist by profession and a cinema lover by default)

ब्लैक डॉग थ्योरी और स्लमडॉग मिलियनेयर में समानता

- आलोक नंदन

क्या स्लम डाग मिलयेनेयर का इतिहास में स्थापित ब्लैक डॉग थ्योरी से कोई संबंध है ? किसी फिल्म के ऑस्कर में नामांकित होने और अवार्ड पाने की थ्योरी क्या है? कंटेंट और मेकिंग के लेवल पर स्लमडॉग मिलियनेयर अंतर्राष्ट्रीय फिल्म जगत में अपना झंडा गाड़ चुकी है, और इसके साथ ही भारतीय फिल्मों में वर्षों से अपना योगदान दे रहे क्रिएटिव फील्ड की दो हस्तियों को भी अंतरराष्ट्रीय फिल्म पटल पर अहम स्थान मिला है। फिल्म की परिभाषा में यदि इसे कसा जाये तो तथाकथित बॉलीवुड (हॉलीवुड का पिच्छलग्गू नाम) से जुड़े लोगों को इससे फिल्म मेकिंग के स्तर पर बहुत कुछ सीखने की जरूरत है, जो वर्षों से हॉलीवुड के कंटेंट और स्टाइल को यहां पर रगड़ते आ रहे हैं। वैसे यह फिल्म इतिहास को दोहराते हुये नजर आ रही है, ब्लैक डॉग थ्योरी और स्लमडॉग मिलियनेयर में कहीं न कहीं समानता दिखती है। क्या स्लमडॉग मिलियनेयर एक प्रोपगेंडा फिल्म है, फोर्टी नाइन्थ पैरलल (1941), वेन्ट दि डे वेल (1942), दि वे अहेड (1944), इन विच वी सर्व (1942) की तरह ? लंदन में बिग ब्रदर में शिल्पा शेट्टी को जेडी गुडी ने स्लम गर्ल कहा था। जिसे नस्लीय टिप्पणी का नाम देकर खूब हंगामा किया गया था और जिससे शिल्पा ने भी खूब प्रसिद्धि बटोरी थी। इंग्लैंड की एक यूनिवर्सिटी ने उसे डॉक्टरेट तक की उपाधि दे डाली थी। दिल्ली में हॉलीवुड के एक स्टार ने स्टेज पर शिल्पा को चूमकर इस बात का अहसास कराया था कि शिल्पा स्लम गर्ल के रूप में एक अछूत नहीं है। एक स्लम ब्याय इस फिल्म में एक टट्टी के गटर में गोता मारता है और मिलेनियम स्टार अमिताभ का ऑटोग्राफ हासिल करके हवा में हाथ उछालता है। क्या कोई मिलेनियम स्टार एक टट्टी लगे हाथ से ओटोग्राफ बुक लेकर ऑटोग्राफ देगा ? यदि इसे फिल्मी लिबर्टी कहा जाये तो बालीवुड की मसाला फिल्म बनाने वाले लोग भी इस लिबर्टी के बारे में कुछ भी कहेंगे तो उनकी बात बेमानी होगी, लेकिन बेस्ट स्क्रीन फिल्म के तौर पर इसे ऑस्कर दिया जाना ऑस्कर की अवॉर्ड मैकेनिज्म पर सवालिया निशान लगाता है।इफेक्ट के स्तर पर यह फिल्म लोगों को बुरी तरह से झकझोर रही है। यदि बॉडी लैंग्वेज की भाषा में कहा जाये तो लोग इस फिल्म के नाम से ही नाक भौं सिकोड़ रहे हैं, खासकर गटर शॉट्स को देखकर। इस फिल्म की कहानी कसी हुई है, और साथ में स्क्रिप्ट भी। इस फिल्म में प्रतीक का इस्तेमाल करते हुये स्लम पर हिन्दूवादी आक्रमण को दिखाया गया है और इस फिल्म के चाइल्ड प्रोटेगोनिस्ट के संवाद के माध्यम से राम और अल्लाह के औचित्य पर प्रश्नचिन्ह खड़ा किया गया है। 1947 में भारत का विभाजन इसी आधार पर हुआ था, जिसके लिए ब्रिटिश हुकूमत द्वारा ज़मीन बहुत पहले से तैयार की जा रही थी। उस समय ब्रिटिश हुकूमत से जुड़े तमाम लोग भारत के प्रति ब्लैकडॉग की मानसिकता से ग्रसित थे और यही मानसिकता एक बार फिर स्लमडॉग मिलियनेयर के माध्यम से अंतर्राष्ट्रीय फिल्म पटल पर दिखाई दे रही है।व्हाइट मैन बर्डेन थ्योरी के आधार पर दुनिया को सभ्यता का पाठ पढ़ाने का दम भरने वालों को उस समय झटका लगा था जब शिल्पा शेट्टी ने बिग ब्रदर में नस्लीय टिप्पणी के खिलाफ झंडा खड़ा किया था और उसी दिन स्लमडॉग मिलियनेयर की पटकथा की भूमिका तैयार हो गई थी। पहले से लिखी गई एक किताब को आधार बनाया गया, जो भले ही व्हाइटमैन बर्डेन थ्योरी की वकालत नहीं करती थी, लेकिन जिसमें ब्लैकमैन थ्योरी को मजबूती से रखने के लिए सारी सामग्री मौजूद थे। यह फिल्म पूरी तरह से प्रोपगेंडा फिल्म है, जिसका उद्देश्य अधिक से अधिक कमाई करने के साथ-साथ ब्लैक डॉग की अवधारणा को कलात्मक तरीके से चित्रित करना है। यह फिल्म दुनियाभर में एक बहुत बड़े तबके