Group Dynamite/cs

I am not able to quiet figure out why 26/11 has shaken me this much. These attacks are not something new to me. I wonder is it because the operation lasted for 60 hours, is it because the coverage was given full throttled on the news channel, is it because it made to resign the CM’s and Union Home Minister, is it because of the game-blame of various stake-holders, is it because the good cops of Mumbai Police were killed, or because seeing the Versace clad Kasab on CST. Probably it is because this and what it led in my mind, that I have been terribly depressed, blocked and wanted terribly to vent off myself.

To quote the data, since 1998, 20000 people have died in terrorist attack. We are second to Iraq, but theirs is a civil war. There have been 11 attacks all at the major cities in last 7 years (Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Gandhinagar, Varanasi, Malegaon and again Mumbai). in hindsight, I am shaken this much not earlier but this time. Why?? This proves that I am one of those tolerant Indians.

According to ToI’s Editorial on 27/11, the attack was also meant to shake our economic spine by attacking on foreigners at places like Taj, Oberoi and Nariman House and just ahead of December which marks the beginning of tourist season.

It is a well acknowledged universal fact that, we are the economic superpower. Over 1 billion people contribute towards over $1 trillion economy which is constantly growing by 8-9 %. With recent global recession, we are not affected as much as that of USA. It is said that whenever the recession will get over, India would be amongst foremost to get ahead.

Now consider this: the NSG commandos who got down at Taj didnt have the basic equipments like flak jackets, night goggle, knee pad; the commandos were brought to Taj by local buses; the Helicopter which they supposed to have got, has not bought yet; Naval Admiral says how can we protect sea borders with less coast guard ships; RAW says that we had informed the authorities about possible attack but no action was taken; CM takes film director and his son to take round of the attacked places, Deputy CM is impressed with Raj from DDLJ that he says “Bade bade shaharon mein, aisi chhoti chhoti baaten hoti rahati hai”, Anyone dare attack the dress of Union Home Minister, come what may he is clean and cool, there is no co-ordination among various security agencies that we have: Army, Navy, Air force, RAW, IB, CBI. Who will report to whom, not clear?

Well the list could go on. The recent news channels are full of such masalas. I was wondering about the previous two paragraphs, don’t they give opposite messages? India comprising of same people could perform economically so well, and governance point of view...impossible. And mind you, with same sort of people. For good ones, the entrpreneurs, corporates, ‘The Indian Middle Class’ could be credited for. And on flipside: Politicians?

They say ‘Civilians get the Politicians they deserve’. This is so apt and leaves less to be said. This throws light on those who elected those politicians or rather chose not to vote by letting the non-deserving come in. The average voting happens between 55-60%. Rural population is 70% of total population (whose contribution to growth not more than 2%) and rest 30 % urban population contributes significantly to valued growth of India (there contribution must be 22-25 % so as to maintain 8-9% overall growth).

Thus it can be concluded from the above data that, India is full throttled functioning due to these 30% who are not only supporting themselves but also those 70% by paying taxes, which in turn be utilized for various schemes that government implements. If we say that the converse of this is true in the governance related matter; that we are lagging behind in Governance of our nation because these 30% are not taking interest, they are indifferent, which has started affecting the entire nation.

There are certain matters which have to be handled by the government and they can’t be taken care by corporate or NGO’s, matter of security is one such of them along with regulation to name a few. (As USA’s banks have collapsed Government has accommodated them by mergers.) And there we don’t have efficient people. Bureaucrats are to some extent take care of this but then they also are manipulated by politicians. Thus governance’s direct responsibility lies with Politicians, and We, The People elect them.

They are not accountable to anyone except their party. Had there been a forum of civilians like Parent-Teacher’s Association (PTA), local samits/groups in Nagarpalika/Gram Panchayat of education, water supply etc, Housing societies, local common interest groups like those have come together for music, theatre etc, like the Self-Help Groups (SHG) are there in villages in which I work. Imagine, this group would have chosen the appropriate candidate for a particular party, taken agenda from various political members and would have valuated them at regular interval. Thus the strings would have remained in really People’s hand. A real, vibrant Democracy!

