When the Heart Speaks.....

Lines that come to mind:

Power struggles and heartbreak can be a potent mix
for the emotional soul
which cries out
live and let live
For life is but a journey,
short and sweet,
why leave it with a taste of bitter
why leave it with tons of baggage,
which the world would anyways sweep under the carpet
after you leave...

Casual Sex, Flings et al

Flipping through film glossies not only makes me nostalgic, but also ecstatic. A part of a lot of reading that formed my growing years, Stardust, Filmfare and other film magazines were the only source of information and juicy gossip for cine buffs in the pre-internet era, and I quite unabashedly admit to enjoying every bit of this reading.

A few months ago, however, my joy seemed a little short-lived, while I was reading through... An interview with a wannabe pin-up boy, an ex boyfriend of a former Miss universe, revealed a promiscuous past. The young man reveled in saying, "Casual sex and murder are much the same. You do not know what to do with the body once the deed is done". Wow! Was I appalled. was I hallucinating?! And was this an aberration I wondered, till I bumped into another issue of the same magazine a couple of months later, where another dishy young hunk from a politico family says, "See, I may be aware that I might be leaving the country in the next six months, but that doesn't stop me from entering into the relationship and having fun...blah..blah..wall-to-wall sex and stay connected". Great! Now, what exactly is the point here? We read malicious gossip about stars even in our growing years, and yes, stars themselves were supposed to have called journos and dished out quotable quotes, even those days, but this was like stretching things a bit too far. why would a glossy stoop this low, banking on the quotes of starlet-type young actors? tch, tch....wall-to-wall sex? Which clearly means, film glossies are now using casual sex and one night stand quotes from these desperados as a clear ticket to selling copies. Bollywood movies too seems increasingly open to the idea of showing flings...a la desi boyz (remember, Akshay Kumar with that white woman in an unhappy marriage?)and justifying the whole thing!And again, there are double standards. We still do not see the young girls in the profession accorded with the same 'privilege' of bragging about their sexual escapades. Woe betide, ladies, you would be branded the next hot slut in town if you so much as dared breathe about your colorful trysts.

Coming back to the point, it is indeed none of anybody's moral right to step in; all I am suggesting is some restraint in public forums while advocating licentiousness, (I am sorry, but this does amount to advocacy)which are clearly lapped up by impressionable minds, especially if it comes from celebrities. it would do well to remember that Bollywood is religion in a country like ours. It is no rocket science or new revelation that the lives and lifestyles of stars, and yes, their quotes do have an impact on the lives of the man on the street. Lives which are led based on informed decisions are well, nobody's bloody business, but can freedom of speech actually run wild, amok, and extend to debauchery in speech? I rest my case with this.

The Anti Hero Comes of Age

When we saw Irfan Khan (or Irrfan as he calls himself now) in a DD soap, Humraahi in the early 90s, it was quite evident, a superlative artist had arrived. The unconventional looking character artiste had a unique way of mouthing his dialogues that had not hitherto been seen on television, cinema neither. Many small time and international ventures later, Irrfan's career seems to be peaking now with Paan Singh Tomar (PST).

PST is tailor made for an actor of his calibre, and vindicates director Tigmanshu Dhulia's faith in his lead actor. He slips into the character so effortlessly that for a good two odd hours, cinegoers live in the suspended disbelief of seeing Tomar in Irrfan. Dhulia has hit bulls eye, as always, with hard hitting, engaging fare.

Set in the terrains and villages of infamous Chambal, PST traces the life of naive, earnest Subedar Tomar, a national athletic champion turned outlaw. Dhulia's Tomar is hard as nails, as he is soft and vulnerable. A character fleshed into so many complex parts, just as he is simple. PST adeptly steers clear of the "why I took to arms" cliche and moves on to tell a touching tale of the bemused Subedar who gets no succor from the "system", with freshness. Tomar's bewilderment turns to anger once he realizes that he lives in a world that cares two hoots for his past glories as a national 'steeple chase' champion. His steadfast refusal to be labeled an outlaw, opting for "rebel"(baaghi) instead, makes for an interesting commentary on rules and laws that exist in the so-called civilized urban world juxtaposed with the rules that are implicit in another feudal world not too far from us. Now, you might ask, why would anyone run to the multiplexes to watch a middle aged, not- at- all hot commercial proposition going by the name Irrfan? Well,the answer is anyone's guess. You watch a movie where the story is the hero or the anti-hero, not particularly, marquee names. If Shekhar Kapoor's Bandit Queen attempted to demystify the other Chambal honcho, Phoolan Devi, Dhulia's biopic makes a similar attempt. The camera is a voyeur in both cases, caressing its muse with love from all angles. It is not always the female who arouses interest; PST makes you forget a few stereotypes for a while, and just surrender to the narrative.

Among the various characters who flit in and out with Irrfan, Mahie Gill as Indra, in a brief role, is the lady to watch for as she plays the dutiful, but vocal wife to hilt. A movie replete with ironies, strong moments, commentaries (without overtly preachy soliloquies)and a strong script, PST scores despite a few sluggish moments, and the inevitable end. What other fate can a "dacoit" meet with? PST also subtly laments the fact we are a cricket driven nation that pays little or no attention to achievers in other sport. These sports persons die unsung, in penury, or in extreme cases, hit the gun, like PST did. Tomar's outburst, "When I ran for the country, no one cared, but now it seems everyone is chasing me", underlines the fact for you.

Overall, an interesting fortnight, with author-backed female character-led movie, Kahani also doing the rounds to rave reviews. PST has sold itself through sheer story, while Kahani has banked upon story, yes, and also the lady of the moment, Vidya Balan. Nevertheless, Bollywood, give us more of these. We are always game.