The Common Man Speaks

Forgotten Cricket Moments: The real Lagaan match at Brabourne Stadium

April 12, 2020 by Keyur Seta 3 Comments

Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan (2001) remains of the most iconic and exciting films to have come out of not just Hindi but Indian cinema. Even after more than 15 years, the Aamir Khan and Gracy Singh-starrer still gets you in extreme tension when Bhuvan is required to hit a six off the last ball, despite you knowing the climax.

Needless to say, the atmosphere inside the theatre was similar to the one we see in cricket stadiums. So one can only imagine what would have happened when the entire Lagaan team played a real cricket match at the iconic Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai.

There is a major chance that you might not be aware of this match because, somehow, it never got publicized. More so for those who have recently turned adults or are in their early 20s.

Lagaan match
Photo: Tribuneindia.com

So, Britannia had organized a match between the Lagaan team versus the team of winners of a contest they had run. Hence, the other team was called simply Britannia. I had also taken part but didn’t win. But that didn’t stop me from watching the match in the stadium.

Surprisingly, you didn’t need to spend a rupee for the tickets. All you needed was to submit four packets of their biscuits in exchange for a ticket. I and a friend went to watch after submitting eight. Well, frankly speaking, we wouldn’t have mind to even pay to see the Lagaan team in action.

Interestingly, the match was played on Christmas, a festival which few years down the line was acquired by Aamir to release his films.

Like the on-screen match, the Lagaan team fielded first. I don’t remember who won the toss but it wouldn’t have been exciting if they had batted first. It was a 25-over match where the boundaries were brought in considerably and understandingly so since none of them were professional players. By the way, the entire Lagaan team played in the same costume they had worn in the film.

Lagaan real match
Photo: News18.com

But instead of 11, both teams had 13 players. The Lagaan team included Gowariker himself and actor Amin Gazi, who played Tipu in the film, to complete a 13-member side.

Team Britannia was bowled out for 96 inside their stipulated 25 overs. We all thought that this would be a cakewalk for team Lagaan but Britannia bowlers had other plans. Team Lagaan kept losing wickets and at one point were seven down with the team still being some way away from the target.

In the end, it was Gowariker and Aamir who saw the team through by scoring 18 and 19 runs respectively. The entire crowd, including me and my friend, was overjoyed and dancing to the song ‘Mitwa.’

Other interesting bit about this match was the star Indian players like Rahul Dravid, Sourav Ganguly and Virendra Sehwag switched roles as commentators and umpires. Navjot Singh Sidhu and Maninder Singh were permanent commentators. The commentary played a big role in keeping us entertained.

Aamir Khan Lagaan match
Photo: Tribuneindia.com

But there was another unprecedented excitement after the match. After some great encouragement by my friend, I agreed to climb and jump a wall and land right where the Lagaan team was standing after the match [I still don’t know how he knew the way]. It was a sheer delight to shake hands with few team members, including Aamir. It was also nice to know that he was shorter than me.

But today when I look back at the match after 19 years I wonder if it was staged [read: fixed]. Even if it was, I don’t blame the organizers. Just imagine what a waste it would have been if Lagaan team had lost the match.

Unfortunately, there is no way we can revisit the match to determine that as there is not a single video available. In fact, there are very few news articles as well.

Amitabh Bachchan’s voiceover in the film describes the story as – Yeh kahani itihaas ke panno mein kahin kho gayi [This story has got lost in history].

The same can be said about the real Lagaan match.

Read more about the match HERE.

Update on 29 September 2020: A short video of this match is now available. Thanks Mainak Sinha for this:

'Lagaan' XI v Britannia XI at Mumbai 2001 ft. Aamir Khan & team.

