Dialogue in Cinema
Bhopal, Nov 2006
“Most film dialogue seems to have been interpolated for the sake of clarification. It is a false approach. Dialogue is a part of the theme and reveals character. For the real theme is the person, whom dialogue, picture, situation, setting, temperature and lighting all combine together to depict. The world is one whole”
- Jean Renoir
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Why I wanted to work at S3IDF
Hyderabad, Dec 2006
My interest in seeking a role with S3IDF is a result of beliefs that have been shaped by my experiences, observations and reading during the past few years. It is only in recent months that these beliefs have assumed an urgency of action prompting me to seek a role with S3IDF. I will describe the pertinent thoughts below.
It is generally believed that large-scale enterprises competing in the global economy hold the key to poverty alleviation. However, due to a large number of Indian poor being agrarian in remote, rural areas that are a long way from being part of the global economy, it will be impossible to effectively address poverty unless large-scale enterprises are complemented by strong self-sufficient local economies at the level of district and below. By definition, self-sufficiency requires local economies to be powered by small-scale enterprises that are run by the poor for the poor. And since the whole becomes stronger when the parts are strengthened, strong self-sufficient local economies strengthen national and global economies.
It is disappointing, however, that projects aimed at developing small-scale enterprises in rural areas don’t attract sufficient investments. I am confident, though, that rural people are both capable and willing to participate in operating such projects and using the services they offer. V. R. Krishna Iyer, in his efforts to establish minor irrigation and electricity projects in Kerala, insisted on people’s participation and labour, “which came voluntarily and abundantly”. He writes, “This productive contribution was largely drawn from the local villages, which gave the people a sense of possession and gram swaraj … rural youth can play a substantially creative role”. To quote a Chinese proverb, “Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand”.
While I am convinced with the soundness of the above thoughts in principle, I am aware of the limitations under which they are formed – lack of exposure to the poor and rural environment. Having been brought up in middle class urban environment and worked in protected IT parks solving business problems several layers above basic human needs, the problems of the poor and rural people appear clear and solutions easy. I would like exposure to the poor and rural environment so that my thoughts can be moulded by direct contact with the issues they address. It is an intellectual pursuit as well as a pursuit for meaning in my life.
Being part of the S3IDF team, the most important personal objective I would achieve is having direct exposure to the rural environment. My project interests, in line with my beliefs, would be to build small-scale enterprises that can feed off each other and contribute in the construction of self-sufficient local economies.
Hyderabad, Dec 2006
My interest in seeking a role with S3IDF is a result of beliefs that have been shaped by my experiences, observations and reading during the past few years. It is only in recent months that these beliefs have assumed an urgency of action prompting me to seek a role with S3IDF. I will describe the pertinent thoughts below.
It is generally believed that large-scale enterprises competing in the global economy hold the key to poverty alleviation. However, due to a large number of Indian poor being agrarian in remote, rural areas that are a long way from being part of the global economy, it will be impossible to effectively address poverty unless large-scale enterprises are complemented by strong self-sufficient local economies at the level of district and below. By definition, self-sufficiency requires local economies to be powered by small-scale enterprises that are run by the poor for the poor. And since the whole becomes stronger when the parts are strengthened, strong self-sufficient local economies strengthen national and global economies.
It is disappointing, however, that projects aimed at developing small-scale enterprises in rural areas don’t attract sufficient investments. I am confident, though, that rural people are both capable and willing to participate in operating such projects and using the services they offer. V. R. Krishna Iyer, in his efforts to establish minor irrigation and electricity projects in Kerala, insisted on people’s participation and labour, “which came voluntarily and abundantly”. He writes, “This productive contribution was largely drawn from the local villages, which gave the people a sense of possession and gram swaraj … rural youth can play a substantially creative role”. To quote a Chinese proverb, “Tell me and I'll forget; show me and I may remember; involve me and I'll understand”.
While I am convinced with the soundness of the above thoughts in principle, I am aware of the limitations under which they are formed – lack of exposure to the poor and rural environment. Having been brought up in middle class urban environment and worked in protected IT parks solving business problems several layers above basic human needs, the problems of the poor and rural people appear clear and solutions easy. I would like exposure to the poor and rural environment so that my thoughts can be moulded by direct contact with the issues they address. It is an intellectual pursuit as well as a pursuit for meaning in my life.
