Where Art Thou'?

Has anybody ever wondered, where that entire genre of offbeat Indian films disappeared with the advent of the nineties?

The protagonist of these films was somebody, I always felt, I had just met on a train ride in Bombay or had crossed paths with on the busy streets of the city. His love story was not set in the snowy hills of Switzerland and his love interest thankfully resembled somebody I actually knew or would most likely become when I grew up. Where did that common man go and why did he take with him that glorious period of what I liked to call 'the middle-class films'.

It was the late eighties and I was ten when Chashme Baddoor first made its way into the evening feature film slot. This was before the arrival of entire channels that ran back to back movies; it was when Saturdays and Sundays for the middle class meant an evening movie for the family. Doordarshan was the only channel and I can still see my family gathered in the living room as our endearing Crown black & white television set, brought us our precious weekend entertainment. Deepti Naval's homely appeal and Farooq Sheikh's exquisite Urdu coupled with the earthiness of the story's setting left its mark on my impressionable mind. But this was before the cable guys took over town.

Amol Palekar and Vidya Sinha in 'Chhotisi Baat' played out what could only be described as a middle-class love story from a time when arranged marriages were the norm and falling in love was something only actors did on the silver screen. The believable characters of Arun and Prabha brought hope to all the weary Romeos who pursued the objects of their affection on crammed buses during their daily commute to work.

In Golmaal, Amol Palekar quite deftly parodied the 'twin-brothers' (judwa bhai) story that had been hounding Bollywood for quite a while. Utpal Dutt brought the rare physical comedy to simple storylines and his moustached, pompous persona became a legend in these middle-of-the-road features.

Naseeruddhin Shah displayed a magnificent range from Masoom to Mirch Masala and even gave Hindi film history, its cult classic, 'Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron' tinged with satirical shades of dark comedy. Shabana Azmi as the betrayed wife in Arth and as the disloyal albeit vulnerable wife in Ankur, went on to receive attention in both parallel art cinema as well as commercial films, which makes me wonder why actors choose not to do both if it is possible.



There was a time when commercial actors did their share of films that weren't exactly art films but did deviate from the mainstream cinema of the time. For example, Anil Kapoor (Chameli Ki Shaadi), Rekha (Khoobsurat), Tina Munim (Baaton Baaton Mein), Parveen Babi (Naram Garam) and Sanjeev Kuman (Koshish) were all commercially established actors in unconventional roles.

And then there was the sublime Smita Patil who arrived on the scene and demolished the 'fair, light-eyed' stereotype of Indian beauty standards. With kohl-lined eyes, chiseled features and a dignified manner, she portrayed women in a stronger and independent light. She became the female protagonist and brought to Indian cinema, intellectual feminism.

Today, years later, sadly, we are back to square-one, as Aishwarya Rai's physical appearance somehow entitles her to portray the sensitive and articulate character of an Urdu poestess, Umrao Jaan. Her grey eyes and lacklustre smile have made their way into roles that could have been more powerful, had a less glamourous face actualized those characters. In the late 80s, Rekha's portrayal of this very character made her name one with that of Umrao Jaan Ada and Ms.Rai, though very pretty, couldn't have erased or displaced that essence.

Lately, I have had debates with friends and colleagues who argue, "Why should the Hindi film industry cater to Oscar standards?" My point is, what about the standards of the Hindi film industry itself. Let us for a few moments put aside Oscars or even International Film Festivals; how many of us feel comfortable with the portrayal of women and sex in Hindi films? We speak of censor boards and cultural lines, while bosoms are heaved and bottoms are gyrated on the big screen like there was no tomorrow. While the men play brave soldiers, the women are the weeping damsels left behind; while the men are crime fighting heroes, the women are dancing in costumes that leave very little to imagination. Where is the female protagonist? Shouldn't the art of a nation be indicative of its progressive times? Shouldn't we want to have timeless masterpieces that are known for more than just the catchy numbers or the pretty faces? The last time I checked, wholesome entertainment was not equivalent to titilation. One doesn't know who to blame, the filmmakers who don't consider it worth their while to make such entertainers anymore or the artists themselves who shirk art cinema for its richer mainstream counterpart. Is it not obvious that though commercial films bring attention and money, art brings immortality. When crores of rupees are being spent on sets and locations, wouldn't it be only fair for the eclecticists or the few film connoiseurs to be treated with films and stories that bring thought provocation to accompany the stirred senses?

I do believe that every genre has its charm; right from the the rib-tickling Govinda comedies to the masala movies with their tailormade love stories, but I am now realizing with growing dismay that a whole movie genre catering to the middle class, will soon be lost to time. We can only reminisce about films like 'Ek Doctor Ki Maut', 'Rajnigandha' or 'Katha' that dealt with such a gamut of issues but had two major aspects in common: realism and a good story. I long to watch a film that brings me a story I can finally relate to, a story that has the appealing, quirky and yet lovable faces like those of Amol Palekar, Farooq Sheikh, Smita Patil, Shabana Azmi, Deepti Naval and so many others, who entertained us during the 70s and the 80s. I have just about had enough of mega-starrers where the villain is a father opposing his son's/ daughter's marriage. Really? Are we still stuck on that issue?

For me this is more than just about entertainment. It is about role models and the influence of a nation's art on its younger generation. Our nation represents some of the best creative and technological intellect in the world. Then why does our film industry, the world's largest, refuse to cater to this intellectual audience? The portrayal of romance, marriage, love, relationships and people are skewed alarmingly towards the improbable in the majority of present Hindi films. Sure, we don't all look to the movies for advice in these matters and yes, the common man does go to the movies to escape his own life, but when it is so widely declared that art imitates life, who is to say that the converse wouldn't be true. Now, that's a scary thought considering the current popular film genres, isn't it?

***Having said that, I would like to acknowledge the valiant efforts of contemporary filmmakers such as Mira Nair, Aparna Sen, Farhan Akhtar, Vishal Bharadwaj, Onirban, Nagesh Kukunoor and a handful of others in bringing some unique perspective to Indian cinema.***