Recently, I got into a discussion with my wife about the massive popularity of Lage Raho Munnabhai. The conversation inevitably turned towards the other film dealing with martyrs affecting the thoughts of urban Indians, namely, Rang De Basanthi. Hanging around at Naachgaana.com was a real eye-opener for me as I found quite a few opinions about how LRM was much better than RDB. That seems to be the general consensus of the majority there. LRM is the best movie of the year, followed by RDB, which is flawed. Me, I feel that it isn't so and my discussion was regarding the impact each movie had. So, here I present both sides of the tale. Most of the positives and angles regarding LRM are provided by my wife.
The year started with a bang, with the release of RDB for me. I caught the afternoon show on the day of the release, (We have an unwritten rule that any Aamir Khan movie should be watched in Gold Class, cos it will generally be worth it). And I came out of the theatre totally bowled away. I felt the movie was possibly the best movie I had ever seen in a long, long time. It really is so. Since Rangeela was really a long long time ago, 11 years ago, I can say without hesitation that RDB is the best movie of the past decade. My wife, however, wasn't as impressed. She loved the movie, but just like many others who claim the ending was flawed, she started dissecting the ending with cold logic, saying that no government would ever use black cat commandos in the full glare of the media as it was shown in the movie. Considering the fact that she was a journalist cum reporter herself, I didn't argue with her. I was blissful in my ignorance of the facts and just went with the flow of the movie. I never got tired of watching it.
Months later, when we went to watch LRM, I laughed and had a great time with Munnabhai, Circuit and Lucky Singh. But, unlike RDB, the thought I had when I stepped out of the theatre was that MBBS was a better movie. My wife agreed.
But towards the end of the year, LRM was one of the 2 highest grossers. RDB is one of the big grossers this year, but not among the top three. So that started the discussion. What is it about LRM that seems to appeal so much to everyone? The answer seems very simple. It is a great entertainer. It makes you laugh and cry. But so does RDB. Aah, but LRM has a happy ending, something that RDB doesn't have. But that really isn't the reason why LRM is so popular. I cross Rex (a theatre in Bangalore) everyday to work and I remember seeing the poster of LRM everyday for what seems like an eternity. The reason for the appeal is Gandhigiri. Pure and simple. The movie shows very effectively how to deal with everyday frustrations very realistically. If someone spits in front of your apartment, you don't have to develop a split personality and go all Anniyan (or Aprarichit) over them with the Garuda Puranam. Just keep wiping it off in front of him and he will realise his mistake. You lose all your dad's money, come clean and just tell him. Don't try running away or killing yourself for it. The concept that the truth still works and that showing the other cheek is still the best way to end any animosity is really laudable and the movie makes it really believable.
Another aspect of LRM is that there is no completely bad guy. The main antagonist is basically a good person with something bad in him. And these are the kinds of people you meet everyday. You don't always run into an evil minister who has killed your friend. You meet someone who does something bad, either out of selfishness or out of love for someone else. And the movie shows that these people can be dealt with too. No one is completely evil. Just appeal to the good in anyone and you can win them over. You can even turn Darth Vader from the dark side!!
The ultimate appeal of LRM lies in the fact that it is a movie that propagates Gandhi's values and it does them effectively. Truth really does win in the end and everyone is basically good.
Contrast this with RDB. The main antagonist is a corrupt minister. At face value, this is the same as hundreds of action films that came out in the 80s, right? Only if you take the movie at face value. The main antagonist of RDB isn't the corrupt minister, but the tendency of the people of India to let things be as they are. I have said this before and i say it again. Killing the minister isn't the solution presented by RDB. It was the catalyst that triggered an awakening in the heroes. They don't go on a killing spree. They decide to come clean and surrender themselves to the police. It was a brilliant piece of writing that demanded that they be killed in the end. Getting arrested would have been anti-climactic. Killing them maybe viewed as manipulating the audience, but it really resonated stronger emotionally. When you think about how carefree they were and how they finally died, it really tugs the heart strings. And it also drives home the point that violence is not the answer. Killing is wrong. And you will pay the price for doing wrong.
Everything else about RDB needs no explanation. It shows the apathy that the people have for their country and it shows how we need to take action if we want things to change.