But, this is the hardest thing to ever happen with us. Especially with Indians who are cursed by Bhagawan Vishnu for working in the ‘Group’. We can’t work with each other. I know what politics goes in my Mangalmurti Housing Society, how several of our music and dramatic groups got dissolved due to inter-personal problems. I wonder how we can get over that.

The recent problem of terrorism has roots over there or for that matter any of our problems. We can’t blame Pakistan for this solely. Attacking them is incidental solution and would not give us peace in long term. What message are we giving them by being secularist in the form of Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangha (RSS), Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS). By burning Gondhra, breaking Babri Masjid. Whoever does that, it is considered as Indians are doing it, same way as we blame Pakistan or ISI or LeT for every attack on us.

I am touched by an article from India Today (December 15, 2008) Michael F. Schever, who says don’t do it America way, the way they incessantly bombed Afghanistan after 9/11. George Bush is condemned for it and Obama is seen with lots of hope who can bring change human way. The attackers are well-educated like Togadiyas of VHP, Narendra Modis of BJP and Raj Thakres of MNS. We have to clear signal to the outside world both as strict as well as accommodative at appropriate places.

And nonetheless, I believe, root lies with you and me and us as ‘Group’ coming together. How do we do that is to be realised.

Gulzar

If I list down the film personalities, which are spontaneously on my mind, has given me immense joy and satisfaction from a medium of cinema; they are: Gulzar, Maniratnam, Farhan Akhtar, Tabu, Hrishikesh Mukherjee, Nagesh Kukunoor and the great Aamir Khan. Don't know why but the names came spontaneously to me. Count they are 7, you can call them 7 Wonders of Vishal’s filmography.

मुश्किल है आकाश पे चलाना, तारे पाऊँ में चुभते हैं

None other than my own Gulzar can say that. There was an era in seventies which got carved separately due to Gulzar’s existence. Excuse for not calling him Gulzar saab, Gulzar jee because maybe these words have been used too often that they have lost the respect that they had thought off to deliver. Or may be I don’t want to separate him from myself by adding tags to him and then separating him from me, because sometimes he says what I never had words to say so. It’s good that he never carried his name Sampporna Singh in film industry that would have been so unromantic. Gulzar, the name is just perfect for ‘him’.

I have lived my best days with Gulzar when I was growing up mentally, emotionally and spiritually. He provided enough food for me to feel complete and made me to starve for more. His Aaj kal paon jameen par nahi padte mere, has remained my top most song and let me share with you a secret that, if anybody wants to bang on my heart, then one can show interest with this song by any means and that fellow can easily get in.
There are some people, I wonder what would have happened if they hadn’t met me at the crucial juncture of my life, Gulzar is one of them.


There are two specialities that I found special in Gulzar.
He made to flow life through the dead objects found around.

मोड़ पे देखा है वो बूढा-सा एक पेड़ कभी ?
मेरा वाकिफ है, बहुत सालों से में उसे जानता हूँ

This is poem titled Humdum। Here ped (tree) has been said to boodha-sa।
He made to show the various, different facets of the some commonly observed objects।


पानी पानी रे खरे पानी रे, नैनो में भर जाए, नींदे खली कर जाए.
पानी पानी यह ढलानों की कगारों से, उतर जाना..

We hear about flowing water, sea water, rain drops but here GUlzar took of water flowing from eyes. Salty water coming out of eyes!!

Gulzar’s collaboration with various peoples like Maniratnam, Vishal Bhardwaj and my favorite actress also happens to be his mooh boli daughter, Tabu. In that way Gulzar happens to be my mooh-bole father-in-law!!

One of the skills that I acquired, appreciating arts, because of my mother who I vividly remember used to listen to Vividhbharathi’s classic marathi and hindi songs, I tasted it early years of my life and then definitely my sister, Ranoo, whose innumerable plays that I saw several times groomed me to appreciate arts and culture in my life otherwise I would have been just another a good-in-maths, exam-scorer-boring fellow.

