Being called a “Pataka” or a “Tandoori Murgi” to be gulped down with alcohol. Not being allowed to go out past 10pm. Unrealistic standards of beauty. Downright evil fairness commercials. Brands promoting silky, straighter hair. Rappers telling us that our waists need to be smaller and our heels higher. Random men on the street humming “Kaddu katega toh sab mein batega (When the pumpkin is cut, it is divided among all)“. 

Does the list end?

As a 21-year-old woman, born in a small town, who has grown up skinny and dark-skinned, I know exactly what these things do to the psyche of a young girl who doesn’t know any better.

Fortunately, I received an education, and, with that, empowerment. But what about the children who are not as privileged? I shudder at the thought that so many of them will grow up believing that they are not good enough because a fairness commercial says so. I’m scared at the possibility of young boys learning that harassment and stalking is as normal as portrayed by Bollywood Heroes on the big screen. Young boys need to be told that toxic masculinity and unhealthy persistence is not the way to “get” the girl they want.

Imagine the amount of potential that is wasted when young kids are being harassed on street. And why? Because some boy actually believes “Bhare bazaar baby, Kalle naa jaana nahi te shor mach jaayega. Harr koi aashiq tujhe tere ghar tak chhod kar aayega (In the crowded bazaar, baby, don’t go alone, Otherwise there will be a huge commotion. Every lover, will come to drop you back to your home).” Idolising Bollywood heroes is not new in our country.

You’d think this is some shady song from some shady movie. No, its not. It’s from a mainstream movie with Parineeti Chopra and Arjun Kapoor as the leads. It’s time that Bollywood takes responsibility for the power that it has. This needs to be looked at from the point of view of the younger demographic. In India, audiences are extremely impressionable. Maybe an educated audience will not go and watch a movie because it looks senseless, on the face of it. But who can ignore the fact that these movies still make it as box office hits? There are millions feeding on this sickening content.

At a time when people are openly calling out the episode of #KoffeeWithHardikPandya for it’s misogyny, with everything that happened with the Gillette advertisement, and with Yash Raj Films facing backlash on twitter for promoting a character’s clear harassment in the movie as amusing “antics”, it’s time for some big action to be taken.

It’s time we also take a step towards change.

I have taken mine and started a petition against this, #WomenNotObjects. Will you take a step too and sign it?

The post Not A ‘Pataka’ Or ‘Kaddu’: I’m Taking A Stand Against Bollywood’s Blatant Misogyny appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

कहते हैं कि कोई भी साहित्य और सिनेमा अपने समय के समाज का आईना होता है। यह बात सोलह आने सच है। हमें किसी भी वक्त के समाज और उसके राजनीतिक, धार्मिक, आर्थिक ढांचे, परिस्थितियों इत्यादि के बारे में जानना हो तो, उस वक्त का साहित्य और सिनेमा हमें उस वक्त में झांककर देखने का भरपूर मौका देता है। फिल्मों और साहित्य के माध्यम से किसी के जीवन का सच जनता तक पहुंचता है, बशर्ते वह पूर्वाग्रहों से ग्रसित ना हो अन्यथा यह देखने वाले को भ्रमित कर सकता है। उस समय के समाज के प्रति, व्यक्ति के जीवन-चरित्र के प्रति एक अलग अवधारणा बन सकती है। साहित्य की बात फिर कभी, आज बात फिल्मों की।

भारत फिल्म उद्योग का एक बड़ा स्थल है या यूं कहें कि फिल्मों के उत्पादन के मामले में भारत दुनिया का नबंर एक देश है, जहां प्रतिवर्ष लगभग 1600 फिल्में सभी भाषाओं में रुपहले पर्दे पर आती हैं। कुछ आती हैं, वो कीर्तिमान रचती हैं यद्यपि उनमें कोई बड़ा कलाकार नहीं होता फिर भी वह अपनी विषय वस्तु की वजह से टिकती हैं। कुछ बड़े कलाकारों के दम पर आती हैं और औंधे मुंह गिरती हैं। कुछ फिल्में ऐसी होती हैं जो अपनी विवादस्पद विषयवस्तु के कारण नाम कमाती हैं और उनका सीधा असर दर्शकों के मन-मस्तिष्क पर पड़ता है और वो सामाजिक माहौल को भी प्रभावित करती हैं।

आजकल भारत में एक नया ट्रेंड चल पड़ा है बायोपिक फिल्में बनाने का और यह काफी ज़ोर पकड़ रहा है। खास बात यह है कि यदि किसी व्यक्ति के जीवित रहते उसके जीवन पर फिल्म बनाई जाती है तो सम्भव है कि वह अपने मन मुताबिक उसमें परिवर्तन भी करा सकता है। फिल्मकार भी फिल्म निर्माण में थोड़ी लिबर्टी लेते ही हैं और फिल्म के शुरुआत में एक डिस्कलेमर जारी कर दिया जाता है कि यह किसी के जीवन से प्रेरित है अथवा कल्पना पर आधरित है।

फिल्म अगर किसी खिलाड़ी के जीवन पर आधारित है तब उतनी समस्याएं नहीं आती हैं पर अगर किसी राजनीतिक हस्ती या ऐतिहासिक नायक-नायिकाओं के ऊपर फिल्म बनाई गईं तो उसका विवादों में फंसना लगभग तय है। यह पॉलिटिकल बायोपिक फिल्में बाद में राजनीतिक माहौल गर्माने के काम आती हैं।

वर्ष 2014 में पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री डॉ. मनमोहन सिंह के आर्थिक सलाहकार रहे संजय बारु ने उनके जीवन, कॉंग्रेस में गांधी परिवार के साथ उनके सम्बन्धों और उनके भारत के प्राधनमंत्री बनने की परिस्थितियों पर एक किताब लिखी थी “द एक्सीडेंटल प्राइम मिनिस्टर”। तब उस किताब की विषय वस्तु को लेकर काफी विवाद हुआ था कि इसमें गलत तथ्य व घटनाओं को गलत तरीके से पेश किया गया है। थोड़ा हो-हल्ला होने के बाद माहौल शांत हुआ।

4 सालों तक लोगों ने किताब लेकर पढ़ी और अपने-अपने निष्कर्ष निकाले। अब 2018 में उसी किताब पर आधारित एक फिल्म भी आ गई जिसका नाम किताब के नाम पर ही “द एक्सीडेंटल प्राइम मिनिस्टर” है। यह फिल्म रिलीज़ हो चुकी है। फिल्म के ट्रेलर को भाजपा ने अपने ट्विटर हैण्डल से पोस्ट करते हुए पहला हमला बोला तो कॉंग्रेस में हड़कंप मच गई।

लोकसभा चुनाव के नज़दीक फिल्म का रिलीज़ होना राजनैतिक कदम तो नहीं

महाराष्ट्र के इंडियन यूथ कॉंग्रेस के प्रदेश अध्यक्ष सत्यजीत तांबे ने एक चिट्ठी लिखकर व वीडियो जारी कर कहा है कि फिल्म पहले उन लोगों को दिखाई जाये, यदि इसमें कुछ आपत्तिजनक तथ्य हों या घटनाओं को गलत ढंग से पेश किया गया हो तो उसे हटाया जाये। फिल्म में डॉ. मनमोहन सिंह का किरदार अदा कर रहे कलाकार अनुपम खेर जिनकी पत्नी किरण खेर चंडीगढ़ से लोकसभा सांसद हैं का कहना है कि फिल्म को पहले केंद्रीय फिल्म एवं प्रमाणन बोर्ड के समक्ष प्रस्तुत किया जा चुका है और वहां से फिल्म को प्रमाण पत्र भी मिल चुका है, इसलिए इसे किसी और से प्रमाणपत्र लेने की कोई आवश्यकता नहीं हैं, अभिव्यक्ति की स्वतंत्रता सभी को है।