Technically I think that just about everything in RDB blows everything from LRM away. I am definitely not the best judge for this considering my extreme bias for RDB and the fact that I watched LRM only once. But still, cinematically, the frame compositions of RDB and the sheer vibrancy of colours really is wonderful. I remember being blown away by certain visual compositions in MBBS, like the scene where Munnabhai and Circuit are sitting at the dhobi ghat in the night. There were several good visual moments in MBBS, but I really didn't find anything as outstanding in LRM.
As for the editing, I think both the movies have great editing because at no point of time does either movie lag and neither of them seems to have any jarring transitions in the scenes. The scenes flow very well into each other for both the movies.
When it comes to music, there definitely is no doubt as to who is the winner. While I will always feel that RDB is one of Rahman's weaker scores, it still is leagues ahead of the soundtrack of LRM. And as if for compensating the weak songs, Rahman comes up with what could arguably be the best background score ever. No small feat, considering the bgm of Rangeela, Thiruda Thiruda, Dil Se, AE, Lagaan and so many others. You could enjoy the songs of LRM while watching the movie, just going with the flow. But unlike MBBS, the songs don't form that vital a part of the movie this time. And that is again where RDB scores. No song is out of place. While I don't listen to the songs often, I never ever fast-forward them when watching the movie. They gel extremely well into the movie and it makes you appreciate the songs much more.
Finally, coming to the acting, both the movies are full of amazing performances. Sanjay Dutt is really the embodiment of Munnabhai. If I was to ever choose the 3 best Dutt performances, this would rank right up there, along with his amazing act in J.P. Dutta's Hathyar all those years ago and his Billa from Musafir. Sanjay Dutt really can surprise anyone with his acting. Arshad Warsi is indeed phenomenal as Circuit and Boman Irani's Lucky Singh completes the triumvirate of great performances. Can Boman ever turn in a mediocre performance? The women were just passable. I really don't like Dia Mirza and I felt that Vidya Balan was as good or as bad as Gracy Singh in MBBS.
The performances in RDB are phenomenal as well and I cant think of a single performance that I would have liked changed in any way.
It is indeed so rare to have a movie where every performance is a masterpiece and every shot is eye candy. As a fantasy journey, I enjoyed the ride offered by RDB more than the one offered by LRM. Maybe I should watch it again and I may appreciate it a lot more.
As it now stands, my wife has learnt how to just go with the flow of the movie and she always cries at the end of RDB. Whenever we watch it on DVD, it never fails to bring her to tears. I agree to the merits of LRM. I never went into the movie with a pre-conceived notion and I never came out of the theatre hating the movie. It was a nice movie and it has some brilliant performances. But I can never understand it's overwhelming popularity. Still, we could have done worse.... KANK could have been the biggest grosser of the year!! On a side note, I really hope that Siddarth manages to go to the US. In AE that was all he wanted and he ended up become a politician. In RDB that was all he wanted (apart from Soha of course!!) and he ending up dead!! Hope someone gives him a role where he finally goes to the US!!
The last thing I want to say is that, Bhagat Singh and Chandrashekar Azad's philosophy of fighting fire with fire and winning our freedom by guerilla warfare appealed to a select few. Gandhi's Ahmisa theory and movement swayed the entire nation and ultimately led to our freedom. 59 years later, the same way, a movie woven around Bhagat Singh and Azad appealed to a few people (well, not too few!!), but a movie propagating Gandhi's ideals has stirred the entire nation!! History has repeated itself!!
Later,
Triply
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
In defense of Ram Gopal Verma
It has become very fashionable to diss Ram Gopal Verma these days, but not without good reason. The man's mouth seems as fast as his directing skills. This year we will get back to back RGV movies for 2 consecutive weeks and possibly Sarkar Raaj by the end of the year. A far cry from the time I used to wonder when the next RGV movie would be. But this time, his next release seems to be the most controversial movie yet. Ram Gopal Verma ki Aag, a remake of Sholay will hit the screen on the 31st of August. And it seems as though everyone not associated with the project wants it to fail. After all, how can RGV dare to supplant SHOLAY in the minds of movie goers with his (yet another) underworld film?
