SubscribeAisha: Bollywood’s Next Rom-Com… A Trailblazer?
In a previous post, I stressed Bollywood’s need for I Hate Luv Storys to succeed. I am hesitant about the film’s ability of moving away from the cliches decades of formulaic Bollywood movies have created, but am hopeful that newcomers Sonam Kapoor and Imran Khan and debutant director Punit Malhotra will deviate from the tired masala recipe that producers use to draw in the crowds.
Although I am unsure about I Hate Luv Storys (but not completely disheartened), I am much more confident and excited about another rom-com that will release soon after IHLS: Aisha. Now, watching the trailer, it doesn’t hide its obvious similarities with the other Jane Austen’s Emma interpretation, Clueless. But, unlike my concerns with IHLS, I believe this film will push the envelope and give Bollywood something that will be more innovative, rather than feed off of Bollywood’s developing love of romantic comedies without the over the top drama. Yes, it is a commercial Bollywood film made to draw in the crowds, but I believe it will do so on its own terms, not because of a tried and tested routine. There are a few reasons that I believe this film is the romantic comedy worth waiting for:
- Abhay Deol. He plays the male lead, and his career so far is amazing. As I wrote in a previous post, he is THE Bollywood actor worth watching and following, and the very fact that he is starring in Aisha makes me believe that this film will be ripe with artistic merit and innovation.
- The lack of any Swiss Alps locale in the promo. Must I say more?
- Amit Trivedi. It is often assumed in Bollywood that music takes a back seat in “art” or “parallel” films. Trivedi has defied this notion. He won accolades for his stupendous work in Dev D. and for by far the most memorable and popular song in Wake Up Sid, “Iktara,” which shined above the other music in the film, which was composed by Bollywood’s some of Bollywood’s most famous musical men, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. His involvement in this film can only be a good thing, and will also prove to be in stark comparison to the more typical, unimaginative track of I Hate Luv Stories.
- The Director. Rajshree Ohja. She’s a woman, she’s young, and she seems amazing. Check out this article about her and see for yourself.
- The Producers. The Kapoor clan, Sonam Kapoor’s family, is producing the film. Although her last two and only films weren’t great, she does have a certain modern appeal that her colleagues lack, and I’m not quite ready to give up on her. Her character seems very different from the one in IHLS. In this film, she represents the globalized Indian girl, a character I, a 24 year old living in Boston, can easily relate to. The reason I have so much faith in her character is because of:
- Devika Bhagat. Bollywood’s latest trailblazer is the number one reason I believe I will not be disappointed by Aisha. Bhagat is best known for writing the witty, television show, Mahi Way. The show just aired its series finale last week (it lasted one season), and the dialogue, messages, casting, and story line made it one of the best shows I’ve seen on Indian television, and without a doubt the most accurate portrayal of today’s Indian urban youth. I first wrote about the show in the beginning of its season, and will write about my opinion of the show in its entirety when Rishta.com, another brilliant dramedy by the same production company comes to an end next week. Until then, I will add Devika Bhagat to my growing list of Bollywood game changers. She’s up there with Abhay Deol, Ranbir Kapoor, and one day Vishal Bhardwaj, Anurag Kashyup, and UTV (and even Imtiaz Ali. We will just pretend that Love Aaj Kal never happened).
As I have said before, I am equally supportive of parallel films like Mr. and Mrs. Iyer as I am of films like Dev D. and of Lage Raho Munnabhai. There is room for films in Bollywood that are commercial but aren’t formulaic, and Aisha seems to fit in with these new crop of movies. If done right and my expectations are not to be let down, Aisha has the potential to further propel the world’s largest film industry in an even more progressive and innovative direction.
Here is the theatrical trailer. Enjoy!
Bollywood: Honor your (and India’s) Muslim Heritage
While Bollywood has made significant strides in the last decade, I am still disappointed by one major aspect of the movie industry, and that is in its portrayal of Muslims and Islamic culture.
In the 1950′ through the 60’s, many Muslim actors would often change or hide their names to conceal their religion. Ironically, this is also when “Muslim” films surged, and were amongst the most popular and memorable films of the era. These films didn’t just have Muslim protagonists, but were rich with Islamic culture and the Urdu language.
Dil hi to Hai was one of the biggest hits in the early 1960’s. The film starred two of the most popular actors of that generation– Nutan and Raj Kapoor, who played Muslim characters on-screen, although they were Hindu in real life. Their religious background had no role in the story. It was a comedy with a heavy emphasis on music.