केन्द्रीय फिल्म एवं प्रमाणन बोर्ड के अध्यक्ष गीतकार प्रसून जोशी हैं जिन्हें 2017 में इस पद पर बैठाया गया था। ध्यान देने वाली बात इस फिल्म का राजनीतिक पक्ष है कि फिल्म ऐसे समय में आई है जब लोकसभा चुनाव काफी नज़दीक है। यद्यपि फिल्में मनोरजंन के नज़रिए से बनाई जाती हैं पर कॉंग्रेस को डर है कि कहीं फिल्म में दिखाए पार्टी के स्याह पक्ष और डॉ. मनमोहन सिंह के पार्टी के साथ संबंध, उनका एक रिमोट कंट्रोल से हैण्डल होना इत्यादि चुनाव से पहले एक नकारात्मक महौल ना बना दे जो कि पार्टी के लिए घातक साबित हो। यह भी स्पष्ट है कि भाजपा इस फिल्म का उपयोग कॉंग्रेस पर वार करने के लिए एक हथियार के रूप में करेगी।

पहले भी बन चुकी हैं ऐसी विवादित फिल्में

यह पहली बार नहीं हैं जब किसी राजनीतिक व्यक्ति या ऐतिहासिक नायकों पर फिल्में बनी हो और उन पर बवाल काटा गया हो। इसकी एक लंबी फेहरिस्त है। वर्ष 1975 में गुलज़ार के निर्देशन में एक फिल्म बनी थी आंधी। जनता में यह चर्चा थी कि यह तत्कालीन प्रधानमंत्री इंदिरा गांधी के जीवन की घटनाओं पर आधारित है।

1975 के आपातकाल के दौरान इस फिल्म के प्रदर्शन पर कुछ समय के लिए प्रतिबंध भी लगाया गया था। 1977 के चुनाव में इंदिरा गांधी की हार के बाद जनता पार्टी ने प्रतिबंध हटाकर इसे प्रदर्शित कराया था। वर्ष 2017 में मधुर भण्डारकर द्वारा लिखित और निर्देशित इंदु सरकार 1975 से 1977 के आपातकाल पर आधारित एक ऐसी ही फिल्म थी। कॉंग्रेस समर्थकों ने इसका विरोध किया था और इंदौर में कॉंग्रेस-भाजपा समर्थकों में टकराव भी हुआ था। कॉंग्रेस समर्थकों का कहना था कि फिल्म में इंदिरा गांधी व उनके बेटे संजय गांधी को गलत ढंग से दर्शाया गया है। फिल्म पर बैन लगवाने के लिए संजय गांधी की कथित तौर पर बेटी प्रिया सिंह पॉल ने बाम्बे हाई कोर्ट से लेकर सुप्रीम कोर्ट तक का दरवाज़ा खटखटाया था पर फिल्म फिर भी प्रदर्शित हुई।

ऐतिहासिक फिल्मों पर भी होते रहे हैं बवाल

ऐतिहासिक नायकों पर भी ऐसी ही कई फिल्में बनी जो कि विवादों के घेरे में रहीं। जोधा-अकबर जो कि 2008 में आयी थी उसका कुछ मुस्लिम संगठनों ने जमकर विरोध किया था। वर्ष 2018 में आई फिल्म पद्मावत पर खूब बवाल हुआ। पहले इसका नाम पद्मावती था और यह मलिक मुहम्मद जायसी के महाकाव्य पद्मावत पर आधारित थी।

करणी सेना जैसे राजपूत संगठनों ने इसका यह कहकर विरोध किया था कि इससे उनकी धार्मिक भावनाएं आहत हुई हैं और उनके द्वारा राजस्थान में फिल्म के निदर्शेक संजय लीला भंसाली पर हमला भी किया गया था। विरोध को देखते हुए फिल्म का नाम बदलकर पद्मावती से पद्मावत कर दिया गया था। तब कॉंग्रेस ने अभिव्यक्ति की आज़ादी पर हमला बताया था। इस तरह की विवादित फिल्मों की फेहरिस्त काफी लंबी है। अभी हाल ही में महाराष्ट्र की राजनीतिक पार्टी शिवसेना के प्रमुख बाला साहब ठाकरे के जीवन पर आधारित फिल्म का भी ट्रेलर प्रदर्शित हुआ है, जिसको लेकर मराठी समाज काफी गौरवान्वित महसूस कर रहा है।

फिल्मों का उद्देश्य लोगों का मनोरंजन करना है, किन्तु आज के दौर में फिल्मों में राजनीति का घालमेल मनोरजंन की एक नई दिशा तय करता नज़र आ रहा है। फिल्मों के माध्यम से राजनीतिक पार्टियां एक ओर अपने विरोधियों पर पटाक्षेप करती हैं तो वहीं इसके माध्यम से राष्ट्रवादी दृष्टिकोण को भी और अधिक मज़बूत किया जा रहा है।

लोग फिल्म की घटनाओं को अपने जीवन से प्रत्यक्ष रूप से जोड़कर देखने लगते हैं तो उससे समाज का माहौल भी प्रभावित होता है। “द एक्सीडेंटल प्राइम मिनिस्टर” अभी राजनीतिक माहौल में कितने एक्सीडेंट करायेगी यह तो आने वाले कुछ दिनों में नज़र आ ही जायेगा किन्तु फिल्मों के माध्यम से अभिव्यक्ति की स्वतंत्रता का हवाला देते हुए आज जो झूठ फैलाया जा रहा है वह गलत है।

सिनेमाई पर्दे पर तीन घंटे के समय में किसी के चरित्र का मूल्यांकन कर दिया जा रहा है और जनता उसी को सच मान बैठती है। समाज और राजनीति को अपने अनुकूल बनाने के लिए सिनेमा का उपयोग एक बहुत बड़े हथियार के रूप में किया जा रहा है। अब सिनेमा सिर्फ मनोरंजन का साधन नहीं रह गया।

The post “फिल्मों में राजनीति का घालमेल राजनेताओं के लिए हथियार बन रहा है” appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Blood, bullets, and a badass female bodyguard form the heart of Netflix’s latest offering titled ‘Close’. Starring Noomi Rapace as a no-nonsense war veteran who is hired to protect a millionaire’s daughter, the film is marked by a few moments of undoubted brilliance and thrill, but falls way short of expectations owing to a predictable story line and a wafer-thin plot.

It is time to take a closer look at the film.

An Overview:

The film begins in a war-torn area, supposedly somewhere in the Middle-East. Sam (Noomi Rapace) is introduced as a headstrong and steadfast woman who doesn’t think twice before pulling the trigger. Her latest assignment sees her protecting Zoey (Sophie Nélisse), the daughter of a mining tycoon. After the death of her father, Zoey needs to be transported to her mother’s safe house in Morocco. Sam accompanies her to the safe house. It is here that things turn nasty. The intruders raid the safe house and kill most members of the security team along with the Head of Security. Sam is seen bashing the bad guys in her attempt to protect the rich brat. The rest of the film deals with how both of them join forces to take the bad guys by storm.

