The Common Man Speaks

When SRK did a Panchayat 33 years ago

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Shah Rukh Khan is not only one of the biggest stars in India but also world over. But the actor has had to work his way up through hard-work from scratch. After doing theatre in Delhi, he migrated to Mumbai to continue the profession.

During his initial days, he was seen in quite a few Doordarshan shows like Dil Dariya (1988), Fauji (1988), Intezaar (1989), Adhuri Zindagi (1989), etc.

One notable work Shah Rukh Khan did during those days for the same channel was in the show Ummeed in 1989. The serial featured different stories that used to run for two episodes. In one such segment, Khan featured in the role of a young bank employee.

A noble soul with the channel name of ‘Super Tuber’ uploaded the two episodes of the show on YouTube three years ago.

As soon as I started watching the first episode, I was instantly reminded of TVF’s Amazon Prime Video show Panchayat. The web-series saw Jitendra Kumar play Abhishek Tripathi, an engineering graduate forced to take up the position of a secretary at the panchayat office in the small village Phulera, Uttar Pradesh.

Shah Rukh Khan in Ummeed
Shah Rukh Khan in Ummeed and Jitendra Kumar in Panchayat

The city-bred Abhishek gets a culture shock by the life in the village. But there were ruder surprises in store for him when he takes a look at the panchayat office. It turns out to be a basic office which, must to his dismay, also doubled up as his residence. Abhishek also finds it difficult to adjust to the workings of the village due to the politics and age-old attitudes.

Coming back to Ummeed, Shah Rukh Khan plays the character of Anand Gupta who is ‘promoted’ as the branch manager to the bank’s newly-opened branch at Bhingri. In reality, Anand’s superior was under tremendous pressure from his senior to send someone at the said branch since nobody was willing to relocate to the place.

Anand’s happiness turns sour as soon as he lands at the bank’s branch in Bhingri. The place is located in a no-man’s land and is completely empty; no staff and just one helper. In fact, the helper and Anand are the only members of the staff.

This is similar to Abhishek’s situation in Panchayat. And just like that web-series, Anand’s personal room is also inside the office, just a few steps away, and this one too has a set-up for making tea near the window.

That’s not all though. Just like in Panchayat, Shah Rukh Khan’s character in Ummeed too forms a bond with the people of the village after, initially, going through a nightmare.

This is in no way stating that Panchayat was lifted from Ummeed. A city-based officer facing challenges after being transferred to a rural area is a common theme around the world.

Ummeed featured a very innocent and raw version of Shah Rukh Khan. He perfectly fitted the role of a common man from a middle-class family required to work hard to rise in his career. In other words, he made a clear announcement of his acting talent very early in his career; something we got to know in the following years.

Also read: Exploring Gehraiyaan’s selfish character in James Hadley Chase manner

Ummeed was written by Mukesh Sharma. I couldn’t find any other work by him after doing a Google search. Vikas Desai, as per IMDB.com, before directing this show, had acted in quite a few parallel films like Arvind Desai Ki Ajeeb Dastaan (1978), Giddh: The Vulture (1984), Andhi Gali (1984) and Anantyatra (1985). There is no record of what he did after that, except that he acted in Ketan Mehta’s Aar Ya Paar (1997).

Rajat Kapoor is named as one of the assistant directors on the show. It is not known whether he is the same one of Bheja Fry (2007) fame.

Ummeed was produced by Joint Publicity Committee, Public Sector Banks. It is interesting to see a show produced by the banking sector showing the sorry state of banks in rural areas.

Watch both the episodes of Ummeed below:

Why actual ‘anti-national’ statements never face BOYCOTT?

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India is all set to celebrate 75 years of its freedom from the British, which they got in 1947. However, it is ironical that just when the country is reaching the important milestone related to its freedom, a section of the population is busy promoting curtailment of the same.

The whole #BoycottLaalSinghChaddha ‘movement’ is not just unfair but plainly silly. One of the main reasons why the film is being boycotted is the supposed ‘anti-India’ statements made by the film’s lead actor and producer Aamir Khan way back in 2015.

Messages are being circulated claiming that the star said that he wants to leave India as he is feeling unsafe. This is nothing but a fabricated version of what Khan actually said.

As you can hear from the above video, Khan said that his then wife Kiran Rao asked if they should move out of India. Firstly, it wasn’t suggested by Khan. Secondly, the very next thing the actor said was, “Now that’s a disastrous and a very big statement for Kiran to make to me.” Khan himself said on record that what she said was “disastrous” but not many of us paid heed to that, either knowingly or unknowingly.

Funnily enough, the statement came out in 2015. Following this, Khan released three of his films in the following years, Dangal (2016), Secret Superstar (2017) and Thugs Of Hindostan (2018). Except Dangal to some extent, no other film faced boycott. But today, seven years after that statement, there is a massive campaign against the actor for his film Laal Singh Chaddha.

