09/07/2012

I felt I would be doing myself a grave disservice if I didn’t pen down my thoughts today.  Trying to bring in even a semblance of discipline in my lifestyle is becoming relatively difficult, though for an aspiring writer like me, discipline is of the utmost importance. I understand that now.  As a matter of fact, I am reminded of that episode where Ross urges Joey to have a much disciplined outlook, to start writing his movie script. I didn’t understand why, back then. Now I do. I see that the writers of the show had clearly expressed that they wanted the audience to know this, albeit through a very light hearted rant.

It is not that most writers want to wait for inspiration to strike, before they start writing. It is just that, many of us want to stay cocooned in our little made up worlds and escape the vulnerability that writing brings. Let’s face it, nobody, not even writers are brazen enough to face themselves defenceless, that easily. This brings me to think about something. It can’t be denied that it requires bravery to bare one’s vulnerable self. Just one another oxymoron of life isn’t it?

I intended to do this yesterday, since I now find even during typing this that writing is indeed therapeutic, but here I am writing today. Let me shed some of my thoughts on the movie that I know, will be in my mind for a few more years to come- Gangs of Wasseypur.

 I was at a loss of words for a befitting term to describe what this movie is, in a nutshell. What I can tell though is that this movie is going to reign in a style, in film-making and the popular culture of today that can be termed as “charmingly crude” It is a contradiction, but it is true.

In the larger sense, I hope this paves the way towards acceptance in general. Gangs of Wasseypur maybe the story of essentially, a scintillating and sincere rivalry between two warring clans, and the story of a man with a plan…but it showcases who we are as Indians. We don’t have to be pure and perfect. We can be boorish, deceitful and brazen, yet be as charming as an Audrey Tautou of “Amelie”.  Being prim and proper is finally over rated. What a wait it’s been, for that to happen! And what a time this movie has come at…when we are all racing towards westernization at a blinding speed.

I am not saying that, there aren’t any factors in the film that maybe cringe worthy and neither am I stating that it is THE most authentic representation of the people of Wasseypur, but from my experiences, such characters are very real and do very much prevail as compared to a “Poo” of “Kabhie Khushi Kabhie Gham”

The man, the protagonist, Sardar Khan portrayed by Manoj Bajpai( who was so good, that I forgot that he was indeed Manoj Bajpai and not Khan) going by butler psychoanalysis, is  the alpha male, who lives to avenge his father’s death. But his antics at many a times are hilarious and perfectly complement his otherwise ruthless nature. In a sense, he is the coolest anti-hero of recent times.

 He is also a man, who cannot resist the thought of a woman’s curves and he always goes for the kill. But he succumbs to his wife. He seems to have some unspoken respect for his wife, so much so that he fears her wrath whenever he gets caught betraying her. His wife Nagma, played by_ who is initially very fiery and brazen, is deeply hurt along the line by his behaviour. She ages and in true 21^st century style, she turns to the more comforting, materialistic realms of life. Her character graph, even then, is astonishingly not made to be an advertisement for seeking the services of a feminist welfare group. This is because, at no point in her life, is she an “avla nari”. All the women in the movie, as in real life, make their own choices. This is why the movie is so realistic.

There were a few moments of epiphany during the film which I must share. There is a scene where Nagma orders Sardar to eat well so that he has enough energy to pursue his (delicately put) ‘amorous’ ways, so as to not bring any embarrassment to her. I was shocked indeed that a woman can be so secure about her man. What shocked me more however was the fact that, I call myself progressive and I couldn’t watch the scene with Reema Sen and Manoj Bajpai without cringing a little? I mean, here is a woman, who is so bloody secure about her man that she can let him off for his “tharakppan” and here am I, the 21^st century girl, who is afraid of a love making scene because it may spell doom for a tasteful representation of female sexuality, the candour shown towards the fashion in which the men woo these women and what not! But I felt that Nagma was way ahead of me.

It is indeed difficult to face your vulnerabilities and acknowledge that they exist, but I think we should try. I would say, watching GoW as compared to watching a K3G or a Cocktail (at least going by the trailers, though I could be completely wrong!), would be comparable to stepping out of a cocoon. If you can’t do yoga to face your inner self or conscience, at least do watch this film.

More on the movie in my next rant.