The Story

To be honest, the story looks quite predictable right from the beginning. There’s absolutely nothing new on offer. We have a stern and steadfast cop protecting a rich brat. Zoey doesn’t get along with Sam at first but warms up to her eventually. Sam does everything she can in order to protect her. The story also brings to light Sam’s softer, and an extremely vulnerable side. We are told that Sam got pregnant at 16 and had to abandon her child. Everything happens fairly quickly.  The bad guys are made to bite the dust as Sam uses her survival skills to good effect.  The story has blood, bullets, and brutality.

The Performances:

‘Close’ rests on Noomi Rapace’s brilliance. She is the axis around which the entire film rotates. The veteran does a commendable job and carries the entire film on her shoulders. She plays the quintessential action ‘hero’ and looks convincing and believable. Also, she doesn’t rely on dialogues and lets her hands and punches do the talking. There are sequences wherein you want to humanize with Sam.

Sophie Nélisse nails her part with relative ease. She plays a usual rich brat who doesn’t care much about life. Her life takes an unexpected turn after her father dies and leaves his billion-dollar mining business in her hands.

The likes of Indira Verma and others do not get much screen place. You cannot expect to have well-defined characters in a movie that has a run time of 95 minutes.

Direction:

Vicky Jewson has done a reasonably good job behind the camera. He has kept it tight and to-the-point. A 95-minute run time doesn’t give you much time to think. No frame appears unnecessary. As far as creativity is concerned, the director has nothing new on offer for the viewers but keeps the film’s essence intact.

The action sequences are a major highlight of the film. Much like the film’s lead character, the film is a no-nonsense action film and has some adrenaline-pumping fight sequences to keep you hooked. The film has a purpose, it has a tightly-knit story, but one has to say that the ending felt a bit rushed. All of it appeared a bit too easy and straightforward for Sam.

 The Verdict:

Simply put, watch ‘Close’ if you are a die-hard fan of the action-thriller genre. Also, Noomi Rapace’s stellar performance is enough to grab your attention. She holds the film together with effortless ease.

Rating: 3/5

The post ‘Close’ Review: Noomi Rapace Shines In This Film With A Predictable Plot appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

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On January 24, a report on the murder of a trans woman named Alka in Raipur, appeared in The Times Group’s ‘Mirror Now’. From its very headline to the last three words, it is one of the most offensive things that has appeared in the news recently.

Strike One: Deadnaming

The report identifies Alka’s name as an alias, calling her instead by her deadname Jaiprakash. A deadname is one that many trans people drop because it is associated with the gender assigned to them at birth and not the one that matches their true identity. Deadnaming Alka stripped her of her identity. Even in death her dignity was not respected. But wait, there’s more.

Strike Two: Calling A Trans Woman A Man

Trans women are women. Trans men are men. This is not up for discussion. To misgender a trans person is bad enough, but Mirror Now repeatedly calls Alka a man.

The headline contains the words “mistook him for a woman”. The wrong pronoun “him”. The writer does it again, saying that Alka’s murderers “[thought] that he was a woman due to his attire.” And yet again saying Alka had “cheated them and that he was a male”. I’ll say it again she was not a male. The last lines of the report read Alka “used to carry himself like a woman”.

Strike Three: The Image

Accompanying the article is the image of a deceased person, covered in a white shroud. The focus is on death. Victim. Tragedy. Not the perpetrators. The focus in media, traditionally, has been on the tragedy. Human interest, apparently. Not only is this a super triggering image, it also removes the attackers from the reader’s imagination. Also, dare I say the figure is a man?

Strike Four: ‘Eunuch’

In multiple places, Mirror Now calls her a ‘eunuch’, one of the most offensive terms for a trans person, meaning ‘a castrated male’. The term is born from an uneducated, vicious attitude towards trans people, and anyone with any sense has dropped it from their dictionary.

Strike Five: ‘A Transgender’

Noun. Not adjective. With the same ignorance as using ‘eunuch’, and he/him pronouns, the phrase rings with the idea that somehow a human being is an anomaly, a freak. Do we use ‘a cisgender’? Do we use ‘a heterosexual’?

Why, when trying to raise awareness about the violence trans people have to face, would you reinforce the same unempathetic, dehumanising, stereotypes idea that this violence is upheld by? Why publish this story without thinking the kind of effect it has on readers’ minds? Why do such a disservice to an already marginalised community? Why?

Dear Journalists, Get Smart!

It has taken ages for crimes against LGBTQ people to even be considered worth reporting. The rising frequency of these reports is devastating enough, but the way in which leading media houses present the details only adds insult to injury.

It’s true that many media houses lack the sensitivity you need to write about trans people. There are no training programmes to speak of. There is no discussion on how to write about LGBTQ+ people. As long as the curse of transphobic writing continues to plague media houses, there is little we can do to change society’s view of the community. And no, falling back on the same tragic stories of violence is not enough.

In the Mirror Now article, there is nothing to suggest responsible journalism or integrity.

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Cinema is fun. And cinema can make you think! So, here are clips from one of the greatest movies made recently. The video will make you reflect upon our core constitutional values, and how we use/abuse them in our everyday life. In the 70th year since the Constitution – Think. Reflect. Act

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We live in a country where Sita and Draupadi are idolized – not for their strength of character but for their submission to the male phallocentric order. This is a country where women are repressed, beaten, tortured, raped, mutilated, and killed every day for – well, being women!

Centuries of the ‘knowledge-power/power-knowledge’ discourse handed down by groups of entitled men who have interpreted religious texts and scriptures to serve their own twisted agenda have perpetuated a deeprooted, but a false sense of what is right and wrong, and what defines a man and what defines a woman. And what better way to instil this false consciousness but to have an entire society believe that the epitome of womanhood lies in the selfless sacrifices of female figures who are worshipped as goddesses across the country? But really, are images of women who have suffered relentlessly in the hands of presumptuous, power-seeking, false masculinity an ideal image? At least that is how they are made to appear.

Let us take a moment to look back at the two epic female characters that every child is made familiar with in India – the day he or she can start reading on their own. Sita, the beautiful, long-suffering wife of the dutiful Lord Rama, and an avatar of the Goddess Lakshmi, spent 14 years in exile because her husband had to keep his word. She was then abducted and imprisoned by the demon Ravana, until the time that she was saved by Rama, only to be asked to attest to her unwavering virtue by undergoing the agnipariksha, and then was banished to the forest while pregnant, following which she became a single mother to the twins Luv and Kush. Finally, she prayed to Mother Earth, to swallow her into the depths of the earth when upon meeting her Rama asked her, yet again, to step into the fire! Thus runs the popular version of the Ramayana, where Sita is the helpless damsel in distress forever having men decide her fate for her and always submitting to the unfair, unjust demands of society, and her highly principled husband.

In this version, Sita is the ideal Indian woman – a woman who dedicates her life and happiness to the whims of her husband, who puts dharma first, and who is selfless and understanding to the extent that she would willingly subject herself to the test of virtue, simply upon being instructed by her husband, and in order to maintain his image among his people. That is the image of Sita that every Indian man and woman bear in mind, the image of the victim who needed to be saved by the hero, the epitome of chastity and love. Yet, how many of us see the sheer strength in her character — the steely determination required to stand by your love despite his seeming lack of faith, to bring up two young kids on one’s own, and to finally put one’s foot down, instead of begging and submitting? How many of us see her as an inspiration for the empowered woman, the woman who chose or not chose to do certain things. Very few indeed, since we are conditioned to see her in a certain light – as the woman who suffered, and who got worshipped for that. Very interestingly, reiterations of her story seem to cleverly gloss over the part where she left Rama – focusing only on her vulnerability and helplessness.