Source: YouTube screenshot from Koffee With Karan promo

This isn’t the only reason why the film is boycotted. Somehow few months before the release of the film, fake messages and memes are being circulated claiming that Aamir said in his show Satyamev Jayate that we shouldn’t pour milk on the Shivling and should instead use that money to help the needy. Some messages are also claiming that he said the same thing in his earlier film PK (2014).

As it is proved in one of my previous articles, Aamir has never made any such statement on the Shivling, either in his show or in the movie. Instead, it was Akshay Kumar and Paresh Rawal who have made exactly the same statements (read the article and see the videos HERE). The former made it in the movie OMG Oh My God (2012) and the latter while promoting the same film. In fact, Akshay also went onto criticize the practice of pouring oil on Hanuman’s deity on Saturdays.

Hear both of them out in the videos above. Did anyone of you ever come across any boycott calls for Akshay or Rawal?

Even if the boycotters argue that out of these, the statement made by Aamir in 2015 about Rao asking if they should leave India are problematic, it is still hypocritical. This is because they are completely ignoring Kangana Ranaut comment made last year, which is many times more controversial and offensive than what Khan said.

Speaking at a summit organized by a news channel, she described India’s independence from the British in 1947 saying, “Woh azadi nahin thi, woh bheek thi. Aur jo azadi mili hai woh 2014 mein mili hai.” Watch the video of the same below.

Now, I don’t need to spell out how problematic this statement is. In a single sentence, the actress has questioned the sacrifices of all those freedom fighters who fought for India’s freedom. It is also clear that the comments made by Aamir are nowhere near to what she said. Plus, she has had a history of making comments of this nature. Comparing Mumbai with PoK is just one other example.  

So, if you are deeply offended and incensed by Aamir’s comments but have no problems with what Ranaut’s said, you know what that makes you. More so if you are celebrating India’s 75years of freedom without having issues when someone said that that wasn’t actual freedom.  

What Aamir Khan said about Shivling & why is his film boycotted?

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Over the last few years, every time an Aamir Khan film gets ready for release, one particular message or meme related to him starts circulating on social media and What’s App. As you must have guessed, it’s shared by the Right Wing fanatics with an appeal to boycott his upcoming film.

With the release of Laal Singh Chaddha not being far, the same message has started circulating again.

The message claims that Aamir once said in his television show Satyamev Jayate that instead of pouring milk on Shivling, it is better to use that money to feed a poor person. Hence, the message appeals to the audience to boycott his next release and use the money you would have spent on the ticket to help the needy.

How true is the message?

The message is fake. Aamir has never said that in Satyamev Jayate. In fact, a topic related to religion or religious beliefs was never addressed in that TV show. Some messages also claim that the actor made that comment in his blockbuster PK (2014). This claim is also false.

Still, if someone can find a video of him saying such a thing, please pass it on. Not that him saying such a thing would justify the boycott, more so after you read below.

Aamir Khan boycott
Aamir Khan in PK and Paresh Rawal in OMG Oh My God!

Who said it then?

Interestingly, the message against pouring milk on Shivling was given by Paresh Rawal’s character Kanjibhai in his film OMG Oh My God (2012). In fact, the character in the movie shares an in-depth and hard-hitting opinion on why it is futile to pour milk on the Shivling, as can be seen from the scene below.

But it doesn’t end here. During the promotion of the same movie, Akshay Kumar, who plays Lord Krishna in it, gave a bold personal opinion on why one shouldn’t pour milk on the Shivling. In fact, he didn’t stop at that. He also criticized the practice of pouring oil on Lord Hanuman’s deity on Saturdays. Watch the video below.

Those spreading communal hatred on the internet and social media have turned a blind eye at Rawal and Akshay’s comments. It is impossible that they are completely unaware about the comments made by these two actors, considering how much research their IT cell carries out.

But don’t expect any such boycott messages for these two actors since their surname isn’t Khan. As we all know, Rawal is also a member of the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) and an MP (Member of Parliament). Akshay’s fondness for the party is known far and wide.

We are reminded of it every time we eat a mango.

Also read:

Rann keeps getting more relevant and that’s not a good sign

Samrat Prithviraj is a cinematic version of a What’s App forward

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Dr Chandraprakash Dwivedi’s Samrat Prithviraj is supposed to be based on the life of the 12th century king and warrior Prithviraj III or Prithviraj Chauhan. The film focuses on his enmity with Muhammad Ghori of Ghazni in acquiring control over Delhi.

The film’s artistic camerawork and vibrant costumes make it an eye-pleasing affair. Some stunts during the battle scenes also stand out. From the performances, Sonu Sood is the best of the lot with a mature act as Chand Bardai.

