Socio-Architectural Blog

Friday, August 25, 2006

Crying out loud.....

Yesterday I saw one of the most controversial film ever made here in India. The co-incidence was a gentleman filed a petition against the currently running film “Omkara”,stating that it is very very harmful and disturbing to our “great Indian culture”. It contains matter, which is very vulgar and the language is too abusive. Incidentally a journalist asked the gentleman about his whereabouts at the time of the film I am going to talk about now. The Bandit Queen.
It was in my mind to see this film for a long time but it happened to be yesterday when I got the opportunity. The film is directed by the very sensitive and talented Shekhar Kapoor. And is brought to the reality by great performances by Seema Biswaas, Nirmal Pandey, Manoj Bajpai, Govind Namdev, Saurabh Shukla, Aditya Srivastava. The film is made very effective with its script and dialogues written by Ranjit Kapoor. The Score is very essential in this film to convey the right emotion of the situation. This task is performed to perfection by the great man himself- Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
The film is so intense that it leaves a big and deep impression on your mind that it bleeds. At least I had a sleepless night. You read about such things happening in our country as gang rape and the intense fight of casts, even on roads near slums one sees man beating his wife brutally, but one never feels the intensity of the situation. But the film really digs deep in you and wakes you up with an ice running down your spine. It hits you most where it hurts- your Ego and false concepts of self-pride. Out of this ego only such talks of “damaging Great Indian Culture” arises. This film really opens your eyes to the reality which we are hiding for centuries with an invisible iron curtain of Religion and culture.
The film is extremely realistic and does not hide any thing. It is very brutal and straightforward and is deliberately devoid of any false impressions created using traditional Symbolism generally used to convey some awkward things. It is made like looking in a clear mirror- showing what is in front of it… there are many rape scenes, constant abusive language, and the unthinkable full nudity. The intensity is such that I really wanted to stop in between, but it really grips your neck and drags you till the end with its speed and everything else.
There is only one shot of some entertainment when Shekhar Kapur himself comes in as a sardar truck driver and looses his teeth by laughing in front of Phoolan Devi. Rest is simply tiring. I felt mentally exhausted after the film was over. I was hoping the film to get over early… I m a great fan of Shekhar kapoor right from Masoom, Mr. India and the Oscar aspirant Elizabeth. He has provided flawless entertainment, but this film was some thing different. The film is set in a very realistic arid, dry chambal river basin. Looking at the landscape one can understand the impossible task of catching these bandits. It must also have been a challenge to shoot a film in such conditions. Secondarily the cast and extras are very very real.. Seema Biswas LIVES Phoolan Devi. She has taken very high risk by playing such a character. Nirmal pandey is also the main anchor of the film.
The issue arises, is there a need to make so realistic films? The basic principal is to entertain. Then why take pains to make such film. Cause as I have already expressed in my earlier blogs, the film is one of the most effective medium of expression. If used rightly then it can really make a difference in the mentality of the population.

p.s. Some other realistic films I liked but also Hated- Irreversible( French), Boys don’t cry. Etc.

pls pls Shekhar Kapoor do think of making sequal of this film.. The next half of Phoolan Devi's life is as interesting as the first half. right from her capture, her elections for Lok sabha, life as MP and ultimately her murder..

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