आज दिया-दियारी है। हमारे गाँव घर का जाना-चीन्हा त्यौहार। दिया-दियारी से दीपावली तक हमारे पास बहुत कुछ था जो छूट गया। चन्देव बाबा थे, हमारे पुश्तैनी कुम्हार, उनके हाथ की बारीक कला थी, घुर्ली थी, गुल्लक थे, दिए थे, भोंभा थे, घंटियां थी… उनके हाथ की छुअन थी कि माटी के बेडौल टुकड़े में भी जान भर देती— कोई न कोई आकृति निकाल ही देती। बचपन में दादी और माँ कभी किसी बर्तन के लिए भेजतीं तो मैं तमाम छोटी-बड़ी रंग-बिरंगी आकृतियों बीच देर तक चक्कर काटता रहता। कभी-कभी उनके चाक का चलना, हाथों के सहारे नई आकृतियों का उभरना और एक सूत के सहारे बहुत बारीकी से इसे मिट्टी के शेष लोने से काटकर अलग कर लेना देर तक निहारता रहता। कभी पूछता बाबा ये चाक एक डंडे से कैसे चलता है ? चंदेव बाबा बड़े प्यार से समझाते कि यह कोई बड़ी बात नहीं बस थोड़ा सीखना होता है । मैं कहता बाबा मैं भी चलाऊंगा तो वो बोलते, ‘बाबू लोग चाक ना चलावे ला। ई त कोंहार क काम ह।’ कोंहार अलग होता है और बाबू के लाइका-बच्चा अलग ये बात गांव घर में बहुत छिटपन में ही पता चल जाती है, सो मुझे भी पता थी और मैं विशिष्टता-बोध से भरकर हट जाता। हां इतना अवश्य था कि अपने समवयस्क दूसरे सवर्ण लड़को की तरह नाम लेकर बुलाने में तब भी संकोच होता था और अब भी वय में अधिक लोगों के साथ ऐसा करने में संकोच होता है ।

जब कभी कोई बर्तन लाने जाना होता वे तो खुद उस बर्तन को अंगुली से बजाकर देखते की कहीं टूटा तो नहीं है और अगर टूटा होता तो बदल देते। घर जाने पर बेहद अपनत्त्व से बैठातीं थी उनकी ‘मेहरारू’। दीया, ढकनी, पराई, मेटा, कलसा, कराही आदि किसके घर किस त्यौहार पर कितना लगता है, उन्हें याद रहता। जाते ही उतना गिन कर रख देतीं और अक्सर तो वे खुद ही पहुंचा आतीं त्यौहार से एक दिन पहले या जाने पर साथ आ जातीं सिर पर खांची में लादे। घर तक पहुंचाकर ही जातीं। सत्ती मैया की पूजा के लिए माटी की चिरई वो खुद अपने हाथ से बानतीं। इस पूजा में सत्ती के मुकुट में फांसी हुई माटी की चिरई का क्या तर्क मेरे समझ से आज भी परे है, लेकिन जब सत्ती मैया के सिर पर इन चिराइयों से लदा माटी की मुकुट लगता तो सचमुच बड़ी उत्सुकता होती हम बच्चों को कई बार पूजा पूरी होने से पहले ही बच्चे उसे लूट लेते। घर की बड़ी-बूढ़ी औरतों को उसकी रखवाली करनी पड़ती।

गज़ब क्रेज था माटी की उस चिरई का। आज जब सोचता हूं तो याद आता है कि कुछ भी तो नहीं था उसमें; एक चोंचनुमा आकृति के सिवा, बेढब और बेडौल सा दिखाता है अब लेकिन तब पलक झपकते ही सत्ती मैया का मुकुट चिरई विहीन और कभी-कभी तो जब हाथ में कुछ नहीं आता तो कोई-कोई बच्चा वह मुकुट भी ले उड़ता। तब चंदेव बो आजी हम जैसे दो-चार भीड़-भीरु बच्चों को पास बुलाकर एक एक चिरई थमा देतीं जो उन्होंने पहले ही उसे अतिरिक्त रूप से बनाकर हमारे लिए रखे होते । हां गिरहत्त(गृहस्त) से लेन देन में कोई मुरव्वत नहीं था कभी-कभी किसी गिरहत्तिन से दियरी (दीपक) के बदले अनाज लेने की हुज्जत में घंटों अड़ी रहतीं और अंत में अनाज छोड़ के चली जातीं फिर गिरहत्त को अपने बच्चों से उसे उनके घर भेजना पड़ता, वो भी उनके मन माफिक।

दिवाली के पहले की शाम हमारे लिए खास होती । हम कुछ दिनों पहले से ही उसका इंतज़ार करते थे। अगर अपने हाथ में भोंभा आने से पहले गाँव में कहीं भोंभा की आवाज सुनाई पड़ जाती तो बहुत कोफ्त होती, लगता कि इस भोंभे की पहली आवाज़ मेरे यहां क्यों न हुई और हम बार-बार घर के दरवाज़े की ओर लपकते। शाम को कुम्हारिन आजी के आते ही हम उन्हें घेर कर बैठ जाते और उनकी खांची से कपड़ा हटाने का इंतज़ार करते। जब तक वह मान और दादी को दिए गिनकर देतीं तब तक हमारी उत्सुकता चरम पर पहुंच चुकी होती और बार-बार कपड़े में ढके खिलौनो की टोह लेते रहते थे कि पिटारे में क्या-क्या है। इस बीच कई बार पूछकर दादी और मम्मी की झिड़की भी खा चुके होते और कुम्हारिन आजी के दीयों की गिनती भी भुला चुके होते। दीयों को वे सावधानी से गिनती उनकी संख्या के अनुपात में उन्हें अनाज़ लेना होता, पर मुझे जहां तक याद है गुल्लक को छोड़कर वे बच्चों के खिलौनों का पैसा नहीं लेतीं।

खिलौने से कपड़ा हटाते ही हमारी उत्सुकता कार्य-रूप में परिणत हो जाती। ये रहा भोंभा, ये घंटी, ये गुल्लक, ये रहा जानता और ये हाथी-घोड़ा आदि-आदि। सब अपनी-अपनी पसंद का ले उड़ते। दीदी लोगों के हिस्से जांता और चुल्हा आता तो अपने हिस्से बाकी का साम्राज्य। गुल्लक सबके अपने-अपने होते। सबका साल में एक-एक का कोटा निर्धारित होता, सो वह सबको मिलता था। अब अंत में बारी होती घुर्ली की। हर पुरुष पर एक। यानी, घर में चार पुरुष का मतलब पांच घुर्ली। घुर्ली यानी मिट्टी का छोटा पात्र जिसमें चिउड़ा या लाई रखकर चीनी की मिठाइयां ककनी, कुटकी और घुर्ली (घड़ा के आकार की चीनी की मिठाई) गोबरधन बाबा पर चढ़ाई जाती थी। यह मिठाई लड़कियों के लिए वर्जित थी। उनके लिए अलग से निकाल कर पहले रख दी जाती थी। जब कोई लड़की घुर्ली में राखी मिठाई खाने का हाथ करतीं तो बूढ़ी दादियां-नानियां कह उठतीं कि गोधन की मीठी खाने से मूंछ निकाल आएगी। लड़कियों को नहीं खाना चाहिए।

हमारे यहां दिया तो नेपथ्य में रहता असली महत्त्व घुर्ली और घांटी (घंटी) का था। पता नहीं क्यों मेरा मन आज इसका कुछ निहितार्थ खोजाना चाह रहा  है। यह कहां तक सही है कह नहीं सकता, पर दिवाली की दियारी पर गोधन की घुर्ली का महत्त्व इतिहास किसी युग की ओर संकेत करता है। शायद कभी ऐसा समय रहा हो जब दियारी से ज़्यादा महत्त्व गोधन या अन्नकूट का हो। गोधन यानी पशुपालक संस्कृति का उत्सव और अन्नकूट यानी कृषी संस्कृति का दाय। गोधन को तो स्पष्टतः चरवाहे देवता कृष्ण से ही जोड़ा जाता है। कृषि और गोपालन के साहचर्य ने इन दोनों उत्सवों को एक में मिला दिया और अन्नकूट और गोवर्धन पूजा एक साथ मिल गए।

इस सदियों के सहचरी के बावजूद हमारे क्षेत्र की भोजपुरी महिलाओं के लिए गोधन बाबा अब भी पहुने ही हैं। पहुने यानी अतिथि यानी बाहर से आए हुए। स्पष्ट है कि गंगा की इस घाटी में चरवाही आभीरादि जातियों के आने से पूर्व कृषि-संस्कृति अपने पूर्ण-विकास पर थी। इसलिए उसने पशुचारक घुमंतू अतिथियों को स्वीकार तो किया, लेकिन पहुने बनाकर ही। वैसे भी ये जातीयां हमारे यहां प्रायः या तो गाँव के सीमांत पर बसती हैं या उनसे दूर किसी पुरवे या डेरे की शक्ल में। मैंने बचपन में गर्मियों के दिनों में अहीर और गंदर जातियों के लोगों को दूर बांड (खुले चारागाह) में हार की हार गाएं या भेंड़े लेकर रात भर खुले आसमान के नीचे सोते और घूमते देखा है, जो बरसात की शुरुआत के साथ अपने गाँव-घर लौट आते थे।

अस्तु, अब तो पहुने गोधन बाबा  हमारे क्षेत्र में पूरे पहुने या मेहमान बन चुके हैं और पहुने का अर्थ संकोच होकर दामाद या बहनोई का रूप ले चुके हैं। भारतीय लोक में यः सम्मान संभवतः शिव के बाद गोधन बाबा को ही मिला है (अवश्य ही भगवान राम को छोडकर जो मिथिला के घर-घर के मेहमान या पहुने है, पर बाकी भारत के बेट हैं)। उनके स्वागत में बकायदे परिछन होता है, औरतों के समवेत स्वर में ‘गोधन बाबा अइलन पाहुन हो’ का स्वागत-गीत होता है और उसके बाद आतिथ्य में मिठाई, खीर, लाई और चिउड़ा के साथ तरह-तरह की सामर्थ्यानुरूप मिठाइयां भी। यह पूरा पूजन, गान और उत्सव पुरुष-विहान होता है, वैसे ही जैसे कोहबर के दरवाज़े पर अकेला वर पुरुष होता है बाकी सब स्त्रियां। हां, इस पूरे उत्सव का प्रसाद पुरुष को मिलता है, स्त्रियां उससे वंचित रहती हैं।

इससे ऊपर के तथ्य को समझने में एक और छोटा सा सूत्र हाथ लगता है, वह यह कि गोधन बाबा के शामिल होने से पूर्व यह पूर्णतः स्त्रियों का उत्सव था। इसमें पुरुष की उपस्थिति लगभग अब भी वर्जित है, तब यह पूर्ण वर्जित रही होगी। बाद में समाज के गोबरधनों ने उस उत्सव का प्रसाद तो छीन लिया, लेकिन उसमें स्त्रियों के उत्सव का अधिकार और स्त्रियों की मनोव्यथा की अभिव्यक्ति का अवसर नहीं छीन पाए। यह बात इसलिए भी कही जा सकती है, क्योंकि गोबरधन पूजा से पहले स्त्रियां उपवास रखती हैं और शायद यह पहला त्यौहार है, जिसमें घर के सभी पुरुषों को सराप (शाप या गाली) देती हैं और अंत में उनके दीर्घायु होने की कामना भी।

भारत में कृषि सभ्यता के विकास के सबसे पुराने साक्ष्य बताते हैं कि भारत में गेंहूं से पूर्व धान अस्तित्व में था और इसकी सबसे अच्छी पैदावार का क्षेत्र गंगा की घाटी है। भारतीय धर्मसाधना में कल्पना, रचना और उत्पादन का दायित्व देवियों के हाथ रहा है,  चाहे वह सरस्वती हों, पृथ्वी हों, शाकंभरी हों या अन्नपूर्णा। इसलिए यह माना जा सकता है कि हमारी आदिम मातृकाओं ने ही भारत में कृषक संस्कृति की नींव रखी, पुरुष तो घुमंतू था, आखेटक या चरवाह था। स्त्रियों ने ही आपनी संतानों की सुरक्षा के लिए घरौंदों के सपने रचे, घर बसाए, चूल्हा, चाकी, रोटी, दाल की चिंता की और एक जगह रहकर कृषि की शुरुआत की। यह गलत धारणा है कि भारतीय जन-मानस केवल शिवलिंग के रूप में पुरुष के वारचास्व को पूजता है, सच यह है कि वह कलश को शिवलिंग से अधिक महत्त्व देता है। शिवलिंग की पूजा मंदिरों में जाकर होती है, उसे हम सामान्य भारतीयों के घरों में स्थान नहीं, जबकि कलश हमारे घरों में छोटी बड़ी पूजाओं में भी स्थापित होता है।

कलश केवल घड़ा नहीं हैं, वह जहां पूरित होता है, उसके आसपास गीली मिट्टी में बोये गए अन्न के अंकुर और उसके मुझ पर आम्र पल्लव, पात्र और उसमें रखा अन्न होता है। यह कलश वस्तुतः सृजन का, मांगल्य का मातृत्व का प्रतीक है। उसकी पूर्णता और उसके पार्श्व में हरा-भरा शस्य उसके मातृका रूप को व्यक्त करता है। हाँ उसके साथ गौरी-गणेश के रूप में गोबर की लघु आकृति अवश्य गोधन और अन्नकूट की तरह बाद में कृषि और पशुपालक संस्कृति के बीच स्थापित होने वाले साहचर्य का प्रतीक है । गोबर से बनी आकृति गौरी और गणेश दोनों ही नहीं, बल्कि गणेश का प्रतीक है। गौरी तो कलश रूप में वहां पहले से उपस्थित थीं, गणेश बाद में जुड़े। इसीलिए मान-पुत्र के रूप में गौरी गणेश का युग्म चल निकाला। गणेश के मानस पुत्र होने की कल्पना भी शायद इसी साहचर्य की ओर इशारा करती है, जो सीधा न होकर दो संस्कृतियों के सम्मिलन से हुआ है। यह सहास्तित्व भारतीयता की अविरोधी धर्म की महाभारतीय और ‘तत्तुसमन्वयात्’ औपनिषदीय संकल्पनाओं के मेल में बैठती है।