It is at this that I take an exception. I think it is time that people need to separate the man from his craft. RGV has always been one to deliver one amazing movie followed by a turkey. His one-two punches are rare. He did, of course, manage to deliver Shiva (the original) and Kshana Kshanam back to back, both of which were amazing. But Rangeela was followed by Daud and Satya and Kaun (a one- two punch I guess) were followed by Mast. We then got Company, which was followed by Jungle. This was followed by Bhoot (a neutral... not bad but not worth viewing multiple times) followed by Sarkar, which I liked. Then came Shiva, the remake, which is one of the worst movies he ever directed. So, looking at the pattern, it seems that we are due for a good movie, which could mean that Aag is actually good. Then we get Darling, which could be bad and Sarkar Raaj, which would be good again!!
But those are only trends and doesn't give any solid proof that Aag will be good. So what do we expect? The producers of Sholay have gone to the courts. They are suing RGV for using Sholay and Gabbar Singh, Veeru, etc. I cant even begin to describe how absurd this is, but I will definitely try. Sholay is definitely one of the most entertaining movies ever. It was a trailblazer and could also be what was the genesis of the cliché Dharam paaji dialogues like "Chun Chun ke maaronga" and "Khoon peejaaonga". But, there are some things one must definitely not overlook.
People may find me being pedantic when I point these out, but please bear with me. The scene where the thakur's family is wiped out is inspired to the point of being copied from "Once Upon a Time in the West" by Sergio Leone. In fact, it is so "inspired" that when Gabbar is about to kill the young boy, they show a close-up of the gun barrel and the gun shot merges into the hiss of a steam engine in which brings the thakur home. This is the exact scene in once Upon a Time in the West. The villain is about to gun down the little boy, there is a close-up of the barrel, followed by the gunshot merging with a steam engine's hiss. The person who gets out of the engine is the woman whose new husband has been gunned down, along with his entire first family. She is later in the movie, helped by 2 cowboys of ill-repute. Then we have the entire attire of Gabbar inspired from the villain in Sergio Leone's "For a Few Dollars More". And of course, the concept of outlaws called in to protect a village from bandits dates back to Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai". So, this person, who was "inspired" by all these now sues someone for copyright infringement?
Sholay was definitely not a scene to scene remake of either Once Upon a Time in the West or Seven Samurai. Sippy ensured that it catered to the Indian public and put in elements to make it a wholesome entertainer. Maybe that is how Sippy explained away his "inspirations". But then again, that is exactly what RGV is doing. He has been inspired by a movie and is reinterpreting it in a different setting. So how come now it is wrong?
I personally feel that the entire purpose behind Sippy suing RGV for Sholay has been lost. RGV was sued to ensure that he didn't call his movie Sholay and didn't even release it as the story was copied. But now, he is still releasing it. And he hasn't lost the case yet. He just renamed the movie and the characters so he could release the movie. But still, now, thanks to his publicity and the lawsuit, everyone, even those who were previously unaware, know that Aag is a remake of Sholay. Whether the villain is called Babban or Gabbar, it now doesn't matter. I think RGV has been extremely clever and Sippy has unwittingly brought about even more publicity than RGV could hope for. I am sure that was not the purpose of the lawsuit!!
Coming to the final point, RGV had said that Sholay inspired him to be a film maker. Maybe that is not true, but he is remaking Sholay, not because he feels the original was inferior, but because he wants to pay a tribute to Sholay. He didn't claim, like Farhan Akhtar for Don, that Sholay was a good script which was not handled well. He always maintained that his was a tribute to Sholay. And imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. What is Sippy worried about? RGV isn't trying to erase the legacy of Sholay with her version, nor does he intend everyone to take his as the definitive version. So why is Sippy worried?
Someone mentioned Subhash Ghai's Karma. That's true. Why didn't Sippy sue Subhash Ghai for Karma. That was about a police officer who loses most of his family and decides to recruit criminals to fight the dacoit. It just turns out that the place shifted from Ramgarh to the whole of India, so the dacoit becomes a terrorist and the criminals become soldiers. Hell, towards the end one of them even sacrifices himself to disable the villains!! Where was Sippy then?
I will go watch Aag on 31st of Aug. RGV has let me down a few times, but when he has made good movies, they have been classics. Satya and Company were classics. Shiva, the original, was a classic. Rangeela was a classic. And, as I said before, going by his track record, we are due for a good movie. Aag may just surprise everyone by actually being a great entertainer!!
Later.
