INDIA INDEPENDENCE DAY: Celebrating Cinema

Independence Day in India: AP Photo from Sulekha.com

As I wake up this 14 of August to merry music outside and talented high-pitched voices coming from a street sound system at 6am, there is no doubt. Festivities have been launched to celebrate India's independence.

Later, as the day subsides, evening streets are filled with people, honking vehicles, colored lanterns and sweet smelling flower garlands hanging from every imaginable corner and at every roundabout. The air smells of delicious fried snacks, spice, incense, smoke and excitement. Fleeting fireworks thunder here and there and the thumping of the latest movie hits sweeps through the trees. Movie soundtracks are such an integral part of the Independence Day celebration that I am compelled to draw a parallel between the nation's freedom and it's cinema's “independent” essence. Indian cinema to me has long represented that which has dared to create larger than life or over the top scenes or characters that have become legendary symbols... The temptation to do a recap of Indian cinema's unique and independent character is too pressing!
Here is my (albeit very) humble and brief attempt, looking back at legendary scenes, films and characters:

Pyaasa is an ageless watercolor of emotional depths and a social critique that is highly universal though it stands out for its distinct depiction of love. A poet's pining for recognition finds consolation only in the posthumal dedication of a prostitute who believes in him. True love is seldom portrayed in cinema. Pyaasa's is a selfless and ethereal love that has no expectations or queries. As such, the story of Vijay and Gulabo starts this list, marking Indian cinema's difference from the most common and usually passionate, possessive or insecure love that is usually portrayed throughout mainstream cinema.

Another Vijay enters this list through Amitabh Bachchan. The angry young man in an India caught by the disarray caused by the 70s crisis is the incarnation of revenge in Yash Chopra's Deewar. His character became emblematic for an entire generation and beyond as the quintessential Indian rebel, filled with stylish courage and aggressiveness despite having lived through poverty and injustice and thus, Bachchan became the most profound representative of young India at the time. But Amitabhji's uniqueness did not stop there. He was, together with Dharmendra the icon of everyone's favorite Indian film: G.P.Sippy's Sholay, which has just turned 37 years old today: a tale that has nothing to envy to Western cowboy classics or Italian westerns such as The Good, The Bad and The Ugly. It even brings more to the entertainment buffet with the sensually brave but painful dance performed by Basanti (Hema Malini) to save Jai (Dharmendra) and the fun and utterly unrealistic song-driving sequence for “Yeh Dosti". 

One of the most impressive scenes I always go back to in Indian cinema to show friends or to reel in non-converts is the Chaiyya Chaiyya song in film Dil Se. How can one not be seduced or at least impressed by the dance sequence on top of a train rolling through amazing landscapes? Words seem too vane:

Another wonderfully independent and unique cliché of Indian cinema is fiery declarations of singing love in the snow, rolling on it, screaming "Yahoo!" in it, sliding on it, dancing on it, you mention it... The first scene that comes to mind is of course Junglee, with Shammi Kapoor and Saira Banu running around in an elegant salwar kameez and a coat. When filming snowy scenes shifted out of Kashmir, Yash Chopra immortalized the Swiss Alps with saree or minidress-clad heroines rolling down the snow, Kajol being, in my opinion the modern lady who I have seen doing the most memorable of these scenes in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge for example. But let us go back in time to Shammi's avalanche causing "Yahoo!"

Another movie line that became a legend was Amrish Puri's simple statement "Mogambo khush hua" in the equally celebrated Mr. India, elevating his villain character to a cult status. Making such a simple line legendary owes it all to Amrish Puri's pitch-perfect performance and the film's scripting, giving Indian cinema one of its most iconic characters.

Speaking of iconic characters, usually the silent but persistent character that gives substance to many an Indian film is the Indian mother. She came to the center of a plot however in the much acclaimed Mother India through Nargis, who celebrated  the quintessential, sacrificing, patient, dedicated and courageous Indian mother through her applauded and prize-winning performance. Seldom other filmed epics have encompassed or purely concentrated on what a mother's role signifies in a given culture and Mother India is a trophy to the Indian woman in more ways than one.

