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Its the 12th of August today, my Mother’s birthday but I have been out of the house from 5 in the morning having gone to bed only at 4:30. A half hour sleep is no sleep and I have been moving about like a zombie that has had its share of excessive drinking. The ‘torans’ are up on the gates of the house, as they always are on birthdays and festivals and it lends an element of celebration. But the person for whom they flower is not with us today. I have done a small prayer and put up a framed photograph of hers on my desk, sent to me by a friend where she looks stunning, as always. But yes she is not with us and is missed beyond all else. A few wishes have come in, but that is all that is remembered. her day today was filled with joviality and fun and happiness. She loved birthdays, would dress up in all her fineries, fill the air with her joi de verve and would present us instead of allowing us to present to her.
Happy birthday Ma .. we all love you !!
The day has been full and involved and much travelled. 5 am off to Madh Island to travel in a bus a boat across the creek to Versova and then finally a local train at Borivali - all three modes of public transport in the city in one day ! Pretty amazing. But really what has been amazing has been the affection of those that commute in and out of the city. Their smiles and enthusiasm, their cheers and love and just the respect that they give me. I am so touched and moved. In a country that has so much, it takes so little to please the common man, to feel their lives, their work ad their heart. Truly we are a unique nation and I am so proud to be a small part of it. All along today there were the junior artists in the crowd portions and some of them with me from the time of 1969 .. !! Just such warmth they give of the days gone by. Goodness ! 42 years gone by and they are still there and happy with what they do ..
The much-in-news AARAKSHAN started well at most places, garnering 60% to 70% to 80% occupancy in morning and noon shows. The occupancy was better at multiplexes, while certain sectors reported 40% to 50% start. The film has not released in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Andhra Pradesh, which means that the business will be badly hit since a big chunk of revenue will be lost in the process.
Talking from the business point of view, the revenue generated from these three states, especially Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, is huge. Also, in view of the fact that it's a 4-day weekend [Monday, 15 August is a holiday], the producer/distributors will lose a substantial chunk of revenue if the movie doesn't hit the screens in these states. Which also means that a big, fat total, keeping the 4-day weekend in mind, will be ruled out if the film doesn't see a theatrical release.
However, the silver lining is that the film is being liked by the audience and that should help the film collect a good chunk over the weekend.
Jalsa , Mumbai Aug 11/12 , 2011 Thu/ Fri 2 : 53 AM
The first public showing of “Aarakshan” .. and I have cried throughout .. not because of the film ..yes the film does have those moments too .. but because an art form of such intense creativity should be kept away by banning it in certain States of this our beloved country.
I stood, as did all of us at the beginning of the show when the National Anthem was played, and sang along with perhaps a handful of others in the sincerest of emotion and belief in an anthem that brings all of us to our feet in respect dignity and most importantly, our pride.
O! Dispenser of India’s destiny, thou art the ruler of the minds of all people[9] Thy name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, the Maratha country, in the Dravida country, Utkala and Bengal; It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas, it mingles in the rhapsodies of the pure waters of Yamuna and the Ganges. They chant only thy name. They seek only thy auspicious blessings. They sing only the glory of thy victory. The salvation of all people waits in thy hands, O! Dispenser of India’s destiny, thou art the ruler of the minds of all people Victory to thee, Victory to thee, Victory to thee, Victory, Victory, Victory, Victory to thee!.
And as I come to learn hour after hour the various objections and restrictions that various states raise in banning this creative art form, this example of one of the most significant tenets of our Constitution - the freedom of expression, I read and reread the very first stanza of the Anthem -
O ! Dispenser of India’s destiny, thou art the ruler of the minds of all people ..
I am saddened that India’s destiny, the dispenser of which rules the minds of all people, has no effect on those minds that sit in the most august houses of our legislative assembly, those very people that take on oath the truth of wanting to protect the integrity and sovereignty of this nation, pander to unsubstantiated rumor and belief, without as much as any verification of its validity.
