Retrograde. Bamboozlement! More Bamboozlement!

Why can’t Indian Filmmakers make a real movie?

Why?
Is it because Indian audience is like Ostrich?
We don’t want reality. Every time we hear the word reality, one long handheld scene, long seemingly meaningless conversation…. we bury our head into a ditch and if the ditch is playing a long Yash Raj Film with 15 songs, fine with us.
Or, is it because the filmmakers are like Ostrich?
We don’t want reality. Every time we hear the word reality-one long handheld scene, long seemingly meaningless conversation- we bury our head into a ditch and if the ditch has lot of money, great, we pretend we are making the next Yash Raj Films type movie with 15 songs and things are fine with Indian cinema. We are going to take this to Cannes next year and make them watch it. At least, one day they would realize that this is the only thing Indian Cinema has to offer.
Another thing that makes the Indian Audience act like a moose in front of car headlight is Amitabh Bachan. Mr. Bachan is poor ‘farmer’, a true son of the soil. Sometime I think of him as a holy cow, a kamdhenu that the industry is just milking away. And of course in the process, the cow is getting greener grass and getting fatter. His young calf is working towards being the next holy cow and they have a beautiful new bull in the house. And with all the bullshit being produced in the barnyard called Bollywood, they ought to think about setting up a gobbar gas plant to make some extra mooolah and it’s environment friendly also.

Adventures of an Indian 'Ostrich' filmmaker at Cannes.

Wait people don’t leave the hall, the next song is better, we have added English lyrics for your convenience…Kiss that ass Kiss that ass but stay away from the Kiss of ass (to be sung to the tune of the hit song Kiss of Love from Jhoom Barabar Jhoom). It’s even shot in your own European backyard, has special effects by a US firm that bytheway outsources its work to Chennai), Spanish costumes and 80 dancers… most of them from you own European neighborhood. The song played for 8 months on the T.V and for 4 months on the radio, the movie played for 2 whole months in multiplex, made a cool billion. Actors are great; have to be, their three generations have been actors…they have to be great… you know Darwin’s theory of evolution. A European critic at Rotten Tomatoes dat com praised it as the Indian drag version of Cats. How cool is that! Being compurred to the cool Cats themselves.
Don’t like it. What do you mean don’t like it? What more do you people want? More hand held? Have’t you had enough of handheld? Damn the Mexicans! No problem next year we would be back with a handheld movie? Based on a real Shootout. No. Okay, how about dead babies floating in a lake. Cool na! We use 250 handheld cameras, 10 big stars, just 5 songs and Amitabh Bachan thrown in. You know Amitabh Bachan?
You do.
Great. Finally, the triumph of Indian cinema. Cannes was a big success this year. See you next year. Do invite me. I am from the land of Satyajit Ray, the great one. Do remember me.

(P.S. it is hope less; even i had to use a western actor in that write-up, an Ostrich. India may Ostrich kaha hai bhai)

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8 Talks:

  • sandeeprbhat2001 said....

    your write-up on hindi films was so hard hitting and humurous at the same time buddy,i feel all we indians need is a pretty face,in fact many of them(having a good body is an add-on)...i may even be wrong as it may be the other way round!
    i wonder how these karan johars ,yash chopras, subash ghais, sharukh khans , amitabhs have become what they are hindi film industry has just becme a money minting nachine for these guys who are just business men having nothing to do with creativity and art....long live ....and yes,did you watch that show on t.v where they tell what saif had for breakfast and which colour underwear sharukh was wearing today?

  • Vinayak Razdan said....

    Agar Amit ji jawan hotay tioh he would have done lux underware Ad also. I really enjoy his old movies, so it was a sort of my frustation to see him do Thanda Thanda cool cool ads that made me write that.
    And Bloody TV news wallas are the stupidest tribe of men. Breaking News Abi shiekh nay lal chaddi pahni thi.
    arrey toh mujhay kya...really they have killed the TV yaar.

  • Anjali Menon said....

    Your writing is amusing and thought provoking but not entirely factual. I'd like to point out - There are real movies made in this country if one is willing to look beyond the "Bollywood" curtain. The typical Hindi film is in a genre of its own and should not be compared to other genres. It is essentially escapist because its main function is to entertain masses who dont have a hope in hell to live the lives they see onscreen. People for whom everyday life is a struggle, appreciate this kind of cinema, which is why it has such a huge following in the country. So let's please not run that down.
    That said, I am a filmmaker but I dont see myself making those kind of movies. It is surprising how most people think that the Hindi film industry forms the entire Indian film industry as your title suggests. The Hindi film industry definitely holds the most investment but in number they from only 25-35 % of the Indian films every year.
    The real films that you speak of are easier to find in the regional film industries of the country. Yes the numbers are reducing by the year but they are "Indian filmmakers making real movies".

    Come join our blog on www.luckyredseeds.blogspot.com where we have begun to discuss films and their making.

  • Small Movies in grave said....

    Hi Anjali,
    There isn’t any prudence in this article anyway, it’s just a rant, can’t remember what triggered it but I am sure it must have been a bad film. Thanks for the comment!
    I see that you are a filmmaker. Best of luck. You can write about your movie at
    http://passionforcinema.com . I am sure you would find your audience.

    Vinayak

  • Anjali Menon said....

    Hi Vinayak,
    Nevertheless, I must admit- it was a fun read! :-)

  • Vinayak said....

    Anjali,
    Thanks again and I hope NFDC did a good job at marketing your film Lucky Red Seeds at Cannes.

  • Chaitanya said....

    please do not generalize Hindi cinema as Indian Cinema....Hindi cinema is like any other linguistic cinema...

  • Vinayak said....

    Chaitanya,
    This post is all about generalizations. It may even be bit offensive. But, it certainly isn't meant to offend people like you who rightly believe Hindi cinema to be like any other linguistic cinema.
    Thanks for sharing your thought.
    :)

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