Triply
It is at this that I take an exception. I think it is time that people need to separate the man from his craft. RGV has always been one to deliver one amazing movie followed by a turkey. His one-two punches are rare. He did, of course, manage to deliver Shiva (the original) and Kshana Kshanam back to back, both of which were amazing. But Rangeela was followed by Daud and Satya and Kaun (a one- two punch I guess) were followed by Mast. We then got Company, which was followed by Jungle. This was followed by Bhoot (a neutral... not bad but not worth viewing multiple times) followed by Sarkar, which I liked. Then came Shiva, the remake, which is one of the worst movies he ever directed. So, looking at the pattern, it seems that we are due for a good movie, which could mean that Aag is actually good. Then we get Darling, which could be bad and Sarkar Raaj, which would be good again!!
But those are only trends and doesn't give any solid proof that Aag will be good. So what do we expect? The producers of Sholay have gone to the courts. They are suing RGV for using Sholay and Gabbar Singh, Veeru, etc. I cant even begin to describe how absurd this is, but I will definitely try. Sholay is definitely one of the most entertaining movies ever. It was a trailblazer and could also be what was the genesis of the cliché Dharam paaji dialogues like "Chun Chun ke maaronga" and "Khoon peejaaonga". But, there are some things one must definitely not overlook.
People may find me being pedantic when I point these out, but please bear with me. The scene where the thakur's family is wiped out is inspired to the point of being copied from "Once Upon a Time in the West" by Sergio Leone. In fact, it is so "inspired" that when Gabbar is about to kill the young boy, they show a close-up of the gun barrel and the gun shot merges into the hiss of a steam engine in which brings the thakur home. This is the exact scene in once Upon a Time in the West. The villain is about to gun down the little boy, there is a close-up of the barrel, followed by the gunshot merging with a steam engine's hiss. The person who gets out of the engine is the woman whose new husband has been gunned down, along with his entire first family. She is later in the movie, helped by 2 cowboys of ill-repute. Then we have the entire attire of Gabbar inspired from the villain in Sergio Leone's "For a Few Dollars More". And of course, the concept of outlaws called in to protect a village from bandits dates back to Akira Kurosawa's "Seven Samurai". So, this person, who was "inspired" by all these now sues someone for copyright infringement?
Sholay was definitely not a scene to scene remake of either Once Upon a Time in the West or Seven Samurai. Sippy ensured that it catered to the Indian public and put in elements to make it a wholesome entertainer. Maybe that is how Sippy explained away his "inspirations". But then again, that is exactly what RGV is doing. He has been inspired by a movie and is reinterpreting it in a different setting. So how come now it is wrong?
I personally feel that the entire purpose behind Sippy suing RGV for Sholay has been lost. RGV was sued to ensure that he didn't call his movie Sholay and didn't even release it as the story was copied. But now, he is still releasing it. And he hasn't lost the case yet. He just renamed the movie and the characters so he could release the movie. But still, now, thanks to his publicity and the lawsuit, everyone, even those who were previously unaware, know that Aag is a remake of Sholay. Whether the villain is called Babban or Gabbar, it now doesn't matter. I think RGV has been extremely clever and Sippy has unwittingly brought about even more publicity than RGV could hope for. I am sure that was not the purpose of the lawsuit!!
Coming to the final point, RGV had said that Sholay inspired him to be a film maker. Maybe that is not true, but he is remaking Sholay, not because he feels the original was inferior, but because he wants to pay a tribute to Sholay. He didn't claim, like Farhan Akhtar for Don, that Sholay was a good script which was not handled well. He always maintained that his was a tribute to Sholay. And imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. What is Sippy worried about? RGV isn't trying to erase the legacy of Sholay with her version, nor does he intend everyone to take his as the definitive version. So why is Sippy worried?
Someone mentioned Subhash Ghai's Karma. That's true. Why didn't Sippy sue Subhash Ghai for Karma. That was about a police officer who loses most of his family and decides to recruit criminals to fight the dacoit. It just turns out that the place shifted from Ramgarh to the whole of India, so the dacoit becomes a terrorist and the criminals become soldiers. Hell, towards the end one of them even sacrifices himself to disable the villains!! Where was Sippy then?
I will go watch Aag on 31st of Aug. RGV has let me down a few times, but when he has made good movies, they have been classics. Satya and Company were classics. Shiva, the original, was a classic. Rangeela was a classic. And, as I said before, going by his track record, we are due for a good movie. Aag may just surprise everyone by actually being a great entertainer!!
Later.
Triply
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