के लोगों के इगो को संतुष्ट करती है, और इस फिल्म की सफलता का आधार भी यही है। भारतीय दर्शकों को आकर्षित करने के लिए भी मसाला फिल्म की परिभाषा पर इस फिल्म को मजबूती से कसा गया है। इस फिल्म में वो सारे फॉर्मूले हैं, जो आमतौर पर मुंबईया फिल्मों में होते हैं। इन फॉर्मूलों के साथ रियलिज्म के स्तर पर एक सशक्त कहानी को भी समेटा गया है, और प्रत्येक चरित्र को एक खास टोन प्रदान किया गया है। इस फिल्म में बिखरा हुया बचपन से लेकर, बाल अपराध तक की कथा को मजबूती से पिरोया गया है। साथ ही टीवी शो के रूप में एक चमकते हुये जुआघर को भी दिखाया गया है। फिल्म लावारिस में गटर की दुनिया का किरदार निभाने वाले और कौन बनेगा करोड़पति जैसे कार्यक्रम में प्रत्येक सवाल पर लोगों को लाखों रुपये देने वाले मिलेनियम स्टार अमिताभ बच्चन स्लमडॉग मिलियनेयर पर अपनी नकारात्मक प्रतिक्रिया व्यक्त कर चुके हैं। अपनी प्रतिक्रिया में इन्होंने इस फिल्म के कथ्य पर सवाल उठाया है, जिसका कोई मायने मतलब नहीं है, क्योंकि कथ्य के लिहाज से अपनी कई फिल्मों में अमिताभ बच्चन ने क्या भूमिका निभाई है उन्हें खुद पता नहीं होगा। अनिल कपूर इस फिल्म में एक क्विज़ शो के एंकर की भूमिका निभा कर काफी खुश हैं। एक कलाकार के तौर पर उन्हें ऐसा लग रहा है कि वर्षों से इसी भूमिका के लिए वह अपने आप को मांज रहे थे। उनकी व्यक्तिगत उपलब्धि आसमान को गले लगाने जैसी है। गुलजार और रहमान को भी इस फिल्म ने एक नई ऊंचाई पर लाकर खड़ा दिया है। यह इन दोनों के लिये सपनों से भी एक कदम आगे जाने जैसी बात है, हालांकि इस फिल्म पर हायतौबा मचाने वाले गुलजार और रहमान के प्रशंसकों का कहना है कि गुलजार और रहमान ने इसके पहले कई बेहतरीन गीतों की रचना की है और धुन बनाया है। भले ही इस फिल्म में उन्हें ऑस्कर मिल गया हो, लेकिन इससे कई बेहतर गीत और संगीत उनके खाते में दर्ज हैं।मुंबईया फिल्मों की कास्टिंग के दौरान जाने पहचाने फिल्मी चेहरों को खास तव्वजो दिया जाता है, स्लमडॉग मिलियनेयर में भी इस फार्मूले का मजबूती से अनुसरण किया गया है, साथ ही स्लम में रहने वाले बच्चों को भी इसमें सम्मिलित किया गया है, जो इस फिल्म के मेकिंग स्टाइल को इटली के नियो-रियलिज्म फिल्म मूवमेंट के करीब ले जाता है, जहां पर शूटिंग के दौरान राह चलते लोगों से अभिनय करवाया जाता था। इस लिहाज से इस फिल्म को एक एक्सपेरिमेंटल फिल्म भी कहा जा सकता है। लेकिन इसके साथ ही यह फिल्म एक प्रोपगेंडा फिल्म है, जिसमें बड़े तरीके से एक स्लम गर्ल के सेक्सुअल एक्पलॉयटेशन को चित्रित किया गया है, जो कहीं न कहीं बिग ब्रदर के दौरान शिल्पा शेट्टी के बवाल से जुड़ा हुआ है और जिसकी जड़े बहुत दूर इतिहास के ब्लैक डॉग थ्योरी तक जाती हैं। टट्टी में डुबकी लगाता हुआ भारत का बचपन भारत की हकीकत नहीं है, लेकिन जिस तरीके से इसे फिल्माया गया है, उसे देखकर वर्ल्ड सिनेमा में रुचि रखने वालों के बीच भारत के बचपन की यही तस्वीर स्थापित होगी, जो निसंदेह भारत के स्वाभिमान पर एक बार फिर सोच समझ कर किया गया हमला है।इस फिल्म को बनाने के पहले ही इसे ऑस्कर के लिए खड़ा करने की खातिर मजबूत लांमबंदी शुरु हो गई थी, और इस उद्देश्य को पाने के लिए हर उस हथकंडे का इस्तेमाल किया गया, जो ऑस्कर पाने के लिए किया जाता है। अफ्रीका में रंगभेद के खिलाफ खड़ा होने वाले मोहन दास करमचंद गांधी कहा करते थे, अच्छे उद्देश्य के लिए माध्यम भी अच्छे होने चाहिये। माध्यम के लिहाज से इस फिल्म पर कोई उंगली नहीं उठा सकता, लेकिन इसके उद्देश्य को लेकर एक अनंत बहस की दरकार है। यह फिल्म भारत को दुनियाभर में नकारात्मक रूप से स्थापित करने का एक प्रोपगेंडा है, जिसमें उन सारे तत्वों को सम्मिलित किया है, जो एक फिल्म की व्यवसायिक सफलता के लिए जरूरी माने जाते हैं।

