Calling For A Ban On Fiction Isn't Only Unconstitutional but Obtuse Too.

First, I want to make it very clear that this is not just the review of Vishal Bharadwaj’s Haider, but also about the buzz on social network to boycott the movie. Being a huge Bharadwaj fan, I had been waiting for the release of the movie and it made me more curious when I saw the hash tag #BoycottHaider trend on Twitter.  I was flabbergasted to see such a trend because first a director has a complete right to ‘Right to Freedom of Speech and Expression’ and he can use any political and social subject as his subject.  What was more astonishing to me was their reason to boycott the movie than anything else. I will come to the stupid reason later because I can’t resist talking about the brilliant movie.

Bharadwaj’s obsession with Shakespeare continues with Haider, if his adaptation of Macbeth (Maqbool) and Othello (Omkara) are considered as landmark movies then this one is a notch above the two. Bharadwaj uses Kashmir’s political scenario in the 90’s to tell the most challenging and complex tragedy of Shakespeare. Many directors in the past have interpreted their versions of Hamlet, yet, each one stands on their own.

The movie is about a son who returns from Aligarh University after the arrest of his peace loving father by the Indian Army, only to find his mother (Tabu) is in romantic relationship with his uncle (KK Menon). Roohdar (Irrfan Khan) plays the ghost here and reveals Haider that his mom and uncle were behind his father’s death and his last message to him was to avenge his death by killing his uncle. The movie shows Haider’s battle to take badla and expose the true face of his uncle.

Shahid Kapoor takes on the might of Mel Gibson and Ethan Hawke who have played Hamlet in the past and Shahid does a brilliant job and keeps you glued to the screen. He makes you feel for the character, expressions that bring the internal turmoil of the character. You will pity him when he breaks down, join him to avenge his father’s death and yet forgive the villain to see him live with his love. Shraddha Kapoor plays the character well and her accent adds humour to the character. KK Menon is magical in the movie and shows yet again that there are not many actors who can match his prowess and brilliance. But the movie belongs to Tabu who gives yet another stellar performance. It seems Tabu is not playing the character but she herself is the character. She is lost between the love of her son and lover. She is confused, hurt, unregretful, yet a mother who wants her son to live and Tabu does all these with a natural ease.

Vishal never deviates from the plot and hence there are not many songs. The natural beauty of Kashmir is beautifully captured by the cinematographer, though there was no attempt to show the picturesque Kashmir as the script didn't demand it. The only loophole in the film is that it takes time to tell the story. Roohdar's entry is after the interval and that is when the film starts to gather momentum.

Haider is a work of a genius who takes you to The Paradise on Earth (Kashmir) and doesn’t show you the beauty of the paradise but the bloodshed in paradise. It is a movie that is a cinematic excellence and celebrates true cinema. I would request all the shahrukh and salman fans to give the movie a miss and let us enjoy the brilliance of Bharadwaj.

Now, just before you think I have forgotten about the Kashmir issue in the film and the accusation of showing Indian Army in a bad light, I would like to tell you that Indian Army is not free from controversies.  One must not forget The Bijbehara Massacre where Indian Army was alleged of killing more than 50 civilians who were protesting because the army had blocked a mosque in Hazratbal. Indian government had stated that the army acted only in self defence as they were shot by militants. In 1993 U.S. Department of State stated, “Despite government claims that the security forces were ambushed by militants, only one BSF sub inspector was injured.”  

My only request to those who are calling for banning Haider is to go back to the history and enlighten yourselves. One must not defy facts or be blind to atrocities. It is good to be patriotic but evil to allow the emotions to rule the mind and force opinion on others and if you lack knowledge then apply some commonsense and take Haider only as a work of fiction and enjoy the brilliant cinema which is rare to Bollywood.

The Tragedy King

Being a follower of Cinema, it becomes impossible to stay away from the movie buzz and when somebody of the caliber and ability of Dilip Kumar utters a word or exercises his finger to praise a thespian, it certainly deserves to be the day’s Headline.

