So I did the unthinkable.
In my corporate gulag, somewhat like vorkuta, siberia, went off during sick leave, to watch my name is khan. In theaters, gloating that I got a ticket within 5 minutes of asking, and then I realised that not too many are Really vying for the ticket!!
Anyways, to cut a long story short, with a disturbing back, My Name Is khan didn't prove to be as much of any eyesore as I had thought initially. Its got a positive spirit, some fun moments, and Shahrukh Khan, surprisingly, doesnt ham to the heavens! He is in fact, quite good! Although he slips out of character now and then, by Srk standards, he keeps rizwan khan a natural, likeable, genuine character. Kajol is of course, mind blowing, as long as she doesn't start screeching. K Jo does torture us with some mama jenny and hurricane scenes, but then old habits die hard. However, I would recommend a one time watch, if nothing else, then to irk the Shiv Sena and their leaders, who should be shot dead. Period.
But my reason to write today, is Not the film. Its instead the television debates that MNIK sparked last friday. While on the one hand, the biggest english broadcaster decided to give the film related controversy a miss due to 'personal reasons', the other 3 english news networks worshipped the very ground Srk walked on!!
For instance,the youngest editor in chief, in his show, opened with how Bollywood stood by Srk, and Srk Sena won.Err, SRK Sena? Where? How? So far as i could see, no other major star spoke up unless a mike was thrust upon them at events. No commom forum, no platform, no press conference. When it came to raising ticket prices, Bollywood stood together and froze mulitplexes in their tracks. Not so, for a film controversy. I am Quite taken aback that this editor, in his Shahrukh worship, forgot to note the superstar's biggest victory. That he and Karan Johar conquered mob fear by standing together despite others missing out. Now that was the story.
Of course, anything else said by me, about the other two broadcasters would mean I am biased, and I shall not say more than the fact, that reviewing the film 5 times over, or eulogizing a Superstar does Not address the root problem. This is a story Everyone missed.
For, the threat to MNIK is Not a threat to Shahrukh Khan's project. It's a threat to the sixth art, cinema, a national obssesion. Any group of motley citizens, in any part of India, with a few sticks and stones, can bring a film to it's knees. And though movers and shakers of the hindi film industry clearly can't see the problem due to their ingrown myopia, it's high time, film folk become a forum. And take on such violent detractors instead of grappling with this problem before every friday. In fact, they should take a page out of Rajnikanth and Kamla Hassan's books.
As for India's newsmen, so much for the pretence of neutrality. The Srk Sena coverage was ample proof that their personal rivalries transcend all logic and translate to on air content. If you are friends to Srk, worship him. If not, indirectly hit him with darts. In no case, truly report the story for what it is. A warning to the nation, if you think some people have been on tv for a decade or so and therefore are credible, think again, for as far as I can see, there isn't much difference between the youngest and the oldest. For in this game, no one is balanced.
You can well fathom how frustrating it must be for a film journalist like me,particularly as I am neither star struck nor cynical. But then, I always have my movies. And going beyond bollywood is my big aphrodisiac.
Will write in more on that later.
In my corporate gulag, somewhat like vorkuta, siberia, went off during sick leave, to watch my name is khan. In theaters, gloating that I got a ticket within 5 minutes of asking, and then I realised that not too many are Really vying for the ticket!!
Anyways, to cut a long story short, with a disturbing back, My Name Is khan didn't prove to be as much of any eyesore as I had thought initially. Its got a positive spirit, some fun moments, and Shahrukh Khan, surprisingly, doesnt ham to the heavens! He is in fact, quite good! Although he slips out of character now and then, by Srk standards, he keeps rizwan khan a natural, likeable, genuine character. Kajol is of course, mind blowing, as long as she doesn't start screeching. K Jo does torture us with some mama jenny and hurricane scenes, but then old habits die hard. However, I would recommend a one time watch, if nothing else, then to irk the Shiv Sena and their leaders, who should be shot dead. Period.
But my reason to write today, is Not the film. Its instead the television debates that MNIK sparked last friday. While on the one hand, the biggest english broadcaster decided to give the film related controversy a miss due to 'personal reasons', the other 3 english news networks worshipped the very ground Srk walked on!!
For instance,the youngest editor in chief, in his show, opened with how Bollywood stood by Srk, and Srk Sena won.Err, SRK Sena? Where? How? So far as i could see, no other major star spoke up unless a mike was thrust upon them at events. No commom forum, no platform, no press conference. When it came to raising ticket prices, Bollywood stood together and froze mulitplexes in their tracks. Not so, for a film controversy. I am Quite taken aback that this editor, in his Shahrukh worship, forgot to note the superstar's biggest victory. That he and Karan Johar conquered mob fear by standing together despite others missing out. Now that was the story.
Of course, anything else said by me, about the other two broadcasters would mean I am biased, and I shall not say more than the fact, that reviewing the film 5 times over, or eulogizing a Superstar does Not address the root problem. This is a story Everyone missed.
For, the threat to MNIK is Not a threat to Shahrukh Khan's project. It's a threat to the sixth art, cinema, a national obssesion. Any group of motley citizens, in any part of India, with a few sticks and stones, can bring a film to it's knees. And though movers and shakers of the hindi film industry clearly can't see the problem due to their ingrown myopia, it's high time, film folk become a forum. And take on such violent detractors instead of grappling with this problem before every friday. In fact, they should take a page out of Rajnikanth and Kamla Hassan's books.
As for India's newsmen, so much for the pretence of neutrality. The Srk Sena coverage was ample proof that their personal rivalries transcend all logic and translate to on air content. If you are friends to Srk, worship him. If not, indirectly hit him with darts. In no case, truly report the story for what it is. A warning to the nation, if you think some people have been on tv for a decade or so and therefore are credible, think again, for as far as I can see, there isn't much difference between the youngest and the oldest. For in this game, no one is balanced.
You can well fathom how frustrating it must be for a film journalist like me,particularly as I am neither star struck nor cynical. But then, I always have my movies. And going beyond bollywood is my big aphrodisiac.
Will write in more on that later.
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