बाबा कहा करते थे कि हमारे पूर्वज बाद में गंगा के इस मध्य क्षेत्र में आए, वे मूलतः कन्नौज के थे। उससे पहले यह क्षेत्र कैसा था क्या था इसका अनुमान न इतिहास की पोथियों में है और न हमारे अनुभव ज्ञान के दायरे में। पर, अनुमान और किंवदंतियों के आधार पर हमारे पूर्वजों के इस क्षेत्र में आबाद होने से पूर्व इस क्षेत्र में कहार, कुम्हार, कमकर, चेरो-खरवार आदि रहते थे। इन्हीं लोगों ने हमारे गाँव के आस-पास के कई गांवों में बड़े-बड़े तालाब खोदे हैं, जो सैकड़ों बीघे लंबे चौड़े हैं और इन गांवों के वर्तमान बाशिंदों से पुराने हैं। हालांकि अब काफी कुछ सिमट भी गए हैं। बाबा के शब्दों में ये मटियार जातियां थीं , मटियार यानि माटी का काम करने वाली। माटी में जन्मीं माटी की सन्तानें। भारत की खेती, भारत की कला और भारत के लोक-पर्व इन्हीं माटी की संतानों की देन है। बाद में आने वाले बाशिंदों ने तो बस इनमें खुद को मिला लिया या ये खुद ही अपना माटी के तरह अपना वजूद खोकर अलग आकृति में ढल गए। ये माटी की सन्तानें ही हमारी धरती के वे असंख्य दीप हैं जो कृत्रिमता की रंगीन झालरों के बीच भी संस्कृति के टिपटिमाते दीपों की तरह अपना वजूद बनाए हैं ।

The post इस दिवाली आपके खिलौनों की बड़ी याद आ रही है कुम्हार बाबा appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

These people are the stalwarts of Indian cinema and television, who due to their hard work changed the shape of dance in this country, taking it from classical folk to dance forms like jazz, salsa, ballroom, etc, and through other newer discoveries and experiments in dance.

Though the biggest award for them is the audiences’ reaction and love, for their immense contribution to Indian cinema and television industry, they really deserve appreciation. So, in 1991, the National Film Awards instituted the National Film Award for Best Choreography.

The award was presented for the first time at the 40th National Film awards in 1993. Since then, the National Film Award for Best Choreography has been presented annually for the films produced across the country in every Indian language.

Here is the list of 7 best choreographers in India who have won this prestigious award in India a couple of times:

1. Laxmibai Kolhapurkar

The first National Film Award for Best Choreography of 1992 went to Laxmibai Kolhapurkar for choreographing a song from Marathi Film “Ek Hota Vidushak”. Incidentally, she became the first woman choreographer to win this National Award in India.

2. Jay Borade

Jay Borade became the first choreographer to win the National Award for the Hindi movie “Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!”.   The choreographer who left this world in November 2014 at the age of 77 played a great role in making Sooraj Barjatya’s movie an all-time hit in India. He also choreographed films like “Maine Pyaar Kiya”, “Hum Saath-Saath Hai”, “Baaghi” and many other movies.  And all these movies went on to become all-time big hits of the Indian film industry.

3. Prabhu Deva

Prabhu Deva who is often called the father of contemporary dance forms in India has won the National Film Award for Best Choreography two times. The first time it was in 1996 for Tamil Movie “Minsara Kanavu” and in 2004 for choreographing the song “Main Aisa Kyun Hoon” in the Hindi Movie “Lakshya”.

4. Saroj Khan

Saroj Khan is one of the most popular choreographers in India who has won the National Film Award for Best Choreography three times so far in her career. She has so far choreographed about 2000 songs.

5. Ganesh Acharya

And when it comes to the best choreographers in India, who can forget the name of Ganesh Acharya. He is a household name in India as far as dance is concerned. He may have won the National Film Award only one time in his choreography career but he is undoubtedly one of the most loved choreographers in India. He won his award for the song “Maston Ka Jhund” in “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag”’ for the year 2013. And he was once again nominated for this award in 2015 for his work in the song “Malhaari” from the film “Bajirao Mastani” but that year the award went to a song from the same film choreographed by a dance legend of India Remo D’Souza. The song was “Deewani Mastani”.

6. Remo D’Souza

Remo D’Souza is one of the most popular choreographers in India. Though his main job is choreography, he has occasionally acted and directed movies as well. In addition to contributing to Hindi cinema, he has choreographed songs for films in the Bengali language. In addition, he has judged many dance shows in India including “Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa” with Madhuri Dixit and Karan Johar.

7. Farah Khan

The National Film Award for Best Choreography winner Farah Khan is popular for choreographing songs in many Bollywood movies. She has so far choreographed a hundred songs in over 80 Bollywood movies. She won the National Film Award for Best Choreography for the first time in 2003 for her work in the song “Idhar Chala Main Udhar Chala” from the movie ‘Koi… Mil Gaya’.

Conclusion

The best choreographers in India have turned dance into a means of communication filled with all types of ideas and emotions. The best choreographers in India design songs in such a way that the dance move an artist performs tells the audience a story. Dance has become a medium of socialisation and interaction rather than a mere entertainment source and in maximum cases, the best choreographers in India tell stories to the audience through dancers.

The post 7 Most Popular National Film Award Winning Choreographers in India appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

As the nights draw in and the Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) 2017 approaches, we look forward to welcoming festival attendees from across India and the world to our hometown.

Dharamshala is a truly unique vicinity, which embraces a diverse mixture of Gaddi villagers, Indian townies, exile Tibetans, long-settled Nepalis, migrant workers, expats and, of course, Buddhist pilgrims. In the words that follow, allow us to introduce some of our Dharamshala friends, all of whom are associated with DIFF in some way—be it through providing venue space, running a festival stall or making DIFF warm, cosy and beautiful.

TIBETAN CHILDREN’S VILLAGE (TCV):

On May 17, 1960, 51 orphaned Tibetan children arrived in Dharamshala from road construction camps in Jammu. Mrs Tsering Dolma Takla—His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s elder sister—volunteered to look after them. Before long, the Government of India offered assistance, setting up the Nursery for Tibetan Refugee Children and eventually, with the help of international donors and aid organizations, TCV was established. Now, for the second year running, the massively large and beautiful TCV campus is providing DIFF with a home, including two auditoriums, scenic walkways and a mountain view.

 QUEENIE’S OVEN GREEN CAFÉ:

Queenie’s Bakery originated in the Thosamling Nunnery, where Ani Sangmo (‘ani’ is Tibetan for ‘nun’) started baking for the residents. The bakery remains and the café now stands outside the Norbulingka Institute in Sidhpur where—beneath the stunning panorama of the Dhauladhar range—a dedicated team serves up delicious pastries, quiche, pizza rolls and steaming-hot lemon, ginger and honey tea.

                                   DHARAMSHALA TEA COMPANY:

Established more than 135 years ago, the Dharamshala Tea Company has passed through six generations of planters. The Kangra Valley green tea has a distinctive aroma and extremely pure taste, enhanced by the region’s high precipitation and temperate climate. A perfect gift to take home from DIFF, the tea’s packaging features traditional Kangra miniature art.

MEN-TSEE-KHANG:

The oldest Tibetan medical and astrological institute in existence, Men-Tsee- Khang was founded by the 13th Dalai Lama in 1916. Following the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1950, it was reestablished in India by the 14th Dalai Lama. The institute has several departments, including herbal product research, pharmacology, and clinical research. One of the Men-Tse- Khang’s practitioners will provide free consultations at DIFF 2017.

SONAM CHOZOM:

Local Tibetan Sonam Chozom began knitting at the age of 15, to support herself and her family. She started with sweaters and carpets but, as demand subsided, moved on to hats, gloves, mufflers and children’s socks. This year, if you spot our volunteers sporting blue headbands around TCV, bear in mind they are being kept toastie by Soman’s skilled handiwork!

The post Don’t Miss Out On These Local Hubs At The Dharamshala International Film Festival appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

If you are a stickler for novelty in the films that you watch, chances are that Advait Chandan’s “Secret Superstar”, at least at first glance (by which I mean the trailers and the plot synopses available online), won’t do much for you. You may feel, rightly, that you have seen it all before– in “Iqbal”, “Udaan” and “Taare Zameen Par”, among others. Replace the passion for cricket, poetry and painting with that for music, toss in the dreamy adolescent protagonist, the strict/abusive father, the affectionate mother, the friendly sibling and the mentor figure from those earlier films, and you get “Secret Superstar”, one more film that encourages the young to be themselves and asks the parents to aid, not throttle, their children’s aspirations. Therefore, if your preliminary impression of the film is “been there, done that”, that’s completely understandable.

There’s more to the film than this chase-your-dreams template, but before I get to that, let me first make a case for what may be called the pleasures of familiarity. A premise may be repeated in film after film, but it feels repetitive only if the director cannot find a way to enliven the proceedings with his/her own touches. Tales of revenge are a staple feature in Bollywood, but the reason Anurag Kashyap’s “Gangs of Wasseypur” stands out is the delightful idiosyncracies he has brought to the characters, letting these characters (and the actors portraying them) to indulge their eccentricities rather than cut to the chase and give us a swift denouement to the desire for revenge.

There are any number of boy-meets-girl romances made every year, but “Shuddh Desi Romance” sets itself apart by giving us a pair of commitment-phobes who prefer a live-in relationship to marriage, distinguishes itself further by setting the tale in a smaller town like Jaipur instead of the hipper parts of metropolitan cities where live-in couples may be easier to find, and mines a lot of laughter from the fact that two people who make money by posing as fake baaratis (relatives) in weddings should be this terrified of marriage themselves.

A Look Into An Average Middle Class Home

“Secret Superstar” manages to add such touches of its own. Consider, for instance, how Insiya (Zaira Wasim) and her mother Najma (Meher Vij) keep alive the dreams Insiya has of becoming a singer–they watch, devotedly, the singing contests and award shows on television.

One can justifiably sneer at these programmes; are shows like “Indian Idol” really concerned with giving us new talents, or are they merely soap operas (complete with tearful goodbyes, surprise returns, temper tantrums and loud background music that wouldn’t be out of place in Ekta Kapoor’s serials) masquerading as singing competitions? Are awards worth anything in a country where they can be literally purchased by the influential, and rarely find their way into deserving hands?

These are valid concerns to raise, but no less valid, the film says, is the inspiration and pleasure Insiya and Najma draw from the programmes. Living under the same roof as Farokh (Raj Arjun), her violent, abusive father, is a tough and relentless trial for Insiya. She is all too aware of the fact that he shall not tolerate any mention of her desire to be a singer, let alone do anything to facilitate it. Najma gets slaps and black eyes so often–to say nothing of taunts like “anpad ganwar (illiterate fool)”– that she has to wear goggles to hide her injuries. Having been married off to Farokh at an early age, and having lived this long with him, there is little for her to aspire or take pleasure in, apart from the dreams of her daughter and the wish that she, too, shall win prizes and acclaim like those stars on the television screen.

Who, then, can blame Insiya or Najma if they obsessively view these programmes, so much so that Najma asks her little son Guddu (Kabir Shaikh) to hold in his bowel movement so that she would not have to miss the name of the winner of the prize for the best playback singer? We live in an age when the ill-effects of television, and in particular the ‘talent contests’ for children, are being widely written about. “Secret Superstar” doesn’t contribute to that chorus. Instead, it asks us to not grudge people their pleasures, even if those pleasures seem low-brow. You never know where and how one may derive inspirations from.

Consider, also, the scene where Insiya is penning the lyrics for a song in class, and the teacher, realising that she is not paying attention, asks her a question. Insiya can answer it if she puts her mind to it, but that would mean the lyrics that are dancing tantalizingly out of her grasp would give her a permanent slip. Therefore, she decides to not answer her teacher and stoically takes the raps on her palm. It’s a brief scene, but what it says stays with you: the Muse is hard to please and asks you to make tough choices. Indeed, Insiya shall have to make many more of them later for the sake of her music, from making covert trips to Mumbai by bunking school to arranging for a divorce between her parents.

This latter bit floored me. It’s not too long ago that young girls in Hindi films were so convinced of the need to have both a mother and a father to make their lives ‘complete’ that they set out to get the widower fathers hitched to the latter’s college chums. To have come from that to the scene where Insiya obtains divorce papers from a lawyer for Najma is a feat worth toasting.

Sensible Props Helped The Narrative Go Further

A film where a young Muslim girl uses a burkha as a means of rebellion is bound to remind viewers of Alankrita Shrivastava’s “Lipstick Under My Burkha”, but in this regard too, Chandan takes a different and, to me, better approach. Rehana in “Lipstick Under My Burkha” also wishes to be a singer (she likes Miley Cyrus’s songs), but little is seen by way of her endeavour to achieve this. She mostly uses the burkha not to sneak off to an audition or to perform with secrecy on stage, but to shoplift, stealing designer clothes that her parents can neither afford nor permit her to wear, but which she needs to fit in with the ‘cool crowd’ in her college. One understands the anger that makes Rehana do this, but it’s hard to overlook the fact that what she has done is, at the end of the day, a crime. As a result, when the law comes knocking at her door, it’s tragic, but it also feels like comeuppance.

The younger Insiya uses the burkha much more sensibly, in a way that actually lets her escape the strictures imposed by Farokh and by life in small towns in general. At her mother’s behest, she records videos of herself singing, while clad in the burkha. This way, her voice reaches millions, but her father cannot know that an act of dissent is taking place right under his nose.

