I know this is coming pretty late, but well.. Here it is.

I'd been to Mumbai a few weeks back for the 'Rockstar' concert by A.R. Rahman sir. I had the opportunity to be with Ranbir Kapoor and director Imtiaz Ali and the crew. I also got an opportunity to meet and converse with A.R Rahman sir. Last time in Bangalore I couldn't take a picture but this time I did not let that opportunity pass by! :P I also met singers Mohit Chauhan, Javed Ali and many other people.

I'd made Piano versions of songs from 'Rockstar' and T Series, a music label that releases music CDs and cassettes, had recognized the videos on youtube and invited me to Mumbai. Now they just gave me passes and no travel/accommodation, so it was quite a decision to take. But I went ahead, convinced parents and booked a bus to Mumbai mere hours before it was to leave Bangalore. Some ride that was. *sigh*

The crew of 'Rockstar' were also following my videos on youtube and welcomed me very warmly. I was with them at the production house and office for 2 days. Also, the event organizers from Rahman sir's Team recognized me (back when we'd met in Bangalore for the Bangalore concert) and I was made the Backstage co-ordinator at the 'Rockstar' concert that happened in Mumbai on the 1st of November, 2011. I was the only person from Bangalore ofcourse. In effect, I was representing The 'Rockstar' team at the concert as they were too caught up with film deliveries and Imtiaz sir had taken ill and couldn't attend the concert. I also met Rahman sir and spoke to Him about how big a fan I am and other things. The MOST surreal 10 minutes of my life :D

Here's an excerpt of the conversation:

Me (after a long talk about how big a fan I am and what a great inspiration He is etc.) : Sir, I've also made Piano Versions of all your songs from 'Rockstar' *I actually mumbled it*

ARR: Oh that's nice.. Wait.. Piano what?

Me : Piano version sir.. My interpretations..Of every song when it released.. All songs from 'Rockstar'..

ARR: Oh, that's nice.. wonderful..

Me: I'll send it to Vijay sir's mail sir.. please do listen to them when you find time..

ARR: Yeah man, sure.. good good..

Me: *After dilly dallying more when I was about to leave.. KJ Singh had entered the van and was waiting* Please do listen to them sir.. I'll mail it to Vijay sir..

ARR: Sure man, sure.. You rock, That's awesome.. *and the trademark smile indicating I'll have to leave now*

Me: *Dazed* *star-struck*

I felt like a complete idiot weeks later when I remembered that I mentioned NOTHING to Him about the time we'd met in Bangalore! I thought I had but when the effect wore off, I realised (contrary to what I'd thought previously) that I never mentioned Bangalore even once! :-o :-O Me is absolute bonkers.


Anyhow, I've been in touch with the Team of Rockstar and Rahman sir's Team ever since.

Haven't been able to write as comprehensively as I had the last time I met Rahman sir at Bangalore.. Simply because there are too many things to write and it would take me hours together to put down the events in words. So I'm taking the easy way out and just posting a few of the pictures.

The 'Rockstar' Concert. 1st of November. Mumbai.

Sivamani. Ranjit Barot. Harshdeep Kaur. Sanjeev Thomas. Stephen Devassi. Naveen. Monica Dogra. Javed Ali. Balesh. Chang. Mohit Chauhan. Nargis Fakri. Ranbir Kapoor. Team Rockstar. Imtiaz Ali.

A.R. Rahman sir.

Great Times! \m/



With Rahman sir.




With Imtiaz Ali and Team Rockstar at the Ashtavinayak Office.




With Ranbir Kapoor.. Taken on stage during the rehearsals at Nite, therefore the quality.




With Mohit Chauhan.




With Ranbir's guitar. The same that's used in the climax song of 'Rockstar' - Nadaan Parindey.




THE autograph.


Until the next post then. Adios!

Director: Imtiaz Ali

Love stories have always been Bollywood's thing. A trifle here and there might have changed over the years, but the formulaic love story, the one that we've all grown up on and savored, always takes you by the hand, guides you through the film's ups and downs and leaves you at an ending. But when you have a story as new, as fresh and as free-falling as the one in Imtiaz Ali's 'Rockstar', then these are times that herald a new change in today's Bollywood.

The story goes something like this. Janardhan Jakhar(JJ a.k.a Jordan), a Delhi simpleton, has always wanted to be a rockstar. His friend/mentor and college canteen manager, Khatana, gives him a 'get-your-heart-broken-and-you-will-be-a-rockstar' solution. JJ automatically aims for the prettiest chick on campus, Heer, sure to have his heart broken. But what follows is a story that goes from a simple one of fame-mongering to a love story most unusual. The chapter of Jordan and Heer never seems to end and their complexities take them on a path that would ultimately destroy their lives.




It is very difficult to characterize the movie with a single emotion. It is so beautifully layered that it will take repeated viewings to form a consensus within yourself as to WHY you love the film. Just like its soundtrack, 'Rockstar' is a movie you will have to allow to grow on you. The film can best be described as a heady cocktail of love and fame and how each has an effect on the other. It’s the free-falling nature of the story that gives it a feeling never before experienced in Indian cinema. The movie borders on self-indulgence every once in a while but wonderfully balances it out with realism.

The music, composed by A.R. Rahman, is in many ways a character in the film. Every phase of Jordan's life is characterized by a song which magically sets the tone for the next few minutes, till the next song or sequence comes along and changes the mood. The music, in many ways, drives the film. Its very obvious now why Imtiaz Ali replaced usual collaborator Pritam with Rahman. Without the type and scale of the music Rahman has given for this film, 'Rockstar' would have been very handicapped. The music truly forms the soul of the film. Also, from the snow covered mountains of Kashmir and Himachal and the dingy discotheques to the old-architecture of Prague and the various concert venues, the film looks beautiful in almost every shot, thanks to ace cinematographer Anil Mehta. The right variations in angle, color and focus gives the film a biographical feel where the scenes portray an emotion as much as the actors in them do.

Which brings me to the performances. The film has few characters and each of them are well-defined. Aditi Rao plays the journalist Sheena, who tracks Jordan's life and though she has precious little to do, she plays her part. Piyush Mishra as the shrewd record company owner Dhingra, is the quintessential greedy man in the film and does well too. Kumud Mishra as Khatana, Jordan's old friend and manager is perfect and brings in a certain sincerity and authenticity to his part. Shammi Kapoor as the shehnai maestro Ustad Jameel Khan is absolutely charming everytime he appears on screen. It is hard to miss the glint in his eye and these being his last shots, will always be what 'Rockstar' will be remembered for. Now for the two lead actors. Nargis Fakri is unfortunately, the weakest link in the film. She obviously has a lot to learn in the acting department. She blatantly disappoints in scenes where she is required to do more than just look pretty, and ends up as the cold dish in 'Rockstar'. Nonetheless, she does look good in every frame and with better acting, could go places. With her current form, she will find it tough to make a mark.

