MATINEE SHOW

MATINEE SHOW !   AT ALLAHABAD

Today is Friday and day for new Film  releases.  as i scroll down the Google news i learn that Dharmendra-Sunny-Bobby stareer 'Yamala Pagla Diwana -part 3'  is releasing. Suddenly my mind flew to Allahabad  where i spent my  youth. How single Cinema theater was my Mecca! Regular rounds of Cinema halls was part of routine. If not to see movie, to see and admire 'Posters' of running and to be released films.Matinee show was sought, unlike today when weekend cinema is the norm. Specially during college days, as the show matched with college timings. All of us who skipped college classes for'Matinee Show' are doing  well in life!

We had  priorities clear from early days .We watched 'Matinee Show' to watch our 'Matinee Idols'. First Day first Show was an achievement we boasted of. Money was scarce and lower stall was therefore preferred. Some money was always saved for Samosas during interval; which was must. As the interval approached the smell of freshly 'deep fried' samosas in 'Dalda'  was awaited expectantly. After the show there was no rush to walk out but we leisured out of cinema halls much after the screen was darkened ( those days titles/credits appeared in the beginning  and this western trend of titles rolling out at end had not commenced). Outside we looked out for the vendors selling song lyrics along with peanuts. The lyrics had to be obtained and songs memorized . I  remember many songs and still when these appear on TV i can sing them along. I do not remember syllabus of the many subjects i studied in college and school. Such was our devotion and passion! The story of the film with action and dialogues was narrated to our neighbors who had missed the fun. It was considered normal to fall in love with the heroine for a period and  many days and nights were consumed thinking of her. Minute details were noted-color of her sari, the  jewellery she wore, the cut of her salwar kameez , her haircut etc. Soon after the first Matinee show the verdict on the film was announced . Hit or Flop. This has indeed been the norm and famous Directors such as Subhash Ghai among others have stated that fate of a film is decided by the audience during 'First day First Show'.  There was no hurry to return home , after pulling out our cycles from the stand the film was discussed threadbare with heated arguments to drive home our views and to defend the performance of our -Matinee Idol.

The craze was such that when we visited other towns and cities the first preferred location hunt was cinema halls and the movies playing. I visited my friend in Kanpur and the next morning i skipped an important marriage ceremony of his sister and saw 'nau do gya raha'( Dev starrer) at the local theater.During my job interview at Banglore where luckily i spent many days the fullness of Cinema scene in that great city , in the  late seventies was explored with missionary zeal. I may not remember many historical places in important cities but i still remember the cinema halls there ( i am a history student)

 Now that era and its magic is waning and like many like me  there is tremendous lament. Cinema is now captured and arrested in mobile sets of the masses. Entertainment is acquired effortlessly with least invest of emotion. No one suffers the loss of failure to obtain opening show tickets; how it haunted you for days!! The finest Art creation of 20th Century shall be victim of IT revolution and Capitalist intent to such an extent one could not fathom!

Looking for some savior!   I cannot see this charming beauty to be mauled in such a manner!!!

REVIEW -‘GOLD’ - INTENTIONAL TAMPERING OF GLORIOUS HOCKEY HISTORY

REVIEW   -‘GOLD’  -   INTENTIONAL    TAMPERING  OF GLORIOUS   HOCKEY  HISTORY

I am a hockey player. During my college days I represented Allahabad region up -to state level . Was college hockey Captain and was adjudged the best player in Allahabad district. Therefore with much enthusiasm I went to see  the film ‘GOLD’ which professes  of relating the story of India’s big win in London Olympics in 1948, soon  after  Independence as free country. It is   however more of nationalism and less of Hockey. 

     The story unfolds through the Character portrayed by Shri Akshya Kumar of The team manager  who has drinking problem , carries stigma of financial impropriety is on the wrong side of his wife most of the time but has this deep desire to win GOLD for India.

The film succeeds in invoking the desired emotions through  the respect and love for the National flag    and the climax with the National Flag rising atop ; National anthem in background and the audience rising  in acknowledgement as India defeat England by 4-3 in climax ( actual historical fact 4-0) meets the desired aim of the makers- to make 200crores.

What is sad and shocking is the manner in which the film makers have twisted, shrouded history . Names of Hockey  legends have been changed  the scoring records have been altered to create drama and conflict. Now; in the name of ‘freedom of expression ‘ much latitude is taken by film makers . Nothing original in that ; but following the western foot steps . When cinema makers have problems with the author of some work or biographer or when they do not want to give credit they write’ inspired by incidents….’. My take and view is that  you cannot tamper with the basic historical facts which leads  to hurt those legends, their families  and followers. Like we cannot tamper with the basic structure of the Constitution in a similar  manner the core History / facts  cannot be  altered .