These touches enrich the film, as does the setting. Middle-class Muslim households in Vadodara don’t feature all that often in our films. Muslims used to be a much more prominent part of Hindi cinema. There was a genre unto itself called the ‘Muslim Social’, which has all but died out. “Secret Superstar”, for all its mention of laptops and youtube and twitter and ‘trending’, is a throwback to that earlier era of cinema. The title of the film appears in English, Hindi and Urdu, the way they once did. The milieu is one where greeting elders with an “aadab” is still considered the norm, and the declaration of first love still carries with it a bashfulness.

The film, in other words, is lovably old-fashioned. This is clearest in the scene where a song (‘Nachdi Phira’) that is being sung as an item number (complete with “ooh”-s and “aah”-s) turns out to have been a Sufi-esque love song originally, and only when it’s sung in the original tune and rhythm that its true beauty is revealed. For me, this scene, and not the somewhat overwrought climax, is the film’s crescendo.

Like the setting, the casting too is fresh. Barring one (and we all know who that is), none of the actors in the cast of “Secret Superstar” is instantly recognizable, but all of them are consummate performers, sinking their teeth into well-written parts. Singling anyone out for praise may be unfair to the others, but I guess Wasim, who portrays the lovely, mercurial Insiya with seeming effortlessness, Vij, as the mother any youngster would love to have, and Tirth Sharma as Chintan, the classmate of Insiya who has a massive crush on her, do deserve special mentions.

Deep Down, The Film Talks About A Lot

If all of this, too, is not enough to convince you that “Secret Superstar” is worth checking out, how about the fact that it operates effectively on at least two other levels? As a take on spousal abuse, it is terrifying. The black eye we see Najma sporting early on is a hint of the things to come, and once Farokh actually appears, the scenes with him take on a ticking bomb quality, for you don’t know when, or over what, he is going to erupt. Much of the violence, thankfully, takes place offscreen, but the thuds you hear are themselves sickening. Insiya’s fingers digging into her calves as she tries to shut out those thuds, or the terrified look in Guddu’s eyes as Farokh hits Najma, are so palpably captured that you feel the violation they are going through. It is because of these earlier scenes that I readily forgave the contrived one where Najma finally gathers the courage to stand up to Farokh.

After all that she–and we–have been through, this much of contrivance is permissible. (It amuses me, by the way, that Farokh’s name rhymes with that of a huge Bollywood star, whose fan Farokh turns out to be. Co-incidence, or a well-concealed potshot at the said star)?

The other level at which “Secret Superstar” functions is as a relationship drama. The reason Insiya is so easy to root for is not only that she has dreams worth dreaming and fulfilling, or that she is played by the affable, apple-cheeked Wasim, but that she is a fully realised character, and much of this is owing to the dynamics she shares with others. The conversations between her and Najma–about chickens and eggs, trains and stations, the life they are living and the one they ought to–are so vivacious, so life-like, it is almost like being privy to the intimate interactions between an actual parent and daughter (this feeling is amplified by the fact that Wasim and Vij actually look like they could be related).

Guddu is sometimes the target of Insiya’s outbursts because Farokh so obviously loves him more, but Guddu is hardly his father’s son in any way. The scene where he clumsily tries to repair something that Farokh had forced Insiya to smash is among the film’s loveliest scenes. So, for that matter, are the two scenes where Insiya admits to having feelings for Chintan. The genuine understanding and trust for each other that serves as the basis for this romance–evident in the ‘trick’ Chintan employs to cheer Insiya up, or the fact that Insiya chooses him as the go-between in her communications with music director Shakti Kumaarr (Aamir Khan)–turns it into a love story that makes its presence felt even amongst the film’s many concerns.

Indeed, it makes the pouting-and-posturing romances enacted by older actors in other films look sadly fake in comparison. Even Insiya’s grandmother, who had not seemed much more than a cranky old lady previously, comes into her own in the one scene where she informs Insiya about the circumstances of the latter’s birth. If the writing is good, that’s all it takes to bring a character alive: one scene.

“Taare Zameen Par” too had him appear properly only post-interval, but he was thereafter a consistent presence. In “Secret Superstar”, there is much less of him. I daresay I wished for a few more scenes with Aamir, if only to better admire his underappreciated gift for comedy, which is at full blast here. Dressed in garish clothes, his hair spiked and coloured, and with a propensity to flirt given the slightest opportunity, Aamir makes the most of the scenes he has, turning what could have been a fairly irritating character into a genuinely hilarious one. “Tea? Coffee? Coke? Coke?” he asks Insiya upon their first meeting, complementing the second “coke” with a snort that leaves us doubling over, and in little doubt about what he means by the iteration. The biggest laugh I have had at the theatres this year came from hearing Shakti call somebody “darling” and “meri maa (mom)”, and then “sweetheart” and “chudaail (witch)”, in the same breath. There’s more to Shakti than his surface goofiness and irascibility, though.

One other reason I would have liked to see more of him is to get a better understanding of the loneliness he only hints at in a conversation with Insiya. Twice divorced, shunned by his siblings, and treated indifferently by an industry he is prepared to embrace like kin, Shakti’s life is on a downward spiral, and the more he tries to hide this by snapping and sneering at others, the worse he makes things for himself, and when he goes too far by abrasively scolding a young contestant on a talent contest, nobody is prepared to lend his/her voice for his compositions any more. This is the reason he reaches out to Insiya, and even swallows his ego to put her in touch with the lawyer who ensured the divorce between him and his second wife; Insiya, at this juncture, is the only recourse Shakti has, much as he is the only recourse for Insiya, Farokh having decided to take all his kin to Riyadh and get Insiya married there (this was a truly unnerving development, one that made me chew my fingernails).

Need and desperation bring Shakti and Insiya together, and a loving mentor-protege relationship develops hereafter. The bonds forged under trying circumstances–like those Insiya forms with her mother as they endure Farokh’s cruelty, or with Chintan as the latter aids her in slipping out of school to go to Mumbai–are the ones that endure, and sure enough, Insiya goes from somebody who considers Shakti Kumaarr to be a “bura insan (bad man)” to somebody who rushes back from an airport entrance to hug him.

Aamir brings out the comic as well as the serious facets (the insecurity, the despair at having become a pariah, the inner artist that he has buried beneath the more crassly commercial instincts, and the goodness that only needs some tapping into) so beautifully, that I couldn’t but keep thinking how much more he could have done with a more substantial part. Then again, I guess he is going to get plenty of those in the years to come; for now, let’s appreciate the grace he has demonstrated here by letting a veritable newcomer steal the limelight in a film he has not only acted in but also produced. “I am proud of you,” Aamir/Shakti is told by a character in one scene. As a fan, so is yours truly.

The post Review: ‘Secret Superstar’ Is All About Dreams, Heart And Power appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

“Secret Superstar” introduces us to a loving mother whose teenage daughter, Insiya dreams of being a singer. The problem is the ‘man’ of the house, her husband, who often storms in and finds fault with everything. He would unleash his voice on her and tried to cut off Insiya from her dreams by uprooting the strings of her guitar.

Insiya channels her grief and frustration by punching walls and breaking her laptop while her little brother, Guddu would use his love and innocence to make their lives better.

In a heartbreaking scene, he even tries to fix Insiya’s laptop with some tape and glue. In another scene, he tries to direct the wrath of his father onto himself rather than Insiya. This shows us that no matter how young children are, they feel things deeply and are not just passive observers.

It is said that when all doors close, a window does open. This is when Insiya escapes through that window and makes solo trips to Mumbai to take matters into her own hands. She goes to consult a lawyer to find out the kind of options her mother has.

However, I do wish that we had more insight into Insiya’s father’s character. He showed his power at home through violence. I would have liked to see him interact with people he perceived to be more powerful than him. We could have enjoyed a contrast in his behaviour.

This movie also helps us understand the perspective of women who are trapped in abusive relationships. Our society always tends to put the onus of standing up to abuse on the victim.

“If he was so abusive, why didn’t she leave him? Why didn’t she speak up?” 

As a society, it is our responsibility to create an environment of unconditional support and offer alternatives while letting people take their own decisions. If an overbearing and borderline pervasive character like Shakti Kumaarr (played by Aamir Khan) can find it in his heart to empathise with Insiya and her mother without foisting a “Be brave and leave him” on them, we who call ourselves ‘woke’ can definitely find some sensitivity in our hearts to not judge them.

The heartwarming interactions between Insiya and her friend Chintan offer us a rare romance portrayed in all its innocence. Insiya’s mother allows her to go out with Chintan, empowering Insiya with her trust. Chintan brings her home to his mother and they sit on a table together and enjoy mangoes.

I remember the days when a single call on the landline from a boy would mean an hour long lecture by our parents on how it’s not good to talk to boys. Teenagers have feelings and hormones. They will form bonds with the person they are attracted to. Rather than placing endless restrictions on them, if families could welcome their friends and boyfriends/girlfriends into their homes, it would cause far less distraction as it would when all they have to think about is sneaking around.

But I do feel this utopian world is still not within our reach. With honour killings and forced marriages making news headlines, maybe one movie can’t make a big difference in mindsets. But it does make a dent, it does try, and that is beautiful.

The post ‘Secret Superstar’ And The Not So Secret Problem Of Domestic Abuse appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Whether they went to Yale, Sciences Po, NYU, McGill, spanning geographies, a tendency endemic to educational and non-educational backgrounds emerges, whether they are students, professors, doctors or lawyers: middle-class heterosexual masculinity is appropriative of gender issues. Even invasive, as regards the minimal space that sexual minorities and other vulnerable groups have struggled to forge for themselves. Groups structurally and systemically vulnerable to gender violence.

Meanwhile, the cis-hetero-male thinks it’s all about him.

This started with a conversation I had with a friend in Bombay who is part of the glamour world, as appalled at the men in our respective friends’ lists jumping on the #MeToo bandwagon.

They managed to make it completely about themselves, forging claims such as ‘our violation is buried in even more shame’. While I won’t contest that it is buried in shame, I don’t think it is any more than it is for women and other genders. The difference – and key point – is that patriarchy is a system, and within the system women and people performing alternate sexualities, and other genders, are minorities – structural oppression is experienced by them, which is a much different thing.

The hetero-cis males making this about themselves, with scores of people validating the practice is rather unsettling.

This is typical: a host of cis-males screaming, “what about men!?”, and if not that then #NotAllMen, (which is another kind of problematic altogether), as if they’ve been excluded from the feminist discourse, or spaces of dissent, which is (and never has been) expressly not the case.

Sexual harassment is an expression of power relations, a power that can demand subservience from anyone vulnerable, arbitrarily. Since patriarchy thrives on men making bucks and women making babies, women’s violation of these codes, their forays into traditionally masculine social spaces, make them especially vulnerable to violence.

Feminists have been saying for over a decade #YesAllWomen, yet an empty liberal Americanism has to be an event in the heart of the empire to gain momentum. Especially for middle-class Indian millennials.

Where were your voices when Kangana Ranaut snubbed Karan Johar for his misogynistic, and grossly classist comments towards her? Would he dare behave like that with an offspring from the Kapoor or Khan family? Remember Mahima Chaudhry’s (“Pardes”) case? She accused Subhash Ghai of harassment, and he single-handedly destroyed her career. Shahrukh Khan came out better than unscathed, crowned the King of Bollywood. Think of Diya Mirza who came out with having to sleep with four film producers. Where were the hashtags in solidarity with her, or with Tabu when she accused Jackie Shroff of sexual assault?

What happens to women who don’t come from star-studded families in Bollywood who speak up against male violence? It’s not just the film fraternity. The point being driven home is this: How many males, in comparison to women, have had to perform non-consensual sex acts in order to live, eat, feed their children, and have a respectable career? How many males have been denied jobs and opportunities because they refused? While it happens, the number tips unfairly on the side of women, and other minorities. This is crucial to consider.

My personal network of women, (and the grapevine) have revealed how a lot of these cis men have made inappropriate advances towards them, whether online (plausible deniability) or otherwise, drunk or not. The #MeToo bros have indulged in crudely manipulative, misogynistic behaviour, and have often taken a steaming dump on the feminist movement in conversation, indulged in rape jokes and referred to things as ‘gay’. Most appalling–asked women to ‘pick up their shirt(s)’, only ‘jokingly’ when they put forth a request for a job.

A friend once said, “Survivors don’t have to out themselves for their story to matter.” The focus needs to be on the perpetrators, not survivors. This is the principle constantly defended in courts, case after case. A shift in perspective is needed.

Has even one perpetrator been shamed or called out so far? My apprehension is that they might even derive voyeuristic pleasure out of these confessions. #MeToo makes you complicit in commodifying your own suffering, it desubjectivises your trauma and leaves it on display for consumption.

A famed and respectable writer told me to ‘refrain’ from speaking out, because I was ‘preachy’, and drew a false moral equivalence between social media trends and standing at the barricades. They do not compare. Social media trends do not put one at physical risk, standing at the barricades does. The latter is wedded with the history of feminist protests. One is no Emmeline Pankhurst by showing solidarity with survivors in your home (although full props to you for doing so, credit where credit is due.)

The website iDiva posted an article, to the effect of how #Metoo doesn’t respect the personal apprehensions of abuse survivors, which is true to an extent, but the problem isn’t that. The problem is actually that it doesn’t enter into the political, doesn’t want to deal with the mainstream politics of gender violence and how embedded it is in our patriarchal institutions, whether it’s the parliament, the courts, or police stations. For there to be any kind of structural impact, one must consider this.

The third claim is its relatability. A false claim– it’s not for all genders. Men don’t discuss bodies in public spaces, codes of masculinity do not permit it. The issues of trans women are way more different given their insertion in the mainstream workforce is still in the process of making headway. #MeToo is specifically meant for ‘biologically female’ women. It’s not only about harassment at one’s workplace. It raises numerous questions: how much of your time can your employer demand besides working hours (as an intimidation tactic)? What about one’s inability to exercise consent freely? What of the vulnerabilities created in the mainstream discourse caused by our small acts of forgiveness? Someone pointed out, “the unifying factor in this, is not the victim’s gender, but the perpetrator’s gender.” Let’s focus on perpetrators, not survivors.