However, 'Rockstar' completely belongs to Ranbir Kapoor, who has clearly gives this film his all. He plays his part with utmost perfection and with a depth that is so rare in Bollywood these days. Through the film, it is Jordan, and not Ranbir Kapoor, that we see on screen. He earnestly brings out the character transition from JJ to Jordan with such ease, that this could very well be his career-defining performance. He's clearly left his contemporaries WAY behind. Ranbir Kapoor, as of now, owns Bollywood.

Having dared to make such an experimental film, director Imtiaz Ali is truly the new-age doyen of Indian Cinema. His refreshing take on love stories, from 'Jab We Met' to 'Love Aaj Kal', continues with 'Rockstar' which will be remembered for a long time as the first movie of its kind. Truly original and truly inspired from all the right sources, Imtiaz Ali is the new age phenomenon of modern love in cinema.

Truly magical and spell-binding, 'Rockstar' leaves you with a feel-good hangover of itself, that is hard to digest at first watch. I'd give it a 4/5.

Don't miss.

Heya!

Its been a few days since the trailer of Imtiaz Ali's 'Rockstar' came out. And its BRILLIANT! More so because of A.R. Rahman sir's mind-blowing music.



I just thought of making piano versions of the songs that feature in the trailer. And so, here it is :)

Copy & Paste the link below to your address bar

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CI8hjrfdzLk

Or you could just click on the Title of this post.

They're all off-hand versions, so not exactly mixed/mastered too well. They're just Piano tracks. As the music releases, I shall make fuller better versions of the songs.

Hope you like them.

Rahmaniac Forever! \m/

Vikas Rawat, Bangalore

Director : David Yates

It is no easy task to make a film carrying tremendously high expectations of being a finale to the most popular series in the world, not to mention the fact that the majority audience already knows every possible plot point. And yet, it is in these circumstances, or rather in-spite of it, that 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2' rises to a level of cinema that previous films only fleetingly approached. Knowing fully well that millions of Potter-fans across the globe would either way lap-up the film in any form, the makers of DH-P2 have gone that extra mile in ensuring a fitting climatic end for the series, thereby elevating the already popular franchise to another dimension.

The film picks up exactly from where Deathly Hallows Part 1 left off, with Harry, Ron and Hermione continuing their search for the remaining bits of Voldemort's soul, which eventually takes them to (where else but) Hogwarts. Be-fittingly, it IS Hogwarts that plays host to the final showdown, with Voldemort and his army of death eaters, snatchers and giants landing up at its doorstep hunting for Harry. What ensues is a battle of the likes of which Hogwarts has never seen before. It is in the middle of all this that one of the most important escapades from the action takes place, as Harry dives into Professor Snape's memory. You have to be made of stone to not have cried or at the least have gone watery-eyed in this sequence, where the true nature of Snape is revealed. It is followed with another escapade, where another beloved character makes an appearance. The movie also has its share of deaths, with some important characters being bumped off. The film builds up brilliantly to the ultimate climax between Harry and Lord Voldemort, with characters like Neville, Professor McGonagall and Molly Weasely playing major parts.



Having been a true-blue die-hard Potter-maniac for 10 years now, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2' HAD to be spot-on in its execution to get a thumbs-up from similar million others, and yet had to be elaborate enough to make it understandable for the movie-fans of the series. DH-P2 scores full marks in adapting J.K Rowling’s final book as accurately as possible, with the few changes actually making the film better. Steve Kloves finishes off in style with his bang-on, sharp script that clears all ambiguities he'd left in the previous adaptations. The cinematography of the film, although not as breath-taking as previous installments, manages to create the perfect atmosphere for the finale. The release in 3D, however, does not create any particular jaw-dropping effect, with the exception of the initial gringotts-dragon scenes. The music of the film is considerably improved upon (compared to DH-P1) by Alexandre Desplat, with the right mix of hard-hitting orchestrations and soulful melodies to counter both the fierce-action and gentle emotion in the film.

Director David Yates, who started his stint with 'Order of the Phoenix', successfully steers the series to its epic conclusion, with his most brilliant film till-date. Of the performances, all actors give their characters their best final shot, especially Helena Bonham Carter as the eccentric Bellatrix Lestrange. The principle characters of Harry, Ron and Hermione are given the perfect send-off with accurate performances by Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint and Emma Watson. Daniel manages to restrain himself at the crucial moments, and it only shows the amount he's grown as an actor since that first film 10 years ago.

The film however belongs to Ralph Fiennes and Alan Rickman. While Fiennes manages to bring all-out evil in his no-holds performance as Harry's evil nemesis Lord Voldemort, Alan Rickman as Professor Snape does magic to the film in the shortest screen time, a la' Antony Hopkins in Silence of the Lambs. It may possibly be one of his career-defining performances that should be awarded with, at the very least, an Oscar Nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Though the Harry Potter series has always received the cold-shoulder by the Academy, 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2' may very well break the mould with a nomination/s in the top categories.

As fans across the world bid adieu to the most loved phenomenon of this generation, they couldn't have hoped for a better send-off to the series than 'Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2'.

For sheer spine-chilling awesomeness and absolute heart-thumping brilliance, I'd give the film a 4.5/5.

Adios Potter!

Firstly, to all the people who’re thinking “So why’s he creating such a big fuss about A R Rahman? He’s just a music guy no, not some actor”. If your thinking is on those lines, then you probably don’t know me. Anyone who knows me even remotely or has ever spoken to me about music or even about one, ONE song would know that when Music is my Religion, A R Rahman is God. No dialogues, no lies. Plain and simple, He’s an Idol and a role model. Sure, earlier I was just a normal fan. But since the past few years, I’ve come to idolize Him for the person and the music He is and stands for. Also, I’ve made no secret of a wish, a dream of mine to just meet him. A chance to maybe just SEE him. THAT, for me, was the ultimate experience. Even a meeting with a SRK or a Tom Cruise or anyone else would come in second to meeting A R Rahman. Maybe it’s coz I play music and understand better the slight nuances that every other composer today lacks. Or maybe not.

So that is me. And then I read somewhere in March that A R Rahman was to perform in Bangalore on the 29th of May, 2011. I KNEW I had to attend the concert, but over the days I started thinking if I should attend as audience or something more? Something that could take me closer to The Man, The Music – A R. So after running through a lot of contacts and interviews, I got the job of the Backstage co-ordinator for the concert. I remember driving back home in a trance that day. So as the date got closer, the payment package was being discussed. I frankly told them I am doing it for the experience and am not expecting any remuneration. Apart from an earnest thought, I also told this coz I was getting feelers that they may bring in people in main posts who quote the lowest salary to save money. So I cut out the competition completely, and the Job was mine to keep.

