In most part of the world, cinema
is being produced on genre basis. Story of the films, the core theme and its
execution manner decides the genre of the film. In west they have classics
under each and every genre. Whether it’s Casablanca
or When Harry met Sally in Romance
genre, Die Hard or Matrix in action genre, Godfather or Goodfellas in Crime genre, each and every film are known for its
genre and its execution based on that genre.
But there is an industry, (and
I'll say, one of the biggest) called Bollywood where films had been made
without any genre through out the timeline. From the starting only we make
films entirely based on heroics of the lead actor. Our films are known
according to the actors. It's never about the genre. Because whatever be the genre,
whatever you like to call it, every film gets the same execution. We are making
musicals right from the dawn of the cinema. Character mostly confess their
emotional outburst in form of songs or may be shaking their leg too as an
add-on.
In first two decade of Hindi
Films, newly Independent India witness films on social subject. But with the
entry of actors and filmmakers like Dev
Anand & Raj Kapoor, cinema
starts shifting its focus from society to individuals. Though Raj Kapoor had
made several classics revolving around social theme like Awara, Shree 420, Jagte Raho but except Jagte Raho, his every films
started creating a larger than life image of common man. That’s why he termed
as The Showman of Indian Cinema.
The only filmmaker, I considered has guts or
who dared to think something out of the blue is Guru Dutt. And I don’t have to tell that among 8 of the films
directed by him, two is now included among the greatest films of all time, both
by Time magazine's "All-TIME" 100 best movies, a feat only achieved
by Mani Ratnam for his film Nayagan. Guru Dutt has that extra edge
as a real film maker. He knows the technical aspect of cinema. He could play
with camera and lights (remember Kagaaz
Ke Phool song, Waqt ne kiya, kya
haseen sitam) I don’t know about any other shot in India except Guru Dutt
Shot. But you will get lots of such things in west. And the difference is
execution.
With the entry of Naseer Hussain (uncle of Aamir Khan)
cinema started revolving just around women. Not in women centric way, but as
far as HERO of the film is considered the most precious thing for him in the
entire universe is to get married with that very girl called HEROINE of the
film. To make films look different, different type of obstacle are created (not
different type of stories), sometime they are called VILLIAN.
From sixties onward Heroes started fighting
for the girl until Yash Chopra came
in out of his socially moving dramas like Deewar,
Trishul to start lighting the sari’s of heroine in the backdrop of
Switzerland’s natural backdrop.
Amitabh
Bachchan in the entire 70’s kick the baddies for different yet same reason.
He gave some classics but not worthy enough to be called as The product of
Cinema. In the mid 70’s only a parallel cinema comes into this world as an
orphan. So they tried hard and hard to show the hardship of common man. But
they also can’t shift there mind and making from already existing film making.
The basic difference is that mainstream cinema has some joyful dancing number
whereas parallel cinema only shows the tragic scene with tragic score in the
background. They are somewhat in the genre of Drama but that somewhat is
negligible only.
Finally, arrives the mediocre
80’s which just shows revenge, revenge for the rape of sister, wife, or any
other close relative of HERO (99% it’s Mithun
Da, highest Tax Payer at that time). Sometime it’s for the mass massacre of
the family too but that also include some mis-happening with some female
character. Overall it’s the rape of Cinema with lots of absurd song and
dialogue.
Post 2000, we are trying to get
aware of what cinema is? But then again we are just copying the stuff from west
(may be because they have something to say). Some time it gets click (Hum Tum, Ghajini, Chak De India), but
most of the time it’s utter disappointment. So we started lifting our very own
regional films and some old so called classics.
And when they get to know the
fact that we are making genre less cinema, they make a new genre which suits almost
every films in Bollywood i.e. Masala
Films or Masala Enteretainer,
where you gets stint of every genre whether it’s comedy, romance, action,
thriller, even horror.
But I’m hopeful that someday we
will see some films having content focusing on particular element or theme (A Wednesday, Lunch Box) May be then we
can say, “Fuck, Yeah, we also consider cinema as ART”
P.S: It’s not that I don’t like
Hindi Films or West doesn’t make crap. It’s all about ratio.
Do let us know, your feedback/comments in the section below.
- Anurag Singh.
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