Likely survivors will log off and continue with their lives. Will it spur the state towards building trauma centres?  India is a particularly horrible place, where we have had instances of women and children being abused inside them, or at police stations attempting to file a complaint, or by lawyers in court, and so on. Does it lessen the rampant misogyny within the police force, does it deter men in power from abusing women further?

Perhaps not, but we’ve been on our way a while. One must do this responsibly– if you look at the history of feminist struggle, its triumphs are earned by demanding justice, being physically there, every day, speaking truth to power, going beyond the personal. One only hopes that this a step towards it, and doesn’t end at the ‘log out’ button.

The post Why #MeToo Ignores The Real Nature of Male Violence appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

The post फिल्म माचिस देखकर समझिए 1984 के पंजाब की आग को appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

इश्क दिलों में पैदा होने वाली एक स्वभाविक फितरत और व्यावहारिक जज़्बा है। जहां में ‘मुहब्बत’ से बड़ी और खूबसूरत दूसरी कोई भी चीज़ शायद नहीं। इश्क खुदा की ओर से बंदों को सबसे हसीन तोहफा है। इश्क कायनात की धूरी सी है जो कि आदमियों में रूह को सलामत रखे हुए है। कहा जाता है कि प्यारे बंदों के बेपनाह प्यार में परवरदिगार ने इस जहां को उसके लिए कायम किया। दुनिया की कोई भी ज़ुबान ऐसी नहीं जिसका अदब इश्क के जज़्बात से परे हो। तात्पर्य यह कि कोई भी भाषा (ज़ुबान) हो सौंदर्य और इश्क की भावनाओं को हटा देने से वह किसी काम की नहीं रह जाएगी। वह फिज़ा में जम चुके नफरतों की खूनी छीटें मिटा नहीं सकती। कहा जा सकता है कि इश्क आदमी के साथ समाज के लिए भी ज़रूरी है। हर उम्र के लोगों कि यह दिली उम्मीद होती है कि सब प्यार से पेश आएं।

मैं भी चुप हो जाऊंगा बुझती हुई शमाओं के साथ
कुछ लम्हें ठहर… अए ज़िंदगी… अए ज़िंदगी।

इश्क में गर किसी को आंसू भी मिले तो वह मोती होते हैं। इन मुहब्बत रूपी मोतियों की ओज से जिंदगी के अंधेरे दूर हो जाते हैं। इश्क के मामले में सब इंसान एक जैसे हैं, सबमें अच्छाई की भलमनसाहत छुपी होती है। सब के गमों में भी बडी समानता पाई गई है, फिर जब खुशी का दौर आता है तो उसका महत्त्व समानता की सुंदरता में सबसे अधिक प्रकट होता है।

शायर-गीतकार शकील बदायूनी की शायरी तस्व्वुर का पूरा सफ़र ऐसे ख्वाबों से भरा पड़ा है। यह हमें ज़िंदगी का हौसला देकर उदासीन दिल को मौसम-ए-बहार का पैगाम देते हैं। शकील बदायूनी की शायरी में ज़िंदगी और इश्क का बहुत सादा, सुंदर और पाक तस्व्वुर मिलता  है। इस आईने में उनकी दिल की रूमानियत एक हसीन दास्तान सुनाती महसूस होती है। इंसान की तक़दीर गर साथ दे तो वह रूमानी दास्तान किसी रोज़ उसकी भी कहानी बन जाए। इसके बरक्स गर किस्मत  एक दुखदायी अनुभव बन जाए तो एहसास का जिस्म झुलसने लगता है।

अए मुहब्बत तेरे अंजाम पे रोना आया
ना जाने क्युं तेरे नाम पे रोना आया
कभी तक़दीर का मातम कभी दुनिया का ग़िला
मंजिल इश्क के हर ग़ाम पे रोना आया।

शकील साहब का ज़िंदगी के प्रति नज़रिया उनके इन लफ़्ज़ों में समाया हुआ है – शकील दिल का हूं तर्जुमा कि मुहब्बतों का हूं राज़दां मुझे फक्र है मेरी शायरी मेरी ज़िंदगी से जुदा नहीं।

उत्तर प्रदेश के बदायूं में जन्में शकील  बी.ए बाद वर्ष 1942 मे वह दिल्ली पहुंचे, जहां उन्होंने आपूर्ति विभाग में पहली नौकरी की। वह मुशायरों मे भी हिस्सा लेते रहे। शायरी की बेपनाह कामयाबी से उत्साहित शकील बदायूं नौकरी छोड़ जल्द ही बम्बई आ गए।  कुदरत ने आपको बड़ा पुर-असर गला बख़्शा था। लिहाज़ा मुशायरों में उन्हें जी भर के दाद मिलने लगी। साल 1944 में उनकी पहली ग़ज़ल किताब ‘रानाइयां’ छपकर सामने आयी तो पहचान और मज़बूत हुई।

बम्बई के एक मुशायरे में आपकी मुलाकात उस समय के मशहूर निर्माता ए.आर. कारदार तथा संगीतकार नौशाद से हुई।  कारदार साहब ने आगे बढ़कर शकील की शान में कसीदे पढ़ते हुए उन्हें अपनी फिल्म कंपनी कारदार प्रोडक्शन्स की आईंदा फिल्मों के लिए गीत लिखने की पेशकश कर डाली। शकील साहब ने पहला फिल्म गीत लिखा जो कि नौशाद साहब को काफी पसंद आया, उन्हें तुरंत ही साइन कर लिया गया। आपने सबसे ज़्यादा गाने संगीतकार नौशाद के साथ किए। यह जोड़ी  खूब जमी और गाने ज़बरदस्त हिट हुए।

मुग़ल-ए-आज़म के रिलीज़ होने के अरसे बाद भी शकील साहब की शोहरत व इज़्जत का आलम उनके चाहने वालों के जुनून से पता चलता है। कहा जाता है कि किसी चाय की दुकान में रेडियो पर शकील बदायुनी का नगमा चल रहा होता, तो ठहर कर सुनने वालों की भीड़ जमा हो जाया करती थी। नौशाद साहब की धुनें, शकील बदायूनी का कलाम और लता मंगेशकर की मखमली आवाज़ दिलों में एक सुरूर भर देती थी।

घड़ी भर तेरे करीब आकर हम भी देखेंगे
तेरे कदमों में सर झुका कर हम भी देखेंगे
तेरी महफिल में किस्मत आज़मा कर हम भी देखेंगे।

हिंदी सिनेमा इतिहास में मुग़ल-ए-आज़म एक मील का पत्थर है। सन 1953 में शुरू हुई कमरूद्दीन आसिफ की यह फिल्म सात वर्षों में बनकर पूरी हुई। बहरहाल 5 अगस्त 1960 को रिलीज़ हुई तो नगमों के क्रेडिट्स में शकील बदायूनी का नाम आया। शकील साहब के इश्क-ए-जज़्बात से भरे नगमों ने दिलीप कुमार-मधुबाला मुहब्बत के किस्सों को रूह देकर सुनने वालों को दिल जीत लिया था।

”मुहब्बत की झूठी कहानी पे रोएं” और ”प्यार किया तो डरना क्या,जब प्यार किया तो डरना क्या” की चर्चा यहां की जा सकती है।
मुग़ल-ए-आज़म ने आम दर्शकों के साथ पढ़े-लिखे व एलिट वर्ग में भी इश्क के प्रति एक अप्रतिम आकर्षण पैदा किया, प्यार की वह रौशनी जिसकी बदौलत उदासीन दिलों में उम्मीद का उजाला हो गया था।

फिल्म में ‘अनारकली’ के किरदार के लिए उपयुक्त कलाकार की खोज बहुत दिनों तक जारी रही, फिर जाकर ‘मधुबाला’ का नाम सामने आया। युवराज सलीम की भूमिका के लिए दिलीप कुमार के नाम पर पहले से ही मुहर थी। इस प्रोजेक्ट का हिस्सा बनने के बाद दिलीप साहब-मधुबाला का इश्क परवान चढ़ा, शूटिंग के दौरान एक-दूसरे से बनी पहचान धीरे-धीरे मुहब्बत में तब्दील हुई। लेकिन सन 1956 में ‘नया दौर’ के ताल्लुक एक मुकदमे से इस रिश्ते में तल्खी आ गई। तल्ख रिश्ते का असर मुग़ल-ए-आज़म की शूटिंग के दरम्यान साफ महसूस किया गया। दरअसल उस दृश्य में यह साफ नज़र आया जिसमें सलीम को ‘अनारकली’ के रुखसार पर थप्पड़ लगाना था। दिलीप कुमार ने मधुबाला को ज़ोरदार थप्पड़ मारा, सीन तो ज़रूर पास हो गया लेकिन दिलीप-मधुबाला मुहब्बत के किस्से शायद वहीं थम गए।

ऐसा महसूस हुआ कि शायद नाराज़ होकर मधुबाला शूटिंग छोड़ देंगी लेकिन मधुबाला के प्रतिक्रिया के पहले कमरूद्दीन आसिफ(निर्देशक) आ गए। आसिफ ने मधुबाला को सीन के लिए मुबारकबाद देते हुए कहा कि वह यह जानकर खुश हैं कि दिलीप आज भी उससे पहली जैसी चाहत रखते हैं। यह इसलिए भी कि इश्क के बिना दिलीप कुमार जैसी हरकत की उम्मीद नहीं होती।

इस सीन की याद में शकील बदायूनी की गज़ल काबिले गौर है :

मुमकिन नहीं कि दूर रहें राह-ए-इश्क से हम
फीका सा हो चला है कुछ अफसाना हयात
आओ कि इसमें रंग भरे इब्तदा से हम …

बहरहाल दिलीप कुमार-मधुबाला ने पहली बार ‘तराना’(1951) में साथ काम किया। इससे पहले की फिल्म में कुछेक सीन में दोनो साथ आए थे लेकिन वह पूरी नहीं हो सकी। तराना में दिलीप कुमार-मधुबाला के पात्रों को बहुत सराहना मिली। इसमें कोई शक नहीं कि शकील बदायूनी रूमानियत के शायर थे। इन्होंने गज़ल में जिगर मुरादाबदी और अखतर सिराजी की विरासत को आगे बढ़ाया। शकील बदायूनी-नौशाद साहब की टीम ने एक से बढ़कर एक गीतों की रचना की, यह सभी गीत हिन्दी सिने संगीत में महत्त्वपूर्ण स्थान रखते हैं।

झूले में यूं कि आई बहार नैनो में नया रंग लाई बहार (बैजू बावरा)  अफसाना लिख रही हूं दिल-ए-बेकरार का आंखों में रंग भरके तेरे इंतज़ार रात जिंदगी से मुलाकात होगी (पालकी), मेरे महबूब तुझे मेरी मुहब्बत की कसम ( मेरे महबूब), इंसाफ का मंदिर है यह भगवान का मंदिर है(अमर),  तु मेरा चांद मैं तेरी चांदनी (दिल्लगी), मुहब्बत की राहों पर चलना संभल संभल के (उड़न खटोला), ठहरो पुकारती है तुम्हारी ज़मीन तुम्हें (मदर इंडिया) जैसे गीतों का उल्लेख यहां किया जा सकता है।

आपाधापी के युग में गुज़रा हुआ पुराना दौर भूला सा दिया गया है, वह वक्त दूर नहीं जब शकील बदायूनी जैसे फनकार वक्त की धारा में स्मृतियों से फना हो जाएंगे।

हम तेरे शहर में खुशबू की तरह हैं फराज़
महसूस तो होते हैं पर दिखाई नहीं देते।

आज गुज़रे दौर के फनकारों को विरासत एवं यादों को ज़िंदा रखने की ज़रूरत है। उन फनकारों के कलाम को दिलों में जगह देने से वह सदा के लिए अमर हो जाएंगे।

The post अपने अफसाने से हर दिल में मुहब्बत भर देते थे शकील बदायूनी appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Before getting into my full-blown account of the book, I have a confession to make. My only trysts with Hindu mythology have been Doordarshan’s epic Hindi serials “The Ramayana” and “The Mahabharata” in the late 80’s.  As a young child, I remember eagerly looking forward to them as they aired every Sunday. In a similar fashion, I found Greek mythology alluring as well and would chew upon several books on the same subject later in my teen years.

I do not know if my limited knowledge in Hindu mythology is a boon or bane as far as my review goes. It did strike me that if I had a prior hold on the subject, I could easily compare the original versus Mallar Chatterjee’s version. It would help me gauge if he stuck to the original narrative or took several creative liberties. Maybe, it is a good thing after all, that as a reader, I warmed into this wonderful reading experience, almost like a blank slate. I was able to enjoy Mallar Chatterjee’s version without any preconceived notions and bias.

Summing It Up

Mallar Chatterjee’s “Yudhisthira  – The Unfilled Pandava” is the story of the Mahabharata retold in the first person perspective of Yudhisthira. This spin is what makes the book intriguing as opposed to the original narrative. The book is also a semi-autobiographical tale of King Yudhisthira.

Set against the backdrop of war, it is thrilling to have nearly half the chapters deal with the actual Mahabharata per se. And thus, transporting its readers to the bloody land of Kurukshetra! The book takes the ludicrously fast pace of a true action thriller hereon without a single gory detail being missed out on in the entire war narrative. The first half of the book is a crucial prelude to the actual war and is just as captivating. But, the meat of the story lies in the war chapters and the concluding chapters dealing with the war’s aftermath.

The book delves into the deeper meaning and significance of life at large. The message is loud and clear – “It is only your Dharma or good deeds which carry you forward in the afterlife.” Yudhishthira stands as a glorious testimony to this simple profound truth of life.