Sourav Ganguly, Dravid, Sehwag were commentators & umpires alongside Sidhu and Maninder Singh. One needed was to submit four packets of biscuits in exchange for a ticket.@amirkingkhan @SGanguly99 @virendersehwag pic.twitter.com/DzgNWXKI1J

— Mainak Sinha??? (@cric_archivist) September 28, 2020

More articles:

He was selected for 1983 WC, but had to wait till ‘99 to play for India

Only time Tendulkar was NOT selected in team India, neither injured nor rested

When Australia played against Australia in this World Series

Filed Under: Bollywood, Cricket, Forgotten Moments Tagged With: Lagaan match Brabourne stadium, Lagaan vs Britannia match

Is Chhapaak a box office disaster?

January 18, 2020 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Chhapaak wasn’t the first film that was asked to be boycotted by people of a certain political ideology after Deepika Padukone joined the students protesting at JNU. But the film has become the first such ‘boycotted’ film that hasn’t succeeded at the box office.

There have been various reports and posts on social media floating around about the film being a ‘box office disaster’ or a ‘washout’ at the ticket window. Well, the film is certainly not a box office success but at the same time it won’t be right to label it as a debacle. Here’s how.

There is something called the budget of a film. We media people have our sources and they tell us that Chhapaak is made at a budget of around Rs 30 to 35 crore.

In case you don’t want to believe our sources, try thinking that the film had only one known name, which is Padukone. There aren’t any expensive sets or VFX heavy scenes. The film is also not shot at some exotic foreign locations. I hope this proves that it’s not an expensive film.

BoxOfficeIndia.com is considered the most reliable source for box office collections. As per them, Chhapaak has earned Rs 26.50 crore nett till yesterday [Saturday 17 January 2020]. It made Rs 75 lakh yesterday [other box office websites will also give you a very similar number].

The film still has five days in the second week, including Saturday and Sunday, before two prominent films Panga and Street Dancer 3D release on 24 January.

Deepika Padukone in Chhapaak

So, in all probability it looks like Chhapaak will end its box office run at either its cost of production or just short of it.

Hence, if a film earns exactly as much as its cost of production, it is called below average or at the most flop. Words like ‘disaster’ and ‘washout’ are reserved for films like Panipat and Kalank which are made in over Rs 100 crore but end up way short of it.

We should also take into account that the subject of Chhapaak is extremely niche. A film on an acid-attack victim can best be termed as a festival film. You won’t see family or college-going audience flocking the theatres to watch such a film.

People who feel that the film hasn’t performed well at the box office because Padukone’s act got the film ‘boycotted’ are mistaken. On the contrary, Chhapaak has earned such a number because it stars a popular name like Padukone.

Last year, a film called Gone Kesh showed the journey of a girl who suffers from premature baldness. It starred a lesser-known name like Shweta Tripathi [not undermining her talent at all]. It was a light-hearted film which was fairly appreciated by the critics.

But as it didn’t have a single known name, it simply went unnoticed at the box office.

I am also able to see that the same people who have been rubbishing off Chhapaak as a ‘disaster’ are also hailing Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior as a ‘blockbuster.’ This is the only reason I am dragging this historical here.

Now let’s look at this from the budget point of view. The Ajay Devgn-starrer is made at a budget of Rs 150 crore. Till yesterday, it has made a total of Rs 125 crore nett. Hence, it hasn’t even become a hit yet. It surely will become, going by its trend and word-of-mouth. But it hasn’t yet.

Additional reading:

Why people in their 30s should stop believing they are 70

Hellaro (Gujarati movie) Review

Filed Under: Bollywood Tagged With: chhapaak box office, chhapaak box office collection, chhapaak box office disaster, chhapaak flop, chhapaak hit or flop

Saturday Nights Review: Deep statement on loneliness in a crowded city

October 29, 2019 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Lives of sex workers or prostitutes, as they are called, offer a lot of scope for storytelling in cinema. That’s precisely the reason why characters of sex workers are explored in films across languages and genres.

Director Shibu Sable’s short film Saturday Nights is also based inside the chamber of a prostitute. However, it’s not just any other story based on one.