The film was an example of the fact that Muslims were a part of Indian society as much as Hindus were. The film did amazingly well, and the music is still amongst the most memorable from that era.
The films Umrao Jaan and Pakeezeh were about tawaifs, or courtesans, who performed traditional dances for their male audience, called mujras. The mujras originated from Mughal courts, where they were performed for Mughal leaders. Mujras were not only a major part of Muslim heritage, but of the history of India. These two films, and many with similar themes, were rich with Urdu poetry. The female leads in these two films are remembered as two of the best roles portrayed by women in Bollywood.
Here is one of the most famous songs from the 1981 film, Umrao Jaan, where actress Rekha is performing a Mujra:
Films like Bahu Begham and Chaudhvin ka Chand similarly displayed clothing, language, and other cultural aspects of Muslims in India.
After the heavy usage of Muslim culture in films in the 1950’s through 80’s, there was a slow decline in any diversity in films. By the 1990’s and early 2000’s, the once flourishing Islamic culture in Bollywood films had all but vanished. Eloquent Urdu was replaced by everyday Hindustani (a combination of Hindi and Urdu), and character names were chosen from the most typical of Hindu names.
1990’s to mid 2000’s were some of Bollywood’s darkest times, when creativity was scarce and risks were rarely taken. Artistic merit was lost in films, and so was any hint of diversity of religions. Ironically, this is also the period where the most famous stars were Muslim, but rarely played their religion.
In 2000, there was some glimmer of hope. There was a growth of films centered around Islam, but sadly, the films would often be about terrorism or communal riots. Take Dev, for instance. Fardeen Khan and Kareena Kapoor both followed the Islamic faith, but the film was about communal riots in Mumbai. In Fanaa, the characters again were Muslim, but the main actor, Aamir Khan, was a terrorist.
After the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai in 2008, a slew of films with Muslim protagonists released, such as New York, Kurbaan, and My Name is Khan. But again, all these films had a subject matter revolving around terrorism. Before the attacks, there were many like Veer Zaara and Refugee, which had the backdrop of India-Pakistan tensions.
It’s great that Bollywood no longer ignores political and social issues, but the message that is sent is troubling as well. Much of the Hindustani music, language, and culture has Muslim roots, so why not bring back the beauty of the films of bygone eras and make films with families by acknowledging this fact without tying the culture to terrorism?
What’s important to keep in mind is that Bollywood films are hugely popular in the Middle East, including Afghanistan and Pakistan. Although Muslim culture varies in different regions, it’s still a pity that these regions no longer see the eloquence of Islamic culture in Bollywood films, without the usual terrorism or violent undertones.
Of course, there are some filmmakers who dare to venture away from commercial Bollywood. Vishal Bhardwaj is one of Bollywood’s best and most sought after filmmakers. His critically acclaimed film Maqbool took place amongst the underworld in Mumbai. The film is an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, and is dark, beautiful, and bold, and ripe with Islamic culture. In an interview with Filmfare, Bhardwaj, who is Hindu, told the magazine that “I love the Urdu language. I love the tehzeeb and the rishton ki nazakat (delicacy of relationships) which is a part of Muslim culture.”
The one place where Muslim heritage has revived is in Bollywood’s music. This aspect is comforting, but avoiding films with Muslim characters is not only detrimental to society, but also to filmmakers who are losing out on the artist merit of the culture.
As Bollywood moves into a new progressive era, it needs to take a few lessons from the movie industry’s roots.
Out with the Old, in with the New (Music)
As Bollywood is making innovative strides in music, the people who are most affected by the changes are the ones who benefited from mass producing repetitive songs without a hint of creativity in the 1990’s and 2000’s.
Nadeem-Shravan, a popular music duo who were popular in the 90’s to mid 2000’s did produce some music in the past few years, but each soundtrack failed miserably. Their cliche tunes and inability to create music that may sway from songs that were once guaranteed hits have made them incapable of competing with Bollywood’s new string of musicians who have abandoned the old rules and have morphed India’s music scene.
Earlier this week, Shravan (of Nadeem-Shravan) complained that Bollywood music has left behind local sounds, and that Hollywood has been the Hindi movie industry’s biggest influence. Shravan may not have been listening to any Bollywood music these days. In fact, classical sounds, both Muslim and Hindu, have reemerged in Bollywood like never before.