Take Draupadi, for instance. The epitome of the tortured woman – yet another icon of Indian womanhood. From being instructed by Lord Krishna on whom to marry, to getting ‘equally divided’ among her husband and his four brothers, to being pawned in a game of chess as a goat or a mule by one of her husbands, to being molested and de-robed in a hall full of the gatekeepers of dharma, to having all her five children killed mercilessly in the dark of the night – the list of her suffering is endless.  And, it is in her commodification and victimization, we are told, that her sacrifice, and therefore, her greatness lies. The violence against her, for violence it is – both emotional and physical—is glorified; she suffers and to avenge her suffering, her husbands, who ‘share her’ like she was a piece of cake, go to battle. Some even see her as a seductress, and not in a good way, sexualizing her – presumably because she was forced to sleep with more than one man, and because the very society that forced her to do so apparently gets the license to call her a whore.

Draupadi does suffer, but she does not suffer silently. She does not hang her head in shame, but scratches and kicks her way through, questioning the dubious morality and double standards of the so-called elders who kept their mouth shut in the face of the bestial treatment she is made to endure. She stands up for herself when clearly all the king’s men and all the king’s horses fail to do so. She is a formidable force within the epic, not a woman to be pitied but to draw inspiration from. Yet, for the bulk of the masses, she is either a victim or an enchantress, not the fearless feminine that she was.

Ours is a society steeped in traditions idolizing female figures who are shown to be powerless and weak. It is time we changed the way we read our epics, it is time we re-imagined them not only in scholarly articles or expensive novels but for the masses. For as long as we bow our heads in reverence to stories of women being tortured, and worship sagas of violence committed repeatedly against women, the perpetrators of crime will always have an excuse to fall back upon, to flaunt their depraved, insecure masculinity, and violate millions of Sitas and Draupadis that are born in every Indian home. There is no ‘Indian’ feminine or masculine. There is only human.

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Gully Boy is surely a revolutionary album in terms of the long term effects it would have on the music landscape of our country. Hip-Hop was meant to be a rebellious art form and that’s exactly what the soundtrack of this movie accomplishes. Songs like ‘Azaadi’ and ‘Jingostan’ by the underrated gem ‘Dub Sharma’ are anti-establishment considering their politically charged lyrics and may put off many of those who are overtly nationalistic in their world view.

But the most interesting aspect of this album is not its music but its music label. It is owned by ‘Zee Music’ whose parent body ‘Zee Media’ is headed by ‘Dr. Subhash Chandra‘, a dedicated philanthropist who also happens to be a close aide and supporter of PM Narendra Modi. Now, this is a very curious thing to explore as the current government’s rule has been marked by silencing the voices of the people, and this album has songs which does anything but that.

The term ‘Jingoism’ (which has gained a lot of traction under this regime), which means aggressive nationalism promoted by an organization in a country, is actually openly promoted by our government. The song ‘Jingostan’ openly mocks this term and ramifications on the society. Same goes with the song ‘Azaadi’, which is derived from the famous Kanhaiya Kumar speech in JNU in the year 2016.

One needs to wait out and see how things pan out. But it also needs to be appreciated that a creative company is not impacted by the political leanings of its chairperson. I hope this conflict of interest will not lead to any sort of negative impact on the release of this film as this is an album which is relevant to our times and also brings forth an exciting genre of music which has been ignored for a long time. This voice of the streets, and the real music of the streets, needs to be heard and celebrated.

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“Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi” is the story of a fierce woman who fought till her last breath. Everyone knows about Rani Laxmi Bai, her stories are quite famous among Indians. Bravery, intellect, and fierceness, are all words synonymous with Manikarnika and this movie justifies each one of the adjectives used for the great lady.

This epic saga based on the backdrop of the Revolt Of 1857 is directed by Kangana Ranaut and Krish, stars Kangana Ranaut in the lead role; and she is the soul of the movie. Her marvelous dialogue delivery, charged up action scenes, love for her loved ones and hate for her enemies, act as essential spices required to make an amazing cuisine. Don’t be shocked if Kangana gets another national award in her kitty. I must say if perfection had a face, it would be Kangana Ranaut, if power had a face, it would be Kangana Ranaut, if valor had a face, it would be Kangana Ranaut.

Apart from Kangana Ranaut, Jisshu Sen Gupta and Ankita Lokhande did justice to their roles. Lokhande’s dialogue “tadap tadap” and her dance are fabulous, and I have never seen such a great debut of an outsider in Bollywood in the recent times. Other supporting actors including Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Danny, Mishti, Unaati and Vaibhav have supported the film in the best way possible. According to me, the movie could have been edited well. Some scenes were lengthy but who wouldn’t want to watch the queen for 10 more minutes! I can watch her for my whole life, Kangana was looking that beautiful.

Gripping screenplay written by KV Vijayendra Prasad doesn’t allow you to blink your eyes even for a second. Clap worthy dialogues written by Prasoon Joshi add more stars to the film. “Laxmi vidhva hui hai, meri Jhansi Abhi suhagan hai,” fills the theater with cheers. Songs and rich background music make scenes more enchanting. “Bharat ye rehna chahiye” will rule in celebrations of patriotic events. Manikarnika has every ingredient of a successful film. This movie is the antar aatma of every proud Indian and is above records.

The movie has garnered great reviews and the audience is loving it. In the cinema hall I went to, everyone was sitting even after the last scene – people were that shocked and moved by the movie. In short, this movie is a must watch and Kangana brings back to life the legendary Rani Laxmi Bai, and she will live in our hearts forever, now with the face of Kangana Ranaut.

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Films like “Uri”, “The Accidental Prime Minister” and “Thackeray” have made a brazen attempt to influence voters before the 2019 General Elections. All three movies are helmed by people connected to politics in one way or another.

Uri: The Surgical Strike

BJP MP Paresh Rawal plays NSA Ajit Doval in the film. The catchphrase ‘New India’ has been used several times in the movie, which has been mouthed by PM Narendra Modi on various public platforms. It is basically Modi’s version of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s ‘Shining India’. The phrase is of course accompanied with a background score crescendo and close-ups of key government figures.

The Accidental Prime Minister

Veteran actor Anupam Kher, the husband of BJP MP Kiran Kher and a well-known sympathizer of the government in power, features in and as the Accidental PM. The movie takes its name and the basic plot from the book written by Dr. Sanjay Baru, the media advisor of PM Manmohan Singh during UPA 1.

Dr. Baru has already stated that the movie is not an apt portrayal of the book. In fact, several major scenes in the movie are not even part of the book. He also concedes that some fringe scenes in the book have been taken as the undertone to exaggerate the servile behaviour of PM Manmohan Singh towards Congress Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. Those who have not read the book and would just form their opinion after watching the movie could end up with a highly skewed idea of the functioning of UPA.

When the book first came out just before the 2014 General Elections, BJP scored a lot of brownie points while the Congress had to face embarrassment. Now, almost five years later on the eve of the General Elections, it has popped up once again. The BJP even tweeted it from its official handle. Surprise, surprise!

Thackeray

Thackeray is as out there a film as it can get. Co-written and co-produced by Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut, the film makes no effort to offer a justification on the allegations against Shiv Sena founder and supremo Bal Thackeray.