( आलोक नंदन एक संवेदनशील सिनेमाप्रेमी हैं। लंबे समय तक पत्रकारिता करने के बाद इन दिनों फिल्मों में सक्रिय हैं।)

गुलाल: ये क्या बोल हुए...

- आलोक नंदन
पहले गाने के बोल को लेते हैं,सुनसान गली के नुक्कड़ पर जो कोई कुत्ता चीख चीख कर रोता है......वाह क्या बोल है....अब कोई बताएगा कि कुत्ता चीख चीख कर कैसे रोता है...जहां तक मुझे पता है कि कुत्ता हू हू कर के रोता है...बचपन से मैं कुत्तों को एसे ही रोते हुये सुनता और देखता हूं...भाई गीत कोई भी लिख सकता है...लेकिन गीतों को जोड़ने वाली कड़ी तो दुरुस्त होनी चाहिये...गालिब, मजाज़,फैज़, फिराक और मीर को लेकर बनाई लिखी गई पंक्तियां क्या कहना चाह रही है पूरी तरह से स्पष्ट नहीं है...सबकुछ गड्मगड् कर रखा है....चंबल घाटी है, सिर्फ फिल्मों में ही चंबल में घोड़े दौड़ते हैं...यकीन नहीं हो तो फूलन देवी बता देंगी...ओह अफसोस वह नहीं रही...लेकिन चंबल तो है....भाई बहुत हुआ...हो सकता है ये बोल धुन पर सुनने में अच्छे लगे...लेकिन ग्रेटनेस वाली कोई बात नहीं है.....वैसे इसे कोई ग्रेट मान रहा है तो उसकी मर्जी....जब गीत के बोल रियलिज्म को कैरी कर रहे हैं तो उसमें पूरी तरह से रियलिज्म हो...तार्किकता को परे रख कर रोमांटिसिज्म की ओर बढ़ सकते हैं...यहां तो पूरा मामला अधकचरा हो गया है....उम्मीद है धुन पर इन्हें सुनने में अच्छा लगेगा....
( आलोक नंदन लंबे समय तक पत्रकारिता करने के बाद इन दिनों फिल्मों में सक्रिय हैं। प्रबुद्ध का लेख पढ़ने के बाद ये उनकी पहली प्रतिक्रिया थी जो उन्होने हमें भेजी )

Are You Ready for the Storm Called Gulaal ?

