09-06-‘12

A Splash from Rain-drenched Psyche

Azeem-o-shaan Shahenshah! His Highness Lord Varuna’s magnificent caravan has made its majestic arrival in Bhavnagar. The first rain has cleansed the ambience of the city. Needless to say, I rushed to be blessed by it, placing Chekhov aside. I stood in the Christ pose in the terrace and tiny, enchanting rain drops began to caress and pamper the bare skin of my chest and arms the way an overwhelmed father’s tears roll down on his son’s neck whom he hugs affectionately (furthermore) or the way a lass showers tender kisses on her man’s rough face and the man finds himself on cloud nine.

In such a contemplative state, I told myself: “If thou hast to surrender to the Divine, surrender absolutely.” Hence, I prostrated myself on the terrace and the cool, soothing breeze drenched me in ecstasy. I felt like the Good Angels were escorting me towards the mercy of the Omniscient. Meanwhile, I overheard kids chirping, twittering and yelling to celebrate the first rain. Rather than any poetic composition, I found these innocent cheers, this hullabaloo to be the most fitting response to the sacrosanct benediction. A cuckoo, some sparrows etc joined the chorus and this orchestra of existence poured honey in the ears of my psyche. Even the trees stood stunned and rejuvenated. All the grievances, frustrations, weeping of life get swamped by this gift of Nature – rain!

However, an undercurrent of agony pulsated throughout. There is a thin line of demarcation between loneliness and solitude which usually gets blurred in such fragile moments. I felt like “I WISH……” Words from Chekhov’s story ‘The Night before Easter’ resonated in my mind:

“Can you tell me, kind master, why it is that even in the presence of great happiness a man cannot forget his grief?”

I think there are no square boxes in human mind where a person can compartmentalize affirmative and disturbing feelings. Consequently, they get jumbled up time and again however hard one may endeavor to sustain equilibrium. People have various ways to tackle it. Some maverick, lunatics may seize writing material and scribble something like this write up, others may drown them in mundane activities of life, some others may channelize their thoughts to their favorite pastime and so on. To each his own!

Whatsoever, I advocate one phenomenon vehemently: Nature teaches humans to stay alive and enjoy life in its totality. We are surrounded by droop-headed, walking corpses who go on complaining every now and then. Dale Carnegie opined:

“Any fool can condemn, complain or criticize, and most fools do.”

Even such cynics find rain to be a disturbance. Poor ignoramus creatures don’t know that the plights they encounter in rainy days are largely human-generated. Had a human being continued his affinity to Nature, he would not have been so pathetically synthetic and hollow.

So, Return to Nature? No. in fact, Nature returns to us in multiple forms and shades. We just have to let her in. Let’s expand the horizons of our psychology and be true to the self as much as we can. I know that this sounds like a mirage in Indian society but we can at least give it a try. Allow me to sum this up with a tiny poem.

LIGHT

The night has a thousand eyes,

And the day but one;

Yet the light of the bright world dies

With the dying sun.

The mind has a thousand eyes,

And the heart but one;

Yet the light of a whole life dies

When love is done.

-         F. W. Bourdillon

(Source of the poem: Poetry for Pleasure, selected by Maung Kaung, OUP.)

Art for Morality's Sake?

13-05-‘12

Art for Morality’s Sake?

Aamir Khan’s ‘Satyamev Jayate’ has ignited ample thoughts in my mind. It’s discussion with a fellow has added fuel to the fire. However, the thoughts digressed from social issues to an eternal debate: Art v/s Morality.

That fellow (let it be anonymous), after watching a soul-stirring episode on child sex abuse, blurted this out: “Aamir Khan proclaims himself a champion of social activism but what has he done to his previous wife? He has got divorced from her. So, how can he claim so much of doing something for the society?” (This is a rough translation of his wordings in Gujarati.)

Now, first thing first: The fellow does not even know the name of Aamir’s wife (Reena Dutta) let alone having any minute, authentic details (factual or emotional) of what went wrong between the couple. Who deceived whom? Who has been the predator and who has been the prey? All he has is a fragmented, jaundiced picture created out of hearsay, ephemeral, dubious media reports. On the basis of such unpalatable evidences, the poor fellow passed the aforementioned judgment.