But that may be a part of Shravan’s problem. Along with more classical influences, Pakistan has begun to make a powerful presence in India. He said:
“If a Pakistani artist releases an album or a song with a video, it gets heavy rotation, at the expense of talented Indian artists. We respect artists from every country, but we need to promote our own Hindustani musicians as well.”
First of all, Indian artists are hugely popular in Pakistan, so why not vice-versa? Also, it is sad that Shravan is speaking of competition, rather than unison, especially when speaking from a platform of music, where artists should promote cultural exchange. In a previous post, I wrote that Pakistani artists have stated that they believe their popularity grows when they make it big in Bollywood. Sadly, Shravan frowns on this ground breaking change in Indo-Pak relations.
Shravan, like Nadeem-Shravan’s music, clearly represents sentiments of the past that have evaporated in Bollywood. Not only has Bollywood’s music progressed, but so has the industry’s ideals.
Here’s a song with local flavor that Shravan probably didn’t catch (even though it was one of the most popular songs last year):
Waiting for Mani’s Magic
Mani Ratnam is one director who was able to make films that not only gained box office success, had musical blockbusters, but were also applauded by critics.
His second Bollywood film Roja (he was primarily making Tamil films before) made it to the 10 best soundtracks of all time list by Time Magazine, and his Tamil film Nayagan made it to the All-Time 100 Best Movies.
Here’s a song from the film Roja:
Ratnam’s film Dil Se, which released in 1998, dove into the terror-stricken region of Northeast India. The female lead in the film (SPOILER) was raped by soldiers as a child and witnessed the death of her family. She was also a terrorist– hard to find in Bollywood. The movie also produced one of India’s most famous songs: Chaiya Chaiya. (All of Ratnam’s Bollywood films have music composed by A.R. Rahman.)
Ratnam was able to eloquently address and convey major issues in India that were mostly ignored by the rest of the film industry, But, unlike the more independent film makers, he used Bollywood’s techniques to convey the message, which made his otherwise independent films mainstream. His films had dances, songs, famous actors, and love stories. But, the songs were interwoven in the plot, the scripts made sense and lacked major holes, and the acting was usually impressive.
He didn’t shy away from controversial issues, but embraced them. His stories represented a greater complex situation that were often extremely relevant and real in India. His film Bombay portrayed communal riots in the city through the eyes of a Muslim-Hindu couple. Yuva showed the different facets of India’s youth- some were itching to leave India for the promise of America, and some were ready to change the system by entering politics. The lessons Bollywood must remember from Ratnam’s films are:
1. An original story is a good thing.
2. Producers should learn that serious issues don’t repel audiences.
3. A director’s job is only to think of the artistic merit of the film, not box office potential.
4. Music made for a film is even better when it blends beautifully with the script.
Ratnam’s last Bollywood film, Guru, was a biopic of Dhirubhai Ambani, who was amongst the most powerful and richest men in the world. Although his story is appealing and touching, the film lacked the darkness that his other films usually had. It wasn’t a complete disappointment, but compared to his prior work, was less than stellar. Ratnam wasn’t quite able to find the voice that touched on the chord that connected to the greater issue in India. It was more a rags-to-riches fable and played up Ambani’s story.
His next film, Raavan, is all set to release. But going forward, Ratnam should remember that:
1. Famous actors aren’t necessary for a film’s success.
2. Not every movie needs six songs
3. Be careful not to fall in love with The Bachchans. We know it’s hard, but try and resist. A little.
4. Maybe the films can be a little shorter. Yes, we understand that your films already break many Bollywood norms, but a movie with a length less than two hours would be our favorite new Ratnam standard.
Ratnam’s latest film is an interpretation of the The Ramayana, an ancient epic originally written in Sanskrit. In a major part of the story, the demon, Raavan, kidnaps Lord Ram’s wife, Sita. But in this version, Raavan isn’t so bad, and Sita isn’t so savitry (pure). Here’s the promo:
To be honest: the promo worries me a little. But just a little. I have faith that Ratnam will return to his former glory and teach Bollywood that mainstream films are allowed to have some intellect and originality.
And even if he fails, don’t worry: the music will probably be worth waiting for.
Remembering The Greatest Khan
Hm. Who is The Greatest Khan? Some might think Shahrukh. or Salman. or Aamir. or Saif. or Genghis? All wrong.