On the contrary, it owns up to the charges of sparking communal tension, using force to disrupt law and order and using violent means in support of both the Marathi language and people. Quite hilariously, tight shots of Thackeray are often punctuated with a roar, thereby suggesting that the man was nothing less than the ‘king’ of the state.

The movie end with a ‘to be continued’ note which means that some more cleanup job might well be in the pipeline. The makers of the film understand that aggressive Hindutva will translate into more votes in the 2019 elections.

Bottom Line

Now, you don’t need to be a distinguished intellectual to smell propaganda in these movies. The elections are approaching and a clear effort is being made to glorify particular political groups in order to draw electoral benefits.

A mere note that characters shown in the movie are fictitious and have no connection to reality is not enough. There is a clear need for more regulations to help the audience differentiate between what is art and what is plain propaganda.

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If one Bollywood actress Esha Gupta remains apologetic for making racist remarks against the Nigerian footballer Alexander Iwobi by saying that she did not “realise it was directed towards racism,” another actress Isha Kopikar looks pretty high-spirited in the midst of joining the ruling BJP. She does not feel as bad as we see it in the case of the first Bollywood actor.

It can be said that the Bollywood stars’ first and favourite preference is the saffron BJP despite adverse blustery weather. She made it easy to accept the party’s membership through the day as the politicians went about their business.

Kopikar recently joined the BJP in the capacity of a working president of the party’s women transport wing, and it looks like she found herself honoured there. The party men presumably saw her entry into the party as an extra addition in the list of film stars working for the party’s prosperity day in and day out.

After a couple of months of rapt concentration, spicy notes and opinionated murmurs across the politicians’ arena she finally decided to make way into the field. She did not know if anyone had presumed what she was undertaking. No one had made any remark or observation even tenuously referencing her political strategy, she just kept going and joined the BJP.

Others were surprised she did it because the party’s door was opened for her addition and she did not altogether care of what anyone could have reacted at her strong-willed decision. Well, the choice definitely made her day a whole lot better than the previous bygone days. She could not bear to look at another political party. It seemed to be her special selection.

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Buddhism is one of the main religions in the world in terms of adherence, geographical distribution and socio-cultural influence.

Born as an Eastern religion, Buddhism is seeking an influential and popular foot in the West. It is unique in its genre, as has some similar elements to Hinduism, such as karma (ethic on cause-effect) and maya (the cycle of reincarnation). Buddhists believe that the purpose of life is to achieve enlightenment.

The founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama, was born in India in 563 BCE. Being rich, he lived in a luxurious way, considered little the world around. His parents wanted to preserve him from the suffering of the outside world and did not want him to be influenced by any religion.

However, one day he has a vision of a corpse, an old man and a patient. He had a fourth vision of an ascetic priest who was serene because he had abandoned luxury. Seeing the serenity of the priest, he decided to become an ascetic. He abandoned his life of well-being and sought enlightenment through austerity and used to do intense meditations. He became a leader for others. An event in his life is culminating.

One day, sitting under a sacred fig tree, called a Bodhi tree, he decided that he would meditate until he achieved enlightenment; even to death, if necessary. After temptations and travails, he reached enlightenment. After this awareness, he began to teach his followers, among whom five became his first disciples.

What did Gautama discover? Lighting is a middle way, not an extreme luxury. He also discovered four noble truths: 1) to live is to suffer (dukha), 2) suffering is caused by desire (tanha, or “attachment”), 3) suffering can end in eliminating the passions to which one is attached 4) and this can be achieved by following a noble path. The noble path takes place in having 1) a right vision, 2) a right intention, 3) a good dialogue, 4) right actions, 5) being a priest, 6) commitment to the right things, 7) meditation and 8 ) concentration (focusing). The teachings of Buddha were in the “Tripataka”; or “three baskets”.

In common with Hinduism there are: reincarnation, karma, maya and the tendency to understand reality with a pantheistic orientation. Buddhism also offers an elaborate theology of divinity. Like Hinduism, Buddhism has particular visions on the idea of divinity. Classical Buddhism is not expressed on the divine figure and is therefore atheist.

Today’s Buddhism is different. It can be divided into two groups: Theravada (small vase) and Mahayana (large vase). It is a monastic form that reserves enlightenment only for priests, while for the other group it can also be reached by the laity – Tendai, Zen, Ryobu, Shingon, Nicheren and others.

The Buddha did not consider himself a deity. Rather, a person is needed to show the way to others. After his death, some considered him a deity, although not all his followers consider him such.

In the Bible, it is written that sin is a problem that has eternal consequences on man. In Buddhism, however, there is no need for a savior. For a believer, Jesus is the only one who can save the world from eternal damnation. For the Buddhist, there is only one vision that includes an ethically correct life and a centrality of meditation that leads to enlightenment and then to nirvana. To achieve this, many reincarnations are needed to pay for the debt with karma.

It is a religion of moral and ethical philosophy, which includes a life of renunciations. Reality is impersonal and there is no love. God is seen as an illusion and sin as a non-moral error. In this way, our personality becomes an illusion again.

It does not consider creation, because for them there is neither beginning nor end. There is instead an infinite cycle of birth and death and suffering.

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About “Afzana”

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The sun was shining on the last weekday of the first month of the fresh year. Taking advantage of the warm weather, I decided to spend 26 minutes of my time viewing a short film called “Khatoon Ki Khidmat“. I discovered it was more akin to Doordarshan’s drama “Hawa Mahal”.

It can’t be termed either a comic movie or a stimulating one. A few scenes are very impressively, naturally, and authentically depicted. When the character of the wife constantly avoids her husband, the poor, disturbed spouse finds no viable way to pacify his upset wife. She wasn’t even afraid of threats of talaq (divorce) or a husband saying he would eat poison. She would not relent or change her mind until her husband fulfilled her demand for a television set in the house. His sincerity had no direct impact on her. It was his overly-silent, deathly-pale face which expressed everything without uttering even a single word.

After that, she always reserved a harsh look for him. He felt every lash of her tongue and heard every little verbal explosion, fearful that his father would catch them. Despite the nagging and pesky attitude of his ‘better half’, he chastely admired her beautiful curves.

She softened only after the television set was bought by him, but it remains hidden at some secluded spot away from the father-in-law’s sight. Najma, the wife, goes to see the newly-bought television set which undoubtedly paves the way for the husband’s gratification.

In one scene, the distressed husband stands in front of an electronic shop selling the television. Looking at his miserable position, the shopkeeper even offers him a discount on his purchase. What remains the most adorable scene is this married son’s respect for his father. This is no longer seen in the Indian household nowadays.

The son dares not buy the television set owing to his father’s complete refutation. But prior to the film’s end, both the husband and the wife create such a drama that the old father finally obliges his daughter-in-law. Short-statured character Subedar also delights the viewers as his suggestions to the disturbed husband remain an important part of the story in some or other way. When this clever neighbour comes to meet the husband’s father, his conversation presents uncomfortable situations for the hero. It was he who concealed the television set at some isolated place. Their happiness dwindles when, later, they find the hidden television was stolen by none other than Subedar! It was a tormenting moment for the husband and wife as their whole fight was built around this item.

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“Do these five things and your life will change“; “Top ten self improvement tips for a successful life” or “This morning routine can bring you success“. We read such blogs, watch videos and listen to podcasts almost on all platforms these days. Self improvement industry is a booming 10 billion dollar industry. It has made celebrities out of common people almost overnight. All it takes to become a self improvement guru is a well written speech adorned with motivating high pitch music and if it’s a video then a roaring lion at the end!

