The official UK premiere of Bombay Talkies arrived in London for the closing event of the London Indian Film Festival (LIFF 2013). With the producer of the film Ashi Dua present it was truly a night to remember! Bombay Talkies, the film that marked 100 years of Hindi Cinema is without a doubt a must watch!
The four directors involved in making Bombay Talkies - Karan Johar, Dilbakar Banerjee, Zoya Akhtar and Anurag Kashyap have respectively shed light on what Hindi cinema means to each and everyone one of them! Although each story is very different from one another, each director makes it a point to interpret Hindi cinema in their own unique ways. When I originally knew that Bombay Talkies consisted of four short films, I was skeptical as to how it would work. Whilst Bollywood films are known for their lengthy stories, song and dance and die-hard romance, Bombay Talkies whisks you away from the conventional stories and embraces what's to new, different and yet so enigmatic and inspirational.
Karan Johar
Karan Johar was first to create magic on screen, in which his short film reflected the importance of progressive relationships. On one hand there was the classic melody of 'lag ja gale' playing to resonate all things aesthetically romantic about Hindi cinema, yet parallel to this was Karan's gripping story of how romance can truly brew in more forms than one in a homosexual manner. Rani Mukherjee as the female protagonist of this short film portrayed the role of a typical Indian woman- who remains sincere and faithful to her husband despite her inner distresses. Physically- she represents what we love most about Indian cinema, the glamour, free flowing saris and beautifully kohl filled eyes. However, beyond all these physical attributes lies a delicate soul in need of attention. Karan Johar's film then is not just about showcasing the all so 'rosy' aspects but is about showcasing a story that carries a sense of realism within it.
The portrayal of Rani's husband in the film played by Randeep Hooda and his love interest played by Saqeeb Salim are the key characters that bring about the very realism I am referring to. Homosexuality in India and as with many Indians across the globe is till today something frowned upon and culturally intolerable. But the truth of the matter is that these things do go on and to turn a blind eye to it or to simply negate it only means our wider community is regressing. So what's this got to do with 100years of cinema? Well a lot! Karan's short film touches upon the relevance of tomorrow, where cinema is going 100years from now and with such conviction he signifies the importance of cinematic transformation.
Whilst Karan is used to creating films that are larger than life or a make-believe Hindi film per se, he uses the centenery year as a landmark for change in cinema. As the melody of 'ajeeb daastan hai yeh' also makes its way into the movie- you begin to realise that Hindi cinema may have started off one-directional, but today brings itself forward as an industry not so orthodox after all!
Ratings: 7/10
Dilbakar Banerjee
Next in line for the short film was Dilbakar Banerjee who chose to make a film that focuses on the magnificent effect Hindi cinema has on a family. A short film that carefully follows the story of a struggling professional who despite his woes will always learn to keep himself and his family happy when talking about his love for cinema. It's true to say that Hindi films do have that effect on many of us and despite all the predicaments we encounter we find an opportunity to escape through a pleasurable cinematic release. Dilbakar wants us to understand that Hindi films are not merely aesthetically pleasing, however, increasingly aesthetic for what they represent. Ideals of hope, togetherness are some key representations we all relate with and if we can find a sense of these ideals seeping through celluloid then why not?!
Nawazuddin Shah plays the lead protagonist of a failed actor. Unable to attain a high fly film role he succumbs to menial jobs whilst searching for other forms of work to keep his family home running. On his search for work he comes across a film set and is selected as an extra to participate in a scene. Feeling rather uncomfortable, as a result of his status he hesitates to be a part of it. But ultimately, we realise soon enough that he didn't choose to be a part of the scene for the fame or money, but infact to be a part of the thrilling experience he has always yearned for.
Dilbakar's use of depicting a character as a struggling actor who finds so much joy in being a part of a minor scene in fact signifies the underlying sense of pride each and every one of us Hindi film lovers have! We watch the films, deliberate about them for hours on end until they find a place in our hearts and live on in our memories. That is what 100yrs cinema is all about. It's about celebrating the fact that every aspect of a Hindi film is special. Nawazuddin's character may have been depicted as someone with a barrel of daily troubles, but Hindi cinema has the ability and charm to make you forget about it all and be mesmerised by the magic on screen.