Secondly, (and these are all the arguments, rather counter-arguments of mine which boomeranged at him. Here is a rough, reported speech of the same) my piercing, moot question is: What has Aamir’s conjugal life got to do with his work as an artist? Let’s presume (for the convenience of discussion) that Aamir has jilted his first wife. Does it, by any means snatch away his right to participate in solving social issues?

I argued: (just like that famous, anecdote of Lord Buddha) show me just one person in the entire nation who has not done ANYTHING wrong in his personal life. Our respected representatives watch porn films in the parliament (which they themselves call a temple of democracy). There is hardly any politician who has not been charged with any criminal offence yet they are so opinionated about anything under the sky. Why don’t we mind it? Simply because we have taken it for granted: - Oh, they are the politicians. It’s no wonder they commit crime because politics is a gutter.

The plain and simple fact is: Artists (in general) are and have always been a soft target. And let me make it very clear: I am not advocating an artist who has committed national crime or someone who has violated the norms of Indian constitution. Had there been Sanjay Dutt, for instance, who had been convicted under the Arms and Ammunition Act and even TADA (if my memory serves me right) for possessing a rifle, my stand would not have been the same.

If the honorable judiciary has granted Aamir’s divorce plea as per the constitution of India, who are we to call him a criminal? Regardless of time and place, this has always been a debatable and debated topic: Artist’s work and its evaluation on the basis of his personal life.

Since the time I’ve read ‘Art and Morality’ – an essay by R. A. Scott James, this issue has been haunting me. I’ve always held that one has no right to evaluate an artist’s craft from the perspective of his personal life, even worse from our subjective evaluation of his personal life.

If polygamy is a sin to someone, he/she may abhor Salman Rushdie or Kishore Kumar. Just because ‘Mareez’ was an alcoholic, should one stop reading him and start criticizing him? Oscar Wilde had been jailed for two years for being a gay (which was once a crime). Does it, by any means, mar the charm of his write-up? On the contrary, and ironically too, it has made his write-up more moving and eternally significant. Vincent Van Ghogh, it has been said, used to visit brothels to help the inmates’ solve their problems. Oh, no! Let’s first burn his effigy and then his paintings! Bloody, rascals, huh!

Let me make another clarification at this juncture. I don’t justify any or all the actions of an artist. I don’t mean to say that an artist is above the land of the law. No, he can never be, because he is a citizen of the nation first. If he has committed any wrongdoing, he must go through the concerned legal proceedings just the way any other ordinary citizen does.

What I am trying to convey is this: One has no right to impose his or her individual belief system on any artist’s behavioral patterns (or for that matter anyone’s behavioral patterns) simply because he is a celebrity. If Saif Ali Khan has been charged with killing a deer, even his ardent fans must stand up against him in loud and clear manner but, no one holds the authority to condemn him for his relationship with Kareena Kapoor. It is solely his personal life.

Let’s face the poignant reality: Hypocrisy is a birthright of every Indian. Every Indian has got the privilege to treat people with double standards. In this nation, celibate monks(?) comment on sex education, senior citizens shape the national youth policy, Baba Ramdev performs Yogasana with Shilpa Shetty, Rakhi Sawant complains about people’s lose moral fabric, Asaaram teaches religion to people, Nirmal Baba solves(?) devotee’s problems. … Incredible India!

Why on earth are people more concerned with issuing character certificates to others (without even being asked to do so) rather than channelizing the same energy to tackling a critical issue like female feticide or child sex abuse or any other one? This society has never faced dearth of critical problems. No wonder this nation harassed Osho Rajneesh, Kamala Das, Chandrakant Bakshi and countless others.

To cut a long story short, let’s not compel an artist to follow those age-old, obsolete, anomalous customs of society which most of us have to follow willy-nilly. Let’s respect the fact that an artist is also an individual with a complete right to privacy. Let’s stop being peeping tom to the celebs. Leave it to the paparazzi. Let’s not legalize our morality and criminalize their morality. And the last word: Let us PLEASE prioritize Art to Morality. That’s it. Thanks.