 Excel Films of Farhan Akhtar ( co owner) in collaboration with Shri Akhsya Kumar have  shown the hero of great Berlin Hockey victory of 1936 as one  ‘Samrat’ portrayed badly by Kunal kapoor whereas actually the hero was Dhyan Chand , the great ‘Hockey Wizard’ ( Amitabh Bachhan of Hockey ). Samrat is tall and fair whereas Dhyan Chand was of middle height and of darker complex who was from Allahabad . The accent of ‘Samrat’ is Punjabi. The great Balbir Singh of London victory , one who has won three GOLDS for India is named as Himmat Singh.

Why do these filmmakers do such things? Are they not aware of the Legends who are still very much in public memory? Are our makers so Illiterate? We know that Dhyan Chand is taught in schools . Children know him. Should he not get his due or the Nation will now sing praise of ‘Samrat’ a fictitious character!

I am certain that these money minded makers do such things to deny the correct due to the family of such legends. They listen to their Lawyers who advise them safe paths. Such is the sorry state of our film makers. Such intents are dangerous and ‘Fascist’ in nature and should be opposed . But sad is the state of our film critics who themselves are ignorant of basic history. I do not think any one has pointed out such flaws.

I hereby condemn the makers and ask them to apologies to the  families of the Hockey legends ( there would be many others of whom I am not aware I am confident ). They should also suitably compensate the families and mention the actual names in the titles. Only then they can redeem themselves.

THAROOR OPPOSES HINDI

THAROOR     OPPOSES   HINDI  

I had heard Shashi Tharoor  first  during my Staff College in 1996. He was in  UN then and it was rumoured that he charged a lot to talk; even at Staff College. He talked of UN role and what remained with me was his English Accent. His conversation and statement even though reasonable are still dominated by Style and substance gets subsumed in that dominant style much like the writings of Salman Rushdie and Sunil Khilnani. However his achievement in Politics is winning two consecutive Lok Sabha polls from Trivandrum despite being a newcomer and outsider.

He continues to make headlines with his books , lectures and past. Congress has few good speakers and he is one of them. With his liberal views, UN experience and being an elected leader from South  he is in Congress frontline.This perhaps may have injected some additional ambition in him when he stood up in Lok Sabha and opposed Sushma Swaraj’s plan to make Hindi as one of the official languages in UN.

Sushma Swaraj being the External affairs Minister was replying to a question on attempts of India in making Hindi one of  the official languages in UN. She explained that it was difficult to make Hindi as one of the official Languages as India requires support of two thirds of the 193 Nations. It was not only the support but the financial burden which the Nation supporting have to confirm and which they find difficult as there   are many countries who are not resourceful. However; she said that India was trying with smaller countries like Fiji, Mauratius where there are sizeable number of Indians. Shri Tharoor opposed this by saying that making Hindi as an official language would serve no purpose as it was spoken only in India and was not even the National Language but an official language . Putting Hindi in UN may pose problem for the future Prime Ministers and Foreign Minister who may be Tamil speaking. Sushma termed his statement as ‘ignorant’ and stated that Hindi was spoken by many people of Indian origin in other Nations.

What surprised me was Tharoor’s intervention on Language issue when  it was already a settled matter in Parliament that English shall remain in use till the time people are not ready for Hindi. For a seemingly  mature person like Tharoor it was an immature utterance aimed at enlarging his area of acceptance, among Dravidian States.

Perhaps it is therefore apt here to recall the view and interpretation of H M  Seervai; the Constitutional expert. Below are extracts from his book  ‘Commentary on  Constitutional Law Of India’ in 3 Volumes. On the debate before Independence on Continuation of English  and opting for Hindi he wrote “ Administration at Higher levels, higher education, the legislature,the Law Courts, and the professions, all used English , and the question was which Language  shall take place of English  and when ? Till the Partition of India Hindustani in both Devnagri and Persian script held the field. With the Partition of India  the cause of Hindustani was lost , though Mahatma Gandhi held that the Indian National Congress ought to stand  for a broad outlook  and should stand firm on language which was spoken  by the largest group of people”.

On Gandhi’s views on National Language he writes, “ Mahatma Gandhi raised the question of a National Language. He described it at times as ‘Hindi ‘and at times as’ Hindustani’ , buthe understood by both a Language which was neither Sanskritised  Hindi nor Persianised Urdu, but a happy blend of both, written either in Devnagri or the Persian script.”