Watching Hu-Tu-Tu - which happens to be Gulzar’s latest movie - and especially Tabu, is an experience. It puts up the frustration that we see around due to the political situations, the hypocrisy in behaviors and the only solution that is found is suicide not by being afraid of self but from can’t letting it continuing the way it is happening. It portrays me, it’s a complex movie but then that’s how I am sometimes. The way Suhasini Mulay compromises to be on power, how Nana Patekar remains the way ins pite of all odds. Sunil Shetty lives a live totally opposite of his mother Suhasini Mulay. And Tabu represents the frustrations of a common man. It’s a perfect combination.

Gulzar’s association with Vishal Bharadwaj has been best thing happened in my life. Even if you listen the duo RDBurman and Gulzar’s song, which are considered to be one of the best in Indian Cinema to the latest up to ARRehman-Gulzar, believe me no combination is as effective as that of Gulzar and Vishal Bhardwaj. As poetry flows through the blood of Gulzar, so does with music for Vishal Bharadwaj. His wife Rekha Bharadwaj with her Sufi voice has made Tere ishq mein a mesmerizing experience. Imagine how any other Music Director – A R Rehman, Shankar-Ehsan-Loy- would have composed Paani Paani re, Chappa Chappa from Maachis, Jag ja re gudiya, O saathi re, Bidi Jalaye le from Omkara, Tere ishq mein from Ishqa Ishqa. I bet nobody would be as perfect as them. In Gulzar’s own world about Vishal (ohh, unfortunately not me!!) ‘He brought melody back into music when there was only beat.’ ARRehman’s sometimes unnecessary bits make the already complex lyrics (infact simple beyond imagination) us bounce above head. Take example of Saathiya or Dil Se. so as to like, which you eventually do (no other option) it takes repeated listening, and so as to like Paani paani re, just one is enough. Music never becomes louder than words how much high Bass you make of your music system.

As scientist invent new molecule, they research what nature has already searched ages ago. Gulzar found new form of poetry, Triveni.

नाप के, वक्त भरा जाता है, हर राइट घड़ी
मेंइक तरफ़ खली हो जब फिर से उलट देते हैं उसको ....
उम्र जब ख़त्म हो, क्या मुझको वो उल्टा नहीं सकता?

First two lines portray a simple fact and third and last one conveys a complete opposite connotation of the above two.

Listening Gulzar’s Sunset Point in the voice of Bhupinder Singh and Chitra is the romantic experience, the intensity of separation of two lovers can’t be portrayed by any other poet than Gulzar.

One more aspect of Gulzar that inspires me, is his relation with Boksi, his daughter Meghna. Gulzar’s marriage with Rakhee didn’t last the way it is observed in common marriages, but the relationship of Gulzar as dad with Boksi is special. Because He Is…written by Meghna on his dad, must be a rare tribute tor a father. Meghna tried her hand with film Filhaal, on a different and sensitive subject of surrogate mother and followed by a flop Just Married. Could I be as a wonderful father as Gulzar is? In that way I can compete with my father too.

I find it amusing about those, who in spite of having so much, remain humble to the extent that i doubt are they even slightly aware what they have. When all others are running behind the accolades to be announced on their name, here is this fellow who is searching for more inspite of having so much. I wonder from where it comes.
After a long spell, another one of that genre is coming - Prasoon Joshi, lyricist of Taare Zameen Par, Rang De Basanti. Well no comparison, or nobody could ever exist to fill in the gap, but today’s film makers must be missing someone like Gulzar to portray their emotions, ideas on screen, atleast filmmaker in me always craves for the 75 years old Gulzar. I wish the time stops here..

CINEMATOGRAPHY

If I had to be a film-maker then it would have begun by being a Cinematographer. It was bridged by my fondness for clicking photographs by our antique camera. The still medium was later taken over by a moving image and thus photography was replaced by cinematography. The first person I idolized was Govind Nihalani, who was ace cinematographer of Shyam Benegal. Well before knowing about cinematography, I was fascinated by this person. Later on this fascination drove to its pick when he directed Takshak starring Tabu and Ajay Devgan.

So as to convey the importance of a cinematographer I would quote a incident on the set of Roja.