While I was growing up, Amitabh Bachchan’s movies were often played on Doordarshan and every time, I sat with my parents and relatives to watch my idol they compared the man to Dilip Kumar. I became very curious and wanted to quench my thirst by watching the man do what he does best, but unfortunately, those were not the days of DVDs and I had to wait for Doordarshan to show a Dilip Kumar movie. My wait finally came to an end when I saw him in ‘Aadmi’, I still remember, my parents were not engrossed to television but lost. Watching him for the first time on television, I had very high expectation, after all, he was then unarguably the greatest (still is for some if not most) actor to have graced the Indian screen and I was certainly not left disappointed. I was completely blown away with every gesture of his, the expression on his face when he delivered the dialogue or when his eyes lingered; it was truly magical in every sense of the word. I became a very ardent follower of his work and when I saw Shakti starring Amitabh and him for the first time; I realized they are so similar (if not identical) to each other in most aspects of acting. I was further enlightened about his work by my maternal uncle who had bought me cassettes of Ganga Jamuna, Sangharsh and my all time favourite Dil Diya Dard Liya. It was through these movies, I discovered the versatility of the actor and his performance in Dil Diya Dard Liya where he was challenged by the legendary Pran was a once in lifetime performance and it still remains a landmark in Indian Cinema.


Dilip Kumar with the quality of work behind him was inspiration to every actor and if we never had Dilip Kumar we would have never got Amitabh Bachchan who to most of us became the greatest by learning the tricks from The Tragedy King.  Is there any actor who can go beyond director’s vision and script? I can proudly say; we don’t have one but two in Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan.

Rishi Kapoor' Agneepath

When you decide to remake a cult movie, you inevitably draw comparisons, particularly when it starred the legend Amitabh Bachchan. The debutant director Karan Malhotra was aware of the burden he had taken to remake Agneepath, the film that fetched Amitabh a National Award. The new Agneepath does well to entertain the audience with action packed sequences and innovative camera work, but it is certainly nowhere near the classic of Mukul Anand’s Agneepath.

Malhotra retains the basic plot and starts the film with the gruesome killing of Vijay’s father Dinanath Chauhan, a school teacher by a scary and heartless Kancha, played by Sanjay Dutt. The merciless killing of Dinanath Chauhan, in front of his son Vijay, is scary and leaves the audience stunned. With vengeance in his mind, Vijay moves to Mumbai with his pregnant mother and finds a local Don Rauf Lalla, a rival of Kancha played by Rishi Kapoor.

Hrithik Roshan is introduced as a grown up Vijay who is now a right hand to Rauf Laala and assists him in drug business. Vijay is left alone by his mother as she doesn’t want her daughter to grow up under the shadow of his criminal brother. He now lives in Dongri Chawl with his childhood friend and love interest Kaali (Priyanka Chopra) daughter of a prostitute who saves money hoping to get married, someday. This is where the film turns boring while others characters like Gaitonde (Om Puri) is introduced. Gaitonde is seen as honest cop who cares for Vijay and wants him to stay away from Rauf Lalla. The film moves forward with Vijay advancing closer to his nemesis Kaancha and is focussed to win back the village ‘Mandwa’ for his family.

Agneepath is certainly watchable because of some outstanding performances by its leading actors and supporting cast. Hrithik’s Vijay lacks the swagger, style and the famous baritone of Amitabh Bachchan but he does well to deliver a sincere performance and avoids going over the top like SRK in Don. Sanjay Dutt as Kancha Cheena, leaves you breathless for a moment, his Marlon Brando’s Apocalypse look is so overpowering that it almost killed the character Vijay, but the one performance that stands out from the rest is that of Rishi Kapoor. He delivers a performance of a lifetime and it is Rauf Lalla that stays with you when you walk out of the theatre. There is not much for Priyanka Chopra to do in the film except for few songs and dialogues.

The problem with the film is its length and lack of quality dialogue. It takes 45 minutes for the director to introduce Hrithik Roshan. Karan Malhotra does well by introducing the character of Rauf Lalla, had it not been there the three long hours would have seemed an hour more.

Those who have seen the original will be disappointed by the film because it neither has the flamboyance and screen presence of Mr. Bachchan nor the intensity of mother and son relation, but if you are prepared to leave these home then you will certainly like it.

Rishi Kapoor is the reason to watch the new Agneepath.

Is it going to be Modi vs Congress?

Is it really going to be Modi vs Congress?

I have never penned down (typing, these days) my thoughts on politics, probably because of its very complex nature and also my lack of knowledge on the subject, nevertheless, it is never too late to make a start. Our politics is as unique as our country and ergo it isn't surprising to see the existence of a political system that is insanely chaotic and full of debauchery in every aspect. Since the last few months, I have been witnessing a lot of hullabaloo about the corrupt Congress and the fractious BJP on social networking sites and more than the blame game, I am extremely surprised to see a humongous support for Narendra Modi. The series of scams and the egregious behaviour of the UPA ministers have not only made the ruling party unpopular but have also greatly assisted BJP in creating a huge fan base for Narendra Modi. Modi’s popularity has gathered so much momentum that most political pundits consider that the Modi factor will decide the fate of the upcoming elections.