- by Prabuddha

And we thought, of late, only Prasun Joshi could write lyrics with unconventional imagery. Not any more. Just go grab a CD of Gulaal and you will realize what I mean. In the last decade I haven’t listened to more powerful lyrics or such a radical, out of the world imagery. Those who came in late, Gulaal is a movie on politics and democracy set in Rajasthan directed by Anurag Kashyap releasing on 13th March.
The lyrics have been penned by Piyush Mishra, the same man who won Filmfare for Best Dialogues for The Legend of Bhagat Singh. He has penned 8 songs and hold your breath, composed them. And what if I tell you that he has lent his wonderful voice to some of them... Yes, versatility doesn’t get any better. Poetry in some songs gets your hair stand on ends. Piyush has written something that would easily put him in the category of greats just for this one film, even if he goes on to write nothing as great after this (hope not). By now you must be thinking what I am up to. Has he hired me to do his PR? No, he hasn’t. Its just that sometimes you come across works which have that other world feel about them- unconventional, revolutionary, innovative, ground-breaking. Take a look at the following from the song, Shahar:

सुनसान गली के नुक्कड़ पर जो कोई कुत्ता चीख़ चीख़ कर रोता है
जब लैम्प पोस्ट की गंदली पीली घुप्प रोशनी में कुछ कुछ सा होता है
जब कोई साया ख़ुद को थोड़ा बचा बचा कर गुम सायों में खोता है
जब पुल के खंभों को गाड़ी का गरम उजाला धीमे धीमे धोता है

तब शहर हमारा सोता है….तब शहर हमारा सोता है
Or
इधर चीख़ती है इक हव्वा ख़ैराती उस अस्पताल में बिफ़री सी
हाथ में उसके अगले ही पल गरम मांस का नरम लोथड़ा होता है

जब शहर हमारा सोता है
तो मालूम तुमको हां क्या क्या क्या होता है
Now you know what I meant. Its not false praise. He deserves all the accolades for this. Another song- Duniya is a tribute to Sahir Ludhianvi and other greats. It gets its inspiration from Yeh duniya agar mil bhi jaye to kya hai from Pyaasa. The song is original in lyrics and music. Piyush renders the song in his own inimitable way. It’s a pleasure to hear Duniya will be an insult to the song… Its much more than that. An experience that compels you to revisit it many a time.

ग़ालिब के मोमिन के ख़ाबों की दुनिया
मजाज़ों के उन इंक़िलाबों की दुनिया
फ़ैज़, फ़िराक़ ओ साहिर ओ मख़ूदम
मीर की ज़ौक़ की दाग़ों की दुनिया
ये दुनिया अगर मिल भी जाए तो क्या है

Piyush knows well how to describe siski of a seductress. And how exactly does he do this in the composition- Beeda laced in Rekha Bhardwaj’s vocals- a voice that seduces you to the core.. See for yourself.
संकट ऐसा सिलवट से कोई हाल भांप ले जी
करवट ऐसी दूरी से कोई हाथ ताप ले जी
निकले सिसकी जैसे बोतल का कार्क जो उड़ा हो
धड़कन जैसे चंबल में घोड़ा भाग जो खड़ा हो
अंगिया भी लगे है जैसे सौ सौ मन का भार
मन बोले चकमक, हाय चकमक, चकमक......

One song that catches you unaware and makes your expressions taut is—Aarambh, a song which has all the attributes of becoming a sort of anthem:
आरंभ है प्रचंड, बोले मस्तकों के झुंड
आज जंग की घड़ी कि तुम गुहार दो
आन बान शान या कि जान का हो दान
आज इक धनुण के बाण पे उतार दो

मौत अंत है नहीं तो
मौत से भी क्यूं डरें
ये जाके आसमान में दहाड़ दो
जिस कवि की कल्पना में ज़िंदगी हो प्रेम गीत
उस कवि को आज तुम नकार दो....