The film tells the story of Vishwas (Sable himself), a middle-class and middle-aged widower staying in a humble colony in Mumbai. People from his locality gossip about him visiting a prostitute’s den every Saturday night.

They are right. Vishwas does spend his Saturday nights in the apartment of the call-girl Tara (Pradnya Manwatkar). But there is a twist here. Vishwas isn’t like any of her customers.

Saturday Night short film

During the starting portions of Saturday Nights, you wonder where this 14-minute film will lead to as the two protagonists start chatting. But soon enough the twist in Vishwas’s tale wins you over.

Through his character, the film makes a deep and powerful statement on loneliness. The city of Mumbai, or any other metro in India, is overcrowded with people. Yet a lot of people don’t have a single person in their life to whom they can pour their heart out, especially without getting judged.

The moment when Tara asks Vishwas the reason for visiting her and he replies with, “Halka hone,” is the moment of the film. Similarly, the film says a lot without saying much. Having said this, they should have delved a little deeper into the back story of Vishwas, like they have done for Tara. This would have helped the audience in feeling more for him.

Both Sable and Manwatkar perfectly get into the skin of their respective characters. Sable has been and filmmaker and writer and this time he has ventured into acting. Manwatkar has a proven track record in theatre.

Overall, Saturday Nights is a moving take on loneliness in an overcrowded city.

Director: Shibu Sable

Writers: Jaidev Hammady and Shibu Sable

Cast: Shibu Sable and Pradnya Manwatkar

Rating: 4 out of 5

By: Keyur Seta

Watch the short film:

Additional reading:

Saaho’s major similarity with Baahubali (SPOILERS alert)

Filed Under: Bollywood Tagged With: Pradnya Manwatkar actress, Saturday Night movie review, Saturday Nights short film, Saturday Nights short film review

Saaho’s major similarity with Baahubali (SPOILERS alert)

September 1, 2019 by Keyur Seta 2 Comments

Prabhas’ last film Baahubali: The Conclusion (2017) went onto become a historic hit all over India and gave the actor a star status nationwide. Obviously, there was a keen interest to see him again on screen. His fans had to wait for more than two years to see Prabhas in action (literally) in director Sujeeth’s Saaho, which released this week.

From the trailers or the posters itself, Saaho looked way different from the two Baahubali movies. One is based few centuries ago while the other in today’s times. The earlier film gave importance to traditional Indian culture [because of its setting and era] while Saaho is about modern cars, bikes and clothes.

But what if I tell you that Saaho becomes like another Baahubali by the time it ends?  

Let’s look at the basic plot of Baahubali. Amarendra Baahubali is the rightful heir to the throne of the fictitious empire of Mahishmati but his enemies, who are people close to him, get him killed. Years later, his son Mahendra Baahubali eliminates the bad guys and acquires the throne.

Saaho and Baahubali

Now, this is what the story of Saaho looks like minus the many twists and sub-plots (SPOILERS ahead). Roy is heading his multimillionaire business in a fictitious city called Waaji. He gets killed by people close to him. Later on, his son finishes off the villains and sits on the chair of the owner of the company.

Now, I really wonder if the makers didn’t care about it or didn’t realize. Of course, it has to be the former.

But there are also a couple of other sequences in Saaho that remind us of Baahubali. The scene where Prabhas and Shraddha Kapoor are seen shooting the bad guys together instantly reminds you of the famous bow and arrow scene between Prabhas and Anushka Shetty in Baahubali.

The scene in the first Baahubali where hundreds of dangerous looking men speaking Kilikili language attack Amarendra Baahubali is still fresh in our minds. Similarly, in Saaho, hundreds of unusual blood-thirsty devils are seen attacking Prabhas.

Also read: Mission Mangal Review

The one major difference between Baahubali and Saaho is its content, but that’s a story for another day.