I understand that a non-profit TED gives platform to people to share their experiences about their lives. But that does not change anyone’s life. One such speech might boost your morale or motivate you but it cannot change your life unless you work towards it. You have to include tips from such talks in your life to earn what you dream for.

What do self improvement videos tell you? Suggestions to wake up early or read books is nothing new. Discipline is something our parents have always preached us about and reading was always called a great habit. Visualization of goals might be a new thing but optimism and hopes for a better future was something we were always told about.

There is no harm in reading self help books. But we need to carve our own path, work consistently towards our goals and follow rules which are in the best of our interest. A Radio Jockey pulling off a late night show need not wake up early to become successful. Reading books can give us perspectives but not the patience to overcome bad situations. Dedication, patience or consistency need to be developed over the years.

Success is a subjective issue, so are the ways to succeed. Hacks cannot yield uniform results for everybody and that is what this industry does not acknowledge. Self help books or videos reiterate things that we know since ages. We just need to follow them. Also goals can be achieved through proper strategy, which can never be the same for everybody.

Featured image source: Wikimedia Commons

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“Jab sarkaarein badalti hain, toh sabse pehle badalta hai syllabus, aur phir badalta hai media.” (Meaning: When governments change, the first thing that changes is syllabus and then it is the media.)

Lovers of History, Politics, Philosophy, films and Economics, unite!

Today, we are going to attempt to dissect the current political scenario, in terms of films. First off, if you’ve been paying attention to that which is currently going on in the country, in terms of cinema, the past few releases have been very desh-bhakti inducing, specifically films such as “Uri” and “Thackeray” or even “Manikarnika”; the kind which, when you leave the theatre, leave you with a sense of pride and happiness and raging hormones of ‘josh’. On the other hand, films like “The Accidental Prime Minister” make you believe we are currently in very good hands.

Now, I’d thought of writing about this article a while ago, and came to the conclusion that in order to refute, one must research first. Hence, I went to watch these films. Hence, although the views presented in this article are personal, they are backed by evidence. I have not watched “Manikarnika” and “The Accidental Prime Minister” yet, and so I will only limit this article to “Uri” and “Thackeray”.

In the most recent decision of the Supreme Court, playing the National Anthem before a film starts was deemed not compulsory. In their judgement, they said playing the National Anthem is unnecessary in a cinema hall as people go there to enjoy a film, and because it also curbs personal freedom. Playing the national anthem in theatres at the end of the film was given up some three decades ago in most parts of the country, largely as a result of the tendency of a section of the audience to walk out. To reintroduce it now gives the impression that cinemas should forever be the main sites for the demonstration of patriotism.

Matters such as commercial exploitation and dramatization of the anthem cannot be the subject of blanket interim orders in a public interest petition. This is not something that can be enforced by judicial diktat, or by making cinema halls the playground for a misplaced sense of patriotism. Nonetheless, this theatre did play the anthem because furniture is expensive and no one wants to be called anti-national.

Movie One Starts. This Is “Uri”

Now, don’t take me wrong, I understand the surgical strike was necessary, I applaud the precision of the attack, and the danger faced by the army. I agree that India as a nation must never start a fight, but have the courage to finish it. It is a great film, I love the music, the actors did a fine job, it’s all smiles and grins until you actually put this into perspective.

For starters, was the surgical strike necessary? Yes. Have we done similar operations in the past? Yes. What sets this event apart, in that case? For starters, never before did the ruling government take credit for an army operation of such kind. Why do you think they took complete and absolute credit?

I believe the then political scenario had something to do with this. The strike was done on September 29, 2016. The year had started with the suicide of Rohith Vemula, which sparked a sense of hostility in the citizens, just a while before this, the Goods and Services Tax had been launched in the country, which was not accepted with the enthusiasm expected, an Indian Air Force aircraft went missing and all aboard were assumed dead; the point I am trying to make is, a lot of turmoil was plaguing the nation. What do you do when things are going astray and you feel people are losing faith in you? You make one move that would make them forget, or temporarily bring you back in focus.

See, the main strength of this government, which made them win the 2014 elections, was that they had in their pockets, the ace called PR. Everything they did was portrayed in a light of love for the nation. We are a land of emotion, things like these stir us. But, what happens when people with such ideology and hunger for power start to run your country? You’re suddenly left wondering why half of your educated population feels claustrophobic, why a country which has regularly boasted about being a diverse nation is suddenly changing names of its cities, or why religious institutions are broken down and sentiments are hurt through just words, why riots break out every now and then, the grower of crops is starving; but somehow, this man with the rags to the riches story is only getting credit and appreciation.

You start to wonder what kind of a world you live in where similar thinking people are powerful enough to run nations at large. It only goes on to show that the world is not in good hands, and things need to change.

The General Elections are approaching. When I ask people who they would vote for, they say “things could be worse.” What I don’t understand is, why are we okay with the state we are in, only when we compare it to worse?

Movie Two: “Thackeray”

By the time I got to movie two, which was Thackeray, I was only wondering why someone as ‘woke’ as Nawaz would do this. But you have to admit, commercializing sentiments of a seeming majority will always fetch good money, and you have to be stupid to reject such an offer.

Now, Bal Thackeray was a cartoonist who was upset that the Marathi manus wasn’t getting his due in his own city, and wanted to shoo the strangers away. How did he do this? He launched a weekly, which said if you have to, use violence but get your right. Later, he formed the Shiv Sena, which initially was done to secure justice for one section of society, but eventually went astray from its path. The man, in court, makes a great speech about how one must not believe in democracy because what has democracy done for us all this while. He seems proud of the fact that his boys went ahead and tore down the Babri Masjid because people told him that was Ram’s birthplace. When asked for evidence, he says, why would a bhakt lie? Call me paranoid, but am I the only one who sees a problem with this attitude and mentality?

Problems don’t solve themselves. They require effort, and patience, an open mind. Taking up arms and intimidating/killing the enemy is as futile as the saying the purpose of war is peace. Being a powerful, relatable orator makes one powerful, because if you can move someone emotionally, you can make them do anything. We need to make this our strength, and educate, not exploit.

In conclusion, the elections are approaching. We have, in the past, forgotten and forgiven our wrongdoers. Let’s not do this again. Let’s please work towards fixing this mess, and let’s start now.

All my support to anyone who works for social empowerment and upliftment, but I think we don’t really need to talk in favor of the unempowered- we just need to pass the mic.

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It goes without saying that popular Hindi cinema serves as a medium to convey cultural meaning and identities. For over a century now, commercial Bollywood cinema has been a primary agent of socialisation for the masses, transmitting, reiterating and reinforcing stereotypes about gender roles, behaviours and identities. Women have been, and still are, objectified, and are glamourised on a canvas to satisfy the ‘male gaze’. With time, men too have been sexualised, but women continue to remain central to on-screen titillation.

In this respect, Manikarnika carves a new niche in Hindi cinema. For, this is a woman who titillates not just with her superficial glamour, but with sheer intellect, shrewd statesmanship and bravery, quite beyond imagination.

As a film, Manikarnika disappoints. This is a film that is structured solely to glorify a persona, and not to narrate the story of a life. From the very first frame, we know that Manikarnika is not a woman like any other, for she hunts tigers all by herself, not to kill but to save. Then off she rides into the distance, with her pallu trailing behind her, which tells us that while she is fierce, she is still vulnerable.