But these positives are too few in number when it comes to the minuses. The film has a haphazard narrative throughout. For example, it starts on a tense note but soon loses grip and this is maintained throughout the duration. The forceful inclusion of songs adds to the misery.

A major negative point here is the casting of Akshay Kumar as Prithviraj. The actor never appears in character and it seems he wasn’t even interested in getting the body language right. Debutant and Miss World 2017 Manushi Chhillar has the looks but is pretty average when it comes to acting chops. And the less said about the awkward age gap between the two the better.

But these issues don’t appear as problematic as the film’s political propaganda. It is easy to forgive bad content, which is made aplenty in Hindi cinema, as it’s not intentional. But it’s difficult to overlook propaganda dished out to please the Right Wingers. This, surely, can’t be unintentional.

Prithviraj movie

The film’s makers, during various promotional events, stated that the film is based on actual facts and that Dwivedi carried out research for as many as 18 years. However, such gigantic effort is never seen in Samrat Prihviraj.

(SPOILERS ahead)

Historical accounts state that Prithviraj was killed by Ghori. Astonishingly, the film goes onto show that it was Prithviraj who killed Ghori whereas the latter lived more than the former. It is one thing to take creative liberty. It’s altogether another thing to change an entire narrative of history just to suit your real target audience, which is ready to accept whatever is dished out to them if it suits their narrative.

If they are ready to believe textual ‘information’ in What’s App forwards, they will obviously believe the same forwarded message portrayed on the screen in a grand scale. That’s what this film is – a cinematic version of a What’s App forward.

Amidst such problematic content, the film, out of nowhere, makes you laugh unintentionally when Sanyogita heroically sings ‘Yoddha Ban Gayi Main’ and, while the song is ending, commits jauhar [self-immolation].

Strangely, the promotions of Prithviraj Chauhan also saw Dwivedi claiming that the film is based on the text Prithviraj Raso, a poem written by Chand Bardai. Now this particular text is past-historical and part-fictional. So why also claim that the film is a historical account?

But the film doesn’t do justice even with Prithviraj Raso. The text mentions that after marrying Sanyogita, Prithviraj spent too much time with her while ignoring the state affairs. Nothing of this is shown in the film.

Of course, this would have been too much to bear for their What’s App audience. So the writer-director omits this part. This is exactly how one prepares a What’s App forward.

But it’s surprising that their real audience is fine with the film claiming Prithviraj to be the ‘last Hindu king.’ They don’t remember various other Hindu kings born much later, including Shivaji Maharaj?

Irony just committed jauhar…

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Why are south films dominating? Is Bollywood on the decline?

Why south films are dominating? Is Bollywood on the decline?

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The last six months, ever since theatres re-opened all across India at the end of last year, have seen some major box office hits in India. The top three of them have been from the south Indian film industry. These include the likes of Pushpa: The Rise, RRR and KGF Chapter 2.

Interestingly, apart from their original languages, these films they have also done phenomenally well in its Hindi dubbed versions in the Hindi belts of India – regions where predominantly Hindi films work.

They have also outperformed quite a few big-ticket Hindi films that were expected to do well. This is forcing a lot of people to ask the question as to why south films are working big time in the Hindi markets these days, especially on social media.

Going by the films that have succeeded, the answer to the question is simple. These films are finding massive audience base because these are entertaining films. Over here, entertaining means absolute mass entertainers.

These are films where a popular hero (or heroes) with a good amount of fan following plays a rough and tough character who can beat the hell out of the bad guys, gets to mouth some heroic dialogues and shake a leg on fast dance numbers. Pushpa, RRR and KGF fall in these categories of films and were decent content-wise too. Hence they have achieved massive success all over the country.

This is also giving rise to the question whether Bollywood or Hindi film industry is on the decline. It is being said on numerous occasions that south industry is all set to dominate and put behind the Hindi industry. I read a lot enthusiastic comments on social media daily where someone or the other states that Bollywood is slowly getting finished or is sinking.

RRR KGF

I personally feel these are baseless statements. One needs to understand that there has been a change in the way audience consumes films in the post-pandemic era. People are visiting theatres in large numbers only for massy commercial films that provide larger-than-life entertainment.

That’s the reason why the aforementioned south films have done so well. And that is also the reason why Rohit Shetty’s Sooryavanshi became a runaway hit and that too at a time when there was uncertainty at the box office. After all, it was the first big Hindi film to release post-pandemic and the producers themselves weren’t sure how it would perform. But it had non-stop entertainment and this was enough for the cash registers to start ringing.

The same can be said about the success of Gangubai Kathiawadi. It might be a film about the life of a sex worker but it was narrated by Sanjay Leela Bhansali in a larger-than-life and entertaining manner. It was also helped by the presence of superstar Alia Bhatt who showed as much confidence and swag as any hero in a hero-centric massy film.