By: Keyur Seta

Filed Under: Bollywood Tagged With: Saaho Baahubali, Saaho similarity with Baahubali, Saaho spoilers, Saaho story

Mission Mangal Review – A joyride about India’s space achievement

August 18, 2019 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

Director Jagan Shetty’s Mission Mangal revolves around the launch of India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (MOM), also known as Mangalyaan, which was launched in November 2013. India thus became the first nation in the world to successfully send a spacecraft to Mars in the first attempt itself.

The mission involved some painstaking efforts by a group of ISRO’s scientists led by Rakesh Dhawan (Akshay Kumar) and Tara (Vidya Balan) and their team consisting of Kritika (Taapsee Pannu), Neha (Kirti Kulhari), Varsha (Nithya Menen), Eka (Sonakshi Sinha), Parmeshwar (Sharman Joshi) and H G Dattatreya (Ananth Iyer).

The team had to battle various odds in the form of a senior ISRO member (Dalip Tahil) and lack of funds and confidence from the government. They had their various personal battles to counter as well.

Mission Mangal gives a proper explanation of the relevance of MOM, the process of launching it and its last stage. All this might sound very technical for a layman. But the film is nowhere near technical.

It is, in fact, a joyride. The narrative is filled with moments that get you in splits regularly. This is done through situations and character habits and traits. Many a times a funny moment arrives when you least expect it. The surprise inclusion of ‘Ankhiyaan Milaaun Kabhi Ankhiyaan Churaun’ by Sanjay Kapoor’s character himself is a masterstroke!

However, despite the humorous moments, Mission Mangal ensures that the seriousness of the topic is never lost whatsoever. Throughout the film, special care has been taken to explain space related scientific workings in a manner that even a person with poor scientific knowledge like me can easily understand. I had laughed at the puri scene in the trailer but realized that it perfectly fits the situation in the film to provide an easy explanation for a layman.

Mission Mangal poster

The combination of easy information and humour is enough to keep you glued for its duration of 133 minutes, which passes in a jiffy. And the moments in the finale keep you at the edge despite the fact that you are well aware that the mission will eventually become successful.

Having said this, there are few factors that bother you. The biggest one is that we haven’t been given any background about Akshay’s character. Considering he is the main lead, it was necessary. Few conversations from the subplot of few characters could also have been avoided. Thankfully, none of these fall in the major negative point zone.

Mission Mangal has an ensemble cast and not every character has got proper space, which is not surprising. But each character is given an interesting story and arc of its own (except Akshay, as mentioned above).

Every actor has risen to the occasion. Despite no character background, Akshay Kumar provides a fine mixture of seriousness and humour. This is easily one of his most noteworthy acts. Vidya Balan once again proves why she is the best of the current lot of actresses. She is adorable once again. Dalip Tahil makes his presence felt as an unusual antagonist.

It’s good to see Sharman Joshi in a mainstream film after long. He displays an undercurrent of humour and never overdoes it. The rest of the team members provide perfect support, especially the senior most Ananth Iyer.

Overall: Mission Mangal is a joyride that celebrates India’s space achievement. It will be argued that the makers have made it into a filmi affair. But as it is a feature film and, more importantly, succeeds in doing justice to the achievement of ISRO at the same time, it doesn’t turn out to be a problem.

Also read: How to donate for Maharashtra flood victims?

The film has had a good opening and it seems Mission Mangal will be a success at the box office. Akshay has never had a Rs 200 crore film. This is his good chance.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Review by: Keyur Seta

Filed Under: Bollywood Tagged With: Mission Mangal box office, Mission Mangal cast, Mission Mangal movie review, Mission Mangal opening, Mission Mangal real story

6 noteworthy moments from Article 15

June 30, 2019 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

Director Anubhav Sinha’s Article 15 is largely about the atrocities faced by people belonging to the backward castes. But the Ayushmann Khurrana starrer also has a lot of layers and the film ends up saying a lot without actually saying much. The end result is disturbing but at the same time positive as well.