7 Khoon Maaf

12-03-10
7 Khoon Maaf

Release Date: February 18, 2011
Genre: Action/Thriller
Director, Music Director & Background Music: Vishal Bhardwaj
Producers: Vishal Bhardwaj & Ronnie Screwvala
Star CastPriyanka Chopra...... Susanna Anna-Marie JohannesJohn Abraham...... Jimmy StetsonNeil Nitin Mukesh...... Edwin RodriquesNaseruddin Shah...... Modhusudhon TarafdarIrrfan Khan...... Wasiullah KhanAnu Kapoor...... Keemat LalUsha Uthup...... MaidAleksandr Dyachenko...... Nicolai Vronsky
Lyricist: Gulzar & Ajinkya Iyer

Review:
After adapting Shakespeare in ‘Omkara’ and ‘Maqbool’¸ Vishal Bhardwaj has come up with another metamorphosis from text to tinsel. This time it’s ‘Susanna’s Seven Husbands’ by Ruskin Bond turned into ‘7 Khoon Maaf’. Vishal’s ‘Blue Umbrella’ is also an adaptation of a story by Bond. Bond also makes a guest appearance in teh film. ‘7 Khoon Maaf’ pertains to the mysterious lady called Susanna who ties the wedlock for as many as 07 times and each husband faces an untimely, unresolved death. The film is a sinister comedy depicting the same.
The movie opens with a couple of Buddha idols beside which lies a jet black revolver (Paradox!). Susanna places it on her temple. She slowly begins to squeeze the trigger, each micro-second tormenting her.
Suddenly BANG!!!
We see blood spatter on a wall. It slowly begins to flow downwards as music creeps in. (Courtesy: Screenplay of the film.)

Such a precise commencement raises the expectations of the spectators to the optimum. The film sustains this ambiance throughout, (sadly) even to the extent of obscurity. Let’s have a cursory glance at some of its pertinent aspects.
The story is narrated by Arun Kumar (addressed by Susanna as ‘sugar’ or her ‘chhota khargosh’) who is now Dr. Kumar, handling the case of Susanna’s (supposed) suicide. Arun opens up an album and identifies the photographs to satiate the curiosity of his wife (played by Vishal’s mascot: Konkana Sen). It is thorough this that the whole story is unfolded. It is a third person, omniscient, omnipresent narration but not an objective one.
One of the few most eye-catching traits of the film is its gripping cinematography. For instance, in the very first scene, the camera angles pinpoint the crestfallen expressions of Susanna, on the brink of suicide. Add to that, the duel between Goonga (a dumb servant) and Susanna’s first husband Rodriquez is powerfully shot. The scene in which Susanna strikes the huge bell, points towards her husband ‘for whom the bell tolls’. When her Russian hubby climbs down the well, it is shot in a way suggestive of fatality. In the second half, when Susanna’s house catches fire and the maid (interestingly, played by Usha Uthup) collapses on the floor, a huge portion of the ceiling falls on her. This scene is breathtakingly shot. However, cinematography fails to convince the death of a husband falling prey to a man eater.
The setting is understandably Gothic in style. For example, dark rooms, night scenes, bizarre deaths, barking dogs, crumbling houses etc. Watch ‘7 Khoon Maaf’ and you will realize why Bhardwaj is called the ‘Hitchcock of Hindi Films’. Unfortunately, this makes his dark film even confusingly darker.
The music is not as enchanting as has been the case with ‘Ishqiya’, ‘Kamineyy’ or ‘Omkara’. Excluding ‘Darling’ and ‘Bekaraa’, there is nothing worth-mentioning in the music section. However, the background score, at times, contributes to the mystery of the deaths. Apart from the cinematography and performances, the thing that appealed me the most in the film is the dialogues loaded with wit, black humor, repartee and profundity. For instance,
“Buraai zyada me hai. Aur zyada kabhi zyada nahi hota. … never… Hamesha kam hi hota hai. Jisne kam me jina sikh liya uske liye kuchh kam nahi hai.”
When Susanna is tracing a grey hair in her head and Arun asks what she is up to, she replies:
“Ek hai chhupa hua, jab bhi dhundhne ki koshish karti hun, kho jata hai kambakht.”
Isn’t it a metaphor for her fruitless husband-hunting? There is wordplay on ‘Beshkimati’ and ‘Kimat’ in the conversation with Inspector Kimat Lal. Read this universal truth:
“Unke nazariye se insaan saap se zyada zehrile aur khatarnak hote hai.”
When it comes to performances, I can’t help mentioning that Piggy Chops is THE perfect cast for the role of Susanna. Her scintillating performance is a benefit of doubt for this otherwise ambiguous film.
She convincingly portrays the transformation from Susanna Anna Johannes to Sultana to Sunaina and finally to Sister Susanna. In case of her husbands, there is a polar opposite range of performances in ascending order: from Neil Nitin Mukesh and John Abraham to Naseeruddin Shah. Neil makes a sincere effort. John is a dwarf among such giant performers as Naseer and Irrfan. Anu Kapur is interesting as a silly, fumbling inspector, smitten by ‘Maadaam’ Susanna.
How about the treatment of the theme? Well. It goes without saying that Vishal’s movies are dark, sinister and always intriguing. In other words, they are cryptographic. The deaths of the husbands are rapidly wrapped up. Interestingly, I had read the short story and novella by Ruskin Bond and also the screenplay of the film before watching it. Then even I got baffled especially in the second half. Just imagine the condition of those who went for it with zero background information. No wonder the film couldn’t attract the first week crowds! This reminds me of the words of my favorite film critic Rajiv Masand:
“Boring isn’t a word you’d normally associate with a Vishal Bhardwaj film, but Saat Khoon Maaf seriously tests your patience.”
My final word: ‘7Khoon Maaf’ is exclusively for serious moviegoers; who have the patience and interest to demystify the film. For those who believe in ‘Entertainment for entertainment’s sake’, this film will prove to be a litmus test of human endurance.
- Jay Mehta