The Kashmir Files is an exception as it’s not a typical Bollywood movie. It created massive interest for people of a particular political ideology who felt it’s their duty to watch this film in theatres. This doesn’t mean that those with a different political view didn’t see the film.

On the other hand, films like Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui, Badhaai Do and Jersey have failed despite getting positive reviews and word-of-mouth. This is because they were sensible, content-oriented films and not the larger-than-life masala entertainers.

Hence, as per the change in audience consumption, they didn’t do well in theatres. People are preferring to watch such type of films on OTT [over-the-top] platforms. Now, a film worth watching in theatre has to be a big-screen experience. A major proof of this change is that even someone like Ayushmann Khurrana, who was considered a bankable star before the pandemic, couldn’t help the cause of Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui.

Of course, Satyameva Jayate 2 was also aimed as a massy entertainer but the film got rejected because of its terrible content. The film at least needs to be decent to be successful. Because of the same reason, the Hindi version of Radhe Shyam sank despite the presence of the Baahubali actor Prabhas. The same was the cast with Vijay’s Beast. So it’s not at all big south films are doing well in Hindi.

There’s no denying that the quality of Hindi films in recent times hasn’t been up-to-the-mark or at high standards. The industry has been criticized for its obsession with remaking successful south Indian movies over and over again.

But this certainly doesn’t mean that Bollywood is sinking or is on the decline. It’s just that only commercial films with big stars and decent content are doing well right now because of the change in audience’s manner of consumption.

The big commercial films lined up for release from here onwards are expected to do well if the content is decent enough. Can’t say the same about films that are thought-provoking and not aimed at the masses as these films are now considered worthy only for OTT.

This will go on at least till the near future. After that, things may or may not change.

Also read:

Can we stop giving unreal reasons for 83’s box office failure?

Political ideologies & caste have divided audiences of Hindi & Marathi cinema  

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Cinema, like other art forms, is celebrated in India. In fact, this has been the most popular medium of art since time immemorial in various languages. It is considered to be a medium that is enjoyed by people in groups of large numbers. In other words, it has united people of India over the decades; be it of different languages or regions.

But in the recent past, there has been an increasing division among the film audiences in terms of political ideologies and caste.

This has been seen the most with Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files. No, this article isn’t about whether the film is good or bad. What’s noteworthy here is that people are divided in two sides of the fence when it comes to this film.  

Agreeing to disagree is something that doesn’t happen much on social media. Those who haven’t liked the film or are critical of it, be it film reviewers or general public, are hated and abhorred by those who have loved it. I agree there have been reviews and views that appear biased against the movie.

However, even if someone genuinely doesn’t like that film, he or she is considered to be insensitive towards the plight of Kashmiri Pandits. They just don’t take into account that a person can dislike a film for its craft and other filmmaking aspects like screenplay, dialogues and direction. Not liking The Kashmir Files doesn’t mean one doesn’t care or sympathize with the Kashmiri Pandits.

The Kashmir Files

Similarly, if a person genuinely likes that film, he is considered to be from the Right Wing.

Hence, now Hindi films are looked upon as ‘ours’ and ‘theirs.’ Films that are critical of the rivals of the ruling party or the ones that have references to Ramayana or Mahabharata are considered Right Wing movies. On the other hand, those critical of the ruling party and the ones that feature the Khans or the ‘nepo gang’ (as they are called) are considered belonging to the ‘other’ side.  

Unfortunately, the curse of division has entered among the Marathi cinema audience too. Here it’s not based upon political ideology but caste. Yes, we are seeing caste-based divisions even in 2022. In fact, it is seen the most this year.

For people like us, films like Jhund (it is a Hindi film but it’s aimed mostly at Maharashtra) and Me Vasantrao are great films. However, because of the caste identity of the protagonists in both the films and its makers, they are labeled as films for the ‘lower castes’ and ‘higher castes’ respectively.

Hence, if a person from the ‘higher caste’ doesn’t like Jhund, he is considered to be anti-‘lower caste.’ On the other hand, if a person from the ‘lower caste’ doesn’t like Me Vasantrao, he is accused of being anti-‘higher caste.’ In both scenarios, if that person happens to be a film critic, he or she is trolled and bashed online. We have now reached a stage where the caste of the critic is taken into consideration before taking his or her views seriously.

Over the last 1-2 months, I have come across plenty of comments and long opinions on social media on the division between Marathi films on the basis of ‘ours’ and ‘theirs’. This segregation had started mildly few years ago but it has reached dangerous levels this year.     