I don’t know which genre do we put a song like Ranaji in, its full of political allusions. Go thru this track with a broad smile on your face:
राणाजी हमरे गुस्से में आए
ऐसो बलखाए
अगिया बरसाए
घबराए म्हारो चैन
जैसे दूर देस के टावर में घुस जाए रे एरोप्लेन

सजनी को डीयर बोले
ठर्रे को बीयर बोले
मांगे है इंगलिस बोली
मांगे है इंगलिस चोली
जैसे बिसलेरी की बोतल पीके बन गए इंगलिस मैन
...जैसे हरेक बात पे डेमोक्रेसी में लगने लग गए बैन
...जैसे सरे आम इराक़ में जाके जम गए अंकल सैम

There are three other songs as magnificently done as the above. The best thing about Piyush and his lyrics is that he doesn’t carry any baggage. He is a free spirited soul who writes what he believes is correct. That’s why sometimes the imagery doesn’t fit in your general conscience the first time you hear it but once comprehended, you bow for the master writer. As for the music, Piyush’s minimalist music in veer-ras songs not only complements the vocals but actually enhances the whole impact multifold. He has given a unique flavor to the album using Rajasthani folk wherever necessary, just what the doctor (in this case, AK) prescribed.

But one thing I fear dreadfully is that the album might die in the hands of a niche audience. The purpose of this post is to let you all know that there are gems waiting to be picked, waiting for your patronage, waiting to immerse you in an unheard of lyricism and imagery. Poetry never sounded this pure and beautiful. The last time it got any of my hair stand was when I was in school…. Hats off to Piyush and Anurag Kashyap for giving us sounds which I don’t know come from where but not from the typical Bollywood for sure.

(Prabuddha is a tv journalist by profession and a cinema lover by default)

Delhi 6:Good Intentions Gone Awry !

- by Prabuddha

(SPOILER ALERT---If you haven't watched it read no further)

Yes, I finally watched Delhi-6. I would not go to an extent of reviewing the whole film but certainly the parts which need mention and thus need to be debated. Truly speaking, Delhi-6 did not live up to the expectations, may be after RDB and the much promising promos I went to the theatre expecting a roller-costar ride that Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's (ROM) portrayal of Old Delhi will take me on. But sadly this didn't happen. The journey I was taken on had a flood of flesh and blood SUPPORTING characters, brilliant cinematography, first-rate music, not often seen in Bollywood detailing, metaphors thrown in good measure and.... absence of a story. Yes, absence of a story. In an effort to bring out the final message of a Kala Bandar inside us and unmatched detailing, ROM somehow forgot to move the ‘motion picture’. It kind of stays in that small area which otherwise could have been just fine given the title- Delhi-6, had he carved out a story therein. There are several stories or rather episodes running simultaneously but not cohesively joined together. For e.g. Bittu (the beautiful, effortless Sonam) wants to be the next Indian Idol…that’s it…her character remains underdeveloped…her wings have been tied just like Masakkali, devoid of a lofty flight. And what the hell was Amitabh doing there leave alone the scenes in heaven (or was it hell given that Amitabh died with a Kala Bandar still inside…detailing certainly lostJ). The Babri masjid issue has been shown in a trivialized manner. Roshan (Abhishek) goes into his monologues way too often. And also much of forced preaching in the end. I have no problems in preaching in climax or otherwise provided they are done convincingly loaded with super-powerful dialogues. Take the case of the recent A Wednesday, Mumbai Meri Jaan or even RDB. All of them had long preaching scenes but they never sounded out of the way. All said and done, credit should always be given where it is due. ROM succeeds in getting his supporting cast right. Some scenes have been deftly handled and bear the seal of a master filmmaker. After Mamdu’s (ever dependable, Deepak Dobriyal) shop is ransacked in the riots, the scuffle b/w him and Roshan and his crying in helplessness. All of Divya Datta’s scenes. She as Jalebi is amazing. The confrontation b/w her and Chaudhary (Vijay Raaz) at the time of yajna is mind blowing. Hers is the character I take home. When Dadi tells her extended family members- ab to yahan marne ka mann bhi nahi karta—Waheeda Rahman is an acting school in herself. The scene just before Arziyaan starts at Jama Masjid, notice the one take shot…what camerawork (Binod Pradhan)…phew!The bylanes of Dilli Chhe are worth visiting for the performances by supporting cast including that of Masakkali, the fab music, cinematography and un-Bollywoodish detailing.

(Prabuddha is a tv journalist by profession and a cinema lover by default)