At any rate, she is not to be toyed with. But as the film progresses, the script takes a backseat, as it so often does in commercial cinema, and the spectacle takes over, so much so, that by the end of the film, we know very little about Rani Laxmi Bai, except for what we already knew from our textbooks and myths that spoke of the legend of the Rani of Jhansi. What we do know though, is that she is the mortal representation of the Goddess on earth, a force so powerful that her very thought makes pompous officers of the British military break into cold sweat in the middle of the night.

Some might point out that Manikarnika is a glorification of the woman, the actor embodying the character. There is truth in that, for sure enough, every frame in the film is constructed to emphasise the hero, catapulting her into a demi-god status. And while the heroism might have come at the cost of what could have been a rich, well-researched biopic, it does not fail to inspire.

As the queen slashes her way through a number of British soldiers single-handedly and stands in front of an idol of Kali, she infuses into the actor playing her, rather than the other way round. Here is a clear statement – Kangna is quite literally the Rani of Jhansi, and members of the film industry better beware. But statement or not, she motivates, and takes feminism in popular cinema to a different level altogether.

Star-worship is an intrinsic part of the Indian culture. It is the lifeblood that makes cinema in this country as strong an opiate of the masses, like religion or cricket. While the idolising of an actor, who is also the director of the film, could be problematic on some level, the fact remains that for once, here is a film where the hero stands tall, towering over the actors, and indeed dominating the script as a whole, and that hero is a woman.

We have seen quite a few women over the past decade or so, who have driven the popular film narrative single-handedly, not relying on men to be their raison d’etre. Actors like Tabu, Vidya Balan, Rani Mukherjee, Kangna Ranaut, Anushka Sharma, and Priyanka Chopra have experimented with roles in women-centric plots, yet, a lot of these films have not been commercial per se, leading the common man on the street to equate women-led narratives with parallel rather than popular.

Manikarnika is a clear break from that pattern, for it does not pretend to be anything more than commercial. It is meant to be larger than life, a feminised Bahubali if you will, with a stunning woman, and her loyal battalion of female followers, leading from the front. A better script would have brought the audience down to its knees, but maybe, just maybe, we can forgive the amateurish handling of the film, to look at the larger picture.

Bollywood, that reaches out to millions of people around the world, and what is the main means of culturally educating, at least, the urban and the rural-urban masses in this country, desperately needed an uncompromising female hero to penetrate into the popular psyche; for too long have we bowed down to the macho man with the bulging muscles, or the misogynist hero with the stylised swagger. Kudos to Manikarnika for giving us a different mental image!

The post Why Manikarnika Is The Uncompromising Female Hero Bollywood Needs appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Democracy is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. It suggests the formation of a government elected by the people to work for the country. The essential element of a democratic government is an active dialogue between the people and the government. So who helps the government connect with the masses?  Media plays an important role in the functioning of a healthy democracy ensuring that issues of the masses reach the government and people’s voices do not go unheard. But has media been doing this lately?

Media’s Role In A Democracy

For any government in power, it’s important that they work for the people and not for personal benefits. Press conferences and interviews done by the media agencies continuously ask questions to the people in power on behalf of the public and make sure that their intentions are well known to the masses. Media off late has been promoting people’s active participation too, the best example being citizen journalism. For a democracy to survive, citizens need to be connected with the government. Problems of the people need to reach the centre to ensure that the dialogue is continuous and the pressure on the government is always there. Democracy is only practised when the participation of the masses is ensured, and their issues are always in the mainstream.

Can Media Manipulate The Masses?

Media is considered the fourth pillar of democracy, but in recent times malpractices by certain sections of the media have undermined the spirit of democracy. Walter Lippman in his theory about public opinion said that people construct their ideas of the world through images they get through media. So media can construct a reality through images they provide. A theory given by Plato termed as the ‘allegory of the cave’ also talks about the perception of the world through wrong senses or images. Media can manipulate the masses by the images they give; it can control what we think and how we think by giving us images that are far away from reality. Here the role of media becomes dangerous as such things can lead to false perceptions.

This proves media doesn’t serve the spirit of democracy which in turn is very dangerous. Many theories like Magic Bullet and Propaganda theory by Herman-Chomsky suggest that media doesn’t control what we think, but it tells us what to think about. Let’s try to analyze the last point that media can’t dictate us what to believe but it can tell us what to think about. Many issues related to farmers and other oppressed minorities are an ongoing debate point in this country, but how often do we find them in the mainstream coverage?

Maybe in some bulletins but the gravity of the crisis calls for prime time discussions and debates. Instead what we get is live dramas on TV about mandirs and masjids. Here media doesn’t really tell you what to think, but it surely distracts you from pressing issues looming large over the country. Distancing the masses from reality is a potential threat to democracy. Media should not act as PR agents of the government but as analysts of government policies and report it to the public in all honesty. Media’s role should be to report without bias and let the public form opinions without trying to steer them in any direction.

Is Internet Helping The Cause Of Democracy

The emergence of new media has changed the existing scenario of consumption of news/information by the public. With the ever-increasing reach of the internet, the monopoly of knowledge and information is now in the hands of people. Data is the new treasure. It is also helping in establishing a direct connection between the government and the people. All ideologies get space on the social media without discrimination – which helps in creating a good environment for a democracy to flourish. Feedback system for media has improved, and now the audience participates in decision-making actively. If used correctly, new media is turning out to be a good addition to the current media scenario. All dominant media houses are now aiming for a substantial online presence to ensure good reach. People now are always updated about the current news through apps on their phones and do not rely on prime time news or daily newspapers.

Problems new media is creating 

Though new media has established a healthy environment for equal participation, it has also caused a few problems. The attention span of readers now is very questionable as they tend to move on from stories quite quickly. So new media outlets are trying to woo the audience through clickbait, and yellow journalism is also on the rise. For example, a story on Taimur Ali Khan gets more views than a story about a farmer suicide these days. Yellow journalism is the fulfill source of income for many outlets and they have no other choice. The culture of trolling which has been on the rise also holds back people from expressing themselves freely.

Make Media Great Again!

Democracy gives voice to people from all walks of life – people with various ideologies – reflecting the diversity of our country. It empowers the masses and encourages us to fulfil the duties given to us to make our land great. And media helps us connect with people in power. Accountability of the government is a must for a country like ours and it’s media’s responsibility to ensure it at all given times.  I would like to conclude by throwing light on the fact that it’s high time we make our media great again!

The post Distancing The Masses From Reality Is A Potential Threat To A Democracy appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Hindi cinema has been quite successful at unraveling the overarching meaning of love. Love is an emotion that transcends boundaries of the temporal life and resides in eternity. While this definition may seem arbitrary, Shelley Chopra Dhar’s Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Asia Laga tweaks it with utter ease. 

Set in the cozy locales of Punjab and Delhi, the film has all the elements of so-called normalcy. A girl named Sweety is extremely passionate about life, but is shown to be running away from something. Something that holds dear to her heart. While the world around her is unaware of her personal turmoil, relationships with her are conceived, with and without consent. Sahil, who helps Sweety escape the groping shackles of her brother Babloo, who is aware of her dear secret, develops affection towards her. Little do they know, that they are about to change the social dynamic in their own little way. 