Without any knowledge of what the film contains, without any desire to determine in the truest and most basic principles of law in democracy, fact. It has merely strengthened my and many others fears the weakeness it conveys in our belief in governance and its ethics.
UP, Punjab and today Andhra Pradesh have given notice to ban the film and not allow it to be projected for another 2 months - a provision given administratively to each government. After that period is over the film can have exhibition and … the Producer is not obliged to carry out any changes that the administration in governance may have found, because the film technically and legally has found certification without a single cut !! What good will 2 months do then in the law and order situation - the reason given for the non showing of this product ! So the same film is a law and order problem now and today but shall not be a problem after 2 months ?? You will destroy the commerce of the producer and all those that have invested time blood tears and money into this film, when even after waiting for 2 months there cannot be any change that will be accepted to be done !! What is the need then of the Censor Board, a statutory body instituted by you, the legislatures and Parliamentarians that govern this land. You nominate what you believe, to disbelieve what you nominate !! Better to remove it altogether then rather than give it disrespect.
I do not care and never have cared about the fate of any film of mine, and I never shall. I do not care if this film does well or not, but I shall admit this … this film has shown a mirror to the country and to one of its conditions. This film has shown a path that needs to be taken for a better and more secure future of this country. And if God forbid this film fails at the box office, it shall demonstrate to a large extent the failure of the reality in the country, that today it struggles with.
I shall believe and will always believe in the words that Dr Prabhakar Anand pronounces during the course of this film -
Is desh mein do bharat baste hain .. aur sahi mano mein agar hum samaaj mein parivartan chate hain, toh in dono ke beech ka jo antar hai use mitana padega ..
‘Two India’s reside in this country .. and truthfully if we have to see any progress in our society, then the distance between these must be erased ..’
Disturbed as I am on the happenings that one endures every hour, I am deeply disturbed by what a person of the eminence of Rajdeep Sardesai, owner controller chief of CNNIBN has to tweet regarding the film -
only 2 winners in aarakshan debate. prakash jha whose film will now ’sell’ and ramdas athavale, dalit leader who has struck a ‘deal’
For you Rajdeep, a journalist of such esteem, all that attracts you to a film you have not even seen, is the factor of its ’sale’ and the ‘deal’ that it will strike - an accusation that does not even have the basics of journalistic respect and truth. For those that have through years constructed something of such value, that its value may never be evaluated, all that you can sarcastically put across in typical word play that all journalists follow is, how amusing it can sound. That is so regrettable. Particularly so, because in a moment of truth you had disclosed to me privately, of how your idealistic periods of training were such a revered moment in your career. Is this a reflection of your reverence. Is this what it taught you ? Go see the film Rajdeep, like it or dislike it, but I shall challenge you that you shall not have a word in disregard to the motive and bearing of the film. For, this film will have the capacity to make you think and nod in approval towards many truths, a desire that I would have and shall expect from people of your standing.
A Prakash Jha film is talked about for more reasons than one. It provides food for thought. It sets you thinking. Be it DAMUL, MRITYUDAND, GANGAAJAL, APAHARAN or RAAJNEETI, there was enough fodder in each of those films. Besides, each of those films left an indelible impression on the minds of the viewer. So, quite naturally, the expectations from his new release AARAKSHAN are enormous. This one also tackles a rather serious social issue -- caste-based reservation. However, AARAKSHAN not only talks about reservation, but also about the commercialization of educational institutions.
Not many storytellers have repeatedly succeeded in creating pragmatic films on societal matters, but Jha holds the distinction of doing so in film after film. Be it DAMUL [on bonded labor], MRITYUDAND [on gender inequity], GANGAAJAL [also about the contentious blinding episode at Bhagalpur], APAHARAN [on the abduction situation in Bihar] or RAAJNEETI [on the political state of affairs], Jha's cinema has always illustrated harsh realism in a transfixing and riveting manner.