This division among Hindi and Marathi audience couldn’t have come at a worse time. This is the era of pan-India films. South is leading the way with movies like Baahubali (1 and 2), KGF Chapter 1, Pushpa, RRR and KGF Chapter 2. These films are dubbed in Hindi and they do tremendously well all over India.

Being an admirer of both Hindi and Marathi cinema, I would want films in these two languages to do well pan-India too by getting them dubbed in various south languages or through any other way.

But looking at such a staunch division among the primary audiences of films of both the industries itself, this appears like a dream right now.

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Can we stop giving unreal reasons for 83 box office failure?

The Kashmir Files review: Creates an impact despite hiccups

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The genocide of Kashmiri Pandits is one of the darkest chapters in Indian history. Yet, not much has been spoken about it over the decades. We have had only two Hindi films made on the issue before this week – Ashoke Pandit’s Sheen (2004) and Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s Shikara (2020). We now have the third one in the form of filmmaker Vivek Rankan Agnihotri’s The Kashmir Files.

How exactly the film plays out will be discussed later. But broadly speaking, it succeeds in its basic aim of making you feel for the incident and the Pandits.

The Kashmir Files narrates two parallel stories. One is based in 1990 when terrorists headlined by Farooq Abdul Bitta (Chinmay Mandlekar) create havoc in the lives of Kashmiri Pandits. They are given an option to convert to Islam, run for their lives or die. One such family is that of Pushkar Nath Pandit (Anupam Kher), his son, daughter-in-law (Bhasha Sumbli) and two grandsons.

The other track is based in today’s times and it revolves around Krishna Pandit (Darshan Kumaar), the grandson of Pushkar. He studies in ANU in Delhi and is a part of a radical group of students who don’t believe the enormity of the Kashmiri Pandit genocide and demand a separate Kashmir. The group is captained by their professor Radhika Menon (Pallavi Joshi).

The Kashmir FIles

Pushkar returns to Kashmir after his grandfather’s death to distribute his remains. Once there, he gets to know the seriousness of the Kashmiri Pandit issue and his views about the whole affair go through a change.

The Kashmir Files leaves no stone unturned when it comes to showing the gruesomeness of the whole incident. We see disturbing visuals of people being shot point blank, cut vertically through a wood-cutting machine, a woman forced to consume rice mixed with her murdered husband’s blood, etc. These visuals, obviously, are disturbing but a majority of times they work for bringing to light the horrific crimes against innocents.

Splitting the narrative into two time zones is a smart idea. One does feel a bit confused on few occasions but things fall into place, especially by the time the film ends.

The camerawork and colour grading suit the subject perfectly. This subject doesn’t deserve vibrant visuals of the valley, as is seen from various happy Hindi film songs shot here in the past.

This is the meatiest role Darshan Kumaar has ever got to play and he grabs the opportunity with both hands. He shines the most during his monologue. Chinmay Mandlekar is the best of all, not just when it comes to expressions and body language but also the diction. It’s difficult to believe that just last month we saw the same person play Shivaji Maharaj in the Marathi movie Pawankhind.

Pallavi Joshi, The Kashmir Files
Pallavi Joshi in The Kashmir Files

Pallavi Joshi is excellent as the radical professor. It is a surprise why we don’t see her more often. Mithun Chakraborty, as the helpless IAS officer, succeeds in moving you. Atul Srivastav and Puneet Issar chip in with good support. Bhasha Sumbli is the surprise element.

However, Anupam Kher doesn’t live up to the expectations as he goes in the over-the-top zone on quite a few occasions. This comes as a rude surprise.

The Kashmir Files would have been much more impactful but for few issues. The runtime of 170 minutes is very high. There are a number of periods where the pace slows down and the narrative almost becomes like a docu-drama. The film needed to be much crisper. Although Darshan Kumaar acts well, the way his character keeps changing sides is not convincing and too convenient.

But what hurts the film the most is the more than in-your-face propaganda when it comes to the portrayal of JNU [the censors made them change it to ANU]. The university is vilified as a hub whose only aim is to harm the nation, especially through the character of Pallavi Joshi.

Also read: Gangubai Kathiawadi review

At one point, this aspect becomes so strong that it somewhat reduces the impact created about the sorry tale of Kashmiri Pandits. In other words, this eagerness to paint the entire institute in a particular way affects the very issue the film eagerly wants to raise, although for some time.

Overall: The Kashmir Files creates an impact despite the hiccups. The film is expected to gain surprisingly positive box office collections because of the high amount of buzz. Plus, the film’s budget is only Rs 14 crore.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Director: Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri

Writer: Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri

Producers: Tej Narayan Agarwal, Abhishek Agarwal, Pallavi Joshi and Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri

Runtime: 170 minutes

Gangubai Kathiawadi review: Alia Bhatt’s career-best act

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Based on authors S Hussain Zaidi and Jane Borge’s Mafia Queens Of Mumbai, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi is the story of a girl named Ganga (Alia Bhatt) forced into becoming a sex worker and how she rises up the ranks to be the madam of a brothel and a messiah for the sex workers from the Kamathipura area of Mumbai (then Bombay).