DAY ONE

I remember it was raining every single day that week. On the 27th of May, while it was raining heavily outside, I got a call from the Production Head to come in tomorrow morning at the venue. As I kept the call, I prayed for the rain to cease for the next two days. It was a pleasant morning on the 28th of May as I reached Palace rounds at around 10 am. The stage was built spectacularly, a far cry from the shabby construction I had seen a week back. There was news that the Rahman concert in Nagpur was managed very badly and Rahman sir had told on-stage that everyone should come to Bangalore for the complete show. The stakes were even higher, and there were a few crores riding on us, the production team, to ensure a successful show. I was given an All Access Pass and a walkie-talkie and there I was, the entire backstage with the artist green rooms, all to myself with 50 volunteers/workers under me. Each artiste or 2 was given one green room with common rooms to dancers/make-up people. As I got the AC’s fitted into the 30-odd green rooms along with other basic amenities, my eyes distinctly went off to the Trailer van parked at the backstage entrance with ‘A R Rahman’ written on it. I got it opened by the bouncers there and got it cleaned and replenished with cool drinks, water etc. I knew he’d eventually come here. Then we got news that the artistes have started coming, and my hopes went up. Then Rahman sir’s PA came upto me and I introduced myself. He told me Rahman sir will be coming in at around 3:30 pm. As the artistes started rehearsing on stage, I got a chance to meet all the artistes, including Rahman sir’s 2 sisters, Reihana and Israth. From then on I kept getting news about delays with Rahman sir’s time and finally at around 6:00 pm we got news that Rahman sir had left for Palace Grounds. By then I’d gotten familiar with most of the artistes. Sivamani cancelled his rehearsal slot coz he was in Chennai seeing the IPL match.

At around 6:30 pm, my walkie-talkie buzzed with info that Rahman sir has almost reached and that he will be entering from the main entrance and will proceed to stage directly. With a heavy heart, I kept myself backstage. At 6:40 pm, a car drove up near the tiny backstage entry where all iron rods and stage waste was littered. I’d told the guard at the far entrance NOT to allow anyone in. Curious to see who it was, I walked towards the car. As I stood to query in front of the Black Merc, A R Rahman opened the door, got off and said “Hi”.

A R Rahman. Idol, Guru, 2-time Oscar winner, Grammy, BAFTA etc.. God.





A R Rahman.

It took me a full 5 seconds (1. 2. 3. 4. 5) before I could find my voice. “Welcome to Bangalore sir”, I mumbled. I think he murmured “Thank you” and looked around and took a long *sigh*, as if finally breathing fresh air. His driver/assistant went forward to park it ahead and there I was, with A R Rahman, outside the backstage entrance. He was dressed in a patterned-shirt with a waist-coat over it and jeans. I managed to blurt out “Shall we go, sir?” “Yeah” came the prompt reply and head bowed down, he followed. With my walkie-talkie arm ahead of me, I spoke to him about how much I loved his music and how I myself am a musician and stuff. “That’s good” he said, without even looking up properly. I immediately remembered a letter I had written to him for such an occasion itself and I gave it to him requesting him to read it. He smiled and put it in his waist-coat. Filled with a renewed energy, I brought him to his Trailer and just as I got the door opened, he said to me “Why why? No need.. We can go to the stage directly?”. “Yes sir, sure” I said and with my walkie-talkie gestured to the volunteers to clear the path ahead. With my walkie-talkie arm held out clearing the people ahead, we reached the main backstage where the dancers and singers and musicians were chatting around. There were cries of “Shit” “Crap, He’s Here!” “Go GO soon!” as there was silence and everyone rushed to their green rooms. I escorted him till on-stage and as I said “Thank you sir” he gave a half-smile and I left. Immediately there were cries of “A R!” from the console, where Rahman’s personal event management company, Rapport Global’s, heads were present.

As Rahman sir took stock of the situation on-stage, I went backstage and seated myself. It had happened. I had finally met him, spoken to him and been with him for longer than I could ever have imagined. And to top it all, I gave my letter to the man himself! Before I could get over the encounter, Rahman sir started singing the ‘elelo’ part from ‘Choti Si Aasha(Roja)’ on stage. It took me all my self-control and will to stop myself from running on-stage. After a while, as the singers kept going on and off the stage, Rahman sir came off-stage and was chatting with his secretary Noel James and Vijay Prakash, when I went upto him. “Excuse me sir”, I said. He looked at me and his expression told me he recognized me. “Can I have an autograph please, sir?. “No no.. all this will be at the end, not now.” “Ok sir, sure” I said, smiling, and went away.

Meanwhile, I was also given charge of the on-stage co-ordination for the Grand Piano, the qawwali songs and Sivamani and Rahman sir’s solo. With 10 workers, I got the piano rolled in to position and looked at the sheets given to me by the Rapport co-ordinator. Seeing the lyrics of ‘Rehna Tu’, ‘Jaage Hain’ and ‘Meherbaan’ on it, I realized what I would see when I turn around and sure enough, A R Rahman was waiting for me to get the piano set. I instructed the workers to keep it at the proper slant alignment, and shooed them off-stage. I then asked Rahman sir if it was fine and he looked up to me and I again saw that look of familiarity. “Yeah, it’s alrite” he said and I placed the sheets on the piano and proceeded back enough so that I don’t disrupt him but close enough to get an awesome view. After a magical unplugged-piano session, it was time for the qawwali songs, for which again I had the mattresses and harmonium placed in front of him.

During the rehearsal, Rahman sir needed to go to the console in between the ground. His other assistant from the car, Viji (Vijay Mohan Iyer), immediately told me to come with him and Rahman. There were many curious on-lookers and as soon as they saw someone come onto the grounds, they clambered on to get a glimpse. Luckily, I piloted Rahman sir to the console in time just before word got out that A R Rahman was at the console. At the console Rahman sir displayed his trademark sense of humor. Murthy sir (the orchestra conductor) was on stage and the following conversation ensued:

Rahman: Check Check Check.. Do you hear me Murthy sir?

Murthy Sir: (gesturing with a No)

Rahman: (with a smirk) Cash Cash Cash.. Now?

A man came upto me and asked me to let him meet Rahman sir as he’d come from Ireland only to meet him. There were many such people, and while Rahman sir checked the console, me and Viji stood by Rahman sir. He then proceeded onto the Control Room to see how the 3-D effect was with the glasses. A huge hoard of policemen came in near the entrance asking if A R Rahman was there. I told yeah, but they’d have to wait outside. For a second I thought they’d scream or something, but they told “ok” and I asked them to form a human chain so I could take Rahman sir back. Eager to get a glimpse of him, they all fell in line and prevented the general public from coming close. A lady dressed in white managed to come upto me and asked me if she could meet Rahman. I told her it’s out of the question. Only after we reached backstage with Rahman sir did I get to know she was a pretty well-known entrepreneur.