He held the view that language is accepted if it concerns with  work/job/economy and also is linked to culture. He writes that Language take time to evolve hinting at exercising caution. To quote him, “ Article 351  no doubt suggests that a language  can be built  by resorting to Sanskrit lexicons and substituting a Sanskrit word  for an English equivalent . But Languages cannot be made to order and unless the words used “come home to men’s business and bosoms they will secure no hold on the minds or the hearts of men…” In the atmosphere prevalent at that time  it was not possible to learn the lesson furnished by Europe ,namely  that a ruling language  can be displaced by a native Language only when it has reached sufficient development and receives general acceptance. For centuries Latin was the universal language of intellectual life in Europe . Later French became the Lingua Franca of Europe , but it was gradually displaced in Germany and Russia as soon as German and Russian became well developed Languages”

In his chapter on Language he writes that since it was agreed on the assurance of Nehru to postpone the implementation of Hindi by 15 years and to continue with English in Courts, Higher Administration ,Science and Higher education the status of Hindi was ‘class of its own’ and so was of English.

From the above it is clear that  Congress and Gandhi wanted a Language spoken by many to be the National Language. However since there was opposition to it the matter was postponed. He also brings out one interesting issue that Languages develop and grow and replace the dominant Languages as in Europe. Perhaps not at that time but now was the appropriate time for Hindi to go to UN as the number of Hindi speaking people have increased and so has the Language Culturally. Tharoor should have kept quiet rather than making an unnecessary political statement that seems to have run its course and its original perpetrators have also   diluted their stance  and adopted other methods of staying afloat.

INDIAN NAVY'S FOOT PRINTS IN SOUTH MUMBAI

INDIAN   NAVY’S   FOOT PRINTS  IN   SOUTH   MUMBAI

BOMBAY CASTLE

MIDDLE GROUND

OYSTER ROCK

Shri Nitin Gadkari’s statement the other day in the presence of C-in C West at Mumbai has provoked me to write this. He said that what has Navy to do in South Mumbai and that if they have to patrol they should stay near Pakistan border. He further stated that Navy approached him for land in South Mumbai and he was not going to give them  even an inch. What gross arrogance and immaturity he showed is there in social media and print as well. He also lacked knowledge of the role of Navy which is different than that of Army but that is expecting a little too much from him! It was evident that he was unhappy with Navy for not concurring certain jetty development plans in Malabar hill .

Here I just wish to bring out that South Mumbai is closely linked to Navy. Some of the oldest historical structures are in possession of Navy and Navy has ‘Right of Inheritance’ in South Mumbai. The ‘Bombay Castle’ of 16^th century around which the Fort area is developed houses I N S Angre the Depot Ship of Western Naval Command. It was built by Portugese and is perhaps the oldest structures in Mumbai. The ‘Middle Ground’ where the Flag of the Commander in Chief Western Naval Command flies is a small island in South Mumbai under Navy. The ‘Oyster rock’ is another similar structure. These were Portugese coastal batteries used by Royal Navy in IInd world war and India Navy in 1971 when anti aircraft guns were used against the Pakistan air raid in Mumbai.

The historical Bombay dockyard which possesses ‘Bombay dock’ and ‘Duncan dock’ the oldest docks in India where the  famous ‘Wadias’ ( later TATAS )built war ships for Royal Navy and where the Naval Headquarters was till 1941! Is in South Mumbai.

Certain things do not change with time and the significance of South Mumbai as Economic capital has further necessitated Navy’s presence.

Navy’s exist to safeguard a Nation’s economic interests specially shipping which comprises 95% of India’s trade. And Mumbai harbour and Nav Shiva are the biggest harbours in India which need Navy’s protection.

Alas Shri Gadkari despite being Minister for Shipping does not understand.

'ANNA' IN :' GHALIB' OUT

                                           ‘ANNA’  IN    :  ‘GHALIB’  OUT

      Day before morning Newspapers reported that the ‘Oxford English Dictionary’ has included  70  new words of Indian origin  such as ‘Anna’,’Vada’,’Gulab Jamun’, ‘Jugaad’, ‘Dadagiri’ ,’Surya Namaskar’,’achha’,’Bapu’. What an apt example of ‘Inclusiveness’ and ‘keeping the windows open’ ( Even when the doors are being closed-Brixit!!, but that is aside).Perhaps it is on account of such an ‘ideology’that the country remains current even in difficult times and relevant in the field of Arts and Science! But look at us 70 years post Independence we are working overtime with Dina Nath Batras ‘pulping’ books and removing the name of ‘Ghalib’( once Poet Laureate) from our History books; erasing ‘Urdu’ words from our text!! With what tools we intend to Skill India?