The Hits

No two ways about it, this book is a sheer beauty! When it comes to Hindu mythology alone, Chatterjee has taken it several notches higher. With a tale that is so often told, Mallar Chatterjee does a brilliant job at its reinvention. The book is refined and classy with a sharp contemporary modern edge. It takes you to a different era back in time, but with relatable characters and emotions that are just as relevant and perhaps more so, in today’s times. The book is just as entertaining as it is sagely and wise.

“Your lamentation is utterly uncalled for. No wise man ever grieves for anybody living or dead. The atma is indestructible.” (Lord Krishna to Arjuna)

It caught my fancy right from the word “go”, enthralled and entertained me along the way and left me hanging on the cliff and literally screaming “Wow” at the end. It is hard to miss the literary powers of the author as he spellbinds the readers with not just his impressive range of vocabulary, but also his storytelling prowess. He weaves magic through his words as he effortlessly seduces the readers, making them beg for more.

The women characters are portrayed in a progressive light. Whether it is Yudhisthira’s mother, Kunti, wife Draupadi, Bheema’s Rakshasi lover, Hidimba, or aunt Gandhari, all the women are seen as strong, intelligent, wise, fearless and principled through the eyes of Yudhisthira. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship between Kunti and Draupadi comes untainted with mutual love and respect and highly secure in its place and position. While Yudhisthira’s relationship with Draupadi is bitter-sweet, contrived and slightly twisted owing to feelings of insecurity, jealousy and revenge, he is not oblivious of the purity and greatness of her soul.

Relationships form the central theme of this book. The author beautifully brings out the various complex shades of love and hate in this book. Every relationship has its own sanctity and place in Yudhisthira’s life. Be it the protagonist’s relationship with his mother Kunti, fathers Pandava and Lord Dharma, siblings the Pandavas, cousins the Kauravas, uncles Pitamaha Bheeshma, Vidura, Dhritarashtra, aunt Gandhari, son Pratibindhya, nephews Abhimanyu and Pareekshit, his subjects, his friend Lord Krishna, or his divine Creator. It is fascinating to follow the natural progression and course of each relationship in the book. As old ties give way to new ones, some truly stand the test of time.

It is a fantasy tale starring divine Gods, Goddesses, Rakshasas, Rakshasis and mortal humans who are spell bound by miracles and curses alike.There is simply no way anyone can dislike these wondrous creative elements to the plot. Besides, there is a deeper meaning that lies within. It is refreshing to see all the norms shattered in this narrative where Gods stumble and falter, Rakshasas behave like humans and humans behave like Gods. We see shades of grey in Lord Krishna, the goodness and humanity of Hidimba, and the universal love of King Yudhisthira, in this book. You see Yudhisthira’s strength of character when he is above all class and caste discriminations. He finds Acharya Drona’s justification for Eklavya’s heinous Guru Dakshina absolutely deplorable. Drona says: “Society renders opportunities and rights to a person according to the class that he belongs. That discipline should not be disrupted.” To which Yudhisthira responds, losing all respect for his Guru: “I wished I could have run away from this pathetic man.” 

Since the book is seen through the eyes of Yudhisthira, there is no single true version of this epic tale. In fact, this is one of the most likeable and intriguing aspects of the book. Yudhisthira is constantly seen questioning his own version of what’s true and what’s not, right up till the end of his journey. Even in moments of personal triumph, glory and joy, he is seen battling with his inner conscience and its demons. This humbling and conscientious quality of Yudhisthira is what sees him right through the end as “The Unfallen Pandava”. Thereby proving it is not one’s talent, intelligence, power, wealth or fame that matters, as much as one’s Dharma. 

The biggest hit or win of this book is that it takes a non-judgmental stance. Even the darkest character, Duryodhana is seen with empathy when Lord Krishna says: 

“Brother Yudhisthira, everybody knows Duryodhana was bad. But very few know how unhappy he was.”

The Misses

A book of this calibre truly deserved an epic cover. While the book cover design is beautiful and the font is perfect, I felt that the book cover ought to have been grand, magnificent with a thick sturdy paperback much like the larger than life tale itself. It is certainly not bad at all, but it could have been better. Especially if you want the book to be a keepsake to treasure! 

There is no romance in the book and it is not anyone’s fault. More so, Yudhisthira who shared this love-hate relationship with his beloved wife Draupadi. Yudhisthira does come across as one who is highly sensitive and tends to hold grudges with Draupadi being his unfortunate victim. Perhaps when we get to read the story from Arjuna, Bheema or Draupadi’s perspective, we might get to read about that heady sugary side of love as well.

The war is brilliantly portrayed in the book. But, it does get extremely graphic and explicit in certain war scene descriptions, especially Ashwatthama’s psychopathic carnage and the brutal ends of Duhshasana and Duryodhana. If you are fainthearted, some of the savage details of the war can leave you feeling squeamish and uncomfortable. However, if you love your violence hard-core, this aspect would be a hit and not a miss with you.

So, who should pick up this book?

This book is perfect for anybody looking for a good read. Literary fiction lovers will surely lap this one up. It is a great pick for anyone who is curious about the tales and philosophy of the ancient land of Mahabharata. Children above the age of 14 years can read this book without any qualms barring those explicit violent scenes.

Author Love

Mallar Chatterjee’s sincere passion and undaunted focus for spinning spectacular stories is highly inspiring. Everything from the character sketch to the backdrop context to the seamless flow of the narrative has been thought carefully and designed meticulously. The story goes from colorfully entertaining to the darkest shade of sombre to still water calm blue to a perpetual state of white with an amazing ease of natural flow. This attention to the fine minutest detail is what makes all the difference, and sets Mallar Chatterjee and his labour of love apart from the rest of the books.

Conclusion

Yudhisthira definitely commands your respect through the sheer mettle of his character. Beyond the superficialities of monarchy bestowed upon him and his human character flaws,  Yudhisthira is an ascetic at heart yearning for the true purpose and meaning of life.

As for me, I have always loved the genres of world mythology, literary fiction and philosophy. I do harbour great respect for all religions. For a believer like me, this book is a divine holy communion of mystic Hindu mythology, exemplary literary fiction and profound religious wisdom.

Even for non-believers, the book is guaranteed to come out as a proud, spectacular winner owing to the undeniable fact that it is exceptionally well-written, with all heart and soul.

The post This Novel Explores The Other Side Of Yudhishthira You Probably Didn’t Know About appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

By Aneesha Bangera

The curious thing about death is that, when you talk about it, you’re often actually talking about life. This idea lies at the heart of Shubhashish Bhutiani’s directorial debut, “Mukti Bhawan” – the Dharamshala International Film Festival 2017’s opening night film.

The 77-year-old protagonist Daya has a recurring dream in which a voice is calling to him. He subsequently declares to his family that his time is nearly over and the burden of his decision to check into Mukti Bhawan – a hotel in Varanasi to where people travel to spend their last few days, falls to his son Rajeev. What unfolds is a beautiful story of a family learning to cope with death—a process that leads them to explore their relationships with each other and with life.

“I was travelling around India some years ago when I heard about these hotels, or bhawans, in Varanasi where people go to die,” says Shubhashish. Intrigued by the idea, he visited one and heard about a man who had been forced to take his father there. The story stayed with him for years before he wrote “Mukti Bhawan”.

The film handles this somewhat delicate subject with a measured restraint and quietness, never slipping into drama or cliché, despite the theme and setting. “Each time I make a film, I feel as though I’m starting from scratch,” continues the director. “For Mukti Bhawan, a more contained approach seemed right, but this doesn’t mean that my next film will be the same. Every film carries its own rhythm.”

Shubhashish seems to have tapped into the perfect rhythm here. Understated humour is woven with touching moments of humanity and emotional depth, revealing the tensions and complexities of the father-son relationship.

Ironically, Daya comes alive at Mukti Bhawan, nurtured by new friendships and the idea of waiting for salvation. Meanwhile, Rajeev is forced to confront his own faults and fears, torn between caring for his father and returning home to his wife, daughter and job.

“Mukti Bhawan” chronicles a turning point for its characters. “But the change is internal,” says Shubashish. “The characters aren’t changing the world like superheroes. And yet, they are superheroes in their own way.”

Staying true to the story with limited resources was a challenge, but a young crew that was invested in the story created a sense of family and an atmosphere of learning. “Instead of taking taxis, we would travel by boat to the location each morning and night,” Shubhashish adds. “It was a really nice way to begin and end a day. The first journey was defined by preparation and anticipation, while the return was a period for reflection. Making the film was truly a rewarding experience in so many ways.”

Discussing DIFF, the director – who grew up in the Himalayas – says, “I was really honoured when Ritu and Tenzing asked us to open the festival. I was there last year, and it’s truly one of the best festivals I’ve been to – the warmth, the location, the food and, most importantly, the incredible people who run it. The way people come together to watch films at DIFF is a beautiful thing.”

Shubhashish was also on the selection jury of this year’s DIFF Film Fellows Programme. “I’m looking forward to seeing more filmmakers emerge from the region,” he comments. “I’m so happy they have this opportunity to develop their skills and tell their stories.”

Aneesha is a freelance writer and editor who grew up in Madras and lives in Bangalore. A graduate of journalism school, she has worked at a newspaper, an educational non-profit, and a boutique and gallery. She was part of the DIFF team in 2014.

Don’t miss DIFF’s opening night on November 2, 2017. The screening of Mukti Bhawan will be followed by a Q&A session with Adil Hussain, who won a National Award for his role in the film. You can get tickets for the event here.

The post This Film About Parents, Life And Death Will Make You Weep appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

With the BJP leader H Raja publicly sharing the voter ID of Thalapathy Vijay, and linking the “Mersal” issue with his religion, the issue still remains a hot topic for the media.

The leader from Tamil Nadu aggravated the attack on the “Mersal” actor by using his voter ID to stress that his Christian faith is the reason why his film has shown PM Modi’s initiatives in bad light. Moreover, the actor’s production house was raided by IT officials on October 23. This was no coincidence, as Vishal had come out strongly in support of the film, claiming Raja had watched a pirated version of the movie.

Tamilians are looking at this controversy as Centre’s another insensitivity towards Tamil Nadu after Jallikattu and the NEET issue. Hoping to make inroads in TN politics, the party has stooped to new low. It succeeded in playing religion as a political card in the Hindi belt, but considering the state’s political history, its chances looks grim here.

The BJP seems to have dug its own grave in Tamil Nadu by attacking the actor, whose popularity has only been next to Rajnikanth in the state. He is popular for his philanthropic and welfare activities and has always been vocal about matters affecting common people. Whether it be the Anna andolan at Ramlila Maidan, the Jallikattu protest, or Anitha’s suicide, he has expressed his genuine concerns towards these matters. “Mersal” is not Vijay’s first movie to highlight social issues. His previous releases like “Bairavaa” and “Kaththi” also had strong messages. In “Kaththi”, he took up the issues of farmers and water and made a reference to the 2G corruption case. In “Bairavaa”, he plays a Samaritan who crusades against medical college mafia.

In “Mersal”, Vijay has taken it to the next level. He has raised not one but multiple issues viz pathetic condition of government hospitals, money-hungry doctors, the increase in C-sections for making money. The director makes a case for overhauling the healthcare system in India and free health care for all. That’s the most important message the movie conveys.

Isn’t the healthcare system in India in shambles? We still spend just over 1%of GDP on healthcare. We should be having prime-time debates about this. National family health survey 2014-15  revealed that at the all India level, the rate of C-sections has doubled over the last decade. In the last 20 years, it has risen six times. The rate in private hospitals (31.1%) is thrice that of C-sections in public hospitals (10.0%). Why is this not a national issue? An estimated 63 million people face poverty every year due to high “out of pocket” expenditure on healthcare. Why are these things the film discusses not being debated?

In this politicised atmosphere, the important social messages conveyed through the movie seem to have a taken a backseat. The BJP, desperate to make some political points, made this a mountain out of a molehill. Thanks to BJP, the international media is also reporting about #MersalvsModi.

The post Has The BJP Gone Too Far In Its Attack On ‘Mersal’ Actor Vijay? appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Born in Bardhaman (or Burdwan), West Bengal, Shakti Samanta’s school education began in Dehradun. He returned to Bengal for higher studies. Calcutta happened to him. Admission into Calcutta University for bachelors saw him rise to a new level. He came out with an equal command of Hindi and Urdu. Bangla was his mother tongue. Dehradun’s school environment enabled him to attain bilingual prowess. His Urdu and Hindi skills made him a good critique of dialogues and lyrics. His knowledge of language helped him shape quality cinema.

With the passion to be a hero in films, Shaktida moved to Mumbai. Days of struggle followed at an Urdu school. While teaching, he developed a passion for talkies. The insatiable urge inside him guided Shaktida to studios in Mumbai. Bombay Talkies was his favourite spot.

At Bombay Talkies, he came in contact with leading actor Ashok Kumar. This brief meeting with the actor, fondly known as Dadamoni, transformed his fortunes forever. He was advised by the ever-green hero to opt for direction, which he took up with great enthusiasm.

To start with, Shakti Samanta became an assistant to Phani Majumdar. The association turned out to be so fruitful that he dropped the idea of becoming a hero forever, and took to direction completely. From then, Shaktida would commit himself to the art of filmmaking, as a director and filmmaker. In 1954, he got his first break as a director with the film “Bahu“.

In 1957, Shakti Samanta started his own film production unit under the banner “Shakti Films”, to become a producer/director. The golden decade of Hindi cinema, the period between 1960 to 1970, belongs to Shakti Samanta. Shaktida, under the aegis of Shakti Films, delivered some of the most cherished moments of Hindi Cinema.

Shaktida strongly felt that a good story, interspersed with enchanting music and songs, would go a long way towards the success of a film. The golden decade proved him right. The decade of romanticism and the emergence of Hindi Cinema’s first superstar – Rajesh Khanna, made Shaktida a trendsetter.