It will be worth revisiting 6 noteworthy aspects from Article 15:

Urban-rural divide
A city bred person might get a jolt when he or she witnesses the way of living and norms of a rural area. The same happens when the protagonist Ayan Ranjan [Khurrana] is posted in a remote village in Uttar Pradesh. He is shocked to see such strict practice of caste even in 2019, including the practice of not even letting the shadow of the ‘untouchables’ touch you. Article 15 doesn’t shy away from showcasing such stark reality of ‘modern’ India.

Still proud to be an Indian
Ayan Ranjan’s situation is very much like many of us. He is disturbed and disgusted to see the reality of India and is ready to expose it in front of everyone. However, he is still proud to be an Indian, like he tells her wife on phone.

Article 15 poster

It reminded me of the scene in Ashutosh Gowariker’s Swades where Shah Rukh Khan’s character says, “Main nahin maanta humara desh duniya ka sabse mahaan desh hai.” But deep down, he cares for the nation and agrees to leave US for it.

Ignorance is bliss?  
There is a scene where Khurrana is wondering as to how people around him can behave normal and quite happy despite the gruesome crime that has taken place in the village. This is reflective of how a section of the population is turning a blind eye on various issues under the garb of nationalism these days.

Horning out castesim  
Khurrana asks the caste of a vendor but her answer is overturned by the loud horn of a passing truck. This is an impressively creative way of giving a message that anybody’s caste isn’t important.

Ambedkar’s presence
The teachings of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar has been hardly explored by mainstream Hindi cinema over the decades. We have had biopics on various leaders but none on him. This is a surprise since Ambedkar has had a lion’s share in the making of the Constitution Of India, the very book on which the idea of India is based. Article 15 fills the much needed void.

Heroic entry
The high point of the film for me is the entry of Article 15. The arrival of the document produces the same effect that a mass hero does when he makes a heroic entry. The words under Article 15 and the playing of ‘Vande Mataram’ in the background will always be unforgettable.

Additional reading:

Short Story: Caste Away

By: Keyur Seta

Filed Under: Bollywood, National, Socio/Political Tagged With: Article 15 dialogues, Article 15 meaning, Article 15 review, Article 15 scenes

Finally, a chance to revisit Kapil Dev’s 175, which hardly anybody has seen

May 26, 2019 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

Legendary all-rounder Kapil Dev served team India for 16 years. The biggest moment of his career was winning the 1983 World Cup for India. Before the start of the tournament in England, very few would have counted India as one of the favourites to lift the trophy.

But even if they did, hardly anyone would have betted on them after they were dismissed for a mere 183 in the final at Lords against the deadly West Indies. The opponents had won both the World Cups before this one and this looked like a cake walk. But the result ensured jubilation among Indians and shock among the West Indians [that rhymed!] as the latter were bowled out for just 140.

Dev’s second biggest achievement ever, at least in my personal opinion, came in the same series against Zimbabwe, a team that was making its first international appearance. Those growing up in the 1990s would remember Zimbabweans giving a tough time to the Indians on numerous occasions.

Not many would know that Zimbabwe marked their entry into international cricket in an astounding fashion in the 1983 World Cup. The team went onto beat the strong Australian side in their first match of the WC [which was also their first international match ever] by 13 runs. Duncan Fletcher gave an all-round performance of 69 not out with the bat and 4 for 42 with the ball.

Kapil Dev 175
Kapil Dev during his innings of 175 not out against Zimbabwe. [Photo: Cricketaddictor.com]

Although they lost their next three matches, one couldn’t take them lightly after their debut match.

India had beaten Zimbabwe by five wickets earlier in the series [every team played two matches against all teams in the league round], so they had the upper hand before the start of their second match against them at Turnbridge Wells. However, the start they had after choosing to bat was more than horrible.

After being 17 for 5, India was later reduced to 78 for 7. It looked like they might go down in the dumps but Dev had other plans. He came in when they was reeling at 9 for 4. He took full charge of the situation and not only rescued the team but also went onto score the highest ever ODI score then of 175 not out with 16 fours and 6 sixes.

