So, I have a bone to pick with our Film Industry. See, I'm not specifying its Bollywood, Tollywood, Kollywood etc... Some of the salient points include:
This is very evident with our South Film Industry, but not absent from "bollywood" either!
-> The heroine HAS to be beautiful i.e.fair with straight hair even though the hero looks like a character straight out of the "Scary Movie" series!
-> The heroine's voice can't be normal or regular like our voices - she has to have a high pitched "girly", squeaky voice... while the hero can't even pronounce the simplest of words properly.
-> There has to be semi-nude dancers in the background with huge tree-like thighs dancing away like there is no tomorrow - dressed in half sarees when the lead couple are dancing in jeans!
-> The most important story-line - "Taming of the shrew" - the heroine has to be "taught" her place and she goes all demure and bows her head in reverence in front of the hero, grateful that she has now learnt the most important lesson in her life - "to serve the scary looking hero and his family" wearing either silk sarees or chiffon sarees with orange flowers in her suddenly long hair!
-> The most famous story-line: - Rich girl falling for the poor mechanic and leaving her family and living in his one-room house happily!
I mean, how can this happen? Can't we have slightly realistic movies? Would you fall in love with a greasy mechanic? No! Maybe the garage owner's cute son who drives a Mercedes, but not the mechanic who fixes up your 2-wheeler!!!
-> Also, what's the drift when you represent urban Indian youth in skimpy clothes and fast cars/bikes? Don't fully dressed people who take the bus to work represent the India of today? Are Fully clothed people not Urban??
-> Brands - now, that's a different story all together! Aren't people who don't wear branded clothes not urban or stylish?!
Now, don't pick the bone with me here - I love them brands too - they burn holes in pockets faster than a candle melting!
But, tell me - wouldn't you look equally good in an ensemble which doesn't have to be branded?! Which actually doesn't cost half your salary?!!
->And the affairs, why, don't people who live in Mumbai, Delhi not live monogamously anymore?
What picture are we painting here? What are we showing our children? That affairs are common, marriage isn't permanent and you need to wear skimpy/branded clothes to be popular, happy and stylish??!!
Ajanta Ellora
2 months ago
11 comments:
You could have titled it 'A Bone to Pick'. :)
I think a strong and disciplined (not authoritarian but through setting examples) upbringing will make sure they learn the right things...
Just yesterday I was reading about how Japan has some of the most gruesome movies and comics but still has one of the most peaceful societies in the world. I think it has something to do with strong values during upbringing...
I loved the title . 'A Bone to Pick'. :D
But yes, what you said is all together right. Specially the polygamy and affairs ..you see them in all the movies ..ALL of them...did you see Metro ..I don't know what are they trying to say.
Kids , they are our responsibility , cannot rely on Bollywood for that ,not at all.
@ Vicky and Swati: I know... I know u shouldn't be relying on "Bollywood" for teaching our kids, but they do watch TV/Movies right?
I don't mean that our kids will be influenced and I know it is left to us to make sure their upbringing is done right, what i meant was - what are they seeing actually on TV in Movies... wondering about the content...
Upto what age can we actually have control over that?
I dunno, Pixie, I definitely think Bollywood has evolved in terms of moviemaking and story telling. Even Tamil movies have seen some truly brilliant creations over the last few years. In the end, it is upto us what we show our children. Agreed, a few movies defy the very existence of logic and normalcy, but then those are becoming more the exception than the norm, don't you think?
@Galadriel: Yea.. I agree with what you say...but, there are more movies like that - like the latest Yash Chopra offerings in the name of Tashan, the new promos they have let out for their forth-coming movies...
But, my question is, what are we showing our kids? I mean how much can you as a parent control or monitor them?
lol. When I was in film school, my faculty was always wondering about this. So I did a paper on it once. The gist was - target audience in India is (was) not you or me, but the rickshaw-driver and the mechanic. The films live out a fantasy and are liked because life otherwise is so darned grim.
But I think the industry is maturing.
dunno... haven't watched any tollywood flicks.. but bollywood sure has changed quite a bit... yeah, they do have the inanity there as yet... but heyy, there always will be exceptions, huh?
as far as the affairs depicted go... to be honest, i think it's only a reflection of real life. not that everybody in b'bay/delhi has affairs... but yes, every third person/colleague I know IS having an affair.
as for kids... i personally believe kids shouldn't be watching telly. honestly. maybe that'll change when i have a kid... but if my kid wants entertainment, he/she can pick a book & read!
Hey..but this affair and extra marital ..is driving me crazy ..I mean ever movie / TV soap has this , A man with 2 wives , or a house wife sleeping with another guy or a girl getting preggo before marriage ..how do small town ppl trust people in metros after seeing such movies..
@swati: I know!!! See, this is why I was wondering what's gonna happen to the next generation...
I think they try to reflect the real Indian society where the average male is pathetic looking as compared to the average female. In this regard, I think their efforts in reflecting real Indian society as it is are laudable.
In my opinion, the correct word for what many of the "heroes" down south are missing is "sophistication". And I totally agree of the extremely girly voice of the heroines. All of them sound the same.
LOL at the "Are Fully clothed people not Urban??" comment
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