We believe in equal rights for all and yet, we continue to be a aste-based society. Through AARAKSHAN, Jha portrays the agony that the youth goes through. The film-maker wants the spectator to comprehend matters around one of the most controversial policies of caste-based reservations in government jobs and educational institutions, a hitherto untouched theme for Hindi cinema.
Like Jha's earlier attempts, AARAKSHAN is, without doubt, a high-voltage socio-political drama. But, most importantly, it takes on issues head-on, without mincing words. However, the storyteller ensures that the film, at no point, gets preachy or drifts into the sermonizing mode. Like Jha's films, AARAKSHAN has a story to tell and several super dramatic moments. Sure, it takes time to comprehend what's going on initially, due to the fact that the film has multiple characters and too much seems to be happening from the start itself, but things fall in place as the story moves forward and the tension starts escalating. While the first hour leaves a hammer-strong impact and is captivating in most parts, it's the second hour that comes across as a mixed bag. More on that later! AARAKSHAN tells the story of Prabhakar Anand [Amitabh Bachchan], the idealistic principal of a college that he has single-handedly turned into the state's best. It is the story of his loyal disciple, Deepak Kumar [Saif Ali Khan], who will do anything for his Sir. Of Deepak's love for Prabhakar's daughter Poorbi [Deepika Padukone], of his friendship with Sushant [Prateik].
Centered on one of the most controversial issues of recent years, the story suddenly becomes a rollercoaster ride of high drama, conflict and rebellion, which tests their love and friendship for one another and their loyalty to Prabhakar Anand.
Gender bias and caste-based politics are two paramount problems plaguing our society and it's not easy to depict these two issues with accuracy on screen. I am no one to comment whether AARAKSHAN would be able to throw up any enduring solution to the problem, but I am sure that the film would seize your mind and make you deliberate on the issues facing the nation. And that, to me, is akin to accomplishing what Jha must've set out when he green-lit AARAKSHAN. One also relates to the subject instantly because it mirrors the thoughts of a common man, since every family is genuinely concerned about the education and job their child will get.
At the cost of repeating myself, I'd like to say that the dramatic moments in AARAKSHAN make it a riveting experience. The conflict between Amitabh and Manoj Bajpayee in particular and the turn of events during the post-interval portions leave a solid impression, but the narrative tends to get lengthy and a tad uninteresting and repetitive towards the second hour specifically. The conflict between Amitabh and Manoj is well presented and moves to the next level in the second hour, but the sequences thereafter, when Amitabh, Deepika, Saif and even Prateik start conducting classes and educating the students, dilute the impact generated by the first hour. Also, the culmination to the story, when a full-blown confrontation between the government officials and commoners takes place, though well executed, could've been more impactful. In short, the excessive length of the film, more specifically towards the second hour, acts as a deterrent. An issue-based film rarely has scope for music [Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy] and AARAKSHAN is no different. Nonetheless, Jha weaves the songs smartly in the narrative, which doesn't really hamper the flow of the story. Like every Jha movie, AARAKSHAN is embellished with hard-hitting dialogue and Anjum Rajabali comes up with lines that are sure to be talked-about while thrashing out the merits of the film. Sachin Krishn's cinematography is top class.
The Principal's role is tailor-made for Amitabh Bachchan. Though the actor has portrayed an unsympathetic Principal of an educational institution in MOHABBATEIN earlier, his role is different this time around. In MOHABBATEIN, a delicate episode toughened his character. In AARAKSHAN, his persona begins to suffer when Manoj Bajpayee and the coterie begin to show aggression and debase him. He doesn't strike back initially, but retaliates later, when he starts teaching all over again. The actor gives a completely new dimension to this character.
