Bhawana Somaaya

Hindi cinema is going through a wonderful phase. In the same month we have a costume drama- Veer, a rural raunchy love story- Ishqiya, a patriotic Road to Sangam, a historical – Raja Harishchandra chi Factory and Rann – an expose on the media. While Veer has attracted the single screens, Ishqiya and Rann have favoured the multiplexes. Road to Sangam has traveled all the festivals and Harishchandra… is on Dadasaheb Phalke and India’s entry to the Oscars this year.

Some of these got into controversies. Ram Gopal Varma particularly has a penchant for courting trouble. Ten days before the release of Rann, a freelance journalist dragged the filmmaker to the Bombay High Court alleging that the film was based on her script Break Ke Baad. Instead of jeopardizing the release the producers saw wisdom in settling the copyright infringement dispute but Verma is not happy with the decision. He feels that these days, writers think it is fashionable to defame filmmakers to popularize their books.

After Chetan Bhagat fighting over his credit for 3 Idiots this is another case of a writer suing a filmmaker. Anil Sharma, director of Veer, agrees with Verma because he along with producer Vijay Galani and actor-writer Salman Khan have been sued for a dialogue apparently borrowed from a book by a Gurgaon-based writer. Pavan Chaudhary has filed a case in Delhi High Court claiming that a line in the film describing India is lifted from his book Safalta ki Triveni: Chanakya ka Rajnitik Gyan. If Chetan Bhagat was paid Rs 10 lakhs as bonus for the success of 3 Idiots and Sonal Mehta has been paid a hefty sum to keep her mouth shut by producer of Rann, Chaudhary has claimed Rs 20 lakh in damages from the producer of Veer. Anjum Rajabali who has been crusading writers battles with filmmakers states that it is time to define transparency in contracts.

Sometimes technology is a curse and director Sudhir Mishra realised this recently. His forthcoming film Tera Kya Hoga Johnny is yet to be released but a rough cut of the movie has been leaked on video sharing website You Tube. The film starring Neil Nitin Mukesh & Soha Ali Khan was premiered at the London International Film Festival in October last year and slated to release mid 2010. Manu Kumaran, CEO Medient Corp has filed a complaint with the cyber crime cell and also at Juhu police station.

Some how tempers have been rising all over particularly in Jodhpur. The Bishnoi community and wildlife activists are agitated over the Padma Shri conferred on actor Saif Ali Khan, an accused, along with Salman Khan, in the killing of a black buck. Terming it as an insult to the award, activists of Community for Wildlife and Rural Development and Bishnoi Tiger Vanyajeev Evam Paryavaran Sansthan said they would protest to the President and the PM against the decision.

History has a way of repeating itself. A few years ago three filmmakers were working on Bhagat Singh and this time the greatest hero of the Chittagong Uprising, Surjya Sen better known as Masterda, is the subject of two forthcoming films. Ashutosh Gowariker is making Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey with Abhishek Bachchan and Shonali Bose has signed Manoj Bajpai to essay the role of the revolutionary. While Gowariker is shooting in Goa, Bose is shooting in Northern West Bengal. Let us hope that unlike Bhagat Singh’s Surjya Sen’s do not get into media battles and controversies.

South star Khushboo must have never imagined that an interview on pre-marital sex and virginity given to a magazine would turn into her worst nightmare. It is four years since she made the over publicized comment that “No educated people will insist that their bride be a virgin” but the statement continues to hound her. She came under adverse light in the Supreme Court when the translated version of the interview in a Tamil newspaper created furore and 23 cases were filed against the actress all over the country. Every time the old files open up, the festered wounds resurface. Grapevine has it that Khushboo’s husband plans to make a film on the episode and reveal their side of the story.

Most of the time, films imitate reality but sometimes reality imitates films as well. In Chak de, a charismatic mentor helps the Indian female hockey players to overcome the adversities and accomplish the World Championship. In a case of real life imitating reel and without the presence of a Shah Rukh – female hockey players have come together to make their case public. The women players have decided to openly fight the gender prejudices against the association and opened a joint bank account in Bhopal seeking monetary contributions from the public to help players in distress. Shah Rukh Khan are you reading this? If you are, then you should be sending the first cheque.

Bhawana Somaaya
blog.bhawanasomaaya.com

Many years ago, I had seen a film at a festival that predicted water shortage due to global warming. It was a story of three families and how they cope with water shortage. So many years later, the problem has become a reality for all of us.
Building residents are being served circulars from society cautioning about water shortage due to failure of monsoons. My building has prohibited usage of water by tub or jocose and advised immediate repair of leaking taps or flush to members.
The media has been highlighting the issue in the papers for a while now and reported on civic body sending officials to supervise each and every locality.
The Municipal Commissioner had taken even a tougher stand. Acting on the BMC’s complaints on use of booster pumps, police has registered 300 cases and will apply the Maharashtra Prevention of Dangerous Activities (MPPA) Act against anyone guilty. Not only that the BMC has initiated a patrolling of the 24 wards in the city during water supply hours and disconnected the connections of housing societies guilty of indiscriminate wastage.
The awareness campaign is helping. Yesterday my maid commented that Mumbai taps are to go dry every Friday. When I looked surprised at her revelation, she said, “Don’t tell me you don’t know about it. It is in the papers.” Then after a moment added, “Didi I think it is time for you to make some sacrifice too, it is time for you to give up your bed time bath…”
Perhaps she is right.