The Greatest Khan is the man who made sufi music popular among the masses. Who became the most popular Pakistani artist in the world. It’s none other than Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan.
Khan was recently selected as one of the 50 Greatest Voices of All Time by NPR. This made me think of the legacy he left. Not only was he one of the most inspiring performers of all time, he also mastered the technique of bringing various forms of music together and intertwining them in a way that had never been done before.
To imagine monumental classical music singers such as Ghulam Ali, Pandit Jasraj or Farida Khanum collaborate with London based DJ Bally Sagoo, or with Pearl Jam’s Peter Gabriel is laughable. But Khan did it all. Not only did he bring the east and west together through music, he reunited Hindustani and Sufi music in a way that had never been done before.
In my last post, I wrote about the new wave in contemporary music that is now experimenting with mixing different sounds from all around the world to create global and original pieces. Khan was the pioneer who paved this path for future musicians. The best example of his melody of Hindustani raaga and Sufi music was through his incorporation of sargam in his qawwalis. Sufism is the mythological branch of Islam, and music plays a huge role in the religion. Qawwalis are the best known form of Sufi devotional music.
Sargam, on the other hand, is an innate quality of raagas. The sargam represents the scale in raagas, and consist of seven notes: sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni, sa. Each sargam has a different sound. They symbolize Hindustani music. Khan incorporated Sargam into his qawwalis.
A Pakistani Singer in an interview recently stated that artists in the country receive more respect when they perform in Bollywood. The very fact that there is a growing relationship between the countries through music (Bollywood films are banned in Pakistan) is because of Khan.
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan’s influence is boundless. He composed some music for Bollywood films, influenced groups like Pakistan’s Junoon and singers like India’s Kailash Kher. He is not known as the world’s greatest singer purely for his voice and performance, but for his innovation and ability to transcend borders and politics and bring people together through music.
Here is a personal favorite:
A mainstream piece:
A link to a video of Khan combining qawwali with sargam.
Thank God for Emosonal Attyachaar
Over the last few years, the world has witnessed many improvements in Bollywood: in the quality of films, in the acting, and especially, in the music.
Today, innovation and creativity in Bollywood are best seen through its music industry. Sure, there were mavericks such as A.R. Rahman or Shankar Ehsaan Loy who ventured away from the typical songs. But until 2006, all Bollywood music was monopolized with a handful of singers. Some singers had a heavy voice which automatically designated for the sad songs, some had high pitched voices so they sang mostly love songs, and some singers, such as Asha Bhosle and Sunidhi Chauhan, sang the dance numbers.
In the 90’s, music didn’t compare to the amazing compositions of previous decades. The music industry slowly progressed over time, but it wasn’t until 2006 when things started moving fast.
Bollywood films started featuring Pakistani artists in their soundtracks. It had never been done before on such a consistent basis, or in mainstream films. (Check out my opinion editorial on the subject.) The effect was amazing. Music directors ventured out of their comfort zone. Even lyrics had much more meaning to them and weren’t predictable as they used to be.
Since then, there has been a huge increase in songs with heavy classical Muslim and Hindu sounds, something that was missing in the 90’s. New singers were given opportunities to sing. South Asian classical elements and Western sounds were combined. Of course, mainstream typical music was created, and were extremely popular. But that didn’t deter music directors from trying something different.
Finally, Filmfare (similar to The Oscars) recognized this difference last year by awarding Best Female Playback Singer to two women who sang in a classical raaga style, but with western influences. Progressive films aren’t getting the same treatment, but hey, music is a great start.
Here are some of the best songs that best exemplify this new wave of music:
Iktara, Wake Up Sid, Composed by Amit Trivedi
Rasiya, Kurbaan, Composed by Salim-Sulaiman
Emosonal Attychar, Dev D., Composed by Amit Trivedi
Raat ke Dhai Baje, Kaminey, Composed by Vishal Bhardwaj
Sasural Genda Phool, Delhi 6, Composed by A.R. Rahman
Aaj Din Chadeya, Love Aaj Kal, Composed by Pritam
Rehna Tu, Delhi 6, Composed by A.R. Rahman
Tu Jaane Na (Unplugged), Ajab Prem ki Ghazab Kahaani, Kailash Kher
Sajda, My Name is Khan, Composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Sapnon Se Bhare Naina, Luck By Chance, Composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
The entire Dev D. soundtrack, Composed by Amit Trivedi
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