Being part of the S3IDF team, the most important personal objective I would achieve is having direct exposure to the rural environment. My project interests, in line with my beliefs, would be to build small-scale enterprises that can feed off each other and contribute in the construction of self-sufficient local economies.
Thoughts on gated communities
Hyderabad, 2006
I came across an article in ‘The Hindu’ titled, ‘The Tale of Two Cities’ that talked about the poor-rich divide that is growing steadily into geographic separation of the city of Chennai. The poor are being relocated out of some localities to make them more attractive to investors. What struck me was not the relocation itself but the fact that we want to blind ourselves to the existence of poverty. The development of real estate in Bangalore and Hyderabad drive this point home. Apartment complexes, office spaces, shopping malls, etc. express our innate desire to model our environment after the developed countries. There remain a few grievances, though – the corridors that separate them, the roads, remain Indian. Link them with elevated highways and that just seems to complete the illusion of living in USA. By building these pleasure domes and barricading ourselves from the have-nots, we are not only blinding ourselves to the rampant poverty around us but also making the polarity between the haves and have-nots all the more visible. By building palaces, we are not only showing our new found wealth but are highlighting the condition of the poor. We could just be making ourselves more vulnerable. In the past, such polarities have been leveled by way of revolutions – not always peaceful.
Until about 10 – 15 years ago, most of us were apathetic to the state of our country and people. But the crucial difference is that there were very few rich and there was no visible polarity among the others. The middle class lived beside the poor. The poor were not shooed away, nor did the middle class build palaces. With poverty largely visible, there was a possibility for affirmative action. By cordoning off ourselves from poverty and blinding ourselves, we are eliminating what little chance there is for affirmative action.
Hyderabad, 2006
I came across an article in ‘The Hindu’ titled, ‘The Tale of Two Cities’ that talked about the poor-rich divide that is growing steadily into geographic separation of the city of Chennai. The poor are being relocated out of some localities to make them more attractive to investors. What struck me was not the relocation itself but the fact that we want to blind ourselves to the existence of poverty. The development of real estate in Bangalore and Hyderabad drive this point home. Apartment complexes, office spaces, shopping malls, etc. express our innate desire to model our environment after the developed countries. There remain a few grievances, though – the corridors that separate them, the roads, remain Indian. Link them with elevated highways and that just seems to complete the illusion of living in USA. By building these pleasure domes and barricading ourselves from the have-nots, we are not only blinding ourselves to the rampant poverty around us but also making the polarity between the haves and have-nots all the more visible. By building palaces, we are not only showing our new found wealth but are highlighting the condition of the poor. We could just be making ourselves more vulnerable. In the past, such polarities have been leveled by way of revolutions – not always peaceful.
Until about 10 – 15 years ago, most of us were apathetic to the state of our country and people. But the crucial difference is that there were very few rich and there was no visible polarity among the others. The middle class lived beside the poor. The poor were not shooed away, nor did the middle class build palaces. With poverty largely visible, there was a possibility for affirmative action. By cordoning off ourselves from poverty and blinding ourselves, we are eliminating what little chance there is for affirmative action.
Ardh Satya and the Art Cinema, Commercial Cinema debate
Bhopal, Sep 2006
I haven’t seen many Govind Nihalani films. I saw Drohkaal during my college days, which I liked. After a break of nearly a decade, I watched Dev. It was a sensitive subject, brilliantly handled by Nihalani by means of a taut script and sensitive portrayals. A couple of years later I had time and opportunity to watch Ardh Satya.
Ardh Satya starts off without preamble. Though it is disconcerting, it makes its intentions clear – its paring-down of the plot, story, environment, people, etc. to the absolute minimum, a conscious effort to de-dramatize. All three Nihalani films that I had seen are essentially police stories. Drohkaal and Dev are about terrorism and communalism. In Dev, the characters’ views towards communalism and the ensuing violence are clearly defined and firm. The theme is examined and illuminated by incidents and debates in the narrative. By showing different perspectives and by means of the story itself, Dev aims to put the viewer in a position of introspection. The evolution of characters is absent and irrelevant to the film. Contrastingly, Ardh Satya’s theme is the protagonist’s struggle to harmonize his thoughts and actions. Ananth Welankar, the protagonist, is repeatedly put into situations of conflict between thought and action, his moments of truth (MoT). It is not until the closing frames of the film, the last few seconds that Ananth finds redemption. In his biggest MoT, he is able to cast-off his ‘Napunsaktha’ (cowardice, in this context) and performs an act of courage. By surrendering himself to the police and face the consequences rather than bail himself out, he tilts the balance firmly in favour of ‘Paurush’ (courage). Nihalani exercises tremendous self-restraint in de-dramatizing this pivotal moment. In fact, it is as though he was getting late for his dinner and therefore, wrapped-up the movie in a rush. It is over even before you realize it.