Mother India is India's most celebrated epic outside its borders but epic has also been the filming of two of my favorite Indian films: the groundbreaking Lagaan, which even generated a film about the film (Madness in the Desert) thanks to the long and infrahuman task of finding funding and then filming the script in an inhospitable desert. However, the most incredible determination to make a film is in my opinion that of the luxurious Mughal-e-Azam. From its idea in the early 1940s to its release in 1960, from the determination to make it grand to the actual exorbitant production cost and work, from the ofscreen coldness existing between the two main actors and the passion portrayed by their main characters on screen... the film has many reasons to be in this list, celebrating Indian cinema's uniqueness.

Indian cinema has also produced many stars who are producers, directors, film marketers and actors themselves, becoming cinema powerhouses and developing a body of work that often surpasses that of actors in other countries. One of the most celebrated of these actors in India and abroad is Raj Kapoor. From Andaz to Awaara and beyond, the patriotic Charlie Chaplin of India definitely figures in my Indian cinema's hall of fame. 

Last but not least and moving fast through time, my mind sets on an airport scene. Yes, the visited and revisited airport scene gets a complete modern Bollywood twist in Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. Marking its independence from other Bolly scenes in which the hero breaks into a song and dance sequence, lip-synching a melodious declaration of love, Imran Khan rushes on a white horse through quiet and empty surburban night streets to my oh so familiar Bombay airport while his father's framed image dances victory. Imran escapes airport security by hiding in an X-ray luggage strip, is chased and is finally caught at gunpoint while he repeatedly screams MEOW! as if his life depended on it and finally sings a love song to his sweetheart in his own voice. No violins, no seductively perfect pitch singing. The scene is almost impossible to imagine in Hollywood or world cinema but it is different from the classic Bollywood ending too.

So much more can be mentioned here: the talent of countless actors and directors, the stars that appear in more than 100 films, the unrealistic action sequences, the song and dance frames, unique is the word for Indian cinema.

Happy Independence Day, India!

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When will OSCAR love BOLLYWOOD?

A movie buff usually plans the Oscars soirée in advance and spends hours glued to the TV screen rooting for his/her favorites.

I am however one movie buff who barely remembers the last time she sat down to watch the Oscars. My love for films and good stories currently only motivates me to follow the Oscar nominees for Best Foreign Picture and then the list of actual winners for all categories once the gala is over.  "Why?", I have been asked time and again. This would seem a simple question to answer but, upon second thought, it sort of opens a pandora box of thoughts regarding cinema in general, Academy award policies and, last but not least, Indian cinema. 

The main reason I believe the Oscars have lost their filmdom shimmer for me is the fact that they have been so focused in awarding English language films. I remain perplex at the hundreds of cinema genres and musical rhythms being labelled as World Music and World Cinema in the English speaking world, as if the world was divided into two types of people: English speakers and the rest of the world. The Oscars are no exception to this view of the world and their measurement of merit has long seemed extremely reduced to me. A fine example is the Best Foreign Language Film category, where only a tiny handful of films from every part of the world compete together, therefore reducing the chance for many excellent foreign language films of benefiting from the platform they would deserve. Likewise, the Academy also waited too long, in my opinion, to give due acknowledgement to the colossal musical talent of A.R. Rahman, only doing so when he composed the soundtrack of a good English language film made by a well-known Western director.

This year a foreign film finally got its well deserved ovation, entering the mainstream English language award categories. French film "The Artist" received the attention it deserved. "Finally, the Oscars are able to acknowledge that a great film with a good story is worthy of an award, regardless of its language and of the "drag" of reading subtitles", I thought. Much to my surprise, upon documenting myself a bit more on the French film I came to know that... well... it was a silent film!

Oh Oscar! Why ist thy love so afraid of losing itself in the exotic music of another language and culture?

And this takes me to the inevitable question made by numerous bloggers and media representatives in India each year. What shall it take for an Indian movie to score an Oscar? O skies, when shall proud and reasonable Oscar see the beauty and seductive charm of Bollywood's thick fluttering eyelashes and fall at her feet?