After the entire rehearsal (the magic of which I could write another blog about), A R Rahman’s PA, Swamidurai (who only converses in Tamil) told me through signs and words that Rahman sir will be leaving now. I told a calm “Ok sir” and slowly walked off pretending to be caught up with something else. As soon as he was out-of-sight, I ran towards the place where I knew his car was parked. I caught him midway, but he was escorted by 3-4 heads of Rapport Global. I went with him anyway and escorted him till his car. As he drove off, I got news that he will be arriving at around 2:00 pm tomorrow.

As I went back backstage and met all the other singers, I was surprised with how normal and regular I felt towards them, after having met A R Rahman. None of them had that aura of divine space around them. I’d always thought these were just fancy words, but it’s true. There really IS something divine about and around Rahman sir, something that baffles and amazes me in equal measure. Anyhow, as the singers started leaving one-by-one, I too wrapped up my work and told everyone the reporting time would be 9:00 am tomorrow. Though tired and over-whelmed by the experiences I’d had, I braced myself for the big day tomorrow.

DAY 2

With broken legs, zero energy and full enthusiasm I managed to get myself to the venue by 10:00 am on the 29th of May. I won’t bore you with all the details and preparations, but even though I was neck-deep busy with a lot of work, my thoughts were reserved for the time Rahman sir was to come. As we neared 2:00 pm and the other artistes started coming in, I got the news I was expecting. Rahman sir would be late. To be on the safer side, I got his Trailer arranged and all set by 3:00 pm. Around 3:30 pm, I got news of some disturbance at the Main Backstage entry ( gate next to fun world/opposite TV Tower). I rushed there with the bouncers and volunteers to find that a lot of people were demanding entry from there despite the main entry point being near MCC College. I explained to everyone that this was an entry only for artistes and spent the next half-hour instructing the 15-odd traffic policemen standing there to guide everyone near MCC College and got a banner put outside. Just then, a packed car came and stood in front of the gate and as I went to check, Viji and Rahman sir peeked out. I immediately instructed the guards to open the gate properly and ran towards the backstage entry. I just reached there as the car stopped and sure enough, Rahman sir got out. Dressed in blue, he gave the same half-smile of familiarity. I then saw why the car was packed. His entire family had come comprising of His mother, wife and 3 kids. His wife, Saira Bano, is an extremely pretty and charming woman.



I welcomed all of them and as I started escorting them near the backstage, Swamidurai came in and together we escorted Rahman sir to the Trailer. I asked Saira if she wanted to get in but she refused. She, Viji and the kids stayed out as Rahman, his mother, Swamidurai and me got in. Having seated Himself on the luxurious sofa insiade, He asked Swamidurai something in Tamil (something like ‘is everything ready?’) to which he replied in the affirmative. He then looked me square in the eye and my heart skipped a beat. “You’ll be around? Crowds make me uncomfortable.. Please ensure no one comes to me for an autograph or a picture and stuff like that”. “Sure sir, Sure” I mumbled and as the Rapport Global bosses got into the trailer, I knew it was my cue to leave. I said a “If there’s anything required, do let me know sir” and rushed out. I stood transfixed outside, knowing the repercussions of what He’d said. He’d meant for me to be around but it also meant I had a task to do. I decided that even if it meant me not getting a pic with Him, I had to do my job perfectly.

It was then that I noticed Viji, Saira and the kids waiting in the Family room. Viji told me Saira needed to be taken to the VIP audience stand to meet her family here. As I escorted her, we had a free-wheeling chat about how she loved Bangalore and the weather here etc. She was pure radiance. I left her off near her family where they greeted each other with the traditional hugs and taking the back of the palm to the eye and kissing it. I asked for leave and on my way to the trailer told all artistes and dancers in their green rooms that Rahman sir had arrived and they should start getting ready with the make-up and costumes. Viji told me the kids had gone into the trailer. Just then Swamidurai came out and asked for sweets/chocolates for Rahman’s kids. I immediately sent the volunteers to the make-shift canteen but they returned empty-handed. There was all kind of food, but no chocolates. I called the volunteers and asked them to get the chocolates from outside ASAP. In 10 mins I had a handful of Dairy Milk and 5 star bars, which I gave to Swami who took it to the trailer.

The concert time was near and after ensuring all arrangements in the backstage were done (I saw Swamidurai going towards the trailer from the store room with Rahman sir’s entire wardrobe), I went on-stage to check for the piano and other arrangements. It was around 6:20 pm when I got on stage and God, was the sight incredible! There was a HUGE crowd already, spread far, easily more than 25,000 people. It was intimidating and exhilarating together to see so many people from stage. After getting the work done there, I was told I will be required to go on stage for the lamp lighting by the guests to light the candle and pass it on. Mr. R Ashok, a Minister of Karnataka was the chief guest along with . I quickly got my Suit on and as we were approaching 7:00 pm, we got word from Rahman sir to start after 20 minutes to allow people who might be stuck in traffic. At around 7:00, the MC for the event, a VJ from Channel Ufx, got on stage and welcomed the crowd. There was thunderous applause as she called for the lamp lighting and after that got done, the MC came back and then there was nothing for 5 minutes. As soon as we got the go-ahead to start, singer Shweta Pandit got on stage and the concert had finally begun! She started off with the female intro of ‘Roja Janeman’ and the crowd went berserk. I was told by the co-ordinator from Rapport that if this was loud, I should listen to when A R got on stage. I was positioned just at the artiste entrance where we were supposed to usher in the artistes as and when their turn came. As soon as we got news that Rahman sir was positioned on the hydraulic, the stage dimmed and with the spotlight, A R Rahman rose slowly from below the stage. Just before his face appeared at stage-level, he started off with the ‘elelo’ part (from Choti Si Aasha/Chinnai Chinnai aasai) and the noise that came out of the crowd is the loudest I’ve ever heard in my life. The crowd was screaming their lungs out as Rahman sir crooned the beautiful alap. It was a full 30 seconds before the noise started reducing and Rahman sir shouted ‘Channagidira?’. It was absolute mayhem for another 30-seconds, following which He expressed his gratitude to Bangalore and spoke to the crowd about how He’d always wanted to perform here for the wonderful crowd. He then proceeded on with the show (I’ll put up the full event-list) with ‘Tere Bina’ from Guru and ‘Dil Se re..’. It was a super-duper, mesmerizing concert and I happened to get the best view of it all. He kept coming on and off stage for costume-changes. The concert was a tribute to all the songs that He’d composed in the 1st half of his career. I could go on and on about the concert details and about every awesome performance, but that would take another day to write about! When the time came for ‘Yeh jo des..’ from Swades, I got a bar-stool placed on stage and when it was time for a medley of songs on the Grand Piano, I got it rolled on stage and put the lyric sheets in front. As I gestured for Him to come sit, he gave the same half-smile that had since become a sign that he was familiar with a person. He performed unplugged versions of ‘Rehna Tu..’ from Delhi-6, ‘Jaage hain’ from Guru, ‘Meherbaan’ from Ada and ‘Ishq Bina’ from Taal on the Grand Piano and it was pure magic.