Ratings: 6.5/10
Zoya Akhtar
Third of the short films was by the only female director of Bombay Talkies- Zoya Akhtar. Zoya chose to direct a film that looks into the way one associates the Hindi film fraternity to an abundance of dreams, desires and hopes. There's the melodic track of Sheila Ki Jawaani playing throughout which created a great buzz worldwide, and using the song as a type of mise en scene in her film, Zoya captures the story of a youngster who uses the song as a way to carry their dream forward. It's rather comic at times and concludes on a very nostalgic and feel-good note.
Ranvir Shorey plays father to two young children studying in school, and the film follows the story of his young son and his love for Bollywood. Whilst his father wants his son to grow up with great 'macho-ness', the youngster has something quite the opposite in mind. With little interest in football, and passionate about dance he doesn't know how to break it to his father that this is what he wants to do when he grows up. The cameo appearance of Katrina Kaif helps develop the films overall meaning. The fact that Katrina entered the vast industry with no knowledge of the Hindi language and today is recognised as one of the most sought-after actresses is a remarkable achievement. The young boy looks up to Katrina, he somewhat idolises her and realises that anything is truly possible.
The film does well with marking 100years of cinema by way of depicting a story that associated the Hindi industry with a bundle of dreams and desires. We look up to the silver screen and somewhere within us know that we'd love to be a part of the whole exuberant experience! Hindi cinema is truly inspirational, it makes you feel good, feel great, makes you dream and want to achieve big! That something that will never change even 100 years from 2013.
Ratings: 6.5/10
Anurag Kashyap
For the finale of the four short films, Anurag Kashyap's tells the story of a man on a mission eager to meet the legendary actor Amitabh Bachchan, which in fact closed Bombay Talkies with an ode to the superstars that make the fraternity exactly what it is today! The melodic track by Sukhvinder Singh- Give it up for Bachchan, definitely played an important role in lyrically symbolising how popular the Shehnshah of Bollywood is. One can't help but feel a sense of pride that we are grateful to have known about him, seen him (if we're lucky) and watch Mr Amitabh Bachchan on screen entertaining audiences worldwide! Anurag delivers a story that every mega fan can relate with, and they are those fans that will go those extra lengths and miles to even get a mere glimpse of the superstar!
Vineet Kumar Singh plays the lead role as Vijay in this short film and plays up to the role of a true superstar fan. His ailing father requests him to pay a visit to Amitabh Bachchan. But that's not all. The ill fathers last request is for his son to feed Amitabhji half a murraba, and once Mr Bachchan has taken a bite from a small proportion of it, the rest can be eaten by the father who believes he will on longer as a result. The trials and tribulations Vijay faces along his travels from Allahbad and once arriving in Mumbai are quite distressing to watch at times! He faces the challenge of waiting outside the grand gates of Amitabh Bachchan's house, whilst the guards push him away in a fury every single time. But you know what they say..patience is a virtue.
Anurag deliberately brings in Amitabh Bachchan nearing the end of the film in a special appearance for audiences to see how magical and splendid the whole face to face meeting with the legendary actor is. 100 years of cinema has been commemorated to revel in the exuberance, extravagance and extra-ordinariness each and every celebrity actor carries with them. As with many other legendary actors like Amitabh Bachchan, they symbolise love, craze, fanaticism beyond belief. We love Hindi films for the actors and actresses that make cinema come alive that waiting hours, days and months to see our favourite hero makes our lives that tad bit special!
Rating: 7/10
Overall Rating
As the overall film came to an end I realised just how important four individual short films were, because it is impossible to sum up how spell-binding Hindi cinema truly is! Bollywood today is about acceptance, breaking barriers and creating a cinema free from prejudice or cultural discrimation and 100 years from now, it has the potential to indulge in story lines that move beyond the politically correct models. It's a film that looks towards another 100 years of cinema as a ray of hope, aspiration and dream for all. Without being selective or forever giving 'A-list' stars the opportunity to excel, the film highlights that any one person can enter the industry and make their dreams come true. Yet, as much as it looks towards the future it revels in the joyous 100 years gone by. Those years in which we audiences have grown to love and idolise particular actors, fallen for some of the most romantic to energetic melodic tunes and aesthetic visuals. Bombay Talkies works well to take into account the past, present and future and is truly an ode to Hindi cinema!
Overall Ratings: 3.5/5
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