"Mother India", "Lagaan", "Salaam Bombay" and "Rang de Basanti" almost lured Oscar into Bollywood's arms but it was not to be. Each year, the country that is the world's largest producer of films sends some of its best work to the Academy only to lose the coveted statue. I am a firm believer in a lack of mutual cultural understanding. "Communication is the basis of any love relationship, my dears", I once said to Oscar sir and Bolly madam. Will they one day listen to my advice? 

The Academy seeks a good story by Western standards of a concise and rigorous script teamed with excellent acting and a good splash of realism that still succeeds in touching the audience's heart. Bollywood's tightest scripts usually have a couple of cracks that let escapism or unlikely developments seep through. Movies tend to be star-based (Indian films nominated by the Academy in the past have seldom been focused on a star). Fantasy and a mix of genres streamlined with romantic or musical item numbers generate more box office results than sheer realism in India. These strong differences between both tastes for cinema make it difficult to find a common ground.

As Indian films evolve and branch out into more and more different styles and as regional films gain in budget and continue to demonstrate the quality of their scripts, it is likely that an Indian film might conquer the Academy in the future. Then again, is a man (Oscar) who lacks interest in how things are done by others worth the while of a colourful, beautiful and thriving woman (Bolly madam)? Oscar baby, it seems like you also have a long way to go...

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A Brief Interaction with ASHUTOSH GOWARIKER

Today, the Bollywood Hungama site organized a chat with "What's Your Rashee?" director Ashutosh Gowariker, also known for blockbuster "Lagaan" and for "Jodhaa Akbar". The Cinema Hindi and English Box teams were able to get some questions across to him and this is what one of the most notorious Indian directors in the industry had to say.

C. H.: Hello Sir, how would you describe what it was like working with Sohail Sen on the 'What's Your Rashee' soundtrack (and singing on it)?

A. G.: It was wonderful to work with Sohail. His knowledge of the various forms of music including, folk music, Indian classical, Western classical and also world music was very helpful in creating the rich soundtrack of the movie. Also, he created tunes which did complete justice to each of the raashees! I hope you liked the songs...

C. H.: Priyanka Chopra is the first actor possibly in world cinema to play 12 different characters in a single movie. That is quite a challenge. What made you cast Priyanka?

A. G.: Quite simply becasue she is a fab actress. I have seen her right from her first film HERO and then in AITRAAZ where she plays a negative character. I believed that she will be able to bring nuances to each raashee girl, which she very beautifully did. I love her performance. Hope you agree with me!

C. H.: Up to "What's Your Rashee?", your movies had dealt with important subjects such as the struggle forsurvival (Lagaan), caste discrimination (Swades), religious tolerance(cohabitation) (Jodhaa Akbar). What persuaded you to direct a romantic comedy?

A. G.: I wanted to make a light hearted film. And i chose the genre of the romantic comedy because i have not made one before. Also, through the beautiful concept and story of Madhu Rye, I also wanted to touch upon the different raashees.

Read the complete chat on the Bollywood Hungama site soon.

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LAGAAN SOUNDTRACK REVIEW

This week the Aamir Khan Productions' film LAGAAN... Once upon a Time in India is 8 years old. Each year the highly informative and insightful BollywoodFan blog celebrates the film's anniversary. Cinema Hindi joins them in wishing the best known Indian epic throughout the world a very happy anniversary. Long live Lagaan!

Lagaan… The sheer sound of the word expresses the substance and the magnitude of Ashutosh Gowariker’s film, and truth be said, the soundtrack is as magnificent as the viewing experience.

Yes, thunder never sounded so human and humans never sounded so thunderous. The opening Ghanan Ghanan sets the tone for the film plot as clouds start to gather much to the joy of Champaner villagers, while an all-star rainbow of vocal hues makes its appearance on the music canvas: Alka Yagnik’s smoothness, Udit Narayan’s radiance, Sukhwinder Singh’s warmth, Shankar Mahadevan’s poignancy, Shaan’s zest. Considering myself a voice maniac, I never tire of savoring this song as a particularly luscious treat. However, concentrating solely on the voices would be a pity. Ghanan Ghanan also introduces a playful dafli, a droning synth, pounding drums and crystalline strings. This is the next best experience to actually feeling rain droplets falling on our ears!