You can see the video here -> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8QPsKtxYhI




During ‘Lukka Chippi’ from RDB, Lata ji appeared on screen digitally to sing along with Rahman sir. After a few more songs, it was time for the sufi-sequence and I got the Harmonium and the mattresses placed on stage with spotless-white covers. ‘Khwaja mere Khwaja’ from Jodha-Akbar and ‘Arziyan’ from Delhi-6 were the songs He sung in this segment.

Then, it was time to give the memento to Rahman sir by the Chief Guest. As it was handed to him, I was standing backstage itself and Rahman sir came backstage and put the memento in my hand and hurried off for the next song. If only, IF only someone had captured that moment on camera, it would have been the defining moment of my life. A R Rahman giving a memento to me :D

Later on, his mother and kids joined us backstage and as I got free then, I exchanged a few pleasantries with them. I’d also chatted up with Reihana and Israth, who are part of the chorus group. Reihana especially is very outgoing and nice to talk to. The singers kept heaving praises on Rahman as they performed. But it was easy to see that Rahman sir preferred his old friends to all the new crop of singers. On more than one occasion, as we cued the singers to go on stage, they came back in a jiffy telling Rahman sir sent them back. As we saw the screen backstage, Rahman sir had walked upto Naveen (the flautist) and Sivamani (the drummer) on separate occasions and having put his arms around them like old friends, gave solos each with Rahman sir on his Keytar(Keyboar-guitar). Both Naveen and Sivamani have known Rahman sir long before he got famous and he values such people most in his life. The concert drew to a close with ‘Roobaroo’ with all the singers on stage that quickly transformed into ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam’. It was a fitting end to the grandest show Bangalore had ever seen and the 40,000+ crowd gave a standing ovation to the Mozart of Madras as he told the crowd he hoped to be back soon among them.
As he got off stage, I knew it was now or never and I relentlessly pursued Him to his trailer but a plethora of tasks came my way back then that I simply could NOT ignore. However, within 10 minutes I got news from the security that Rahman sir had left Palace Grounds with his family. There was disappointment, yes, but I had already got much MUCH more than I had ever asked for and I quietly went about the various tasks at hand. On occasions when I strayed near the front row audience, there were shouts of ‘PLEASE GET ME RAHMAN’S AUTOGRAPH’ from many people. How could I tell them that I myself had not got one and had to make sure none of them do too. Then I got a call from Rahman sir’s piano tuner for help in moving the piano. It was then that I realized that maybe not all was lost. I was on good terms with the tuner (having spoken to him during the 2 days). There were crew people around who wanted to get pics on it but they were being shooed away. I’d told the tuner guy that I play the keyboard and when I asked him if I could play, he immediately lifted the hood off the 30 Lakh worth- Piano and got it ready. I played ‘Roja’, ‘Hosanna’ and ‘Jaage Hain’ on it, before he requested me that they were getting late. I provided the workers to him for moving and after having taken his contact, I thanked him for the chance and left.

After rounding up all my work, I handed in my walkie-talkie and Pass to the production company and thanked the Production heads for giving me the opportunity. After exchanging contacts with the Rapport Global co-ordinators from Mumbai, I finally left the venue around 1 am.

Unforgettable 2 days, unforgettable experience.

Unforgettable A R Rahman – The Man, The Music.

Phew!

Director : Rob Marshall

There's this wonderful scene just before the interval, a mermaid-pirates fight scene that is unlike anything you'd ever have seen in movies. Shot artistically, it is definitely one of the best sequences of the movie. So the film's good, right? Now if you're discussing 'POTC 4' and you're just talking about one, ONE spectacular scene in the movie, you know something's wrong.

Which is the exact feeling you get as the minutes tick by and you go deeper and deeper into what is definitely the dullest film in the POTC series ever since it made its spectacular debut in 2003. Taking over from Gore Verbinski, Director Rob Marshall robs the film completely of all the pace and excitement that was a POTC trademark. So while Verbinski had the audience always in the thick of all the action happening, Marshall gives us a gallery view of the movie - which makes On Stranger Tides, really, an average film. Of course, there's Johnny Depp who livens up the screen every now and then. But sagged with a lethargic and slow script, he himself sleep walks through most of the film. Nonetheless, he carries the film and eventually, is the saving grace.




The story takes off roughly from where 'The World's End' left it. Everyone's in search of the Fountain of Youth - The Spanish, the English (captained by Barbosa) and the feared pirate Blackbeard. A romantic reunion happens, as Captain Jack Sparrow meets his ex-flame Angela(Penelope Cruz). Angela happens to be BlackBeard's daughter and together, the entire bandwagon goes through mermaid-infested waters and dark forests to reach the Fountain of Youth.

A major drawback of 'On Stranger Tides' is the absence of many of the characters that developed themselves over the last 3 movies. So while we have an overdose of new characters, the characters of Will(Bloom), Elizabeth(Knightly) and Davy Jones(Bill Nighy), among others, are sorely missed. Bloom and Keira weren't exactly the quality of Depp in the movies, but having become an integral part of the series, their absence robs it of the familiarity. The script itself lacks a certain urgency and the film proceeds at a leisurely pace with very little happening. Sure, the mermaids make for an interesting addition to the franchise. But its not enough, considering the high benchmark set by the previous 3 films. Also, the story is much simpler here and the complications that made the previous films so intriguing, are completely absent here.

Of the performances, Ian McShane does decent enough for himself as the menacing and feared Blackbeard. Having little to do, Penelope Cruz as Angela brings in the glamour to the film and does good enough for herself too. Geoffrey Rush as Barbosa carries forward his character albeit in a brilliant way and is one of the few imports from the previous installments. However it truly is Johnny Depp and Johnny Depp alone, as the charming Captain Jack Sparrow, who carry the film forward all the way. Bogged down by a dull script, Depp infuses life into the most lifeless shots and the film, truly and utterly, belongs to him.

Definitely the worst POTC movie yet. I'd give it a 2/5.