‘While filming the acclaimed "Roja", It was suggested to the director Mani Ratnam that a substitute for the cinematographer be found, as Santosh Sivan had a prior commitment. He immediately retorted by asking the man who suggested the idea if the same could be done with the heroine of the film under similar circumstances.’ (Courtesy: www.santoshsivan.com)

If the story is the heart of the film, then cinematography is the eye with direction as the head of the Film. Why I find cinematography so captivating because it transforms the ideas of story into a reality. It’s again engineering. There are lots of technicalities which need to be mastered. And call it my arrogance but so as to be good in anything you do, technicalities can’t be compromised of.

To tell it by an ace cinematographer Govind Nihalani:

‘There are roughly three kinds of images. At the simplest level, any photographic image that is projected on screen is an image, which does not and need not take into account the various formal and aesthetic factors like composition, color, movement etc.

The second kind of image is what is considered to be the cinematographic image where the shot is composed with a purpose, the angle, the lighting, the size of the image are all shot and calculated with a purpose.

The third kind of image is the image that goes beyond information and acquires a larger meaning than the information contained within a shot. These images carry and echo a lot of our subconscious memories, personal and collective alike, and grow into symbols.’

That’s so explanatory, isn’t it? And as they say Beauty lies in the eyes of beholder, so true with it, what else you look into a scene could be so shallow or deep.

What captivated me to write is Ravi K. Chandran’s article in Hindustan Times in which he said he insists to distributor that his name be their on the poster of the film. In south when the name of cinematographer is displayed on screen in theaters, audience claps for him. We, as audience of hindi films are very myopic in our regards to the actors of the film making. High regards always have gone to Hero/Heroines later followed by Directors.
Probably because the acknowledgements received in south, the classic cinematographers come from South only. To start with, Ravi K. Chandran having DCH, Yuva, Black, Fanaa, Kandukondain Kandukondain and recent Delhi6 to his credit. He started his career by assisting his elder brother Ramchandra Babu in a Malayalam film. His first film in hindi was Virasat, set by a simple and natural story and acting by Amrish Puri, Anil Kapoor and Tabu. He is the man who has worked with as many directors like Priyadarshan, Farhan Akhtar, Maniratnam, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Kunal Kohli and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. There is hardly anyone today who can match his genre of filmmaking.

The other cinematographer has been P. C. Shriram, who’s first hindi film is Cheeni Kum. His belief has been that I will work in the language which I know best of. That’s why he entered late in hindi films. Saahtiya’s original Alaypayuthe was shot by him. As shared by him he is the one who have differences with Mani for the betterment of the product.

Anil Mehta, who hold lenses behind for Lagaan, is an internationally acclaimed cinematographer. He also shot Saathiya, Khamoshi, and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. He tried his hand into story writing with Agni-varsha. Recently released come-back movie of Madhuri Dixit, Aaja Nachle was his directorial venture. As shared by Ravi Chandran, he is India’s one of the best cinematographers.

There is another creative creature, Santosh Sivan, who has Dil Se, Roja, Fiza on his credit and also The Terroirst which gained critical acclaim in various film festivals, was directed by him. What is distinct about Dil Se and ROja is the beautiful locations they are filmed especially the songs of the films.

Last but not the least is Rajeev Menon, the man showed us Bombay through his lenses. Many ad films later, he started off as cinematographer for Mani Ratnam’s Bombay before directing Minsara Kanavu (Sapnay in Hindi), apart from a few documentaries for Shyam Benegal and a short film for Girish Karnad. Among his recent film is Maniratnam’s Guru. Multi-starred Kandukondain Kandukondain was his directorial doorway. His primary interest has remained that of advertising film making. Airtel, Cadbury, Colgate Palmolive, Asian Paints are directed by him.

Just a little gyan..that a list of India’s cinematographers list would never get completed without names of Subrata Mitra, the legendary cinematographer who held camera for Satyajit Ray’s Pather Panchali, Apur Sansar, Charulata. And also V. K .Murthy who alongwith Guru Dutt filmed Kagaz ke phool and Pyaasa. I have seen none of the movies and have never read credit of these classics shared by these cinematographers.