It requires great courage to cast Saif Ali Khan in the role, but he comes across as very persuasive. In fact, the film offers him several difficult sequences, which the actor carries off with flourish. His diction, while delivering shudh Hindi, is perfect. This role must have been a challenge for Deepika Padukone as well and she surprises you with a confident portrayal. In fact, she has an equally challenging part to play in the story and it must be said that she handles her scenes, even when she's pitted against experienced actors, with complete understanding. Manoj Bajpayee was remarkable in RAAJNEETI; he played a devious and manipulative politician with gusto. In AARAKSHAN, his character is negative as well; he treats education as a business. And Manoj is incredible this time as well. Prateik is impassive in a few scenes. Also, he needs to loosen up a bit.
Tanvi Azmi is first-rate. Mukesh Tiwari is, as always, top notch. Yashpal Sharma is exceptional. Darshan Jariwala is very good. Saurabh Shukla is wonderful. Chetan Pandit is adequate. Vinay Apte is perfect. Anita Kanwar and S.M. Zaheer are alright. Hema Malini appears towards the end of the film.
On the whole, AARAKSHAN communicates an engaging story with very relatable characters. It's a movie that is truly inspiring and thought-provoking, but at the same time, its running time [almost 2.45 hours] is a deterrent. The film is mired in controversies ever since Prakash Jha announced the project, but the controversies will only enhance the curiosity-value for this film. AARAKSHAN not only works as a film, but also as a tool to drive home a forceful message. It's a daring, heroic, commanding and an engaging film that shouldn't be missed!
” … this is true the evolved unbiased thinker is vulnerable to attack for the unevolved biased lot …. “
A question put up during the debate in Symbiosis International University this afternoon in Pune where we had gone to participate within the realm of furthering the promotional activity of ‘Aarakshan’, drew my attention to what a follower of mine on Twitter mentioned above. The ‘vulnerability of the evolved unbiased thinker’ !
Why does not the Film fraternity of India and more so of Mumbai, have a force or body that stands up and protects its own under attack on occasion from groups that take objection to the very spirit of the freedom of expression, inscribed so prominently and decisively in our revered Constitution. Why whenever we are at the stage of bringing our heads above the cacophony of the world with its myriad issues, to perhaps simply breathe, do forces that seek resentment attempt to strangulate us.
I have no answer at all, other than quote philosophical comments borrowed from others. Bodies that represent political power have their philosophy and their man power and their following to support such acts were they to be at the receiving end. But an artist, a creative person does not further the cause of politics. He or she furthers the cause of creative expression. If creative expression is to be curbed by institutes that wish to dictate their terms and conditions above the conditions of the legal recognized constitutional formats, democratically accepted and converted into law by the highest authorities of legality, then we might as well accept that we live not in the sanctity of the tenets of democracy but a most unfortunate fascist conditioning.
The Government having constituted a statutory body to look into any discrepancies that creative artists may indulge in, through the esteemed office of Central Board of Film Certification, recognizes thereby the importance of the creed of the constitution. Now, how many constitutional bodies does a film maker need to go to in order that his work of art be passed for public consumption. If the law states that every political party needs to give approval, if every society, every national needs to give approval, then making cinema is not an art. It also may never be able to see the light of day for, if every individual needs to give its approval, then who is left to see the film in the theatre .. ?
In the film industry the artist community shall always remain vulnerable because our job is to make films or paint or write a book. We will never get the deliverance that is being sought from us by the kind of question that has been asked. Our entire career is dependent on making sure that the largest number of people love patronize and admire our work. Taking an attitude of confrontation diminishes our clientele. We would rather that the audience have the option whether they wish to see our product or not. Do not if you do not wish it. Criticize it if you do not like it. But to damage attack and vandalize it and its inhabitants does not fall in our system of law. Posters will burn, effigies shall be set ablaze, demonstrations shall be run wherever we go in public. Fine ! The electronic media shall cover the event and break news with it for the day or hour or a few days. The print shall cover it at best in its third or fourth page. But soon enough, TRP concerns and sale calculations shall perforce editorially become a binding as to how far they would wish to extend the issue. The question is, does it resolve the issue ? I would imagine not. There will be great notice for those that show revolt. There shall be a ripple effect on the unpaid publicity of the film. But once certified, and in the case of ‘Aarakshan’, getting justification from the High Courts of the country, who have dismissed the petition of those that opposed, there is very little else that can be done. The film will release and those that shall see it shall realize that there wasn’t any element in it that they were revolting about. To save face they may submit on a few matters that they felt should be rectified, and that the Producer and Director shall readily perform, because he is at the end of his tether at the time of release, where he and several hundreds of others that have tediously and untiringly devoted years and months and days and night to construct the product, shall perforce have to submit ; an act that does not require him to do so under any legal obligation.