Although crime/suspense thrillers were his first love, Shaktida later switched to romanticism, which he delivered best. He would churn out film after film with the concept of social engineering, and touching musical hits to boot.  His great insight ignited tremendous curiosity and demand for such films among the masses.

No surprise, Shakti Samanta’s movies achieved huge recognition and fan following, so much so that he became one among a legendary triumvirate consisting of him, Bimal Roy, and Hrishikesh Mukherjee. Together they carried forth the tradition of enriching Hindi Cinema despite the fact that Hindi was not their mother tongue.

Star-studded with actors like Ashok Kumar, Madhubala, and KN Singh, “Howrah Bridge” was his first film as a producer/director. “Howrah Bridge” has some immortal songs like “Aaiye Meharban” and “Mera Naam Chin Chin Chu“. OP Nayyar, Asha Bhonsle, Geeta Dutt contributed to this grand musical success.

For the next two decades, Shakti Films continued to churn out hit after hit.  A good story with great music, lyrics, and dialogue remained the striking feature of all the movies made under the Shakti banner.

Shakti Samanta shuffled actors as per the need of the script and the screenplay. Rajesh Khanna, Shammi Kapoor, Ashok Kumar, and Uttam Kumar remained prominent faces of Shakti Films. Notable actors and actresses earned a name for themselves under Shakti Samanta and his banner.

“Aradhana” (1969) gave popular Hindi cinema its first superstar in Rajesh Khanna. Shaktida truly developed the idea of popular cinema with his films. His cinematic efforts and ventures provided an immortal space for social romanticism. The release of “Aradhana” became a turning point in the history of romantic films. “Kati Patang” (1971) and “Amar Prem” (1972)  too proved to be game changers.

“Aradhana”, “Kati Patang” and “Amar Prem” placed Rajesh Khanna on top of an unshakeable citadel. The overwhelming response and success of these films and many other films that followed went on to enhance the image of the emerging superstar tremendously.

Rajesh Khanna’s superb acting skills, along with lyricist Anand Bakshi, playback singer Kishore Kumar, and musicians SD and RD Burman, made up the dream team. However, even the efforts of Shaktida failed to sail through the superstar’s sinking innings in later years. Salim-Javed’s action hero, the angry young man, diminished further hope for Rajesh. He failed Shaktida’s expectations, and their great association suffered.

Sanjeev Kumar (“Charitraheen”),  Sunil Dutt (“Jag Utha Insan”), Manoj Kumar (“Sawan Ki Ghata”), Uttam Kumar (“Amanush”) are other top actors who worked with Shakti Samanta in his later innings, which also saw Amitabh Bachchan and Mithun Chakraborty appearing in his Bangla films.

Shakti Samanta’s winning efforts gave Sharmila Tagore, Uttam Kumar and Mausmi Chatterjee entry into Hindi cinema. Sharmila Tagore was the favourite actress of Shakti camp. She did “Kashmir Ki Kali”, “Aradhana”, “Amar Prem”, “An Evening In Paris”, “Amanush”, and “Anand Ashram” under the Shakti Films banner. Sharmila Tagore’s onscreen chemistry with Rajesh Khanna and Shammi Kapoor formed two of the most hit jodis (pairs) of Hindi cinema.

Post “Aradhana”, Anand Bakshi continued as the lyricist for most of Shakti Samanta’s films. He wrote some of his sweetest numbers for films such as “Aradhana”, “Amar Prem”, “Kati Patang”, and “Mehbooba”. Immortal hits like  “Kuch Toh Log Kahenge”, “Chingari Koi Bhadke”, “Yeh Shaam Mastani”, and “Mere Naina Saawan Bhado” saw him at his best.

Kishore Kumar, too, shot to fame with “Aradhana”. The film transformed the fortunes of all associated with it. Kishore Kumar continued as the lead playback singer for most of Shakti Samanta’s films. Some of his most touching numbers were for films under his banner.

Shakti Samanta devoted his time in search of winning concepts. He committed himself to making meaningful social dramas with romance at the centre stage. A search for stories, suitable faces to match characters, and impressive musical chords remained his lifelong quest.

Music is essential to the storyline in a Hindi film – and this concept may not be appropriately appreciated if one were not privy to Shakti’s films. Shakti Samanta’s films contributed significantly to the totality of film music.

With the onset of the eighties, mainstream cinema gradually transformed, with action replacing romance. Salim-Javed’s creation, the angry young man, replaced Rajesh Khanna as the next superstar. Shakti Samanta ceased to be popular as a filmmaker as the audiences went for the new genre of action cinema, with the antihero taking center stage and the idea of romantic cinema slowly going into oblivion.

A version of this article was previously published here.

The post Remembering Shakti Samanta, The Man Who Brought Romance To Bollywood appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Growing up in the 90’s, Hindi comic books were an integral part of a teenager’s social life. They were the glue that held us together. Friendships were fostered and nurtured over a mutual love for them. No conversation was complete without mentioning the new ones in the market. There were so much joy and pride in owning a new edition of one of these envied comic books, and you could always exchange it for one of your friend’s collections. They were not like the storybooks, which had only stories and no illustrations leaving the reader to rely on imagination, which in some cases might not have been as vivid as one hoped for.

The laminated and technicolour covers, crisp pages, and the smell of fresh glue could make your heart flutter. Oh! It could cost you a fortune to buy one of those. But it was a worthy investment and you could be the proud owner of a prized possession much later as well, even when it was all torn up and discolored. They were vibrant and entertaining, filled with brightly coloured pictures, captivating stories, and peculiar characters. There was the turbaned Chacha with his tall alien friend Sabu, quirky little girl Pinki, the immensely likeable Billoo, the bumbling buffoon Bankelal, the brawny Fauladi Singh, the hilarious duo of Motu-Patlu, the snake producing Nagraj, and the brave and handsome Super Commando Dhruv.

They fought with local thugs and goons, and applied their skills in catching international criminals. Sometimes they ventured into unknown territory by tackling aliens and an assortment of supervillains, but always won the battle through their presence of mind, bravery, and a little help from their friends. They entertained us, made us laugh, made us think, and ultimately helped us envision the basic goodness of human nature.

As you grow up and cross the boundaries of adolescent imagination into the mundane realism of adulthood, these stories and characters are left behind, locked somewhere deep into your mind. In the journey of life, career and family takes precedence over juvenile interests. One realizes that the real world is much more complex and realistic. There are no supervillains and alien beings to be dealt with. Only humans that behave according to their own self-interest, making them either good or bad.

Now, when our senses are overwhelmed by technology and there is a barrage of entertainment options available, those comic books have been relegated to dusty shoeboxes or a pile of garbage sold to the raddiwala – or forced to reimagine themselves as poorer versions of television shows. Children today are not interested in reading them. They are preoccupied with either battery-run toys, or game apps downloaded on their tablets and smartphones. Hunched over the screen, with a blue light illuminating their faces, they are busy as bees, using only the muscles of their eyes and thumbs to navigate the digital world and its wonders.

I recently downloaded a few comic books from the Internet and started reading them to my children, in the hope of reliving my childhood with them. To my utter surprise, they were engrossed in listening to these stories. No more distraction from smartphones or candy crushes and you tubes. They were yearning for more. At last, I was able to wean them off of Internet and TV. Hope had been rekindled, and I could see that good old-fashioned storytelling with a few colourful pictures still works its magic.

In due course, they will grow up and find other things to do and worry about. Studies, friends, love, and the paraphernalia that comes with it. But I can only wish and hope that they continue to believe in the magic of comic books. And as life gets all the more fast and furious, we can take a momentary pause and imagine an era gone by, an era free of Internet and apps, an era of simplicity, of purity, of mundane existences and delusional hopes, an era of pure unadulterated fun, an era of comic books.

The post Whatever Happened To Indian Comic Books? appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Amidst all the unrest and sloganeering, I somehow managed to watch “Mersal” – the controversial movie of the Tamil superstar Vijay.

To be very frank, the film would not have attained this attention if it were not for Tamil Nadu BJP leaders Tamilisai Soudarajan and H. Raja commenting on it.

The film deals with exposing unethical medical practices in the country. It opens with Vijay doing push ups followed by his Vanakkam in traditional Tamil attire, with his hands cuffed amidst the crowd. The film also shows Vijay and MGR together in a frame, indirectly trying to portray Vijay’s political interests.

He plays three different roles in the move. In the first half he plays Dr Maran (or ‘five rupees doctor’, as he is fondly called). He treats his patients for just ₹5. His next role is that of a magician, Vetri. The Paris magic show shown in the film is a sequence that is a visual treat to his fans. However, it is the flashback scenes that grip the audience the most.

It seems like the fans have promoted Vijay from Ilayathalapathy (Sub-Commander) to Thalapathy (Commander) in Mersal. The audience could not stop cheering when they could see their thalaiva (leader) lash out at politicians for giving freebies.

In his third role, with holy ash on his forehead, he drops the idea of building a temple in order to build a hospital, even though his character was a Hindu. I really wonder what was communal about this sequence. The film deals with scams in private hospitals and showcases the lack of healthcare facilities in government hospitals.

Vijay delivers a lengthy dialogue in one of his scenes, where he claims that India is not able to provide proper healthcare despite 28%  GST , while Singapore is able to do with just 7%. He also spoke about no taxation on liquor and this lengthy dialogue in particular, has certainly made the BJP upset.

In another scene, comedian Vadivelu shows his empty pocket to burglars in Paris and says he doesn’t have money as he comes up from a digitised India. This shows that perhaps, the filmmaker Atlee is a keen follower of memes on social media. There’s no doubt that “Mersal” questioned the BJP enough.

‘Mersal’ is a usual commercial film that adds some political masala to it. However, it now seems to spill the beans that maybe Vijay would take the political plunge in subsequent years.

The post My Thoughts On ‘Mersal’, The Film That Questioned GST And The BJP appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

The past few days have been emotionally very taxing for all of us, men and women alike. Slug-fests are many, while acceptance is visibly less.

What we mustn’t also forget is the fact that if ‘the list’ were re-wired, some of us would come out guilty and accused too. While I understand there is a certain clinical satisfaction in watching our traumatisers get called out (and there must be), it is also an occasion to think about the boundary between the ‘traumatised’ and the ‘traumatiser’. Like all lines, it is but a shadowy realm which can be crossed over very easily – and often unknowingly.

I write this being conscious of my class privileges and position as a woman. I have exploited a lot of people for my gain – domestic maids being foremost on the list. Often, I have been violent to them for the smallest of things, because where else can you throw anger and not receive it back? I must also admit to my ableist stance in most matters – I have demeaned and laughed at a lot of people who may not fit into the ‘intellectual classes’.

Lastly, this also reminds me to talk about how I have been an obsessive ex-girlfriend and have justified my incessant messages in the name of grief. While there always remains grief in something that parts, compulsive behaviour is emotional abuse. I am equally guilty, and I am sorry. I will be better than this. We will be better than this.

Lets talk about ‘the list’ now. Raya Sarkar, a Dalit lawyer and activist, brought together a crowd-sourced list of ‘academic predators’ – and it has sent the ‘savarna feminist’ world into a spiral. What led us here?

To chart the ‘Constitution’ of any ideological subject, via the socio-political-economic nexus it operates in, is the work of any onlooker of culture. Understanding relative structures of power and breaking down their epistemological fractures requires us to engage with binaries. These binaries do not dry up pro tanto – neither can it end when we look away. Therefore, to come to the conclusion that by ascribing to feminist politics, you are giving in to the divide is short-sighted. Binaries have existed and will exist, because they are the structures upholding the rhetoric of ‘the common good’, which is also the raison d’etat. Institutions merely reinforce this rhetoric – and more often than not, the greatest minds of our generation (and the ones before us) have done their bit to further the generalisations.

Aristotle saw the ‘master-slave’ relationship as natural and conducive to the human race – think of the ‘refined Greeks’ and the ‘barbaric Asiatics’. But why go that far? There are calls made to heaven and hell to justify and propagate the caste system, where one group is superior to another because that is ‘natural’. The usual becomes customary. What is declarative violently enters the performative realm. It is this custom that blinds the vision of an egalitarian society.

Patriarchy falls under this category too. As an accepted norm, women were made to occupy positions inferior to men – socially, culturally and sexually. With ‘norm’ being the word of choice, there comes a hint of ‘voluntary surrender’.

As JS Mill rightly pointed out, men simply do not want the obedience of women, they also want the sentiments. They do not just wish for a slave, but also a willing one. These ‘desires’, resting on the backs of patriarchy, are forwarded through education, didacticism and through love. The idea of maintaining a stoic, ideal life, full of self-abnegation, is central to lessons for women, right from school. The clever binary between the ‘angel in the house’ and the ‘devil in flesh’ (from Victorian literature) feeds into the nature of self-patrolling and control.

When it comes to love and comradeship, there seems to be an indefeasible tie between ‘dependence’ and ‘sentiment’. A woman’s pleasure and her social ambitions are supposed to find their conduit in a man. This excessive privilege and ownership of a woman’s body, her mind and her thoughts masks itself as ‘puerile’ love or ‘healthy’ sexual desire. But the story is far wider than that.

At this time in history particularly, we are both perpetrators and victims of a relentless gaze which gets specially confusing. It is our complicity and quietude that has resulted in centuries-worth of oppression, and has arrogated absolute power in the hands of men.

I am not discounting the pressure this has had on the male psyche – with a social aspiration to be violent and philandering (ample recourse to ‘nature’ and ‘norm’ to justify that these two are used) – and any aberration from this seems to harm their sense of self. A lot of men and women who claim to be ‘allies’ are reeling under the yoke of patriarchy (which is intrinsically tied to privileges, both class and caste). Once called out, there is a complete reversal in their stance.

Maybe that is why feminism is (an awareness of) ‘cancer’. Maybe it signals you to introspect.