I am looking forward to new genre of film-makers who could replace the old masters. Unfortunately me being doing something else, the world will miss one of those precious few, wat say?

Screenplay

I have always been curious in reading the names that appear on the screen before and after movie is being screened. There are whole lots of technicians who transform the vision of director, the fantasy into a reality. Perhaps myself being a curtain puller in inter-collegiate events, I know what importance it plays in making a program success! The word that I had least understood for years was Screenplay, perhaps until I saw Saathiya.
Here the movie starts with Vivek driving bike and hearing ‘O humdum suniyo re’ and somewhere in the middle of the story again you see repeating the same scene but much has happened in between those two same scenes. Otherwise what Saathiya is, it has no story which is strikingly different as Swades or Lagaan, a very ordinary love story, which happens very commonly, both meeting in marriage, attraction, next dramatic view in two oppositely passing train (that’s quiet impossible otherwise), superb straight- forward proposal in train, coming together-leaving for parents, and then Runaway marriage, differences after marriage (commonly termed as ‘ate daal ka bhav pata hona’). Apart from calculated acting of Rani and Vivek (and small yet crispy role of Sandhya Mridul), its screenplay is what which acts as a fuel to keep our interest burning. Story could be the strength of a movie like Lagaan has, but with a simple story like Saathiya, getting away with such a pleasant result, could be achieved by Mani only.

If Sanjay Leela Bhansali could be ‘feelingful’ director then Mani could be called as thoughtful. If Ram Ram Gopal Verma is a man of silences in dark room, then Mani could be calculated words with timing (Remember another classic propose to Isha by Michael Mukherjee of Yuva, “ Yeh Pyaar vyaar kuchh nahi hota hai, mujhe jhel sakati ho to aa jao.” ). If Karan Johar is only good at handling family soap type movies then Mani could handle variety of stories with midas touch.

Another good part of Saathiya has been dialogues by Gulzar. He is master in weaving words together and farming a sentence. They are low-weight yet meaningful and humorous too. When Vivek runs to see Rani in her gallery, Sandhya Mridul – Rani’s sister- says “Kise dekh rahe ho, who ladki jo kapde utar .., mera matlab hai rassi par se kapde utar rahi hai usko?” You see, it’s not a vulgar, it’s actually humorous. That’s what has made Saathiya superb alongwith ARRahman’s Composition and not to forget ‘Yeh udi udi udi’ by Adnam Sami.

What I have admired in Mani’s film is the way relation ship between man and woman is portrayed. Generally the Gender is taken as giving deliberate importance to woman to the level of sidelining male, but in Mani’s character both are actually ‘equal’. The simply Vivek has conveyed his feeling, without shying away, not silently keeping flower in hand and waiting for months to speak out, Why? If it is so natural!

Also see the choice of actors for the roles. Even in the tamil Alaipayuthe, the original version of Saathiya has Madhavan and Shalini. They are irreplaceable in their roles-perfectly tailor made-as like Rani and Vivek in Saathiya.

Oh! In the middle of writing this, I realized that Saathiya is not directed by Mani but his assistant Shaad Ali, who has almost vanished after that. But with this much classic, it is not possible, by heart, to give credit to Shaad. Romeo and Juliet even if transferred in marathi by me, credit would always remain with Shakespeare, isn’t it? I am waiting for Shaad Ali’s next movie. He has a great legacy behind him; he is son of Mujaffar Ali who filmed Umrao Jaan.

Another good example of a good screenplay is Yuva, again by Maniratnam. The way three different lives of youths woven together and yet there is a common stream and at last the way they meet at the Howrah Bridge is a classic piece of story telling and screenplay.

In the old films, where Anurupa Roy is the mother of Abhishek Bacchan kind of films, the mother tells the story how she became old, then bald and grey haired character would wear a wig and be hero’s father. It was that kind of screenplay those days.

Among all, I believe, nobody knows what a screenplay is as much as Maniratnam does. All directors’ with different style are appreciated, but Mani leaves his trail behind.