“Mar jayenge/Kat jayenge Sukhan Lal Ji, magar harke nahin aayenge.” The words which heard at the right time from the right person and at the right moment almost made me cry in support of the tricolor. Mood changed from jovial to a devoted seriousness towards the nation. Yes the words are from ‘Chak De India!!!’ when the women’s hockey team had reached the finals of world cup. This movie sums up what cinema should actually be all about. The role movies play in our day to day lives is more than just a 2.5 hr. entertainment piece. The social and emotional message that they send out to the masses can literally change lives of many. But isn’t that what cinema must do?
Chak De along with a host of other films including RDB, Khosla ka Ghosla, Black, Aamir to name a few from top of my mind, have special messages that are conveyed to the society in different ways. Not only are the performances good (though not all films include the superstars in flamboyant roles) but the script, choreography and above all the direction of these films have been astounding. The skill to get the most out of the actors standing in front of you and make them deliver the strong performances is truly commendable. I have spoken this before and I reiterate it now that whenever a human being stands apart from the crowd by having a masterpiece of his work showcased in front of the millions, it truly is a special feeling to be a part of it.
In current context, to see what people can do to films and actors with their skills is truly fascinating. Although there may be many moments in movies that move people but there are some that linger on in the memory and stay with them to remind them time and again that in some small, irrelevant way they were part of history. For if any of the movies being made can have an impact on the society and make it change its ways to look at things in a positive manner and work for the betterment of everyone, I guess you are part of history.
Agreed cinema can not be curtailed to movies delivering social messages only. There must be light hearted comedies or dark thrillers or even down right action movies too, for the movie makers have to cater to a larger audience with different tastes. But is it not a shortfall on our part if we can not take a message from these films too. Films need not be all about goals and messages. They can be light hearted like OSO, Bheja Fry etc. But if we take a closer look here we might be able to see the not so obvious message. In case of OSO – the whole movie revolves around one theme – “Picture abhi baki hai.” It tells us that one should not lose hope, ever. That’s a strong message hidden amongst the glitz and star power.
I know what I’m essaying here might not find acceptance with a lot of people. The most common comment I would receive might be – “We can’t go about looking for hidden messages everywhere. Films are for fun only.” I agree that is true but if you can find such lessons then isn’t it worthwhile to adhere to them. After all we aren’t perfect by a long shot. This is what we should be doing all the time instead of only when somebody points it out to us…………..
No comments:
Post a Comment