   

The inclusion of  Indian words ( Indian English) owe also to the rising stock of Indians worldwide and this is an acceptance of that fact. However it also is their investment to ensure the wider appeal of the Language in India.

POWER OF THE CRACKERS

                                        POWER OF THE CRACKERS

Well Diwali has come and gone and one big gain from it appears to be the reduction in ’Crackers’. The Supreme Court ruling in stopping sales in Delhi NCR and the overall environment awareness helped in the matter. However; this is only a beginning and we have much to travel to eliminate this tendency. One newspaper article did point out an      

interesting fact that usage of ‘fire crackers’ is a 20^th century phenomenon when in 1920s the ‘Nadars’ established the Cracker  factory in Shivkashi. I do remember that when I was in Nilgiris in the late nineties the crackers sold very cheap and one stocked them too.

  

As children we did look forward to Diwali essentially for bursting crackers but over the years the awareness that it is environmentally harmful distanced us from its usage my daughter also opposed it when she learnt in school about its harmful affects. The occasional reports in media about the use of child labour in cracker factories of Shivkashi and the lack of safety norms  being adhered to made our resolve stronger. But; this problem will go only with social awareness and not with legislations. Similar to the campaign against smoking and more specific ‘passive smoking’.

I also sense that people use ‘fire crackers’ as a manifestation of their anger against the system/elite /ruling class. Further to assert their position in society. Very many time I have observed that this assertion in exhibited from the ‘slums’ of Mumbai the ‘Jhuggi Jhopri’ areas where people may have little to survive but save to assert their presence during  Diwali. They start much before Diwali and go on for days after Diwali. The powerful and feudal in small towns and Tehsils specially in Northern and Central India  fire Guns  during  Marriage ceremonies called ‘Haersh Firing’ ( happy firing). This too is manifestation of Power through the barrel of the Gun.

    Therefore this issue is also related to our social  problem where the poor assert as license during Diwali their sense of presence and anger ( sub consciously ) and the Feudal assert their position sort of reaffirm their position by ’Haersh firing’ during marriages. Festivals then do not remain as occasion of festivity but simply showing of social positions.

JAGGA  JASOOS- A BLAND  MUSICAL  JOURNEY

Arrogance takes the better of us sometimes; and this time it is Anurag Basu who is victim of excess and indulgence. Bad films are caused  by creative failures, essentially; however sometimes our sympathies with the star or the director dilutes our response and understanding specially in an emotionally buoyant  country as ours. Anurag Kashyap   indulged in ‘Bombay Velvet’ his brother in 'Besharm’ on both occasions Ranbir Kapoor  suffered the most. There is History of such indulgence and failure. Guru Dutt failed in ‘Kagaj ke Phool’ which in my opinion was flawed.  Devanand  indulged in ‘Ishq Ishq Ishq’ touted to be   another Musical but the very music fell short of expectations. Ram Gopal Verma also experimented with musical in ‘Mast’ which failed.

  

The problem with’Jagga Jasoos’ is that there is no foundation. The story/screenplay is very thin. The so called selling point-Music/Musical is prosaic , but for few independent songs. The premise of this musical is western as we have seen in ‘My fair Lady’/’Sound of Music’/’ Fiddler on the roof’. But the western musical outfit does not jell with Indian emotion/setting and after sometimes gets on your nerves!! It seems flat and routine. Anurag Basu should have taken a page from our cinema and noted that we have made many musicals( our roots are musical) ; but on solid story foundation- Barsaat by Raj Kapoor; ’Baiju Bawra’ starring Bharat Bhushan and Meena Kumari. ‘Heer Ranjha’ of Chetan Anand was truly musical and despite having  Priya Rajwans ( a weak heroine) was a success because of its strong foundation.Here  the filmmaker mounts the film on the shoulders of Ranbir Kapoor and proceeds on musical cartoon journey  with erratic structure  which  falters from the beginning.It also reminds of ‘Barfi’ in terms of setting ( here he moves further from Darjeeling to Manipur)/Ranbir’s inadequacy/father-son relationship and music

  

The only source of happiness is Ranbir who emits such subtle emotions that one feels sad for his choices and luck. He seems to have been conned most by mediocre filmmakers posing as creative masters- ‘Roy’;’Aye dil hai mushkil’’Bombay velvet’,’Besharam’. As far as Mr Basu is concerned this is his second big indulgence in terms of failure, money and time. ‘Kites’ was the first one!!