Following such a magnificent opening, a rhythmic Mitwa progressively conveys courage and hope through the growing and exuberant use of bass drums, a deliciously folksy violin, a subtle ghatam and the lively use of wind instruments, an ektara and synth strings. Alka Yagnik’s deep voice and Udit Narayan’s uplifting timbre accurately reflect the song’s mood, adding strength to the respective scene in the film.

Radha Kaise na Jale is a particularly eloquent example of how A. R. Rahman’s orchestration talent can make listeners travel through time and space. With eyes closed, where else could this song take us? Well… the countryside, during Holi of course, where Krishna, Radha and the beautiful Gopis dance with the birds whistling in the background. Asha Bhosle’s teasing vocals particularly shine against bells galore, tabla, dandiya stick and a flute that guides her through the song, culminating the lovers’ mischievous interaction with a beautiful display of bhimpalasi raga.

O Rey Chhori features the film’s main trio, each singing their respective declarations of love and I must confess that I have rarely found a musical love triangle so interesting. The song’s forte lies in the transitions between an Eastern upbeat theme strewn with the sound of dry bells and light drums and a Western honey-sweet tune, complete with harp, violins and operatic voices. Javed Akhtar’s lyrics are equally expressive in both languages, with a noteworthy portrayal of Elizabeth’s romantic fantasies, making Vasundhara Das’ transparent interludes blend in beautifully with the main couple’s sweet talk.

What is left to be said of Chale Chalo, a classic that is capable of stirring the blood of any listener throughout the world, regardless of whether they understand Javed Akhtar’s otherwise brilliant lyrics? Humming, stomping, snapping, clapping, banging… even the cello and the dulcimer sound like percussions, chiming in to build up the Lagaan team spirit. The catchy song curiously seems to echo what the epic Lagaan film making experience must have been by reflecting the powerful magic of a joint belief in one goal, with A.R. Rahman himself giving this hymn its main voice.

The album suddenly moves into a softer note, mirroring Elizabeth’s prior declaration of love with a brief Waltz for a Romance. The track sounds exceptionally authentic, making us reminisce some of Hollywood’s most memorable Western classical and baroque-style film compositions.

The previous Western track gives way to its Indian counterpart as A.R. Rahman’s talent for devotional songs gives birth to the gem O Paalaanhare. Lata Mangeshkar is a brilliant choice for the song, given the purity of her voice. (The version of the song in the film includes Sadhana Sargam providing vocals for Gauri.) The bhajan builds up softly with a measured use of the tabla, cymbals and temple bells, ultimately falling into Udit Narayan’s soulful rendition of part of the Lagaan theme chorus. The moving melody elevates the soul in prayer, leading the listener to sympathize with the villagers’ plea.

The Lagaan main theme crowns this scintillating soundtrack with a perfect mix of grandeur and serenity… of East and West combined. I have no qualms in saying that I believe this track somehow captures the universal essence of music itself. Its brain stimulating melody, the combination of seemingly improbable instruments together in the same piece (sitar, cymbals and church organ, anyone?) nevertheless achieving amazing harmony... It is simply magnificent. R. Prassana’s spine tingling string arrangements deserve a special mention as they transport the listener to unprecedented heights. Anuradha Sriram’s voice gently brings us back to tranquility with her earthy and melodious hum, closing an absolutely monumental soundtrack.

The film Lagaan: Once upon a Time in India was certainly meant to become a landmark in Indian cinema. The challenge of composing an equally brilliant music was successfully achieved when the Mozart of Madras concocted this “sound feast”. Lagaan’s music contributed to make the film shine and vice versa, therefore both the film and its music are bound to continue gathering applause from viewers and listeners alike, regardless of their cultural and musical background.

This timeless tour de force by A.R. Rahman and his outstanding musical team (a special mention to the late H. Sridhar, sound engineer, who worked not only on the soundtrack but on the film’s sound in general) may be put up there with the very best soundtracks of all time, even several years after its release.

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