Disappointing.

Wow. What a Wednesday! The India-Pakistan faceoff lived up to the hype and showed the world the enormous talent that lives in the sub-continent. I'm sure the rest of the (cricket-playing)world must be thanking Jinnah for being instrumental in the partition of India and Pakistan. I mean, Imagine.. IMAGINE the super-team that would have resulted from the unified India. But then again, we all love an Ind-Pak encounter, so I guess everything happens for the best. Yeah, ok. So that's that.

So there's this often used, cliched line - History repeats itself. It has, does and will. I presume that the title of this post used in the same breath as 'History repeats itself' will lead you (Yes, YOU dear reader *plastic smile*) to the notion that I am referring to an encore of 1983. Yes, of course I am, right? What other history could I be talking about? At this point ,dear reader, I'd like you to stretch your history a leetle more. A leetle more historious(is it even a word?) than 1983.



In short, I'd request you to just go back a few hundred thousand years.

Ok. Now that we've gone way back in time, look around you. What's happening?
Yes.
YOU guessed it right!
(or did you? smartass)

Its the Ramayana happening all around you!

Not that I am a pundit at mythological stuff, but I expect you to know, ATLEAST, about the Ramayan/Ramayana. So the idea for this post struck me in class. I came in late, as usual, to class and sat next to a booming-voiced deep-baritoned friend who told me in that very deep-baritone 'Bhai, Saturday ko Lanka jalegi!' (Brother, Lanka will burn on Saturday). I'm sure you're thinking the translation wasn't required, but for the kind of friends I have, I always take the 'Just In Case' route. Coming back, as the File Structures class sluggishly moved on, my mind was set racing at nearly double the speed (which made it normal thinking actually). I couldn't help but draw parallels between the two events, the two countries, the two circumstances and the two sides of people. It struck me with the force of 10-ton truck that the entire situation HAS repeated itself after waiting for a couple thousand years. The Ramayana IS happening around you people, so you can come back here to the present. Well settled with the idea? Great! So now I can change the cliched 'History repeats itself' to a more 'Ancient History repeats itself' or a 'Mythological History repeats itself'. I hope my English teacher isn't reading this.

So lets start drawing parallels. I'm typing this down at around 11:00 am today and I'm sure after having introduced you to this idea, you could come up with more, better parallels than I will. But I'll take it off here. So the World Cup is Sita, for what else are both the teams fighting for? The coveted Golden beauty everyone wants. And I'd like to think of Sachin Tendulkar as Ram, because I think he, more than anyone else in the team, deserves Sita. And Ram is Bhagwan Ram and Sachin is Sachin 'God' Tendulkar. So that's justified. I'm sure some of you must want M S Dhoni to be Ram, but for me he's more like Sugriva, leading the army of monkeys like Nehra and Munaf. Mind you, the monkeys played their part, so I am in NO way putting down Munaf or Nehra (though I'd have loved to a week back). So that brings us to Hanuman. I'm sure pressed for this, but I think I'd go with Yuvraj as Hanuman, for he's got us the Sanjeevani at more occasions than one in this World Cup. Sehwag is, of course, Laxman. The maverick power that they both were, faltered with aggression at times.

Now we come to the bad side. Ravan would best be Sangakkara, for among all captains, he's certainely showed more will at winning the World Cup. Murali is Kumbhkaran, for as contrasting as their personas are, Murali is the trump card that Sangakkara is hoping will work. They both are expected to awaken from their slumber and deliver at this great finale. Again, as with Kumbhkaran, I think Hanuman will humble the spin beast and will once again bring the Sanjeevani for Team India. Malinga on the other hand is a clear cut hangover of Indrajit. Both have strong personalities that have the all important controlled aggression. In the Ramayana, Indrajit turned out to be lethal for Laxman. Lets just hope that isn't the case with tomorrow.

Oh, and Sreesanth is Jatayu. Keeps flying into the ground when required, while Yousuf Pathan and R Ashwin make up the brothers left back at Ayodhya. Please be free-willed to continue with your own interpretations.

So this is the basic idea of what transpired in my mind in the FS class yesterday. I'm sure most of you would brand me crazy(or worse!) and curse me for wasting your time, not to mention tag this blog entry as 'tasteless and hysterical'. But when it comes to cricket.. and that too a World Cup Final, I'm all ready to bear the 'Crazy' tag. Thank You!

We all know what happened at the end in the Ramayana. Ram will, WILL take Sita back home. Its a happy ending in ancient history that I hope will repeat itself. It will :-)

At the end of it all, irrespective of how tomorrow's match turns out, I'd like to thank the Indian Cricket Team for providing us with a roller-coster of a month. Thank you Misbah and Umar Gul, for making sure we made it to the finals. Thank you Kris Srikanth, for selecting this wonderful team. Thank you Sreesanth, for not playing. Thank you Raina, for sealing your ODI berth in the team. Thank you Sachin, for we are what we are today because of you.

And thank YOU dear reader, if you, like me, stood by our Indian team till the end.

Lets all go India... INDI-YEAH!!

Director : Danny Boyle

So.. 127 Hours. I trust everyone knows the story. Atleast I did, long before I saw the movie. For the select few who don't, it is the story of a man who gets his hand stuck in between a canyon's hard wall and a large boulder at a desolate place and how he solves the situation. That's it. That's pretty much it. That's the story of 127 Hours for you. And yes, it IS a full 100 minutes movie. Yes, its been nominated for a Best Picture Oscar. And no, it is NOT a dull movie.

127 Hours is one of those rare experiences where you almost know or forsee everything that happens or will happen and yet you expect it, with unending impatience. To make a movie like 127 Hours, you need a director like Danny Boyle. So while Slumdog Millionaire had a grand canvas on which Boyle could paint with a hundred colors, 127 Hours is more like giving him a paper and a pencil, and seeing the result. And the result is a masterpiece, a sheer cinematic experience that is bound to be remembered for a long, long time. And all this is with the same one-line story i started this review with.



To greatly elaborate on the plot, the film tells the story of adventure enthusiast Aron Ralston (James Franco), who goes to the Grand Canyon for a trek. He does not inform his family and constantly maintains a video log of his trip. He meets two pretty girls on the desolate trek, and after spending some 'brief' time with them, he leaves on his path, promising to meet them later that night at a party at the end of his trek. While on his path, he falls into a small crevice with a boulder crushing his arm to the sides of the canyon wall. He soon realizes that the boulder is immovable and so is his hand. With no one around to help for miles, he remains stuck there for the remainder of the film. Except, of course, for a small exhilirating sequence in the middle of the film.

