Enjoyable Hindi musical extravaganzas
Film Appreciation with K S Sivakumaran:
Two Hindustani films from Mumbai’s Bollywood Citadel enthralled me
primarily for their wonderful blend of music. And music is a universal
language, you would agree. I saw these two films in Colombo last week
and they were Parineeta (2005) and Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999), thanks
to the High Commission of India in association with the National Film
Corporation of Sri Lanka for hosting a selection eight Hindi films for
screening under the label ‘Indian Film Festival’.
 Of course Hindi is a north Indian language reckoned as a State
Language, but for an Indian Film Festival, Hindi films alone wouldn’t do
since some outstanding artistic films have come in other north and south
Indian languages. Maybe there were some restraints had been imposed on
the organizers? Hopefully several other Indian films could be included
in future festivals. Since I was out of the country for sometime I could
only see the two films mentioned above.
Both films were thoroughly enjoyable for the simple reason that they
were made to entertain the fantasizing poor masses of India to escape
from the ordeal of ordinary life.
Although raw reality might not have been there, there was a kind of
inner reality in establishing some accepted values in Indian culture
even though through middle and upper middle classes characters and
themes that they experience. Both films were slick, entertaining and
exploited all the advantages that the contemporary technology provides.
Since the Cinema is a ‘Dream factory’, the two directors and the
story writers understood what average persons like to see in the mega
screen and psychologically kept the audience entranced. I for one
experienced that magnetism seeing these films from start to the end,
suspending’, as Keats said, ‘belief’.
As all of us know fiction and cinema are imaginative creations with
large doses of actuality and reality.
The two films referred to did not depend entirely on music, dance,
choreography, and colour, beautiful and handsome faces in the name of
players. Both films had sound story lines.
Let’s be specific. Parineeta directed by Pradeep Sarkar in fact has
the strength of the story as it was adapted from a distinguished Bengali
writer Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyaya’s novel. The story is set in
Kolkatta (capital of Bengal) in 1962 where residue of post-colonial
lifestyle exists in some form or the other, particularly among the
higher strata in society.
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Parineeta |
It’s a story of a’ married woman’ who was misjudged by everyone
including her former lover who was also loving her. But in reality she
was not ‘technically’ or socially married. I think both Saif Ali Khan
and Vidya Balan perform their respective roles convincingly and
creditably.
Admitting that the film is too sentimental and even melodramatic, one
should also commend the intensity and suspense that is generated in the
film with the aid of vibrant poetry and fantastic musical treat. Sanjay
Dutt as opposed to his usual villain roles plays it cool as a gentleman
who sacrifices his desires to marry Lolitta, the woman played
beautifully by Divya Balan.
Most of all understanding the grammar of cinema by Vidu Vinod Chopra
is worthy of praise in the overall visuals.
Having said that let’s move on to the next film- Hum Saath Saath Hain
directed by Sooraj R Barjatya.
The first half of the film is all positive with a happy family living
as a joint family all contributing to greater good of all its members.
The traditional ‘Oriental’ values and customs are packed in an affluent
joint family in the North with a good portion being captured in
beautiful Rajasthan. The second half throbs with’ negative capabilities’
that contribute to the tensed drama ending with a finale of love
transcending everything. The film reminds of the fact that God speaks
through people with full of love. I liked that.
And typical to most films, the element of happy ending and living
ever after is assured. Sheer poetry and an assortment of western and
eastern and traditional dances and music provide good entertainment that
makes you feel young at heart with romance and aesthetic beauty. The
bevy of beautiful stars of Bollywood- Abu, Karishma Kapoor, Sonali
Bendre, Mohinish Behl, Reema Lagoo and Neelam - was pleasant to watch as
their dances and movements. Saif Ali Khan, with Salman Khan, also acts
in this film in a totally abundant and dreamy role seducing his lover.
In the earlier film he played a totally different role of a depressed
lover.
Alok Naath as the grand old man was bedded with the nature of his
character. Remember his performance Thaal with Aishweria Rai as his
daughter? The choreography, cinematography, music, lyrics and playing
were appreciable.
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