09th of August 2010
Astitva

Story, Screenplay and Directed by: Mahesh Manjarekar
Lyrics and Music: Sukhvinder singh
Cast: Tabu
Sachin Khedekar
Mohnish Behl
Namrata Shirodkar

As per the usual categorization, a Hindi film has generally been either a typical masala entertainer or a bit hatke, ‘meaningful cinema’. I have always preferred the latter. ‘Astitva’ is one such thought-provoking work. Roughly speaking, it pertains to the oft-treated concept of illicit union or ex-marital affair. It highlights the subject of female adultery. However, the film does not confine itself to this. The maker of a realistic film like ‘Vastav’, Mahesh Manjarekar has raised an irrepressible voice to the age-old double standards of morality in male-female relationship.


Aditi (Tabu) was newly wedded to Shri (Sachin Khedekar) and wanted to spend more time with him but Shri’s new work required him to travel places. Completely lonely Aditi started learning music from Malhar Kamath (Mohnish Behl), but ended up having an affair with him and got pregnant. When she disclosed her pregnancy to Shri, he rejoiced and does not listen to the rest. Twenty five years later, an accident compels Shri to revisit his past. When Shri confronts truth to Aditi… Well, I must not reveal everything, right?

Let’s have a cursory glance at the constituent parts of the film. The crafty direction undoubtedly makes it an interesting watch. Considering the gravity of the theme, the dialogues are aptly striking. The two songs: ‘Chal, chal, mere sang chal’ and the ending piece ‘Main thi, main hun, main rahungi’ (How significant!), particularly add to the charm of the film.

Add to that, the performances by Namrata Shirodkar, Mohnish Behl, Smita Jaykar etc are commendable. Even Sachin Khedekar convincingly plays an archetypal chauvinist hubby. However, my ultimate temptation was the performer of The Namesake, Chandni Bar, and Maqbool, to name a few. Tabu is a perfect cast for such a challenging role. She virtually eclipses the rest of the performances. She is at her zenith, when she cries with an apologetic tone. For instance, she had one such cameo in ‘Saathia’. Some of the most appealing scenes of this film are the ones in which Aditi weeps and wails. She is tormented by her superego after being driven away by her id. However, the character displays a paradigm shift at the end when she takes the bull by the horns. Performing a mouthpiece of the filmmaker, Tabu points out the duality in the patriarchal Indian society and the resultant pangs and anguish faced by women.


A husband can easily forgive his own lechery as his birthright but what about his wife? No way, man! She’s a woman, after all! A man may have as many affairs as he wishes. He would enjoy the tag of being a Casanova or a playboy of the eastern world. A woman, on the other hand, would be considered as made up of a loose moral fabric or even a nymphomaniac. A husband can demand to satiate his carnal desires regardless of wife’s wish. A wife cannot expect the same if her husband is reluctant. So, what is the existence of a woman in an Indian marriage? The film is a female’s search for her Astitva (identity). Let me sum up with thematically significant words. In the end, Aditi retorts her husband:

“Shrimati Aditi Shrikant Pandit. Is naam me Aditi kahi kho gayi thi. Aaj khula aasman use bula raha hai. Main besabar hun apna astitva dhundhne ke liye.”