Based on the true life story of Aron Ralston and adapted from his book 'Between a rock and a Hard Place', 127 Hours is a true chronicle of the human spirit and its power. An awe-inspiring survival story, it shows how the will to live can make you overcome any adversity whatsoever. The tremendous will power that is exhibited in the film is infectious and stays with you much after you've left the cinema hall. At many critical points, the film forces you to think what YOU would have done in that situation. In that way again, the film scores full points in being an engaging watch, complete with beautifully done hallucinations. Some people may find the film a little slow-paced, but Boyle shows how little he cares about that. For he infuses the film with a realism, an authenticity that is unbeatable and lends the film its true spirit, setting it apart from other similar-theme films. And Danny Boyle is hardly the best thing in the film.

I mentioned in the beginning how if Slumdog Millionaire was Boyle's lush, full colored painting, then 127 Hours is his pen and paper masterpiece. The paper here is the Grand Canyon, which has never looked so grand before, thanks to Oscar winning Cinematographer and regular Boyle collaborater, Simon Beaufoy. The look of the film is absolutely stunning and in the beginning threatens to take over the plot. But then comes in the pen that Boyle wields, and THIS is the best thing that happens to 127 Hours - James Franco. Shedding all inhibitions and giving his career-best performance, James Franco steals the film with his amazing and extraordinary portrayal of a desperate man. There's nothing much that an actor can do being stuck at one place throughout the film apart from scream and squeam. But Franco does more than scream and squeam, for it is his silence that speaks volumes. He will be a strong Oscar contender to Colin Firth for the Best Actor category, and if none of them win, i will loose all faith in the Oscars. The film and Franco's performance is complimented by a splendid background score done by A R Rahman, which forms the pulse of 127 Hours. Deservingly, he's earned himself two Oscar nominations and a personal appreciative note from Aaron Ralstien.

Have patience, and you will be rewarded. A film like 127 Hours is not just to be seen, but earned, for the entire experience it has to offer. I give it a 4/5. A must-see on the big screen.

Director : Tom Hooper

I've wanted to see this movie for sometime now, much before the Oscar hype started. Simply because stuttering was a personal problem for me and I was curious with how it was dealt with in the movie. Now I could go round and round and arrive at the point, but simply put, 'The King's Speech' is one of the most compelling drama I've ever seen. It is a brilliant film, no less.



The story revolves around the Duke of York, Albert (Colin Firth) who is the second son of King George V(Michael Gambon) and has a devastating stuttering problem. His disability is laid bare in the opening scenes of the film, where he finds himself incapable of going beyond a 'the' during a grand public address. His wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter) helps arrange meetings with speech therapists, but none seem to work for Albert. In a seemingly last ditch effort, Elizabeth hires the services of Lionel(Geoffrey Rush) who's known for his unorthodox methods in curing stammer. While Albert and Lionel work out a cure, King George V dies and his elder son, David, becomes King Edward VIII. It is not long before David chooses his love life over royalty and eventually resigns in favor of Albert becoming the King. Albert becomes King George VI and soon finds himself at the helm of the World War II. Hitler is advancing and as the British Parliament declares war, the onus of motivating the troops falls on Albert. With his still prevalent stutter, he is to give a long war-time speech that's supposed to instill troops with bravado and courage. Does Lionel manage to bring out the best in Albert? Or does King George VI fail his country?

Generally, films about speech impediments are fashioned as comedies and rarely has a film taken up stuttering seriously. The film, set in the 1930's, manages to transport you to that era, but the setting is never too over-the-top and manages to keep the story as its main focus. The dialogues have an edgy-wit in them and bring out an authentic flavour of the movie. Tom Hooper's direction is precise and he is greatly helped by a tight script and a wonderful background score. Those with an ear for music cannot miss Alexandre Desplat's sometimes subtle and solemn score for which he has been awarded with an Academy nomination in the Best Music category.


The story of 'The King's Speech' may border on the average, but it is the performances that elevate the film to no end, at the crux of which is the unusual pairing of Colin Firth and Geoffrey Rush. The chemistry between these two actors is brilliant, with each complementing the other. Rush under-plays Lionel with utmost subtlety, which allows Colin to come out in full splendour as the stuttering King George V. The pauses, the stutter and the temper is so accurately portrayed, that its hard to take your eyes off Firth. It is never once over-done and yet the performance is consistently spectacular. Helena tags along beautifully as the understanding and compassionate wife, but the film truly belongs to Colin Firth. He is the core, the life and the soul of the film and in my two-paisa worth opinion, I think he's already won himself an Oscar.

A moving and historical masterpiece, it is a gem of a film. An emphatic Oscar favorite for me, I'd give it a strong 4/5. Must MUST watch!

Director : Kiran Rao

'Dhobi Ghat' is, no doubt, a rare film. From the very beginning, it never misleads you and wears its 'art-house documentary-ish' tag proudly. It knows its audience and delivers perfectly what it promises. There are no item songs, no songs at all in fact, no crude or contrived humor and no heavy philosophy dialogues. In fact, the best lines in the film are the ones that go unsaid, and all this is what makes 'Dhobi Ghat' a gem of New-age Indian Cinema.

Set in the city of Mumbai, the story of 'Dhobi Ghat' revolves around the lives of four normal people, who belong to different sections of society and yet are never once stereotyped, which sets a fresh tone from the start. Arun(Aamir Khan), a painter meets Shai(Monica Dogra ) at his art exhibition and alcohol and sex follow. While Shai is smitten by Arun, the latter is not for commitment and he brushes her off after the one-night stand. While cleaning the house he just shifted into, Arun finds some old tapes in which Yasmin (Kriti Malhotra ) chronicles her own life and experiences in Mumbai. The tapes catch his fascination and he uses them as an inspiration for his paintings. Munna(Prateik) is a wannabe actor who doubles up as a dhobi in daytime and a rat killer by night. The story revolves around how the lives of these characters get entwined and how each one of them seek out their paths and move on.



Unlike other Mumbai-centric films, 'Dhobi Ghat' never once passes any judgement on the city. It never brands the city as good or bad, but just shows it as it is. Mumbai is captured in a number of gloriously beautiful shots and it explores the city like none other. Whether its the rain, the beach, the streets or just the plain old dhobi ghat, Mumbai's never looked more beautiful. Its more than a city, its a character in the film. And just as with the other characters, Mumbai gets its equal share of time. The film does lag at times and comes very close to being self-indulgent. But its poetic over-hues manage to keep the film afloat till some event occurs. The soothing background score also adds onto the whole experience that 'Dhobi Ghat' offers.

