Is Majority of Indian Audience brainless?
I have reason to feel elated now. Delhi Times of 9th May,’11 carries a news item that Soha Ali Khan has been invited to Harvard to deliver a lecture on Hindi films. She has done huge research on the topic and will talk on all of its aspects. Only the part of her remarks -- which supports my way of reasoning -- I am quoting here. She adds, “... Though commercial films might be called brainless films, they are the ones that the masses like and thus cannot be ignored at all.” This is the thing I used to utter parrot like since I began watching films 1950 onwards. I always used to say, the Hindi filmmakers think that audience has no brain: they only want to see boy chasing the girl around the trees, erotic gyration of hips and some titillating tunes. It can be crammed in any way you like: no logical sequence is required. I used to abhor most of the Hindi films. You never know what dance number will appear before you and when with no reference to any intelligent context.
We cannot blame the producers. They are there for earning money. As Soha Ali says “… they are the ones masses like…” So, supply follows the demand. But is it applicable to Hindi film viewers only? I am not a film buff: so, not competent to comment with authenticity. Yet, as a casual visitor I have seen a few Malayalam, Marathi and Oriya films. Incidentally none of them had sequences appearing just like US Navy SEALS landed in the stealth of night at Abottabad as if out of the blue with no sign of any indication to anybody.
For fun, just compare Hindi Kabuliwala and the Bengali version of it. Both are based on a short story of Tagore of the same name. Seeing both the movies one P.D.Menon, a Keralite, rubbished Hindi one for introducing many illogical scenes – straying away from the actual story line -- just to cater to the taste of the viewers.
I am simply satisfied to find my views being vindicated by Soha Ali’s observation. That’s all. However, of late, a wind of change is blowing across Hindi movie goers too. It’s a welcome sign.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
.
|
|