India finished with 266 for 8, a score that never looked possible in any way before. Zimbabwe were bowled out for 235.

This is easily one of the most memorable matches for India even today. However, what is truly unfortunate is that the match was not telecast as the broadcasters were on strike that day. This means that it wasn’t recorded ever to revisit later! All we have is few pictures of Dev playing some big shots. Sad indeed!

But there is some glimmer of hope of watching at least the dramatized version of the match in the upcoming Hindi movie ’83. Directed by Kabir Khan, the film will feature India’s journey to the 1983 World Cup victory.

The victory against Zimbabwe is an important part of the series for India, so it has to be there in the film. Dev, whose character will be essayed by Ranveer Singh, has been roped in by the makers as an advisor for the film. I am sure he remembers the match, including his innings, well and will help in recreating it.

Also read: He was selected for 1983 WC, but had to wait till ‘99 to play for India

What makes us more hopeful is that the makers recently revealed that they will be shooting at Turnbridge Wells, the venue where India played Zimbabwe.

By: Keyur Seta

Top post on IndiBlogger, the biggest community of Indian Bloggers

Filed Under: Bollywood, Cricket Tagged With: 83 movie, Kapil Dev 175, Kapil Dev 175 1983 World Cup, Kapil Dev 175 runs, Kapil Dev 175 vs Zimbabwe

Badla Review

March 9, 2019 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

In my review of Kahaani (2012), (read it HERE) I had said that there is a dearth of high quality, edge-of-the-seat mystery thrillers in mainstream Hindi cinema and the Vidya Balan starrer filled the void. The next thriller I loved after that film to that extent is Badla. It took seven long years!

Interestingly, both are directed by Sujoy Ghosh and released on the same date: 9 March.

Badla is the official remake of the Spanish movie The Invisible Guest (2016). The story revolves around Naina Sethi (Taapsee Pannu). She is a business tycoon staying in London with her husband and daughter. She is accused of killing Arjun (Tony Luke), with whom she had had an extra-marital affair, in a hotel room far away from London.

Naina’s lawyer sends senior advocate Badal Gupta (Amitabh Bachchan) to fight her case. She pleads innocent. According to her, a blackmailer had demanded a large amount of money from her and called her and Arjun to the hotel. But someone killed Arjun and knocked her unconscious. Gupta wonders if he should believe Naina’s version.

The film takes place inside a house in the form of the meeting between Naina and Gupta in a span of three hours. The story keeps going in flashback. The most important ingredient in a mystery thriller is to keep the audience glued. Badla does that exceedingly well. The makers have given the screenplay credit to the writer of the original film Oriol Paulo.

Badla poster

The film also scores high in the dialogues, characterization and the technical aspects.

In addition you are kept guessing continuously. We are given a couple of hints in between about the main mystery, but not enough to become a spoiler. Such thrillers tend to become lukewarm in the second half. It doesn’t quite happen here, although the length could have been reduced slightly post-interval.

The revelation of the main mystery in the end does give you a jolt even if you have almost guessed it. The problem is that it appears a bit far-fetched which might not go with a section of the audience. It worked for me though.

The performances are first rate. Taapsee Pannu has added another feather in her cap after this act. She succeeds in the difficult task of keeping you guessing about her intentions. Amitabh Bachchan also lives up to his image and switches between being intense and funny with remarkable ease.

Taapsee and Bachchan share an impressive chemistry of a different kind. The mind games played by the two keeps you hooked and, at times, in splits.

Despite the presence of the two main characters, Amrita Singh comes out as a winner all the way. Debutant Tony Luke appears at ease despite being around experienced actors. He is a talent to watch out for. Manav Kaul gets noticed despite limited screen time.

