Monday, February 22, 2010

My Name Is Gandhi And I Am Not A Politician!

King Khan's latest flick has been generating a huge buzz (no pun intended!). Even before it's release, the movie enjoyed a whole lot of media attention for various reasons. The pairing of superstars Shahrukh & Kajol after a long hiatus was the movie's calling card.

But more famous, or rather infamous was the war of words between Shahrukh and the Shiv Sena (ah yes once again the SS makes their way to my blog!). The tension between the two sides spiraled out of control and resulted in severe security measures taken by the Maharashtra State Police on the day of the release (Only to later realize that the real security was required outside a quaint bakery in Pune!).

The Movie has garnered favorable reviews from the critics (which doesn't necessarily mean that it's a GREAT movie! Read my last post for proof of that!). But what the movie has also managed is strengthen SRK's fan-following especially in the Islamic community. The question raised in the movie, as to why are all Muslims looked upon as terrorist suspects is worth debating.

Terrorism has plagued society since times immemorial. Over the ages, it has taken on many different forms. But only recently has the form been unmistakable. The 9/11 attacks painted all Muslims in the same color as the perpetrator of the said attacks. There were many factors that were to be considered when accessing the cause of the attacks. But it was Osama Bin Laden's ethnicity, his skin color and his religion became the hallmarks of terrorism in the eyes of the western world.

Overnight being a brown skinned person meant you were the bad guy. If you had a turban on your head, you were damn well going to be interrogated and treated as a terrorist suspect. The Asians who were once friends became suspicious individuals for the Caucasian community.

Even today, the stigma hasn't subsided entirely. People of Islamic Origin are still living under certain paranoia and fear. And if you've seen the videos from the infamous Guantamo Bay Prison, you wouldn't blame them either. Although it's been almost a decade since the events of 9/11, the ghosts of the past are still lingering among our present.

The movie, although not the best platform to communicate the message, still makes an honest attempt to highlight a very basic concept. They could be Khans, Khannas or even Kennedys, but generalizing an entire population based on the actions of a few is nothing short of discrimination.

My Name Is Gandhi, And I Am Not A Politician!

Monday, February 8, 2010

Kya Kiya Ishqiya?


Abhishek Chaubey's directorial debut, Ishqiya has received rave reviews in the weeks since it's release. Naturally I was keen on watching the movie, not just for the reviews, but because of the cast. With acting talents like Naseeruddin Shah, Arshad Warsi and Vidya Balan, the movie showed genuine promise. So I was very keen on catching this movie. To the extent that I was willing to watch the late show on a work day! Unfortunately, I am glad I didn't!

With a star cast that is the who's who of fine acting, Ishqiya had the potential to be one of the most critical successes of the new year. Instead, what you get is a steady momentum building up to nothing substantial.

What is perhaps the most disappointing, apart from other things, is the climax of the movie. I'm all for open endings in movies, but in Ishqiya it seems forced and doesn't really add any value to the overall plot or storyline.

Even the stellar music, which has been doing the rounds of all music stations, doesn't offer any respite. The funky number Ibn-E-Batuta is played as a background number as the opening credits roll. Seems like the music video we've been watching is either a teaser or was brutally chopped off on the editing table. However the other popular song, the soulful "Dil To Bachcha hai Ji" is beautifully rendered.

Credit should be given to the actors for their heartfelt rendition of the characters that they portray. The talent in the movie is apparent with each performer doing a bang-up job of staying true to their character. The wardrobe, language, locations and even the extra absolutely echo North-East India's rural setting of the movie

The movie does have some good humor, such as the angle of the steel tycoon KK and his twisted love story. However these moments are too few and too far from each other.

The ONLY thing that left an impression on me was the passionate kissing scene between Arshad Warsi and Vidya Balan (yea, Naseeruddin doesn't get the girl after all!). This is perhaps the most scintillating and long on screen "smooch" between lead actors in a Bollywood flick, well at least from what I recall.

What surprises me is that yet again the media has given undue praise for this flick and given it rave reviews in almost all leading newspapers. Ishqiya has been touted as the kind of movie Tarantino fans will adore. Perhaps they were referring to movies like the second volume of Kill Bill!