All this starts from the drunk show that Sahil puts up where Sweety, angered with forced matchmaking by her family, breaks into tears, as she divulges her soft corner for Kuku – a girl and an unexpected acquaintance, for whom she has endured mockery and embarrassment. The beauty of this disclosure is, that it brews in the form of diary scribbles and transcends to a gentle talk at a Gurudwara, thereby almost sanctifying Sweety’s orientation. The fact that she hardly overdoes her emotions, makes it seem almost organic. 

Sahil’s friendship is cathartic for her. The director illicitly, yet magically, captures the essence of Sweety’s tussle between rationale and feelings through the concise, yet deep, encounters of herself and Sahil. On one hand, she is the stereotypical, thoughtful daughter who puts her conservative family first, while on the other, she does not intend to sacrifice her happiness under social pressure. 

However, as hard as this revelation is, the family accepts her shortly after the ‘shock’. The very charade of the play at the end punctures the idea of family, where the freedom of being oneself is prohibited, the bond between Sweety and her father surpasses the common father-daughter equation, as selflessness stands paramount. With a predictable plot like this, Dhar brushes off the notion of shame attached to homosexuality. The very natural reaction of a daughter hiding something from her father translates into trust and honest commitment. This stands as a contrast to the futile stance of ‘normalcy’ many of us like to cover ourselves with, even though it sometimes kills our truest self. 

Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga inspects every instance in life, right from childhood, and its influence to inject honesty in an era of masquerades. The fact that humans often go too far creating clear distinctions in personalities jeopardizes the existence of humanity. Therefore, such aspect treads beyond social acceptability. Hence, the film comes off as a fresh breeze, one of its kind, as traces of same-sex intimacy have also been observed in Kapoor and Sons (2016) and Heroine (2012) but not in as great depth.

Visceral performances by particularly Sonam Kapoor, Rajkummar Rao, and Anil Kapoor render a lasting impression and are groundbreaking in their own ways. Lastly, the subtle background score and musical snippets, including a popular melody of the 90s, fuel the ‘feel’ in this ‘love story’ while ‘letting love be’ at the same time. 

The post ‘Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga’ Lets Love Be, And How! appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

हिंदी सिनेमा में बायोपिक का चलन इन दिनों ज़ोर पर है। आज का ज़माना बायोपिक का ज़माना है। हर मिज़ाज की बायोपिक बन रही है। दर्शकों की च्वाइस का बेहतरीन दौर चल रहा है। अभिजीत पानसे की ‘ठाकरे’ इसी सिलसिले की नवीनतम कड़ी है।

अभी कुछ दिन पहले ही मनमोहन सिंह पर आधारित ‘द ऐक्सिडेंटल प्राइमिनिस्टर’ रिलीज़ हुई थी, कंगना रनौत की ‘मणिकर्णिका’ रिलीज़ हुई है। इन सबके साथ ही नवाजु़द्दीन सिद्दीकी अभिनीत ‘ठाकरे’ साथ-साथ सिनेमाघरों में रिलीज़ हो गई। शिवसेना के नेता संजय राउत ने फिल्म बनाई है। पार्टी के सेवक द्वारा पार्टी के मुखिया पर फिल्म से उम्मीद कम की जाती है, यह श्रेष्ठ बायोपिक बनने की राह में रोड़ा बन जाती है। किंतु बाल ठाकरे की शख्सियत हमें फिल्म की ओर फिर भी ले जाती है।

नवाजु़द्दीन सिद्दीकी की अदाकारी फिल्म को खास बनाती है

फिल्म बाला साहेब ठाकरे को एक हीरो या मराठियों के मसीहा के तौर पर पेश करती है और फिल्म खास बन पड़ी है। नवाजु़द्दीन सिद्दीकी की अदाकारी उसे खास बनाती है। पूरे फिल्म को अपने कंधे पर ले जाने में वह सफल रहे हैं। सीन दर सीन में उनका अभिनय प्रभावित करता है, वह कहीं कमज़ोर नहीं पड़े हैं। बाला साहेब जैसा दिखने, चलने बोलने एवं एटीट्यूड लाने में नवाज़ ने ज़बरदस्त मेहनत की है, वह दिखता भी है। फिल्म का सबसे बड़ा आकर्षण नवाजु़द्दीन हैं। पत्नी मीना ठाकरे के किरदार में अमृता राव ने मिली भूमिका को श्रेष्ठ अंदाज़ में निभाया है।

बाला साहब ठाकरे एक श्रेष्ठ संगठनकर्ता और बेबाक वक्ता थे, जो बात कह दी उससे पीछे नहीं हटने वाले। महाराष्ट्र में भाजपा, शिवसेना सरकार का रिमोट कंट्रोल हमेशा बाला साहब के पास ही रहता था। महाराष्ट्र की सत्ता खोने के बाद भी मुंबई पर उनका राज चलता था। वक्त के साथ बाला साहेब ने स्वयं को सीमाओं में बांध लिया था। केवल मराठी मानुष के हित की ही बात करते थे। इस समुदाय हित के लिए समानांतर समुदायों के हितों को नज़रअंदाज करना उनमें देखा गया।

पाकिस्तान पर बाल ठाकरे का स्टैंड

मुंबई पर मराठियों का एकाधिकार बनाना उनके मन में था। बाला साहेब के स्टैंड को न्यायपरक दिखाने की पहल फिल्म लेती है। पाकिस्तान के बारे में बाला साहेब कहते थे कि हम ज़्यादा बेहतर संबंधों की उम्मीद नहीं रख सकते। उस देश की सरकारी एजेंसी आईएसआई सीधे तौर पर आतंकियों की मदद कर रही। संसद पर हमला और मुंबई पर आतंकी हमले के बाद उस देश से हम सामान्य दोस्ताना संबंध नहीं रख सकते। बाल ठाकरे ने स्वयं के लिए एक परिधि सी तय कर दी थी। संजय राउत की फिल्म हर विवादास्पद मुद्दे पर बाला साहेब की बेबाकी व साफगोई दिखाती है। फिल्म ठाकरे एक क्रोनोलॉजी की तरह सामने आती है।

बाला साहेब ठाकरे एवं शिवसेना की राजनीतिक विचारधारा का एक सजीव डॉक्यूमेंट है यह फिल्म

फर्स्ट हाफ ब्लैक एंड व्हाइट है, इंटरवल के बाद रंगीन। फिल्म में कुछ रोचक कविताओं का पार्श्व में प्रयोग हुआ है। रामधारी दिनकर की कविता, “खाली करो सिंहासन कि जनता आती है”, को जगह मिली है। सोहनलाल द्विवेदी की महात्मा गांधी पर लिखी एक कविता भी है।

एक साधारण किशोर का बाला साहेब ठाकरे बनने का सफर रुचि जागृत करता है। किस तरह आपने समाचार पत्र में काम शुरू किया। मराठियों के हक के लिए आवाज़ बुलंद की। कैसे आपने एक मज़बूत संगठन की परिकल्पना की। सामान्य पार्टी कार्यकर्ता से किंग मेकर बनने की विलक्षण क्षमता उनमें थी। आज के राजनीतिक परिपेक्ष से फिल्म स्वयं को आसानी से जोड़ लेती है। बाला साहेब ठाकरे एवं शिवसेना की राजनीतिक विचारधारा का एक सजीव डॉक्यूमेंट है यह फिल्म। फिल्म अपने निर्माण उद्देश्य में सफल है।

The post “बाल ठाकरे की राजनीतिक विचारधारा का एक सजीव डॉक्यूमेंट है फिल्म ठाकरे” appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.