Balu Mahendra | Editor's Pen

Hi Friends,

Many film directors have made sensible films about human relationships and the complexities. From Bimal Roy to Adoor Gopalakrishnan have excelled the craft. In 1983, Hindi film audience were introduced to one of the better films of the decade and it came from a rather unknown name. Another director in the same league - Balu Mahendra. His film Sadma, starring Kamal Hassan and Sridevi, tickled the funny and emotional bone at the same time.

Srilanka born Balu Mahendra made India home and made great contribution to Indian cinema. We lost him recently. A great loss. His films like Kokila, Veedu, Sandhya Ragam, Moondram Pirai etc. made him an everlasting name in Indian cinema. His films will inspire us.

His last film Thalaimuraigal marked two things - Box Office failures cannot curb hunger of an artist and technical limitations of a Canon 5D are only for normal filmmakers, not for mavericks. In fag end of career while most of the makers become enamoured by past laurels, some want to walk that extra mile. We need such directors. We need more Balu Mahendras.

Regards
Sujoy Ghosh

That Cuckoo Definitely Flew Over | Part 2 | Under Lens

Based on a novel by the same name, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest was made by Miloš Forman starring Jack Nicholson and Louise Fletcher in lead roles. Rated as one of the finest films ever made, this film bagged all five major Oscars – Actress, Actor, Screenplay, Director and Film. In an illustrious history of Academy, this feat has been achieved only thrice – It Happened One Night and The Silence Of The Lambs are two other films with the distinction.

OFOTCN was story of a maniacal character Randle McMurphy alias Mac who is in asylum for evaluation. Asylum is his way to soft sentence. In asylum nurse Ratched is the cause of fear induced mental trauma for most of the patients. Her means are mean and barely helps the patients to recover from their respective issues. Mac shows his rebellious streak and fights for the rights of patients who are in need to care and compassion. The end reflects the social paranoia existing in systematic world against the outliers and rebels.

There are few parallel lines between Deep Jwoley Jaye and One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest prompting some filmmakers to blend the elements.

Made in 1986, Malayalam film by Priyadarshan Thalavattam starring Mohanlal and Karthika in lead roles successfully blends the element of both the films. A compassionate doctor played by Karthika fall in love with mentally traumatized patient played by Mohanlal. When he recovers, they decide to be together. This, however, is not agreeable to doctor’s father who is head of the institution. He lobotomizes the patient. In the end he realizes his mistake when his daughter becomes mentally sick after she learns about her father’s misdeed. Thalavattam was remade in Hindi by Priyadarshan with Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor in lead roles.

Lions For Lambs | The Critique

You have Tom Cruise and Meryl Streep – best of both the worlds – and add Robert Redford to the preposition. While all grey cells are dancing with happiness, your eyes are shocked to read bad or to put it mildly, un-favorable reviews and unbelievable Box Office collections for a Tom Cruise film. Some of it definitely reflect reality. There are reasons to hate this film. There are reasons to say – don’t watch this film. There are reason to say – it’s a lamb leading a pack of lions.

Tom Cruise plays a Senator pushing forward a bill to change war strategy in Afghanistan to counter nexus of Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan’s fundamentalist powers. He wants a journalist – played by Streep – to created favorable public opinion. Streep has her own reservations as from the outset it looks more like a propaganda. On the other hand a professor – Redford playing the character brilliantly – wants a promising student of his to come out of the disillusion phase of his life. He tells the story of two of his students who are currently fighting in Afghanistan. These two story develop the content however fail to evoke strong emotions. They are backed with performances but fail to impress. There is a third story which is not neatly etched but explains the hypocrisy of elite political sections and failure of idealistic educators. The two students who joined defense fight it out the hard way in frozen peaks of Afghanistan.

A good idea is muddled and impact is ruined. The film fails to conclude properly and leaves audience in a confused state. A film which should have either made audience cringe or inspire them, failed on both the counts. Performances, nevertheless, are good. Cruise surprises with the subtle moments. Streep and Redford – experience helps them walk into their roles. Andrew Garfield is ordinary.

Redford is an accomplished filmmaker. This film might have disappointed many but the intent deserves an applause.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh  

  

Miss Lovely And Dark Alleys Of Cinema | Editor's Pen

Hi Friends,

Miss Lovely will be rated high when we will discuss Blue Notebook in December. Ashim cracked the pot. The film's biggest achievement was perhaps beyond the performances and technical brilliance. It was more about bringing in an off beat idea in mainstream and provide decency to sleaze.

80s was a difficult time for Indian cinema. Unwanted element and bad films took over the theatres and made nuisance out of probably the most favored medium of entertainment. But at the same time, these bad films provided food and shelter to many. In fact with VHS and VCR and failing economy, these helped many remain afloat. That was the unexplored aspect.

In The Dirty Picture by Milan Luthria, in a rather passing moment this era and people working the C-grade cinema is presented. Maybe it captures only a shade of spectrum, it remains with you even after the credits. It shows us the difference between glitter and gold. However, the scene was from a certain point of view and failed to show the other side.

Miss Lovely nailed that. Probably some day, as a tribute, we will do a series or a special edition.