A ‘friend’ called me in the middle of the night to talk about his drug abuse – and ended up wearing his libidinousness like some sort of achievement (very characteristic of the masculinist, toxic ego). Noted feminist Sanjukta Basu put up a status condemning women for ‘calling out’ lewd comments and passes men make. Thus, this screenshot would be ‘normal talk’ in the liberal feminist world.

‘The list’ also exists for every profession. Please do not even get me started with the kind of male entitlement that runs through the hospitality and PR industries. The one year I worked in PR (and for a 19/20-year-old, I was quite successful) I cried almost everyday. It was only because I had an extremely supportive (now ex) partner that I found the will to quit and realise the ghastly structures of systemic exploitation that are normalised in the industry. I will probably always be indebted to him for that.

To have your worth compromised everyday with 4 AM messages from a bevy of food-bloggers, restaurant owners and other ‘senior’ (of my father’s age) PR agents is kind of routine. In my experience, the only way you’ll ever get anywhere is by smiling all the time and never calling these people out. Payments are delayed and even stopped even after your projects are long done because you’ve been too professional and haven’t responded to their flirty overtures. These ‘larger Kafila feminists’ are wrong if they think procedural committees even exist in industries like the PR industry. This is one such example where their critique fails.

Also, who made these ‘larger feminists’ the locus standi on disowning a person’s narrative? Abuse comes in a lot of forms – and perhaps, the reason so many women prefer staying quiet is because when their own kith and kin are accused. Women take up patriarchy’s dirty work. Their complicity, silencing tactics and being on the side of the oppressor makes me think of all their ‘feminist hogwash’ as a book-selling/PhD-producing tactic, which is far removed from any attempt to engage with the problem seriously.

Looking at the state of upper class, upper caste, selective, hyphenated feminism has never been so much a moment of curtain-lifting hypocrisy.

Also, much of what constitutes a ‘visible violation’ of one’s body is institutionally sanctioned and justified. The medical and the beauty industries are the worst examples. Think ‘pressure points’ during chirotherapy, hands inside your shirt during a ‘massage’ that comes with a hair spa, and so on. What does one do in such situations? ‘This is how it’s done’ would be the one-stop reason to shut anybody down. While we (uselessly) debate on the ‘legitimacy’ of reports of abuse, let’s not forget about the questions we are ignoring – those concerning the rather thin line between ‘abuse’ and practice, and how the two are sometimes ratified and implemented with ‘due process’.

Thank you, Raya – you have ignited a spark. So many simultaneous arguments have found space now – which otherwise stayed in the realms and confines of elitist classroom lectures. Jai Bheem!

_

Featured image sources: Raya Sarkar/Facebook, Arijit Sen/Hindustan Times via Getty Images

The post Why I Think Raya Sarkar’s List Is A Befitting Reply To Patriarchy appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

आंदोलन व संगीत को कलात्मक सूत्र में पिरोने वाले, सलिल चौधरी याद आते हैं। सलिल दा का बचपन चाय बागानों की गोद में बीता, पिता यहां पर चिकित्सक थे। मोज़ार्ट-हेडन-बिथोवन की पश्चिमी क्लासिक धुनों में लड़कपन गुज़ार दिया। मुल्क के मुस्तकबिल पर सोचने वाले पिता की छाया से प्रेरणा पाते हुए चाय बागानों के मज़दूरों की दुर्दशा को करीब से जाना। चालिस के दशक के भीषण अकाल ने बंगाल को झकझोर दिया था, विश्वयुद्ध से उपजी सिसकियों के बीच राजनीति का क्रूर रंगमंच सलिल दा के अनुभवों से गुज़रा, भीतर का पीड़ित अभिवयक्त होने के लिए एक मंच तलाश रहा था। संयोग से मार्कस्वादी विचारों का इप्टा (IPTA) वहां था। सदस्यता लेकर आपने देशभर भ्रमण किया। आम जन की पीड़ा को गीतों के माध्यम से अभिवयक्त किया।

फिल्मी दुनिया में सलिल दा अपने गुरू बिमल राय के संग आए। बिमल दा की यथार्थवादी ‘दो बीघा ज़मीन’ से यहां धमक जमाई, तब से लेकर जीवन में सक्रिय रहने तक पचहत्तर से अधिक फिल्मों में संगीत दिया। हिंदी के अलावा आपने मलयालम, तमिल, बंगाली, मराठी, गुजराती एवं उड़िया फिल्मों में भी सेवाएं दी।

पश्चिमी क्लासिक संगीत को सलिल दा ने भारतीय लोकसंगीत  में मिलाकर कारगर फ्यूज़न बनाया। वो चलन से हटकर चलने का हौसला लेकर आए थे, इस जोखिम में काम कम मिला, हमसाथियों की नक्ल नहीं की।

मुड़कर देखिए कि आपके संगीत से सजी अनेक फिल्में क्लासिक भी बनी। याद करें दो बीघा ज़मीन से लेकर मधुमती फिर कानून एवं आनंद व मेरे अपने सरीखा फिल्मों को। इस मार्ग में सलिल दा को कलात्मक रूप से बेहद संपन्न फिल्मकारों की फिल्में मिली। बिमल राय, बलराज चोपड़ा, बासु चटर्जी, राजकपूर, हृषीकेश मुखर्जी एवं गुलज़ार का साथ मिला।

सलिल दा की बेहतरीन धुनों पर बात करें तो दो बीघा ज़मीन से लता जी की लोरी ‘आ जा रे निंदिया’ याद आती है। मधुमती का पुकारता गीत ‘आजा रे परदेसी’ जिसे लता जी ने ही आवाज़ दी, भी खास था। इंतज़ार के इस ओर खड़ी मधु के प्यार की राह में जज़्बात को शब्दों व संगीत में महसूस किया जा सकता है। वतन की मिटटी से दूर होने की तड़प को समझना हो तो काबुलीवाला का ‘अए मेरे प्यारे वतन’ को सुनें। देशभाव के गीतों में मन्ना डे के इस गीत का बड़ा ऊंचा मुकाम है। देशभक्ति से रूमानियत की तरफ चलने पर मधुमती का लता-मुकेश का युगल ‘दिल तड़प-तड़प के’ का गीत सामने आता है। रूमानी गीतों में मधुमती का यह गीत आज भी सुना जाता है।

वहीं  ‘मेरे अपने’ का ‘हाल चाल ठीक है’ युवाओं की बेरोज़गारी एवं उससे जुड़ी खीज व उन्माद व्यंग्यात्मक रूप में व्यक्त हुए थे। किशोर दा व मन्ना डे के सुरों ने युवाओं के हालात को बड़े रोचक तरीके से रखा। मोज़ार्ट के धुनों को लेकर आपकी दीवानगी को छाया फिल्म के गीत ‘इतना ना मुझसे तू प्यार’ में देखा जा सकता है। यह गीत मोज़ार्ट की चालीसवीं धुन से प्रेरित था। इस युगल को तलत महमूद व लता मंगेशकर ने आवाज़ दी थी। फिल्म ‘छाया’ का ‘जा उड़ जा रे पंछी देश हुआ बेगाना’ लता जी के गायकी का उत्कृष्ट उदाहरण था। सलिल दा के बेहतरीन धुनों में से एक।

योगेश की कविताई में ‘कई बार यूं ही देखा है, यह जो मन की सीमारेखा’ बासु चैटर्जी की ‘रजनीगंधा’ के बाकी गीतों की तरह उत्तम दर्जे का था। मुकेश ने इसे आवाज़ देकर अमर बना दिया था। गायकी के लिए उन्हें फिल्मफेयर पुरस्कार भी मिला। अतीत व वर्तमान की उलझन में जकड़ी नायिका की मन:स्थिति को व्यक्त करने में सफल हुआ था। सत्तर के दशक की बेहतरीन कॉमेडी फिल्मों में शुमार ‘छोटी सी बात’ का ‘जानेमन जानेमन तेरे यह दो नयन’ यशुदास व हेमलता का उत्साह व थिरकन भरा ज़िंदादिल गीत था। आनंद का ‘कहीं दूर जब दिन ढल जाए’ सलिल दा की बेहतरीन धुनों में से एक बना। अपने जीवन का अवलोकन करते हुए आनंद ने यह गीत गुनगुनाया था। इससे गुज़रते हुए हम हंसमुख आनंद सहगल के दूसरे पहलू से परिचित हो जाते हैं।

फिल्म के हरेक गीत का कहानी से एक व्याख्यात्मक रिश्ता था। पात्रों के हालात से निकले कहानी को दिशा देते गाने बोझिल नहीं होते। वहीं मेरे अपने का ‘कोई होता जिसको हम अपना किशोर कुमार के संवेदनशील गायकी का बेहतरीन नमूना था। सत्तर के दशक के दर्द भरे गीतों में इसको शुमार किया जा सकता है। आनंद में ‘कहीं दूर जब दिन ढल जाए’ सरीखा दर्द भरे गीत के सामानांतर  खुशनुमा ‘मैंने तेरे लिए ही सात रंग के सपने’ गीत भी था। गुलज़ार की यह कविताई दिलों की उदासी को तोड़ कर खुशनुमा रंगों का संचार करने में कारगर है।

लता मंगेशकर ने अनेक युगल गीतों को आवाज़ दी लेकिन ‘रजनीगंधा फूल तुम्हारे’ एक चमकता सितारा रहेगा। प्यार को त्यागने अथवा उससे अलग होने का एक तरीका इसमें युवतियों ने महसूस किया होगा। अपनी कहानी को नायिका की कहानी बनते देखा होगा। मॉनसून के खुशनुमा माहौल से लबरेज ‘ओ सजना बरखा बहार’ में मौसम से उपजे भावों को कहा गया था। प्रकृति के समीप इस गीत को भी सलिल दा ने लता मंगेशकर को दिया था। गीत में प्रयुक्त ध्वनियां व विजुअल्स हमें मौसम के बेहद करीब ले आते हैं।

असम की चाय बगानों में बिताए दिनों ने सलिल दा को प्रकृति के करीब ले आया था। फिज़ाओं में सांस ले रही ध्वनियों का पीछा करना सीख लिया था। इसे आप मधुमती के बोलते गीत ‘सुहाना सफर’ में देख सुन सकते हैं। किसान की पुकार, सुखी पत्तियों की आवाज़ें, बहती नदिया की चाल, चिड़ियों की चहचहाहट से मुखड़ा लेती मुकेश की गायकी में आज भी वही बात नज़र आती है। प्रकृति से संवाद करते बेहतरीन गीतों में बडा ऊंचा मुकाम देंगे आप इसे।

फोटो आभार- फेसबुक

The post हर मूड के लिए बेहतरीन म्यूज़िक देने वाले सलिल दा, आज भी दिल छू लेते हैं appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

The lives of celebrities are not easy. Fame, money and attention come at the cost of privacy and public scrutiny. People often think that star kids have it easy in the industry (well, the nepotism debate is never-ending, isn’t it?). Yes, it is true that networking and reaching out to people become easier when you are from within the industry. But, have we given the cons a thought? When our siblings or even cousins get through a premier college or bag an awesome job, our parents and relatives kill us with annoying comparisons. Imagine what star kids have to live up to.

And I guess I won’t be wrong if I said that we cannot even imagine what Abhishek Bachchan has had to go through since the beginning of his career. Amitabh Bachchan is the biggest star that Bollywood has seen or will see in ages. Carrying the burden of the legendary name on his tender shoulders could never have been easy for him as a young aspirant actor.

As a journalist, I have been exposed to a lot of Bollywood people. Once, when I was a second-year student of BJMC, I had the opportunity of meeting Junior Bachchan. Well, not exactly meeting – we were attending a TV award show at The Ashoka, New Delhi, and he was the Chief Guest that night. When I heard him talk, I was impressed. He came across as a learned intellectual with amazingly inspiring thoughts. His oratory stumped me. After that, I ‘met’ him several times during film promotions and was always awed by his humble demeanour. He does not talk much during promotional events, and when he does, he weighs his words well. It is difficult to get more than he wants to give away.

A few nights back, I was browsing YouTube and watching random interviews of celebrities (that is one of the things that I do at night apart from reading, listening to songs, and reading, because I am an insomniac). Anyway, so I stumbled upon a video called “Ye Hai Meri Kahani (This Is My Story)” with some 1K views at the time (which is not much), but I clicked on it. Abhishek Bachchan was sitting on a chair in a plain white shirt and talking to me (read camera). There was no interviewer to interrupt his honest confessions and moving stories. Once the video started playing, I just could not stop it. The honesty and courage with which Abhishek went on about his struggles as an individual, as Big B’s son, and as an aspiring actor who had left his studies midway to pursue this profession, was remarkable. In addition, the kind of respect and love that this man has for both his parents, definitely gives me #gooddaughtergoals. I could not help but fall in utter admiration of this young man.

It is fulfilling and easy to talk about one’s successes, but it takes real courage to shed all inhibitions and talk about one’s struggles. In this video, Abhishek talks about how a lot of directors were not willing to launch him at all, as no one wanted to take up the responsibility of launching Big B’s only son. He discusses how he felt stressed when his family was undergoing financial troubles and he was unable to contribute. He talks about how he had to wait for so many years to get one hit!

He also fondly recalls the moment when Aditya Chopra called him and informed him about how “Dhoom” had been a smashing hit at the box office. It took four years of constant struggle for Abhishek to get his first hit with “Dhoom” in 2004.

However, he had to wait till 2007 to get the most awaited compliment of his life from his father. After the trial of “Guru”, Amit ji hugged Abhishek and told him that he was proud of him, shared Abhishek in the video. He beamed with pride when he recalled that moment. He considers his father not only a friend, a guide and the biggest inspiration, but also his God.

One incident that he shared during this interview actually brought tears to my eyes. With an ardent smile resting on his face, he calmly talked about how he had gone to watch the reaction to a movie called “Shararat” (a 2002 release where he plays the role of protagonist Rahul Khanna) and a lady walked up to him and slapped him. She told him that he was ruining the reputation of his family name and he should quit acting. It is beyond my capacity to comprehend what that kind of an incident can do to anybody’s willpower.