The movie is memorable because we can see ourselves in Ananth. Our beliefs and thoughts constantly challenged by reality and compromised in the interest of self-preservation. We all have our MoTs and our actions are not always in harmony with our beliefs. We jettison our beliefs in the interest of self-preservation. Ironically, we lose our “self” in the process to become just another among the crowd.The script of Ardh Satya is a live wire – never swaying from the central theme, brutal sometimes in not providing a respite. The locations, settings and characters are realistic without any artifice. The acting is fantastic. Om Puri is colossal.
Ardh Satya is classified as an art film. I don’t know what an art film is. I can understand westerns, comedies, tragedies, etc. What is an art film? There can only be good films and bad films. The talk of commercial films vs. art films is quite baffling. Every film director wants his / her film to be seen by people – be commercially successful. Even the “art film” directors. Some directors make movies confident (oftentimes misplaced) that their film will be a commercial success. Some directors make movies with hope that it will be commercially successful. The difference is conceit in the former case and humility in the latter. Not commercial and art. Ardh Satya is a great film. If it wasn’t commercially successful, the reasons could be numerous – but certainly not because it was an art film.
Bhopal, Sep 2006
I haven’t seen many Govind Nihalani films. I saw Drohkaal during my college days, which I liked. After a break of nearly a decade, I watched Dev. It was a sensitive subject, brilliantly handled by Nihalani by means of a taut script and sensitive portrayals. A couple of years later I had time and opportunity to watch Ardh Satya.
Ardh Satya starts off without preamble. Though it is disconcerting, it makes its intentions clear – its paring-down of the plot, story, environment, people, etc. to the absolute minimum, a conscious effort to de-dramatize. All three Nihalani films that I had seen are essentially police stories. Drohkaal and Dev are about terrorism and communalism. In Dev, the characters’ views towards communalism and the ensuing violence are clearly defined and firm. The theme is examined and illuminated by incidents and debates in the narrative. By showing different perspectives and by means of the story itself, Dev aims to put the viewer in a position of introspection. The evolution of characters is absent and irrelevant to the film. Contrastingly, Ardh Satya’s theme is the protagonist’s struggle to harmonize his thoughts and actions. Ananth Welankar, the protagonist, is repeatedly put into situations of conflict between thought and action, his moments of truth (MoT). It is not until the closing frames of the film, the last few seconds that Ananth finds redemption. In his biggest MoT, he is able to cast-off his ‘Napunsaktha’ (cowardice, in this context) and performs an act of courage. By surrendering himself to the police and face the consequences rather than bail himself out, he tilts the balance firmly in favour of ‘Paurush’ (courage). Nihalani exercises tremendous self-restraint in de-dramatizing this pivotal moment. In fact, it is as though he was getting late for his dinner and therefore, wrapped-up the movie in a rush. It is over even before you realize it.
The movie is memorable because we can see ourselves in Ananth. Our beliefs and thoughts constantly challenged by reality and compromised in the interest of self-preservation. We all have our MoTs and our actions are not always in harmony with our beliefs. We jettison our beliefs in the interest of self-preservation. Ironically, we lose our “self” in the process to become just another among the crowd.The script of Ardh Satya is a live wire – never swaying from the central theme, brutal sometimes in not providing a respite. The locations, settings and characters are realistic without any artifice. The acting is fantastic. Om Puri is colossal.
Ardh Satya is classified as an art film. I don’t know what an art film is. I can understand westerns, comedies, tragedies, etc. What is an art film? There can only be good films and bad films. The talk of commercial films vs. art films is quite baffling. Every film director wants his / her film to be seen by people – be commercially successful. Even the “art film” directors. Some directors make movies confident (oftentimes misplaced) that their film will be a commercial success. Some directors make movies with hope that it will be commercially successful. The difference is conceit in the former case and humility in the latter. Not commercial and art. Ardh Satya is a great film. If it wasn’t commercially successful, the reasons could be numerous – but certainly not because it was an art film.
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