A film must touch you; it must sit within your soul and have conversation with it. A film must portray reality; a film must inspire us without being pedantic. It must teach us not preach us. The characters in the film must look into your eyes and share their agony and pleasure with you and when they do that they must not look merely the characters of a show. They must be as real as the person sitting next to you.
If you think that this is an impossible task and there are more possibilities of eggs falling on the floor and not breaking than making such a film, then you should watch "Taare Zameen Pe". You might change your opinion about the life you lead and people you like (or dislike). On one hand we have a miraculously simple story, one which might trick you to believe that not more than a 1 hr documentary could pretty much summarize the idea, on the other hand we have the creative genius of TZP writers and director to come up with so many layers in the story that you will end up relating with it in the most unique and peculiar way. You will feel that it is inspiring you in a way which only you could understand. I ended up feeling that life after all goes on and one's biggest inspiration is within oneself. I realized that when the laughter cannot contain pleasure one often has to resort to tears lest your heart might explode with triumph. Triumph of a boy who steals one day from the school to learn about life what no modern education system could impart in a lifetime. Or the triumph of a teacher against the common notions of society, where intelligence quotient is measured in numbers, where no less than extra-ordinary scores are given the due recognition; everything else is conveniently ignored with a justifiable need-of-the-hour argument. The policy of elimination than selection, you see.
I would rather not delve much on the technical aspects of TZP; needless to say that film has lived most of its life in being the most supreme work of an accomplished artist. The dialogues are apt in most of the situations, although with a slight whiff of over projection on certain occasions but these are pardonable mistakes given that the film has so boldly questioned the very essence of bollywoodism. We have to ask ourselves these questions, how long are we going to continue to make films serving as junk food for the masses? How long are our films going to act like song-churning vending machines? You put a coin and get a song.
TZP is also peculiarly noticed about its music, the sacred cow of Indian cinema. It takes the film to another dimension where the lyrics are vintage Prasoon Joshi, blissfully unconventional in portraying the essence of youth in modern India. A few animation spots in the films are very creatively used, especially when you see the musical notes complementing the "play of colors" in the child's beautiful mind. The film is a creative marriage of all cinematic brilliance and a deceptively simple art of story-telling.
And of course the holy grail of TZP is the much concerned, often misunderstood even discounted despair and agony of a dyslexic child. The films’ biggest achievement is the inconspicuous manner of bringing to forefront the issue and not for one second preaching about it. I hope it strikes the right chord with the parents who constantly push their children beyond reasonable limits. It might sound wishful to expect that the film might be the stepping stone for our educationists to shape up the future education system and that the film might turn a few tables in this bureaucratic quagmire called India. The film teaches us the real meaning of cinema and life and many things can be changed with that knowledge.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
A short stint
Have you ever wondered that the formation of a baby in mother's womb is a not merely a physical process. It is almost mysterious even miraculous that a life is is formed out of a very scientific beginning. A life which has psychology, emotions, spirituality and a complete sense of wholeness. We all learn mostly from our surroundings, relationships, all of which adds a dimension to our personality but whenever we look within ourselves we learn that there is something in us which is truly ours, which was not inspired by anyone else. It belongs to us, and us only.
In most difficult times we usually come to terms with this inner beauty of ours. When I speak to someone who is in despair and wants my succour I try to connect to him through this inner feeling of mine. Once, when I was very small, a visitor came to my place for a glass of water. It was a hot summer day. I could feel the heat in his dark skin made even darker by the fiery sun. A drop of sweat rose from his petals. When he asked for water, I looked at him and realised the urgency within a matter of micro-seconds. There was a real connection established between the two of us for that brief moment.
In most difficult times we usually come to terms with this inner beauty of ours. When I speak to someone who is in despair and wants my succour I try to connect to him through this inner feeling of mine. Once, when I was very small, a visitor came to my place for a glass of water. It was a hot summer day. I could feel the heat in his dark skin made even darker by the fiery sun. A drop of sweat rose from his petals. When he asked for water, I looked at him and realised the urgency within a matter of micro-seconds. There was a real connection established between the two of us for that brief moment.