Rarely do you come across a feature film whose story can be summarized in a short and simple manner. However, the film isn’t as simple as the aforementioned synopsis. It has a deep and layered storyline presented on Bhansali’s larger-than-life and vibrant canvas.

The story of how Ganga becomes Gangubai might not be pleasant in the first half but the filmmaker succeeds in keeping the narrative entertaining with some creative visuals and impressive dialogues. This doesn’t mean that he has compromised in exploring the depth of a helpless woman forced into flesh trade. Despite the entertainment, you surely feel for the protagonist and the rest of the girls.

Like the director’s previous works, the sets and production designing are grand and larger-than-life. It brings alive the Bombay of the yesteryears and at the same time does justice to the dark world of the sex workers.

Mainstream Hindi films are often guilty of going downhill or losing grip in the second half. But Gangubai Kathiawadi rises further in the post-interval portion once Gangubai acquires more power and spreads her clout.

It is during this portion that the protagonist gets to mouth some of the most powerful dialogues that are generally mouthed by male stars. But they create such an impact also because of Alia Bhatt’s rousing talent.

Gangubai Kathiawadi

To say that the actress is in great form would be an understatement. If she compelled us to notice her talent in films like Highway (2014), Udta Punjab (2016), Raazi (2017) and Gully Boy (2019), she now announces herself as one of the most talented artistes in India. Her journey from the meek Ganga to the powerful Gangubai is as natural as it can be.

The film is also laced with some talented supporting cast; some who are relatively new. Indira Tiwari, as the fellow sex worker and Gangu’s right hand, succeeds in displaying her natural talent in a challenging role. Shantanu Maheshwari, as Gangu’s love interest, doesn’t let the tag of a newcomer bother his performance. In the role of a transgender Raziabai, Vijay Raaz is terrific. Ajay Devgn provides a mature act as Rahim Lala in an extended cameo.

Gangubai Kathiawadi also has some experienced names who are memorable despite the limited screen time. Some of them include, Jim Sarbh, Seema Pahwa, Chhaya Kadam, Lata S Singh, Mitali Jagtap Varadkar and Rahul Vohra.

Bhansali’s films are always high on music and Gangubai Kathiawadi is no exception. Songs like ‘Dholida’, ‘Meri Jaan’, ‘Shikayat’ and ‘Jab Saiyaan’ show us what is missing in the current era of remixes. The filmmaker himself has composed the music.

Bhansali’s films of the past have also become victim of his over-indulgence. In other words, his style and grandeur overpower the storytelling aspect, which ensures that the end result isn’t much satisfying, despite the visuals. But the filmmaker has avoided that over here. There is a lack of conflict in the key portions but the presentation of a sex worker as a hero wins you over and forces you ask a lot of questions to the ‘normal’ and ‘respected’ society.

The only problem area here is that Gangu’s initial rise to power in the pre-interval portion should have been more elaborate. It almost happens suddenly. It would have also helped the cause of the film more if the advancement of Gangubai’s age would have been visible. Instead, she appears almost the same even 15 years after the story begins.

Overall: Gangubai Kathiawadi is thought-provoking and entertaining at the same time with a career-best act by Alia Bhatt. The film can be best enjoyed on the big screen because of its visuals. Don’t wait for it to come on OTT [Netflix].

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Director: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Producers: Jayantilal Gada and Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Writers: Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Utkarshini Vashishtha and Prakash Kapadia

Cast: Alia Bhatt, Indira Tiwari, Shantanu Maheshwari, Seema Pahwa, Jim Sarbh, Vijay Raaz, Ajay Devgn

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Can we stop giving unreal reasons for 83’s box office failure?

Exploring Gehraiyaan’s selfish character in James Hadley Chase manner

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Gehraiyaan is getting a mixed response, as expected from a film of such a complex nature. I loved it for various reasons, including the narrative that transforms from a story of cheating to an emotional drama and finally a crime thriller. But this isn’t a review of the film.

Gehraiyaan made me think a lot. One thing that stayed on my mind the most was one selfish character. In fact, I feel this is one of the most selfish characters I have seen in a long time. I also felt that if we look at the story from his perspective, it can be an interesting experiment. After finishing the piece, I realized this is how dark and negative characters appear in James Hadley Chase’s novels.

Being an ardent fan of his crime books since more than a decade, I guess my subconscious wrote the article in this way.

This blog article about Gehraiyaan is a tribute to the great late storyteller, although it didn’t start out that way.

There are SPOILERS ahead. If you haven’t seen Gehraiyaan, please don’t read further.