- Jay Mehta.
Feedback: jaysmehtas@gmail.com

05-11-‘09

Antagonism to English is groundless.

This refers to the editorial “No Angrezi, Please” (Nov 5). The very idea of one language damaging the other sounds ridiculous. Basically, language is a living entity which thrives and throbs with the culture. In the present globalization, linguistic chauvinism is as anomalous as the insistence to wear a dhoti in a corporate meeting. English, though some may call it a British legacy, is an indispensable aspect of present life. Starting with a toothpaste wrapper to multi-crore business deals, the language has become ubiquitous. Sadly, language policy is now another tool of mass manipulation for the politicians marked with duplicity. How can India, a super power in waiting, afford the aversion to English?

Don’t make a mountain out of molehill.

This refers to the Second Opinion ‘Anthem of anger’ (May 13) by Jug Suraiya. It has become a national phenomenon that in the name of “patriotism”, any trivial issue is turned into a vehement debate. The dust of controversy raised for the song of ‘Rann’ is nearly illogical. The lyrics are poignantly realistic. Current socio-political situation is far more insulting than that song. Thanks to the legal red taps, Ajmal Kasab will be provided with story books! In fact, the terror strike of 26/11 is an epitome of insult to the national honors. The line of demarcation between jingoism and patriotism ought not to be blurred. Jug truly observes that A. R. Rahman created a tidal wave of patriotism with ‘Maa Tujhe Salaam’. Rahman’s dazzling achievements manifest his Indian ness. Cynics opposing Rann’s song must take this into consideration. Such protests are not just needless but ironical.

04 July 2009
Gays Deserve Equal Status

With reference to the editorial ‘Victory for Choice’ (July 30), Delhi high court’s path breaking verdict legalizing homosexuality deserves to be applauded with full vigor. A large section of the society still suffers from myriad illusions about homosexuality. Actually, such an act is neither a sin nor a perversion but just a sexual orientation. The guards of “Indian Culture” must realize that being a gay is not an influence of “Western life style”. It need not be associated with religious sentiments. The verdict stringently prohibits child abuse and rape, which indicates that there is no scope of anarchy. Though the scientific fact has got a legal sanction, the wheel of discrimination still revolves in the society. The scorn and ridicule for gays still prevail due to the social stigma. To eradicate homophobia, which is a mammoth task, the government should follow the court by implementing the verdict on a national scale.

09-11-2009
Let’s not make it a land of fatwas.

With reference to ‘Let Vande Mataram bridge the differences’ (Swapan Dasgupta, Nov 8), the hullabaloo over the Vande Mataram issue is not only futile but also ridicules Indian ethnicity. Honoring one’s nation can, by no means, be a violation of any religion. Both the Darul Ulum and the R.S.S. must realize that a song cannot be the sole parameter to one’s patriotism or religious preference. One may sing the national song & then indulge in corruption; similarly a forthright person may avoid singing it. Both spirituality and nationalism are rooted in humanity and righteousness. In a country where a Prasoon Joshi pens a suffi song and a Rahman composes a bhajan for the same album, such a controversy is a national shame. The energy wasted on the issue of the national song could have been utilized for some constructive purpose. We have no dearth of burning issues. It is a paradox that we have included the virtues of ‘Unity in Diversity’ and religious tolerance in the school curriculum; concurrently such fatwas dominate the headlines.

Say No to Anti-progress Policies

This refers to ‘Progress Hatao’ by Jug Suraiya (April 15). The declaration of the Samajwadi party manifesto demonstrates a steady decline in the Indian politics. Where the world is progresses every nanosecond, such politicians head the country towards the Stone Age. By no means, it sounds rational that promoting English and computer literacy is ‘anti-people’. Suraiya aptly identifies the tricks of the trade. Our leaders deliberately keep the mass in oblivion because it is easy to enslave the deprived. It is not enough to sing the glory of ‘young India’. India needs to be freed from the myopic old leaders like Mulayam and others. The voters ought to say ‘No’ to anti-progress policies.