Is it going to be Modi vs Congress? Is BJP so weak that they have to rely on the mercy of one Chief Minister? Does the presence of Modi overshadow veterans and seasoned ministers like Sushma Swarag and Arun Jaitley among others? Above all, we as a nation have become so vulnerable that we are willing to forgive a man who allegedly had a role in Gujarat riots. One must not forget that Narendra Modi is a member of RSS and by default it doesn't make him secular. India has always been hailed and praised for its secularism and unity in diversity, but gradually it is losing its glorious image, thanks to the extremists parties like Muslim league, RSS, Shiv Sena and MNS.

Keeping the Gujarat massacre aside, Modi has done a lot more for his state than any other Chief Minister has ever had for Gujarat. He is one of the few Indian Ministers who has never been accused of corruption. During his reign, Gujarat attracted a lot of foreign investments and he has successfully managed to curb corruption to win accolades. Modi is the first and the only Indian politician to have interacted with Netizens on Google+ through a live chat session.   One cannot deny the fact that he is one of the few ministers who has the aura and swagger to lead a country. His effervescent and vocal approach against the corrupt congress has won him many young followers, so much so, that majority of young Indians are hoping on him to change the face of the country that is marred by scams and social atrocities.

Congress on the other hand, is suffering because of Gandhi’s hegemony and imperious nature. The Congress High Command only seems to exist on the paper and it is not the cabinet and Prime Minister who decide the fate of the country, but Sonia Gandhi. Manmohan Singh combines all the attributes of Mahatma’s Three Monkeys and never ever an Indian Prime Minister has had such a low profile. UPA has not only failed to curb corruption, but it has also miserable failed to give security to Indian women. Frankly, they don’t hold any moral right to run the country, if they can’t provide safety and security to the taxpayers. Congress dug its own grave when they resorted to lathi charge and force on women protesting against rape at The Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Congress would need more than a miracle to save them and the country would need more than a Narendra Modi to realize its dreams and hopes.

No More Gangrapes says, Young India

The young, vibrant and shining India was a joke that was cracked few years back by the then BJP government. The slogan “India shining” backfired for the BJP and brought Congress back to power. I was one of the millions of Indians who could not relate to the slogan, simply because for me the voice of young India never existed. When I saw thousands of young students on the street of Rashtrapati Bhavan protesting against the recent gangrape in Delhi, I thought I was hallucinating and couldn’t believe it. They say, “Everyone has a breaking point” and certainly the series of gangrapes in Delhi turned out to be a breaking point for the country. The independent protest by the young college students, (most of them girls) is the young and vibrant India that BJP might have been talking about.

Coming back to the larger picture and the great on-going debate of capital punishment, one must look at the other alternatives to capital punishment. Capital punishment for rapists could be a step forward because there is no crime more brutal and inhumane than rape, not even murder. There are many countries that have strong punishments and sentences for such crimes. Our government’s lack of desire to communicate with the masses is baffling and inexplicable. They have made the humongous mistake of taking its citizens for granted and have resorted to lathicharge to curb the ever rising voice of young India. Congress lead UPA government has erred and has brought the nation to shame. Utilizing the brute force of the police on the old and young protesters at the India gate can never be forgotten. The nation doesn't care when the C.M. talks about her vulnerability to take decision. Her constant denial and blame on Home Ministry is nothing more than a farce. She should immediately resign on moral grounds, wait, does Congress ministers have any morals?

I must confess that bashing and criticizing the politicians gives me great pleasure, but at the same time my conscience asks me, is the country suffering only because of the politicians? Are we not responsible for this? Haven’t we created this society? If the answer to all the above questions is a ‘Yes’ then why are we waiting for the government or a superior power to change things for us? We must realize the fact that those who raped the young girls were not criminals, so, why and what made them do it? There have been so many incidents in the recent past where a girl child has been raped by her own relatives. How can one stop it? 

It’s high time that we start questioning ourselves and may be we could find some answers. We were a country that once had values, principles and ethics and believe in morality, but sadly we have forgotten our own roots and have moved on with the fast and brutal life. Morality is not learnt in adulthood and certainly not taught in school or other educational institutions. Its only teachers are the parents and elders and its only place is the society that we all breathe in. Let us stop playing the blame game and take the ownership and responsibility of the things we do. Remember it is not to stop crime against women but to stop crime against humanity.