So we are the ones beaten to death. We shall in order to buy peace submit. We shall live perpetually in fear of constant repercussions were we not to. We will be given protection from the administration as a gesture of the the kindness of the governance. But we shall never be given the freedom to live and breathe the free air of independence. It is a sad surmise of who we are and how we are made to exist !
The vulnerability comes from the fact of celebrity status. A status that becomes attractive to those that are in the business of information. Caste based atrocities may be occurring in other parts of the country or world, but would never garner the kind of coverage that it would, were it to be connected to a personality.
In that sense we live subdued lives. We live in the fear of humiliation and drastic action. We are ostracized time and again when we are subjected to opinion on matters of social and moral and political issues by the media. For them it is a value to their channel or printed matter. For us it becomes an expression that will, in the days and years that follow, be stamped on our foreheads for the rest of our lives to be exploited by vested interests.
What then is the solution. The solution is one that shall sound defeatist and most unheroic. It will, most ironically, be the exact opposite of what is generally accepted and appreciated by the audiences in the cinema halls. A situation where we as artists that portray leading men and women, heroes and heroines, shall eat humble pie and contrary to what is expected of us, fall in line to the dictat of the oppressor and submit. Our stakes are much too much at risk. Those that strike us shall revel in the gains of their politics and be recognized for the noble work they were able to execute. And we shall become the innocent and pitiable victims of an order that was never meant to be of our making.
There are instances of those though, within the fraternity of public celebrity life, that have found a way out from this. And their solution has been that oft repeated adage - if you cannot beat them join them ! And this has been seen most successfully in the Southern regions of our land - MGR, NTR, Jayalalita, Chiranjeevi and many other examples, have through the sheer power of their following, been able to convert their massive public status, into political belief and most creditable success. They are exceptional in what they have been able to achieve, and one admires their guts in being able to take those decisions in their lives and carry it through. But all public figures and celebrities are not in possession of their attributes. What of those that wish to exist and live within their own creative means, as artists, involved in just trying to work towards perfecting their craft. Are they losing something in life. Are they missing out on something that should have been done. I have no answer. It troubles me and it shall remain there too with me when it occurs the next time, for, undoubtedly there shall many such repeats. But I shall learn to look upon this phenomena as an occupational hazard, or better still an occupational compulsion.
We shall readily succumb again and yet again with smiling face and we shall be ready with folded arms to receive and welcome the presence of those that subject us to such disorder. We shall still be considered important enough to be asked to grace their private or professional functions, to canvass for their votes at times of elections, to decorate that family portrait that their wives and children may desire, but never, never shall we be that important to be understood or reconsidered at the time of trial of a cause that belongs to us, or one where their interests were to to be jeopardized.
I have spent eight hours on the road today, as Prakash Jha, the director and producer of ‘Aarakshan’ and me have travelled to Pune and to the prestigious Symbiosis International University to debate with the students of the faculty on matters concerning our film and have seen how every second his mobile has been ringing carrying issues that only stipulate the stoppage of his work of creative art, and how he has been battling each section of those that provoke him, enmesh him, taunt and question him with a single purpose agenda of negativity. He set out as a creative mind to put on celluloid his vision of a story he wanted to weave to entertain the audiences of his world. Instead, I find him weaving himself with the utmost dexterity on matters that he should be made to bear, not of his calling. For an artist it must be the most distressful moment. In the middle of his numerous explanations that he had to face of his own art, which I believe no artist should relish, I asked him what ‘they’ were saying. He explained at length what ‘they’ were. I asked him then what did he say.