Overall: Badla succeeds in satisfying the thriller lover in you. The film has taken a decent opening at the box office. It stands a good chance of earning respectable collections over the days.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Review by: Keyur Seta

Director: Sujoy Ghosh

Producers: Red Chillies Entertainment and Azure Entertainment

Writers: Oriol Paulo, Sujoy Ghosh and Raj Vasant

Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Taapsee Pannu, Amrita Singh, Tony Luke

Genre: Mystery thriller

Runtime: 120 minutes

Filed Under: Bollywood Tagged With: Badla box office, Badla movie review, Badla movie story, badla rating, Badla review, Badla story

Pulwama row: Why the climax of Border is more relevant today

February 28, 2019 by Keyur Seta Leave a Comment

The Pulwama terrorist attack on 14 February, which killed at least 40 Indian police personnel, has triggered tensions between India and Pakistan yet again. The tragedy of the incident has increased manifolds after the disgusting behaviour of television news anchors and the countless hate-mongering social media posts.

The news anchors sitting inside the security and comfort of their air-conditioned studios have been literally demanding a war on Pakistan ever since Pulwama incident happened. A large number of the audiences watching such ‘shows’ in equally secure homes have been demanding the same and sharing posts that give an idea as if life is just a movie or a video game for them.

Of all the social media posts and memes that are shared post Pulwama attack, the prominent ones are from the Hindi film Border (1997) by J P Dutta. It is the ultimate war film that keeps lingering in the minds of the masses of India whenever a war-like situation erupts.

Short videos of scenes from the film start getting shared on social media and What’s App. Some of the prominent ones are Sunny Deol’s character’s passion to win the war, his famous Mathuradas moment, Jackie Shroff, as the Indian Air Force officer, blowing up enemies from the sky and the song ‘Hindustan,’ to name a few.

But the most defining moment of the film is its last six minutes, which somehow doesn’t pop up in people’s minds. I am yet to come across a single post or video about that portion of the film. I am sure some of you might still not be able to recall it.

Border movie Pulwama

The film ends with the song ‘Mere Dushman, Mere Bhai,’ which shows the horrors of war. The lyrics and its visuals make it loud and clear that war can only be ugly and devastating. The family members of soldiers are seen devastated by the loss of a son, father or brother. Something we can’t imagine while ‘demanding’ a war without the danger of losing a loved one.

Here is one example of the heart-penetrating lines of Javed Akhtar:

Hum Apne Apne Kheton Mein Gehun Ki Jagah Chawal Ki Jagah Yeh Bandooke Kyun Bote Hain
Jab Dono Hi Ki Galiyon Mein Kuchh Bhooke Bachche Rote Hain

No doubt, today Border is considered quite jingoistic, loud and, at times, silly. But we have forgotten that it actually ends by giving a message that war is never the answer and nobody gains from it. I wonder how such a profound message got lost over time. Or maybe we are conditioned to conveniently forget it?

In one of the scenes of the songs, Deol is seen saluting a dead Pakistani soldier. The frame freezes with the flags of both India and Pakistan on the screen.

I get a jolt when I compare this with the posts about ‘wiping out’ the entire Pakistan and that too by people whom I used to consider sane all these years.

By: Keyur Seta

Watch the song:

Filed Under: Bollywood, National Tagged With: Border Bollywood movie, Border J P Dutta, Border movie, Border movie scene, Mere Dushman Mere Bhai Border, Pulwama attack, Pulwama attack reactions, Pulwama attack revenge

Does Thackeray hint at Shiv Sena’s changing relationship with Congress?

January 27, 2019 by Keyur Seta 1 Comment

Director Abhijit Panse’s Thackeray, the biopic on the late Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray, is garnering various reactions from the audience and critics. But here is an attempt to read between the lines of the film’s content with retrospect to the current political stand of Shiv Sena.

Thackeray shows the supremo’s journey from his early days as a cartoonist. From that time itself he was a staunch opponent of the Congress. As an artist and a politician, Thackeray was never known to mince his words or sketches against anyone, including Congress and its leaders.

