Since this summer I start watching Indian movies, “the Glamorous Bollywood”. I have never thought one day I watch Indian movies and enjoy them. I have always made fun of those poor friends who liked them and followed the news from Bollywood. I criticised them for being kitsch and vulgar but now, sadly I am one of them.
I start loving movies by the TV game show “Yek Mosabegheh 30 Soal” [One Game Thirty Questions; I am not sure about the number of questions maybe forty] which Ebrahim Namjoyan as a film critic and expert, hosted part of the show by posing questions and showing parts of the best classics. I think I was 6 or 7 at that time.
I have always been fascinated by this medium and could not avoid it. At some point, as a youngster I was a fan of Marlon Brando and then Robert De Niro. I have watched most of their films and like them. Then I look at cinema more seriously and start knowing directors, companies, producers, screen players, critics and film festivals. And still try to follow it if I get a chance. But never thought of Indian movies and becoming a fan of Shahrukh khan! why now this happens to me? I try to psychotherapy myself and find out, and as a result I make a list of Bollywood’s movies characteristics, which hopefully leads me to know the reason:
- They have simple narratives and do not let you think.
- They are full of colours, motions and visual appealing.
- They show a mysterious, slow and reserved definition of love and sex.
- They obey no certain rules in our real life. Or if you like they play with reality. For example, you might see the lovers dance together, hug each other and are happy being together but it could be in their imaginations or in one of them; and could never fulfil.
- They demystify life.
- And a more personal reason, without knowing the language I can understand them because their language is something between Urdu, Persian [Farsi], Arabic, and English and the rest you don’t know is expressed in the faces.
Some of these characteristics need more explanations and seem contradictory, but what I want to say through these statements is that my mood at this time needs such simplicity and distraction. Although now I have more respect towards those fans of Bollywood and could see many good things in them, I do not know what to do if they change my taste for ever. I hope it will be a temporal thing to me.
I start loving movies by the TV game show “Yek Mosabegheh 30 Soal” [One Game Thirty Questions; I am not sure about the number of questions maybe forty] which Ebrahim Namjoyan as a film critic and expert, hosted part of the show by posing questions and showing parts of the best classics. I think I was 6 or 7 at that time.
I have always been fascinated by this medium and could not avoid it. At some point, as a youngster I was a fan of Marlon Brando and then Robert De Niro. I have watched most of their films and like them. Then I look at cinema more seriously and start knowing directors, companies, producers, screen players, critics and film festivals. And still try to follow it if I get a chance. But never thought of Indian movies and becoming a fan of Shahrukh khan! why now this happens to me? I try to psychotherapy myself and find out, and as a result I make a list of Bollywood’s movies characteristics, which hopefully leads me to know the reason:
- They have simple narratives and do not let you think.
- They are full of colours, motions and visual appealing.
- They show a mysterious, slow and reserved definition of love and sex.
- They obey no certain rules in our real life. Or if you like they play with reality. For example, you might see the lovers dance together, hug each other and are happy being together but it could be in their imaginations or in one of them; and could never fulfil.
- They demystify life.
- And a more personal reason, without knowing the language I can understand them because their language is something between Urdu, Persian [Farsi], Arabic, and English and the rest you don’t know is expressed in the faces.
Some of these characteristics need more explanations and seem contradictory, but what I want to say through these statements is that my mood at this time needs such simplicity and distraction. Although now I have more respect towards those fans of Bollywood and could see many good things in them, I do not know what to do if they change my taste for ever. I hope it will be a temporal thing to me.
It is interestingly related to your research topic, isn't it? When you say "they play with reality", you are talking about some sort of playfulness which goes far away from that essence every one can find in the cinema, generally. I mean they make (and watch) their own movies seriously, and we find them nothing more than a matter of playfulness!...
ReplyDeleteBut I suppose the difference is the fact that they also see this playfulness in their products and live with it. In other words when you can not change the world at least you can produce some fantasy in a product (movie), but what I like to achieve is a moment that playfulness becomes something we could change the world with it. If I put it clearly. I don't think Bollywood products have got such power yet.
ReplyDeleteBut surprisingly your words show some thing else! You mentioned that Bollywood helped you to live in a better world. Isn't it a kind of power to change the world? I think it is!
ReplyDeleteAs an addicted to them I could say they can't change anything, just give you a temporal sense of relief. Just to make it clearer, I appreciate Emir Kusturica's "Arizona Dream" much more and find its playfulness longlasting with dept, and indeed hard to follow.
ReplyDeleteHow amazing analogy you made between what you exactly mean and Kusturica's Arizona dream. As a result is it true if one says there are two (ideal) types of playfulness (One is the temporary and just in surface, and another one is deep and everlasting)?
ReplyDeleteNo idea about bollywood, but I thing your first prejudge about that cinema is directly related to the way it has been presented in our IR TV, such as most other things we all know.
ReplyDeleteIf you have got a chance to know them then you will understand that there is no way you can compare them to our IR TV. Bollywood today is absolutely fun, emotional and serious entertainment which is arised from the Indian culture and traditions.
ReplyDelete