Supreme Court Practices ‘Art for Art’s Sake’

This is with reference to the news "SC: Hussain’s ‘Bharat Mata’ is a work of art" (Sept.09). This elaborate verdict of the Supreme Court is a rude awakening to the opponents of genuine art. I see eye to eye with the court’s logic that the erotic sculptures – indispensable aspects of Indian culture - don’t scandalize people. How can those self-appointed guards of morality overlook that the world’s first scientific tome on human eroticism viz. Vatsayana’s Kama Sutra belongs to the Indian treasure? The burning issues like terrorism, corruption, inflation etc don’t hurt the ‘patriotic’ sentiments of those who are up in arms with Hussain’s allegedly obnoxious painting. I am reminded of Shashi Tharoor’s article, published some time ago, in which he construes the judgment pertaining to Hussain’s creative art. It must be remembered that any branch of aesthetics, be it literature, sculpture or painting can not be denied of its deserved freedom of expression. Supreme Court’s verdict in Hussain’s case is an example of it.

Stop the Talibanization of India
(Published in the Times of India with minor modifications)
This refers to the news ‘Dating on V-Day? Rama Sene will get you married’ (Feb.06). It is ironic that in the largest democracy of the world, a handful of fundamentalists deprive youth from the deserved freedom. It is furthermore more ironic that for their unruly deeds, they misuse the name of Maryada Purushottam Lord Rama. The Mangalore assault, not unexpectedly, has become a ball for the dirty game of the politicians. The declaration of Sri Rama Sene for the V-Day is an insult added to injury. It manifests the attention seeking tendency of this self-styled moral police. If this persists, the day is not so far when a young couple would be stoned to death in the Taliban style. It’s high time now to stop the goondaism under the sophisticated term of ‘culture’.

Stop Haunting Sania
(Sent to the Times of India)
With reference to Sania Mirza’s decision to pull out from the Bangalore Open, I think it is now time to stop tormenting her. Be it the case of her candid remarks on virginity or her alleged insult to the flag, controversy has become her middle name. She falls prey to some fundamentalists day in and day out. The tennis sensation, however, should get attuned to all slanders and impediments on her way to triumph. She must realize that success and controversy, in each arena, always go hand in hand.

By turning Asia’s top tennis player, Sania has proved her mettle. Amidst the clarion calls of ‘Chak De India’, protest again Sania sound jarring. Cynics are kindly requested to spare this Hyderabadi achiever for her natural course of action.

The Feminine Frailty
(M.A. II)
All the views expressed here are entirely mine but they bear resemblance to the whole humankind in general.

Woman- what an ambiguous species gifted by the Omnipotent to the planet! From the times immemorial, ample intellectual giants have endeavored to analyze the female psyche without succeeding. I might be an inheritor to this fruitless striving.

I am cocksure that myriad honest individuals would nod their heads in consent (some inwardly) that the behavior of a woman is supremely unpredictable and out of human comprehension.

‘The Fairer, the Fouler’ has been the case be it the time of the Helen of Troy or the Prince of Denmark or that of Dr. Sigmund Freud or the time of Jay Mehta.

Dr. Sigmund Freud - a genius, who acutely construed each facet of human behavior, puts his pen down when someone shoots him a question on the issue under discussion.

Sometimes it is acknowledged that a female doesn’t know what she, in actuality, wants to do or get, or she may not be revealing it wholly.

A woman, never a ‘weaker sex’, possesses tremendous powers to ‘make or mar one’s life’. That’s why the clichéd expression that there is a woman behind every successful man.

A woman who conceives a man very well conceives that a man is a cripple to her –socially, emotionally and erotically as well. Many Lady Macbeths and Gertrudes exploit this trait for their mean and malign ends. They treat men as puppets to attain egotistic satisfaction.

Simultaneously, many other gentle ladies bring men on the right track. They become a power of success to their men by boosting their morale.

My ultimate point is that the enigma of female psychology is a whirlpool. The more you attempt to interpret it, the deeper you would be sucked.

I would put an end to this article by quoting a massive hit ‘Titanic’,
“The heart of a woman is like an ocean in which many treasures are hidden.”


• Dedicated to my Metaphysical Friend - BRIJESH PUROHIT.