Love
Sujoy

That Cuckoo Definitely Flew Over | Part 1 | Under Lens

Ashutosh Mukherjee’s Nurse Mitra was considered to be a taboo idea to show on screen but for a progressive filmmaker like Asit Sen, it was a story worth sharing with mass. Can a nurse providing affection to patients suffering from emotional trauma become victim of the same ailment? The very sanctity of  the relationship between a patient and nurse in a rather motherly role takes a hit when she start developing emotions for the patient. The tragedy is that the patient upon recovery detaches himself leaving behind a emotionally distressed nurse.

Frankly for people saying cinema has grown, watch films made in 50s and 60s. That was the apogee of the cinematic brilliance.

Asit Sen’s Deep Jwoley Jaye made in 1959 is remembered for music by Hemanta Mukherjee and inspiring performance by Suchitra Sen. Her performance inspired actors like Waheeda Rehman, a brilliant actor in her own right. When she played Suchitra Sen’s character in Khamoshi opposite Rajesh Khanna and excelled, she noted that her performance was nowhere near Suchitra Sen. These films are considered to be finest performances by these two actresses.

The theme of Nurse Mitra and deviants are recurring ideas in World Cinema. Remember One Flew Over Cuckoo’s Nest?  

Worth Noting –

1. Many literary works by Ashutosh Mukherjee were made in Bengali and Hindi Films – like Safar, Bemisaal, Kora Kagaz, Maar Kantak etc.

2. Asit Sen made successful films in Hindi and Bengali. Safar was probably his most well known film in Hindi.

3. Chivaraku Migiledi (Telugu), Thalavattam (Malayalam) and Kyun Ki (Hindi) are some of the Indian remakes of the Bengali film apart from Khamoshi.

Muhafiz | The Critique

Merchant Ivory films set in India are perfect mélange of colonial aesthetics and Indian emotions. Muhafiz or In Custody is a fine example. Muhafiz was Ismail Merchant’s first feature and was backed with over three decades of world class filmmaking. The outcome justifies the burden. Ismail Merchant deliver a world class film. Starring Shashi Kapoor, Om Puri, Shabana Azmi and Sushma Seth in lead roles, Muhafiz explores the decline of Urdu in India with industrial development and globalization.

Deven (Om Puri) is a Hindi teacher whose first love is Urdu. His passion for Urdu poetry is admired by an editor friend of his who asks him to interview one of the living legends of Urdu Poetry – Noor Shahjehanabadi played by Shashi Kapoor who had gone past his best age and shape but his diction and mannerism were as good as they were in his best days. Noor has two wife – first wife is practical and trying to work out life for the family while second wife who is not only young, she believes that she writes well. However, everyone doubts that she passes off Noor’s poetry as her own. Deven wants to interview Noor but faces troubles from all directions – Noor’s falling health, his friends, his wives and budget. There are some moments where you feel that Deven is putting too much on stake for a fanciful idea. But the conviction Deven has in his passion is exemplary. He is frustrated but not done.

Muhafiz shows a brilliant contrast in Old World and New World – how meaning of life has changed. Noor is metaphor for the Old World being adored by a present (Om Puri) and ignored by New World (many other characters). Ismail Merchant blends music with brilliant performances and weaves out an exceptional film out of a rather average story.

Written By: Sujoy Ghosh

Raanjhanaa | Analysis Of Best Film Of 2013 | Blue Notebook

There was a little discussion on facebook and offline on how a film like Raanjhanaa whose mere selection was debated with some heat, won the best film of 2013 at Blue Notebook. Simple answer – it was an audience poll. But why audience appreciated it over films with more substance? Raanjhanaa was definitely one of the better made films but was it the best? Maybe it was because it was a perfect blend of everything a film demands.

Raanjhanaa might not be the best album from ARR’s catalogue but some of the songs were right there in most loved songs of the year. Songs like Banarasiya and Tum Tak were character driven and brought up the individual elements of the character. On the other hand songs like Piya Milenge and Tu Man Shudi were situation driven and pushed the story well. Piya Milenge had the haunting feel which made audience nervous to the core. The folk and classical blend in the musical was perfect manifestation of Benaras.

Story was developed in two parts – both sort of coming of age tales. First story was about innocent one sided love where the lover feels cheated brutally by the girl. He acts on whim and causes catastrophe. Second story is where the lover matures and faces his mistake in the hard way. His act of penance might seem foolish to people, it bring about the conclusion. In the end, the lover, still very much in love, is tired of the pursuit. Somehow, it reminded me of climax of Gone With The Wind.

Performances of different characters, with special mention for the side characters, were top notch. Only exception was a little broken but still her best ever – in Sonam Kapoor who played the lead lady. In cameo Abhay Deol nailed the role. Zeeshan and Swara were immaculate in their interpretation of characters. These two characters alone worth a re-watch. However, the USP of the film was Dhanush who played a Tamil Brahmin born and brought up in Benaras. His accent had the Tamil feel and somehow it worked for the character. He nailed almost each scene of the film.

As a package, Raanjhanaa was able to attract class and mass alike. For Hindi belt watching a Tamil star speaking chaste Hindi was a delight. Arguments will be there in favor of other films but still it was hardly a wrong choice.