Cooking up Controversies
Director/Writer Anurag Kashyap was heard criticizing practically every known-Bollywood personality during the pre-No Smoking days. Yes, the intention was to talk about his up-coming film but somehow thrashing the likes of Chopras, Johars and one-time mentor, Ram Gopal Verma ended up getting maximum attention. Now it’s a different story that the film failed to float beyond the first week-end.
While promoting their respective products, Shah Rukh Khan and his loyal friend cum director Farah Khan made use of every given opportunity to take a dig at rival team, Saawariya’s director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Mr. Bhansali being no saint returned the favor with equal enthusiasm.
Just before the release of another John Abraham release, film Goal – More than the film and its theme, the news of rift between the leading stars i.e. Johnny boy and Arshad Warsi managed to create the much-needed stir. Later on these very people did their best to harp on the most controversial topic of the recent times, “Racism”. Guess they were expecting million dollars results as in certain Ms. Shetty’s case – but hey, everyday is not Sunday.
And the most recent event involving two of Bollywood’s superstars, a super-hit film and a most sought after film-maker. Okay Sillies, I am referring to – the “thou shall not talk”, the non-media friendly, the “I-hate-awards ceremonies”, the over-bossy, the “I-am-perfect”….uff! Apna Aaamir Khan and his remarks on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black and Mr. Bachchan’s performance, re. Now obviously the names involved are good enough to get the attention of the least-bit-interested souls, so let’s not even begin talking about us, the Bollywood fanatics.
Amir said about the movie that
I didn’t like the film. I found it very insensitive, it sends out very wrong signals. It was extremely manipulative. I could see the effort in the manipulation, and the art of the director is in not letting you see the manipulation. Also, the sensibility wasn’t right for me, I couldn’t make out if they were living in a house or a museum or a library or a church.
The performances were over the top. And most importantly, it was about a child who had these problems, an alcoholic person comes and says you have to leave her alone with me for forty days, and he slaps her around. I don’t know of any parent who’d agree to that. Black reminded me of The Taming of the Shrew, and I found that very disturbing. It was a film about ‘I can teach a bear how to dance’.
Nothing wrong in the above, me thinks. I mean we are living in a democratic (?) country and nothing can or should stop us from asserting our opinions. But what I find dodgy in this case is the actor’s intent – as if more than voicing an opinion, Aamir was most interested in creating an impact and he said the above to do so.
The reasons for doing so are galore; Taare Zameen Par is not only produced by him but is also his directorial debut, writer cum film’s original director Amol Gupte’s walk out confirmed Aamir’s over interfering nature, the film’s storyline isn’t your typical Bollywood commercial plot (hence the risk is far greater than the norm) and last but most important – he is not King Khan, commercially and politically speaking. And as it often said, “desperate times require desperate measures”, Aamir looks to be just doing that.
So what it basically boils down to is this; actors and film makers are willing to go the extra mile even if it involves dissing their own kind in order to provide maximum exposure to their creations. As for the notion, “Bollywood is one big happy family” – Ya Rite!
Director/Writer Anurag Kashyap was heard criticizing practically every known-Bollywood personality during the pre-No Smoking days. Yes, the intention was to talk about his up-coming film but somehow thrashing the likes of Chopras, Johars and one-time mentor, Ram Gopal Verma ended up getting maximum attention. Now it’s a different story that the film failed to float beyond the first week-end.
While promoting their respective products, Shah Rukh Khan and his loyal friend cum director Farah Khan made use of every given opportunity to take a dig at rival team, Saawariya’s director Sanjay Leela Bhansali. Mr. Bhansali being no saint returned the favor with equal enthusiasm.
Just before the release of another John Abraham release, film Goal – More than the film and its theme, the news of rift between the leading stars i.e. Johnny boy and Arshad Warsi managed to create the much-needed stir. Later on these very people did their best to harp on the most controversial topic of the recent times, “Racism”. Guess they were expecting million dollars results as in certain Ms. Shetty’s case – but hey, everyday is not Sunday.
And the most recent event involving two of Bollywood’s superstars, a super-hit film and a most sought after film-maker. Okay Sillies, I am referring to – the “thou shall not talk”, the non-media friendly, the “I-hate-awards ceremonies”, the over-bossy, the “I-am-perfect”….uff! Apna Aaamir Khan and his remarks on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Black and Mr. Bachchan’s performance, re. Now obviously the names involved are good enough to get the attention of the least-bit-interested souls, so let’s not even begin talking about us, the Bollywood fanatics.
Amir said about the movie that
I didn’t like the film. I found it very insensitive, it sends out very wrong signals. It was extremely manipulative. I could see the effort in the manipulation, and the art of the director is in not letting you see the manipulation. Also, the sensibility wasn’t right for me, I couldn’t make out if they were living in a house or a museum or a library or a church.
The performances were over the top. And most importantly, it was about a child who had these problems, an alcoholic person comes and says you have to leave her alone with me for forty days, and he slaps her around. I don’t know of any parent who’d agree to that. Black reminded me of The Taming of the Shrew, and I found that very disturbing. It was a film about ‘I can teach a bear how to dance’.
Nothing wrong in the above, me thinks. I mean we are living in a democratic (?) country and nothing can or should stop us from asserting our opinions. But what I find dodgy in this case is the actor’s intent – as if more than voicing an opinion, Aamir was most interested in creating an impact and he said the above to do so.
The reasons for doing so are galore; Taare Zameen Par is not only produced by him but is also his directorial debut, writer cum film’s original director Amol Gupte’s walk out confirmed Aamir’s over interfering nature, the film’s storyline isn’t your typical Bollywood commercial plot (hence the risk is far greater than the norm) and last but most important – he is not King Khan, commercially and politically speaking. And as it often said, “desperate times require desperate measures”, Aamir looks to be just doing that.
So what it basically boils down to is this; actors and film makers are willing to go the extra mile even if it involves dissing their own kind in order to provide maximum exposure to their creations. As for the notion, “Bollywood is one big happy family” – Ya Rite!