Bombay Talkies is celebrating Bollywood cinema’s centenary.
The concept was to get 4 great modern filmmakers together to do 4 short films
on this occasion. Here is what I felt.
Let’s start with Dibankur’s film that comes second in order.
The story is about a day in the life of a lower middle class Mumbaiite who
accidentally gets to play an insignificant role in a typical Bollywood flick.
The film scores full points on two fronts – the casting and the execution. Nawazuddin
plays his part very convincingly. While Bollywood never overshadows the common
man’s story and is always at the back-drop, it re-ignites his desire to become
an actor.
The fourth film by Anuraag is closest to the centenary
theme. It shows that Bollywood fanatics can go to any extent. The movie has
patchy realism but Vijay Kumar Singh, its protagonist, is very convincing for a
novice. Especially the scene where he goes to the bodyguard’s house to
persuade, plead and eventually convince him to get him an access to arguably
the biggest Bollywood star– Amitabh Bachchan. The film showcases an important
aspect of Bollywood, its fans. It is also refreshing to see the movie originate
from Allahabad underscoring Bollywood’s pan-Indian popularity.
The third story by Zoya has an interesting take on how
Bollywood influences us. In this case, a pre-teen boy. The interpretation is
uncommon, like in Anuraag’s story, but it’s extremity and oddity make it
unique. Like in Dipankar’s film Bollywood is a backdrop, here too Bollywood is
the backdrop and the story is stuck to the boy who dreams of becoming a dancer
like Katrina.
The fourth story, that I would call, “The great blouse”, is
about how financially successful families in metros live unsatisfied lives, the
topic here being subdued sexuality and gayism. Why does Rani wear a sexy
blouse? Why do the gays finally not end up sleeping together? Why does the
intern divulge Rani about her husband’s bisexuality? And most importantly what
is this movie doing in Bombay Talkies? What is the Bollywood context? This one
is a misfit.
I don’t know whether the directors spoke to each other
before hand but the three movies talk about roles Bollywood plays in our lives.
Dipankar’s story is about how some of us always wanted to be an actor or a
singer but could not make it. Over the years the desire gets smaller and
eventually hides itself in some corner of us. Joya’s story is about how
Bollywood influences us – in this case the influence is about what one wants to
be. Other extensions that we see in our lives are how we dress, wear our hair, speak
etc. And Anuraag’s film renders that while all of us are fans of someone or the
other from Bollywood, some of us are fanatics and would do whatever is required
to get access to our stars.
Finally, it is critical to know what the writer/director
wants to call his story. That sets the context or the ambit in which the movie
is set. The films should have had a name.