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I have imagined the following piece on how Zain would narrate his life story from Gehraiyaan from his perspective in James Hadley Chase style:-

Right now, I am drenched in salty water. I am lying submerged in the great Arabian Sea; probably living the last couple of minutes of my life. I don’t know if I have landed here due to my cruel selfishness or that damned wine bottle. I have heard people say that when your end is near, your whole life plays out in your mind. I am experiencing that right now.

I feel my childhood wasn’t much different than my condition right now. That’s what I felt growing up with a father who was a wife beater. After not being able to take it more, I left home.

Gehraiyaan
Book cover courtesy: Swiftlytiltingplanet.wordpress.com

We were always a part of the lower middle-class. So, I was eager to make it big in terms of wealth. I thought of going into real estate, which is considered the money-minting field. I became an assistant to the big shark in the business and slowly rose up the ranks. I made it big and I made it quick. I now had everything I dreamt of – a big house, car and also a private yatch.

To make my life complete, destiny got me introduced to the pretty Tia, the daughter of the real estate shark I was assistant to. We were drawn to each other in no time and got engaged. I also need to mention that my to-be in laws had also invested heavily in my personal business real estate business. I didn’t care about this as me and Tia were looking ahead to get married. Until I had a chance encounter with the gorgeous Alisha, cousin of Tia, during our Alibaug holiday.

It is said that once you start chasing pleasures, of all kinds, there is no full stop. One never feels satisfied and that’s exactly what happened with me. I was living a luxurious life but I wanted more. I was engaged and Alisha was in a six-year old relationship with her boyfriend Karan. But I couldn’t take my eyes off her when I was first introduced to her. In fact, I took no time to flirt with her.  

Alisha was going through a troubled time in her relationship with Karan, whose career as a novelist was just not taking off. Alisha, on the other hand, was also struggling to launch her Yoga app. In other words, there couldn’t be a better opportunity for me! I latched onto the situation.

Alisha started responding to my flirtatious messages. One day she also lied about my message to her cousin. I took advantage of my back pain to get it cured by Alisha’s Yoga techniques in order to get close to her. From here on, it was just a matter of time before we ended up in bed… repeatedly!

Deepika Padukone and Siddhant Chaturvedi in Gehraiyaan

Alisha was going through a bad patch with Karan. But my relationship with Tia was fine. So what was I doing in bed with another woman? Well, I didn’t think of that. I was getting it, so I took it. Simple!

I also got the crucial funding for Alisha’s Yoga app through my business with my to-be in laws. I also got her a posh studio. She felt I was doing it as a favor but I wasn’t. I actually did it through dubious means and that too in a way that it would benefit me in the end. Of course, she didn’t know this.

Alisha’s situation with Karan worsened to such a level that she broke up with him. Now my temptation had no limits. Meanwhile, Alisha also got pregnant with my child. I now wanted her in my life… forever. To hell with Tia. So what if her parents had invested in my business? I decided to return all the investment and call it quits. It was just a matter of time now, or so I thought.

But till the time I become capable to repay them, I had to pretend to be in a relationship with Tia. This also meant celebrating my third anniversary with her, although in my mind I had already broken up. Yes, I was fooling her into believing that I was still in love with her and wanted to marry her. Whereas, all I was waiting was to just throw her out of my life and her parents out of my business.

But an unannounced storm came into my life. Rather, it came in someone else’s life but it affected me greatly. A man we did business and had stakes with got arrested for financial fraud. The case kept getting murkier by the day and it reached a stage where I could have got into trouble. If this wasn’t enough, my bluff about Alisha’s studio was out too as the municipality realized it was bought by crook. I tried to control Alisha to cover my lies about her studio.

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But she was getting impatient. She also wanted full and open commitment. But I had to continue my sham affair with Tia for my benefit. I needed her to sell her beach house to get me out of trouble but I lied to her that we need to keep it for mortgage for a year. When she doubted my intentions, I pretended to be a victim and regained her sympathy and love. The fake hugs and kisses continued. Poor thing had no idea how she was being used by me materially and emotionally; by a man who no longer loved her. In fact, she felt guilty when, actually, she was the victim.

Alisha, on the other hand, was now really getting out of control. She landed up at my office and later outside Tia’s place and threatened to expose our secret relationship. I somehow controlled her and gained her sympathy. I succeeded in taking her to a date on my yatch in the sea… Where it all began.

The date was a sham too. In reality, I wanted to get rid of her. I mixed a large dose of her sleeping pills in her wine without her knowledge; at least this is what I thought. But she refused to drink. I now feel she knew my cruel intentions. I tried to strangulate her and throw her into the sea for good. But she got the better of me and I slipped over that wine bottle and got thrown into the sea instead.