I salute Abhishek for his positive attitude, consistent perseverance and strong determination. Had I been in his place, I would have given up. You inspire me, Mr Bachchan Jr. And, the fact that today you are able to talk about it so candidly to the world, tells us that you are in a secure place in your life.

Today Abhishek has more than 50 movies, three consecutive Filmfare Awards – nine in total, a National Award for Best Feature Film, and numerous nominations plus awards to his name. He deserves to be where he is, and he has proved it with time. He has given us characters like Gurukant K. Desai (“Guru”), Lallan Singh (“Yuva”) and Amol Arte (“Paa”). He has made us laugh with his effortless comedy in “Bol Bachchan” and “Housefull”, while his role as ACP Jai Dixit in the “Dhoom” franchise is a rage among the youth. Time and again, Abhishek has proven his versatility with movies like “Sarkar”, “Bunty Aur Babli”, “Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna”, “Housefull”, “Delhi-6”, among others.

I got moved after watching that interview and thought to extend my appreciation to him. To my pleasant surprise, he saw my tweet and replied back, being the humble man that he is!

The post This Video Made Me Realise – Abhishek Bachchan Is Bollywood’s Unsung Hero appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

We often underestimate the medium of cinema and the way it can tell powerful stories. They can help shed light on rifts which were previously hidden in plain sight. In doing so, these films become something else – they become conversations.

While mainstream Bollywood blockbusters often overlook this aspect of filmmaking, initiating conversations is a good first step in helping us rethink and re-examine our positions within the world and perhaps also think of solutions.

The Dharamshala International Film Festival (DIFF) was started in 2012 to give a platform for good alternative cinema to the local community. Today, DIFF has become one of India’s most promising film festivals and draws audiences from across the world.

Here are 6 films from this year’s DIFF that you cannot afford to miss if you have a passion for thought-provoking films and if you are willing to partake in interesting conversations.

1. Newton

The Amit Masurkar film has already been selected as India’s entry for the Best Foreign Film Category at the Oscars next year. Rajkummar Rao has won much critical acclaim for his role as a naïve but sincere rookie government clerk trying to ensure free and fair elections in the conflict-ridden jungles of Chhattisgarh. Dark and satirical in its approach, the film offers a deliberation on the nature of ‘democratic’ elections in the world’s largest democracy.

2. A Death In The Gunj

Konkona Sen Sharma’s directorial debut received much critical acclaim when it was released commercially in June. The film, set in 1979, follows an extended family gathered at a remote rural home to celebrate New Year in the town of McCluskiegunj, Jharkhand. At the centre of the story is shy and sensitive Shutu, played by Vikrant Massey, who is mocked and bullied by his entire family. Even when he’s present, he’s invisible. We think of family as a protective and accepting unit but “A Death In The Gunj” offers that rare insight about the darkness that may lurk behind the façade of cheery and happy family dynamics.

3. White Sun

What does a country look like after 20 years of war and unrest? What does it for it  to reach peace? Set in Nepal, these are powerful questions that Deepak Rauniyar’s film raises. But the film is careful with its social commentary that’s crafted it around its richly layered characters. Chandra, a Maoist rebel, returns to his village to bury his royalist father. He attempts to reconnect with his ex-wife Durga, a fiercely independent lower caste woman, who, at the same time, stands accused of polluting her father in-law’s funeral rites. The film offers a fantastic glimpse into the lives of people trying to pick themselves up after years of war, and  have to contend with the contradictions that are inherent to the traditions that bind them.

4. Abu

It is hard to imagine what it would be like to grow up as a gay man in the confines of a conservative Muslim household. Arshad Khan’s film offers us just that glimpse – the challenges that come with growing up in a family where homosexuality is considered to be shameful and a sin. The title, which translates to ‘father’ in Urdu, was inspired from the death of Arshad Khan’s own father. A stunningly deep and personal tale of self-discovery which also tackles difficult subjects such as homophobia, xenophobia and spans multiple generations, this is one film you cannot afford to miss.

5. Memories Of A Machine

Women’s sexuality is still not a comfortable topic for many. There is still a culture of shame and stigma attached to women expressing their sexual desires. Shailaja Padindala’s 10-minute short film gives us the opportunity to have this much-needed conversation. The film focuses on a woman who is asked questions related to her sexuality and in the process, we get to know her struggles of self-discovery and what it feels like to be sexually curious within a very traditional south Indian surrounding.

6. Honeygiver Among The Dogs

“Honeygiver Among The Dogs” is a fascinating ‘Buddhist noir’ from Bhutan by director Dechen Roder. If the idea of a ‘Buddhist noir’ doesn’t already have you excited, the film’s plot centres around an undercover detective, Kinley, who has to investigate the case of a missing nun. During this course, he has to make a risky alliance with a woman who has been branded a demoness by her village. The film not only reinvents the noir genre by setting it within its specific cultural context but also treads into territory previously unexplored by Bhutanese filmmakers.

So if you want a reprieve from the typical masala blockbuster churned out by Bollywood, and if you like films with challenging subject matters, now would be a good time to start making plans for a trip to the hills.

As the festival states, “Momos in one hand, cappuccinos in the other, film lovers find their way to screenings, Q&A’s with filmmakers, panel discussions and masterclasses. All of the town’s diverse communities come together to make the festival a success.”

The festival starts from November 2 and is spread over four days.

For the full festival programme, click here. You can buy passes here.

The post 6 Films You Should Watch If You’re So Done With ‘Golmaal Again’ And ‘Judwaa 2’ appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

Two fake images of PM Modi and Rajnath Singh are viral on social media. The fake image featuring Rajnath Singh has him photo-shopped in a still from a film scene where in a police inspector is at a politician’s feet and the politician from the film has been replaced with a photoshopped image of Rajnath Singh. The fake image featuring PM Modi shows him shaking hands with Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief Hafiz Saeed who has been chargesheeted for masterminding the 26/11 Mumbai attack carnage and is on NIA’s most wanted list. The original image was that of PM Modi shaking former Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif’s hand.

The two images were posted on Twitter by volunteers/members associated with the Congress party. While Alamgir Rizvi has been listed as a social media volunteer in the NRI team on the Friends of Congress website, Arshad Chisti’s Twitter biography states that he is a IT Cell member with Congress. Even though Alamgir Rizvi was informed multiple times about the image being fake, he failed to delete it for a long time. Eventually, Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha retweeted the image while stating, “If this is a true picture, it is just too much. Stunned beyond comprehension.”

At the time of writing, the above two tweets stand deleted. Sanjay Jha also apologised and retracted his retweet upon being informed that the image he had shared was photoshopped.

Noted. I will delete my RT. @alamgirizvi you should delete this forthwith. It is inappropriate and wrong, and therefore misleading. https://t.co/vvaNqUmfzg

— Sanjay Jha (@JhaSanjay) November 1, 2017

The original images using which the above two photoshopped images were created can be seen below.

The fake Rajnath Singh image has been doing the rounds for a while now and was first debunked by SMHoaxSlayer.

Photoshopped. Actual photo is a scene from a movie “Kya Ye Sach Hai” released in 2011. Debunked on 13th Oct. Check Proofs/Source in reply https://t.co/FjlWEYdQJW

— SM Hoax Slayer (@SMHoaxSlayer) November 1, 2017

The fake Modi-Hafiz Saeed image has been circulating on social media for over one and a half years and has been reported even by mainstream media.

Many of those who repeatedly circulate these fake images have been on social media for a long time and are aware of the number of fake images that are circulated for political one-upmanship and still refuse to pre-verify such doubtful images.

If a police officer had really bowed down at the feet of Rajnath Singh, it would have made national news. There is no way that someone as senior as Sanjay Jha wouldn’t have heard of this issue had this really happened. Yet, the ‘if this is true’ narrative was used to share the image. Similarly, if PM Modi had met Hafiz Saeed, it’d be on the front page of not just national dailies but even international newspapers. It doesn’t even need an iota of common sense to figure this out. Yet people keep sharing these fake images without putting in any thought.

In the past, Alt News had put out a tutorial explaining how to reverse search images using Google Image Search. Kindly watch the short video to learn how to reverse search and find out original images. Also, use common sense. Just a few seconds of critical thought and analysis can save you from the embarrassment of being caught sharing fake images/videos/forwards.

This post was first published here on AltNews.

The post Fake Images Of Rajnath Singh And Narendra Modi Viral On Social Media appeared first and originally on Youth Ki Awaaz and is a copyright of the same. Please do not republish.

सत्यजित रे की पंडित रवि शंकर को श्रद्धांजलि में लिखी किताब कभी आपकी आंखों से गुज़री क्या? इसे कभी डाक्यूमेंट्री का रूप लेना था लेकिन अफसोस कि सत्यजित के इस काम ने अब तक दिन का उजाला नहीं देखा। लेकिन व्यक्तिगत विरासत के रूप में उसका महत्त्व कायम था। माणिक दा(सत्यजीत रे का दूसरा नाम) ने इस पटकथा को ‘रवि शंकर का सितार वादन’ शीर्षक दिया था। दोनों ‘पाथेर पांचली’ व उसकी बाद की फिल्मों के साथ एक मंच पर आए थे। बत्तीस पन्नों की इस  दृश्यात्मक कहानी (स्टोरीबोर्ड) ने एक उम्दा किताब की शक्ल ली।

ये पुस्तक ‘सत्यजित रे के रविशंकर’ शीर्षक से प्रकाशित हुई। यहां सितार वादक से जुड़े आलेख व साक्षात्कार भी संकलित हैं। पंडित रवि शंकर का साक्षात्कार पाठकों को बहुत पसंद आएगा। रवि शंकर व सत्यजीत रे की दुर्लभ तस्वीरें भी यहां देखने को मिलेगी। सत्यजीत ने इस अधूरी चलचित्र परियोजना के बारे में कभी किसी से चर्चा नहीं की, ना ही कहीं उल्लेख किया कि इसका फिल्मांकन पूरा क्यों नहीं कर सके ? शायद इसे उन्होंने पचास के उत्तरार्ध में किया था। पेंटिंग का प्रारूप व उसमें इस्तेमाल हुए रंग संकेत करते हैं कि यह दृश्यात्मक कथा ‘पाथेर पांचाली’ के आसपास लिखी गई थी। यह इसलिए भी क्योंकि ‘पाथेर पांचाली’ के परिचयात्मक पर्चे में भी इसी प्रारूप के रंगों का इस्तेमाल हुआ था। पेंटिंग पर उकेरी गई यह चलचित्र कथा अपने किस्म की अकेली विरासत है।

माणिक दा ने इस काम को बड़ी दिलचस्पी से किया था। उनकी दक्षता के सारे आयाम यहां उपस्थित हैं। सत्यजित रे संस्था ने इस दुर्लभ कृति को एक संग्रहनीय किताब की शक्ल दे दी है। माणिक दा व पंडित रविशंकर के यादगार साथ को देखने-पढ़ने की इच्छा किसे नहीं होगी!  बत्तीस पन्ने की इस किताब में सौ से अधिक रोचक दृश्य फ्रेम संकलित है। कहना ज़रूरी नहीं कि इसे सत्यजित रे की स्मरणीय विरासत माना जाएगा। इन सभी फ्रेमों को तकनीकी परिचायक के तौर पर देखा जा सकता है। इन दृश्यात्मक फ्रेमों की श्रृंखला आंखों के सामने ज़िंदा तस्वीर बना देने में सक्षम है। इस संग्रहनीय किताब के साथ माणिक दा की कहानियों का एक संग्रह भी विमोचन किया गया। चलचित्र विरासत को पुस्तक रूप में निकालने का एक रोचक प्रयास है।

सत्यजित रे की कुछ फिल्मों की स्टोरीबोर्ड को अंग्रेज़ी अनुवाद के साथ लिखा गया है। एक सामारोह में नसिरुद्दीन शाह ने इन किताबों का विमोचन किया। नसिरूद्दीन को ‘सत्यजित रेय स्मृति व्याख्यान’ माला के लिए आमंत्रित किया गया था।

माणिक दा का जन्म 1921 में कलकत्ता के उपेन्द्र किशोर परिवार मे हुआ। पढ़ाई का सिलसिला गांव के विद्यालय से आरंभ हुआ, जहां उन्हें  मातृभाषा बांग्ला में शिक्षा मिली इसके बाद ‘प्रेसीडेंसी कॉलेज’ मे दाखिला लिया, बीए की उपाधि लेकर ‘शांति निकेतन’ चले आए। सत्यजीत कला विभाग के समर्पित विद्यार्थी रहे और शांति निकेतन ने उनके लिए नए द्वार खोल दिए। नंदलाल बोस के सानिध्य मे ‘नक्काशी’ एवं ‘पूर्वोत्तर’ कला प्रशिक्षण ने युवा सत्यजीत को अभिव्यक्ति का अर्थशास्त्र दिया। सांस्कृतिक गतिविधियों के दौरान विद्यार्थी दल के साथ भारत भ्रमण पर निकलने से उन्हें देश की सांस्कृतिक विरासत को जानने-समझने का अवसर मिला।

सन चालीस-बयालिस के आसपास सत्यजीत ने विज्ञापन एजेंसी में करियर शुरू किया। विज्ञापन जगत से अनुभव लेकर रेखांकन अथवा सीनारियो लेखन की ओर गए, पाथेर पांचाली  एवं भारत एक खोज जैसी पुस्तकों का कवर डिज़ाइन किया। इस समय तक सत्यजीत में सिनेमा को लेकर एक गंभीर चिंतन विकसित हो चुका था। वह कॉफी हाऊस में मित्रों से जब भी मिलते, सिनेमा पर विचार-विमर्श किया करते थे।सत्यजित में मानवीय संवेदना और रचनात्मक कल्पना का सुंदर संतुलन रहा। मानवीय संवेदनाओं को लोगों तक पहुंचाने के लिए फिल्मों को माध्यम बनाया।

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