But surprisingly, the movie doesn’t feature Thackeray’s hatred for Congress through any of his speeches or conversations. Of course, Shiv Sena’s protest against the then deputy Prime Minister Morarji Desai gets a good footage. But that was a key incident, so that couldn’t have been skipped. Other than that, Thackeray isn’t shown speaking or acting against Congress.

The 1995 Maharashtra Assembly Elections were the first time that Shiv Sena came to power through a coalition with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The mammoth task of the coalition was to defeat Congress for the first time. So, it is obvious that speaking against your main opponent becomes your important task.

But that is not shown in Thackeray. Surprisingly, Shiv Sena’s road to the 1995 State Elections, which was their first major success, is hardly given any importance. Without showing any moment of their journey till the results, we are abruptly shown a scene of Shiv Sena workers celebrating the victory.

One of the highlights of Thackeray’s career was his fiery speeches at Shivaji Park, which were keenly awaited by his supporters as well as opponents. But strangely, the film doesn’t feature any of his speeches. Most of his speeches always targeted Congress. Was this the reason to omit it?

One might argue that the makers wanted to play safe. But it is not possible to buy this argument for a film that openly speaks about the party’s role in the demolition of the Babri Masjid in 1992.

Now, let us see why such soft stand against Congress gets more interesting. Since recent times, senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut, who is also the film’s producer and story writer, has been showering praises at Congress, the Gandhi family and its President Rahul Gandhi, of all people.

Thackeray movie poster

Less than a week ago, Raut said, “Rahul Gandhi has always been mocked. But we cannot forget the sacrifices made by the Gandhi family for the country. If you do not agree with his policies, then criticise him, but do not make personal attacks. Personally, I am against this type of politics. He has never given false promises.” (Read the whole statement HERE)

Priyanka Gandhi’s decision to enter active politics few days ago met with sarcastic jibes from the opposition. But Raut had other views. Speaking about the decision, he said, “It’s a good decision by Rahul Gandhi. The people of India have always had a relationship with the Gandhi family. Indira Gandhi’s legacy will always remain strong in this country, Congress will benefit from this.” (Read the whole statement HERE).

The praise for Rahul started last year when Congress lost the Gujarat state elections to BJP after giving a tough fight. Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece Saamna hailed Rahul for being ‘Baazigar’ (indicating that he lost elections but won hearts). These are just few examples though.

For those not in the know, Shiv Sena has been throwing a volley of attacks against BJP, their ally both in state and centre, in recent years. In words one would only use for the opponents.

I have come across people and articles claiming that it was Congress that provided massive secret support to Shiv Sena during its early days so that the latter would help wipe out communists from Mumbai (then Bombay). But Shiv Sena leaders have never been comfortable with this question.

However, Thackeray, the film, shows no qualms in showing this relationship between Shiv Sena and Congress.

So, is the party paying back to the Congress for their initial help going by the recent heavy praise? Or is it just to score brownie points against your ally-cum-enemy BJP? And did we see a glimpse of it in the movie?

By: Keyur Seta

Filed Under: Bollywood, Marathi movies, Socio/Political Tagged With: Congress helped Shiv Sena, Sanjay Raut Rahul Gandhi, Shiv Sena history, Thackeray movie, Thackeray movie story

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • …
  • 31
  • Next Page »

Like this blog on Facebook

Like this blog on Facebook

Pages

  • About Me

Categories

  • Bollywood
  • Cricket
  • Environment
  • Events
  • Food
  • Forgotten Moments
  • Gujarati Cinema
  • Health
  • Hollywood
  • Humour
  • International Cinema
  • Literature
  • Marathi movies
  • Miscellaneous
  • Mumbai
  • Music
  • National
  • Personal experience
  • Pictures
  • Plays
  • Poem/ Shayaris
  • Regional cinema
  • Rumour Alert
  • Socio/Political
  • Spiritual
  • Travel
  • TV
  • Uncategorized
  • Web Series
  • Young Achievers

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 41 other subscribers

Archives

  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009

Social

Copyright © 2021 · eleven40 Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in