But the very elemental reason for this experience is the cast. Aamir Khan as Arun carries a pensive look throughout the film, which we learn later is due to his past. He doesn't have much room to maneuver, but he does well nonetheless. The ladies in the film are a surprise find. It may take time to get used to Monica, but with a little more fine-tuning, she'll do just fine. Though she never actually appears in the film, Kriti Malhotra leaves a strong impression as Yasmin through the video tapes in Arun's house. She may have the least screen time among the 4 main characters, but she owns every moment that she's on screen. However, the real star of the cast is Prateik, who very subtly manages to give a powerhouse performance and easily manages to become the best achievement of the film. It may just be his second film, but he's here to stay.

Lastly, the film belongs to Kiran Rao. She brings out the beauty of Mumbai just as she does out of each of her characters and manages to make a film that is not only fresh, but daring. Yes, it requires daring to make a simple movie such as 'Dhobi Ghat'. The film finely walks on a tight rope, and it may have needed only one goof-up to turn into a disaster. The film required tremendous confidence in her own ability and by skillfully handling it, Kiran Rao may just have paved the way for a new era of Indian Cinema, where the lines between commercial and art-house cinema have truly started to vanish.

I'd give it a 3.5/5. Its simplicity is its beauty. Watch it.

Cinema. For a movie-loving nation such as India, Cinema is extremely important to the average Indian. And Hindi cinema more so, with all its melodrama and over acting, forms the very crux of the entire concept of films in India. Ardeshir Irani, a parsee gentleman, set the ball rolling in 1933 when he made the first Indian movie called Alam Ara, containing no less than 50 songs. General knowledge will tell you this. But irony will tell you that it had a majority of Muslim characters. So you see, the minorities were among the first to stake their claim on Indian cinema - especially the Muslims.

The above point is very crucial when we mention Fundamentalism and Indian Cinema in the same sentence (such as the title here). I believe that Indian Cinema is a true record of the various social landscapes that our country has adorned through various decades. Of course, there are sections of the society or self-proclaimed intellectual circles who are totally indifferent to the concept of Indian Cinema. The attitude here revolves around - "Oh! Hindi films? Yeah, my wife/son/daughter are fond of it.. Time pass hai, aur kya". This is WRONG. If one is really sensitive and has the right mindset, then we could construct the entire framework of society and learn more about it, just by looking at films.



Like any other art form, Hindi cinema has its own drama. Stark, on-your-face realism is not something that cinema is made for, but in the guise of drama, realism re-presents itself. Art imitates life. I think Hindi Cinema is more of a dream. Dreams don't offer you realism, they have a different reality. When we sleep, all our organs - the heart, lungs, liver, brain etc continue functioning. But then how do we sleep if the brain is working? Nature's answer is dreams. Instead of thinking sharply about things around you, the brain starts dreaming - it takes reality and softens it and turns it into symbols. It is for a psychoanalyst to analyze what the dream means. Similarly, Hindi Cinema is not reporting the exact reality around you. But if you are smart enough to decode what is happening in the films you see, you will deduce the collective thinking of society, understand it and better understand what fundamentalism means.

I am a Hindu Fundamentalist, for I believe in the fundamentals of Hinduism. Sadly, the media's use of the term 'Fundamentalism' has changed over decades and now represents a very negative vibe. The same goes for communism. These are terms that only point to a healthier lifestyle, but over the years they have come to be associated with people who are, in true sense, radicals and religious extremists who take the holy word literally without galvanizing its true meaning. If we continue to observe this negative interpretation of Communism, we realize that it is a monolith. All the communities will be communal, or all will tone down their fervor. And this reflects on cinema.

In the same tone as above, we could broadly use Indian Cinema as a yardstick to gauge the forms of Communism, and the social culture, that India has traversed. Our villains can tell us more about India's social transformation than most history text books can. In the 40's the villain was the zameendar or jageerdar, reflecting on the broad social-economic divide prevalent then. In the 50's, the villain was the rich man, factory owner or the seth, which is evidence to the fact that we were thinking of a more socialist pattern of society. In the 60's, just as India started embracing urbanization from the west, the villain was the underworld boss of the big, bad city. By the 70's, we had the very same gangster turn into the hero in films and in the 80's, when the ugly head of corruption first raised its head, the politician or the policeman was the villain. When the partition happened in 1947, the trauma was such that Indian Cinema refused to accept that it happened, because it was something that was out of its idiom. Indian cinema refused to touch this topic and for several years, no Muslim characters were written and actors like Yusuf Khan had to adopt Hindu names like Dileep Kumar to remain in films. In the 90's, Pakistan made a comeback and became a major villain, albeit with much stronger sentiments.
Now, thankfully, we have no villains because villains have a frightening resemblance to us. We see ourselves in them and thus the situation that makes us do the evils of everyday life has become the villain in Hindi Cinema today.

We very often confuse Fundamentalism and communism with issues that cause inter-community riots. But films have taught us otherwise. Films have taught us that it doesn't require two communities to create ruckus. One misguided community, fraught with an erroneous understanding of fundamentalism, is enough to do the trick. A classic example of this is Deepa Mehta's Water. And though it meant to depict the very point I mentioned, it did that without even making the film. Here was a Hindu lady, who was using Hindu actors to make an Indian film about the pre-independence cruelties that widows were subjected to. Set in the 1930's, Water aimed to highlight the brutal treatment of widows, who were forced into a life of poverty. It told the story of how a Gandhi-follower helps a widow to escape these unfair restrictions. The film was violently opposed, with 'fundamentalist' thugs destroying the film's sets and the then BJP government in the state (UP) and centre, encouraging the provocations. The stink reached all the way to PM Vajpayee's office, while senior leaders Uma Bharati and L K Advani openly propagated violent protests. Several prominent social figures supported Mehta, but the film only ran into more trouble. After several talks, re-casts and crucial cuts to the film, Water was allowed to complete. It wanted to showcase the existence of Hindu radicals in a by-gone era, but ended up showcasing their existence even today.

It is not un-common for films to run into trouble with 'fundamentalists'. Films by other Indian-based directors have also come into conflict with Hindu fundamentalists and the authorities, including Black Friday, Mani Ratnam's Bombay, Gulzar's Maachis and other films like Fire, Aaja Nachle, Ek Choti Si Love Story etc. But Water faced the heat of these misguided vandals like none other and forced us to introspect on the society that we inhabit. Films like the Oscar-winner Slumdog Millionaire barely skimmed the surface of India's concept of Communism, while others like Rakyesh Mehra's Rang De Basanti fought with Communism issues and exposed the true rot that corrupts India.

But the worst is behind us. Communism is no longer a saleable commodity and the future looks promising. The generation of today can safely go forward without any pretensions or biases and will hopefully restore Fundamentalism to its rightful place, guided and constructive. In a few decades, there will come a time when films like Water will be shot without any undue obstructions. The current generation are a smart folk with healthy thoughts.

And, of course, it has started reflecting in cinema.