He looked at me with the painful eyes of a boxer in the ring waiting for the verdict to be announced after a rugged bout and said -
” Its not the time for me to say. Its the time for me to listen.”
It is Tuesday to day and shall remain so for a few more minutes. Mangal, Tuesday an auspicious day for some reason and always celebrated as one, when beginning any kind of a new job or enterprise. I began many today. I found myself in receipt of a huge amount of love and affection from my extended family, which I must add gave me the strength to get back on my feet with vigor and energy to face another day. Thank you then to all for your prayers and good wishes, they have worked marvelously well. My condition still a bit precarious, but on a path which can safely be described as ‘marked improvement’.
Tuesdays are often related in our part of our sanctified thought as being a good day to begin fresh and new enterprises. I started my association with a new brand, related compassionately with a future ideological presentation and began the launch for KBC …
It started early in the morning as do all endeavors and has just ended. No regrets and no complaints. Just a sense of continuity, of work, of being employed, of being accepted and of being of some use to myself.
The PC ( press conference ) was a unique engagement with the press through virtual technology which in a sense kept the audience guessing and was a delight to them when the facts were revealed. It was an enlightening moment for all and the Q&A went off on a rather hilarious mood. I do hope this translates to some great inputs in the media towards the show and that it brings in the required amount of eyeballs that it deserves.
Its for the 15th of August … KBC, and on the Independence Day of our country, I am hopeful as are Sony, that it shall bring in the required results.
Tomorrow it shall be a visit to the Symbiosis College in Pune, set on top of a picturesque hill on the outskirts of the city. I had been invited there once for the inauguration of their media facility and found the entire exercise most impressive. Built and developed around the vision of one man Mr Majumdar, a Bengali sounding name, but indeed a Maharashtrian. They have since made me an Honorary Professor and I must say that I am least deserving of such honor …
So we visit the facility to perhaps sum up the entire process of the promotion of our film ‘Aarakshan’, with a debate that shall be initiated by the students and perhaps monitored by Star TV’s main anchor Mr Deepak Chaurasia.
Also on the way back I shall be talking and connecting to the listeners of Talk2Me via Airtel, a facility provided by my Vog, my voice blog, BachchanBol … the BOL in the name quite smartly set up because in Hindi it means ‘talk’, whereas in English its full form would be BOL - Bachchan On Line !!
Life you can see, moves at a pace which cannot be demarcated. And I do believe that were that to happen the very essence of life would drift away, never to be recovered again. Moving from one to the other with respect to the episodes of existence that occur, is perhaps more reasonably acceptable than one that takes ages to form and be executed, if at all it does. So, ungrudgingly, one must keep moving. It is the format of an untiring energy. The expectation of another form of occupation with ones time and capacity is by itself uplifting. Any change welcomes new thought, new deeds, fresh thinking. Would this not be then the format for fresh energy. I think it does. At least for me it does.
I did not miss my meal, frugal though it may have been. I did not miss my afternoon siesta, nor the constant reminders by staff and company that I should take a break and attend to the matters at a later time and date. That would have been disastrous. The moment you stop the wheel, all else stops. The energy, the will, the desire. That to me is a serious situation. It may not be an entirely bad one, but the thought and fear and apprehension of starting the motor again, is not a very pleasant thought. and so I trudge along oblivious of the circumstances and the remarks. If I were to listen to all, I would be nothing at all .. ha ha ha ! And not be able to find rhyme and rhythm as i just did.
It has been most distressing to keep getting visuals and news from England and London where the rioting continues into a stage where it is being declared as dangerous. This is sad and alarming. You do not associate London with episodes like this. And I do hope and pray that soon this condition improves and that those of us in the EF that come from that region, are safe and in good care ..
Love to you and more … we all live in trying times … we pray they get removed for a better existence ..
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