**

Five years ago I purchased my present flat -Raheja Crest at Oshiwara Link Rod because I fell in love with the view outside my window. It is rare to find a vast expanse of green outside your balcony and I considered myself fortunate.
I got used to guests entering my house and exclaiming ‘wow’ looking out of my living room window. I was practical enough to know that the view would not last forever but since the property belonged to Kamath Club I believed that incase of demolition, it would be replaced by a recreation property.
I was wrong. A year ago the Kamath Club went on a rampage chopping off unruly trees surrounding the building compound. I thought they were getting organised, probably planning a promenade. A few weeks later they began clearing the grass and then the inevitable happened. Suddenly our peace was destroyed by the trucks and the bulldozers.
Our building secretary spoke to the Raheja office and we were advised to direct our queries to state Public Information Officer. He did. Next, our building manager appealed for obtaining information under the Right to Information Act 2005 of Annexure A on 18/11/2009. There was no response for one month.
On 30/12/2009 we made another appeal-under section 19 (1) on grounds of no information received.
Finally on 14/12/2009 the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai sent a one paragraph letter stating that this being very old record, the file is not traceable on taking diligent search by the concerned staff of their office. In view of above, the desired information sought by us cannot be furnished at present.
The letter further stated that if we are not satisfied, we may apply to Appellate Authority by Deputy Chief Engineer (Building Proposal) W.S.-I situated on RK Patkar Marg, Bandra. The last line said that this disposes off our application under Right to Information Act 2000.
I stared at the letter unbelievingly. It is all so simple. There is obviously no accountability from any quarter. Perhaps I ought to send my maid to the Municipal Corporation Office. She will do a good job of giving a few tips to them as well.

**

It was a tension filled week but there were some sparkling moments too.
I had the privilege of accompanying Amitabh Bachchan visiting Narendra Modi for a screening of Paa to request Gujarat government to grant tax exemption for the film.
We arrived by the morning flight in Ahmadabad and it was a task for the mega star to get into his car despite his personal body guards and state security. There were people lined up inside and outside the airport, spilling over on the street, some running behind his car all the way to the hotel.
At the hotel he is welcomed with a tilak and escorted to his room. Some meetings, some phone calls, a quiet lunch and a nap later, Bachchan is ready to drive to Chief Minister’s bungalow in Gandhinagar.
About half an hour later Chief Minister and Bachchan arrive at the venue-City Pulse Theatre and together address the media collected outside the cinema hall. A special area has been cordoned for the cameramen to facilitate communication and to ensure that nothing goes amiss AB Corp Ceo Ramesh Pulapak has personally supervised all arrangements.
It is a perfect evening. Modi and Bachchan are in good spirit and it is evident in their body language. The media is delighted to chat up with the two superstars and sensing them in good mood asks the most bizarre questions. A journo asks if Bachchan will consider becoming the brand ambassador of Ahmadabad to which Bachchan responds that he was willing to return to the city whenever Modi called him and would happily offer his face and voice to promote state tourism. The actor clarifies that he is in the city primarily to promote his film and admits to being impressed with the development of the state under the leadership of the Chief Minister.
Modi emphasized that cinema is a sensitive medium and Hindi films a major influence on Indian psyche. He said that Amitabh Bachchan is the most powerful actor of the Indian screen and as a viewer he has been influenced by the mega actor. “After all I’m a common man too” joked Modi.
The invitees for the screening include the Chief Minister and his entire cabinet. During the interval, the official’s joke that CM should hold such previews more often. Modi says he would love to provided actors invited them. During dinner I ask Modi what he thought of the film, “I have to like it as since this is the first time a film has portrayed a politician positively.”
He is right. Hindi cinema has seldom portrayed politicians in a positive perspective. That evening watching the film a second time I had new insights into the film. Paa not only makes us aware of a genetic disease called Progeria, but takes up a whole lot of causes like sensitizing the viewer to parenting and child identity. It promotes use of condom, applauds single mother, pulls up the media and most important celebrates human spirit. Paa salutes a special child who could have so easily been isolated and diffident; instead filmmaker Balki portrays Auro as a spunky, imaginative, independent, thoughtful and determined adolescent. It is easily Bachchan’s most difficult role in his 40 year-old career as an actor.
Screening over, the media is still waiting in freezing cold to grab an extra bite from the superstars but this time Modi and Bachchan are whisked away by their security into their vehicles. By now large crowds have gathered on the street outside and they run behind the two cars waving cheerfully.
Back to the hotel more public waits in the lobby for a glimpse of the superstar but it is too late in the night to indulge in photographs and the actor disappears into his room. Next morning he is to address a press conference and the hotel lobby is overflowing with cameramen. Bachchan has a flight to Bombay in an hour’s time but he makes certain that the media gets answers to their queries.
The drive to the airport is as frenzied as his arrival into the city. A pilot car leads his vehicle and two security vans follow them but even then it is impossible to control the overflowing crowds rushing in his direction. You expect some privacy in the VIP lounge but even here the airport staff and friends urge him for autographs and photographs.
At last it is time for boarding and Bachchan is escorted to his seat. He spreads his paraphernalia on the adjoining seat, wears his spectacles and begins to read his stack of newspapers. He stops only when the flight lands in Mumbai.

Bhawana Somaaya
blog.bhawanasomaaya.com