CINEMA

Hi,

Cinema or films is a great medium to put across your thought on a bigger scale & to a larger audience. In the past Indian movies were very typical, same stories of rich girl poor guy, lost and found, a melodramatic revenge saga in short the topics which an average India will be entertained. Today there are films made not only on diverse range of fictional topics but also based on real issues that are grappling our society; be it terrorism, autistic children or even harsh realities of the glamour world.

I am staunch believer that movies are made for masses & masses only but, of late with a boom in multiplexes the trade pundits have come with a new one, “Movies are for masses & some for classes”. Masses here are the average common man & the classes being the multiplex audience (never understood the term but, what the heck).

Generally I would not have agreed but, a one day at the movie theatre changed my perspective towards the notion. I was at this cinema hall with a friend for a light hearted movie (AALOO CHAT) & there were people who I believe were not enjoying projection on the screen. I agree the movie was not a great one but, with commendable performances from the cast. People in there were craving for item number (who’s to blame them, practically every release has its own version) & some skin show too. Then there was serious film (FIRAAQ) which captures the trauma faced by the group of people post riot. The film was from the view point of a certain community, when faced by the adverse situation & their reaction to it, which I believe can be the same for any society if confronted with similar circumstances. I simply loved the film & the emotional undertone that it projected. Here it was criticized by a group (some local political group) for depicting a story from the angle of the people in minority (at least in the movie). To end the day on lighter note the next film that we went for was a light hearted movie (BARAH AANA). Again a good movie with a terrific Vijay Raaz in the lead (he outshone Naseer if I may say so). But the same expectations from people, more skin show, girl dancing to villain’s tune & more of such absurd demands.

The difference here I think were the audience, not that it would have run to packed houses in the multiplexes, which can be only done by the so called superstars. But at least one cannot hear such remarks there. Movies cannot be made for a select group of people for commercial reasons of course. It’s the perspective of the movie goer that makes it audience specific.

One thing is for sure, no matter how much we evolve at the making films for world market, you simply cannot ignore the masses. They will want their share of cake & will want to eat it too.
CIAO……..

STOP WHEN IT TURNS RED

Hi,

This is me going blah blah again on a topic which I have seen on the roads of my country. This time it’s the Traffic signals that have my attention. To all of us across the world RED light @ the signals signifies to STOP, AMBER (that’s the color I believe) is I guess to slow down your pace to Zilch & GREEN is definitely GO. But here it’s the complete opposite; I mean people are literally color blind to these signals.

People here don’t respect the signal (Me being no different). It’s the chalta hai attitude that sucks big time. For instance if there are no cop patrolling the signal’s (that’s the case most of the time) it is mandatory to break the signal; not doing so is a crime. There are places where people respect the signal even at the hour not required (read 02:00 am).

Then there are the famed ZEBRA CROSSING, now usually these are meant for pedestrians to CROSS the road, but here these are meant for cars crossing them when sometime they do take a pause at the lights (with their engine running of course); not because of the big RED dot on the side road, but to prevent their pockets being cut by the bribe loving thulla’s.

Can’t we all try & respect the person who invented the three lights if not the lights.
CIAO………….