I don’t know if I have landed here due to my cruel selfishness or that damned wine bottle.

Can we stop giving unreal reasons for 83 box office failure?

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Kabir Khan’s 83 is one of the rare films to get such high number of glowing reviews from critics. Not just that, the Ranveer Singh-starrer cricket drama has also received equal praise from the audience. The film transformed a cinema hall into a stadium through its overwhelming recreation of India’s 1983 World Cup triumph.

However, this hasn’t been enough to translate into box office success for the film. In fact, to put it simply, 83 has been a box office failure. The film is made at a budget around Rs 200 crore (one senior journalist even claimed it to be Rs 270 crore) and right now it’s struggling to even reach Rs 100 crore.

So, talking purely in terms of business, 83 is nothing but a failure. I know a lot of people who loved the film are hurt by this. I can completely understand because I too am such a big fan of the film that I have seen it twice already in theatres and I am willing to watch it again. But, as said before, this is purely in terms of business.

With so many people left disappointed and disheartened by 83’s result at the box office, it is obvious that this has become a hot topic of discussion and debates online. I have been constantly reading some silly reasons being dished out on social media for the film not working out. And, unfortunately, such reasons are also being heard from few people who are from film journalism itself.

Here’s what has been attributed to 83’s downfall at the box office on social media:

People are staying away from theatres because of the rise in COVID-19 cases and the new threat of its Omicron variant

While there is no doubt that the fear of COVID-19 has resurfaced, this cannot be the reason why 83 didn’t get as much audience. The biggest proof of this is the stupendous box office performance of the Hindi version of the Telugu film Pushpa. The movie released on 17 December 2021, a week before 83, and is still doing well even as I am writing this on 8 January 2022.

83 Ranveer Singh
Photo courtesy: Cinestaan.com

The same is the case for Spider-Man: No Way Home which released in the same week as Pushpa. If people are not visiting theatres to watch 83, how are these two films still getting audience? In fact, a lot of shows given to 83 earlier are now given to Pushpa since the film is continuing to attract moviegoers.

People are now used to watching content on OTT platforms and hence don’t feel like visiting theatres

The answer to this point can be found in the previous one. OTT has definitely found a great booster in the pandemic. But that doesn’t mean people are not willing to go to theatres. Again, if that was the reason, Pushpa and Spider-Man wouldn’t have done such enormous business. Not to forget, Sooryavanshi too did very well in theatres when it was released during Diwali.

The film didn’t do well because of the #BoycottBollywood gang

The silliest of all reasons by a mile! There has been a rise of a #BoycottBollywood gang on social media in recent times and they are of two types. One are the members of the audience that are die-hard fans of the late Sushant Singh Rajput. They claim to boycott all big Hindi films until ‘justice’ is done to SSR. But if they are really the reason for the film’s failure, the same film wouldn’t have done do well in metros like Mumbai and Delhi. And as pointed before, Sooryavanshi too wouldn’t have become a hit.

These ‘warriors’ are also specifically against films starring star kids. But then, Tadap (2021), the launch of Suniel Shetty’s son Ahan Shetty, did decent business despite of him not being a star.

There’s another bunch of this gang which has vowed to boycott all films starring Deepika Padukone because she stood with the JNU protestors in 2019. The fact that the film did well in the metros, as stated before, nullifies this claim too.

Reason for 83’s box office failure

There is a wide gap in the content preferences between the urban and non-urban sections of India. The box office result of 83 has just exposed this wide gap. The content of 83 has more appeal for the urban audience than the one based in small towns and villages. This might sound weird to many but masses of these regions won’t get excited to know the journey of a team winning a World Cup.

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This was also confirmed recently when I had a chat with the most experienced exhibitor in Gujarat, Rashmikant Bhalodia. When the film was going house full in advance in Mumbai, the theatres in Gujarat, especially the interiors, were going empty.

Also the film’s promotions didn’t reach the interiors of India. The promotions mainly consisted of the team travelling in big cities. There was an article mentioning how people in a village-like area didn’t even know that a film called 83 had released!

The wide gap between the both section of the audiences is also visible in the consumption of OTT shows. While we may love edgy or dark shows on Netflix or Amazon Prime Video, such content is hardly seen in the semi-urban areas or villages. They still prefer south Indian action films dubbed in Hindi.

And they had that choice this time in the form of Pushpa. The film had every masala that the masses of these regions prefer. So it’s obvious that they would prefer this over 83. In fact, Pushpa earned more in its recently concluded third week than the previous one. This has also ensured that its shows have increased.

The fate of 83 is very similar to that of Swades (2004). The Ashutosh Gowariker film failed at the box office but it continues to be hailed as a great film. The same will happen with 83.

Also read:

Zimbabwe’s iconic record in the 1983 World Cup is forgotten