After a very disappointing 2010 (My Name is Khan fans: stop reading now), I have good reason to be optimistic about the rest of the year. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait too long. On Friday, July 16, two movies that I’ve been eagerly waiting for will be released. Soon after that, Aamir Khan’s Peepli Live and Aisha will also hit  theaters.

Next week, Udaan and Tere Bin Laden will release. Udaan is another film that appeals to the urban youth audience, the latest trend in Bollywood. (Thank God the NRI phase is over). Anurag Kashyap  started last year with a bang when Dev D.’s success was attributed to this emerging demographic. As a producer for Udaan, I expect this film will also be able attract a younger crowd, and slowly, a larger audience. After the horrific HLS , which was as formulaic, predictable and cliche as they come, sensible Bollywood fans are dying for a film that is, well, good. Udaan will stand in stark comparison to IHLS. And if the film doesn’t turn out to be the saving grace of indie-Bollywood, we at least have some great music by Amit Trivedi. Check out the theatrical trailer for the film:

Promos for Tere Bin Laden never fails to make me burst out laughing. With such an enticing premise, which includes a look-alike Osama Bin Laden, the film has set up high expectations for anyone who hears the title or watches the trailer. If the filmmakers can pull off such a novel concept, it will be the biggest story in Bollywood this year. It’s a hard task, one that reminds me of my ultimate favorite film, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaron– it’s hard to beat the film’s satiric tone and  its intricately woven message about corruption. As is well known in Bollywood, it takes one movie to become a hit to start a trend. Bollywood hasn’t yet been able to consistently address political issues, and Tere Bin Laden would be a great start.

Peepli Live is the reason Aamir Khan is infinitely better than his arch nemesis, Shahrukh Khan. The film addresses farmer suicides, and even though it is produced by Bollywood’s favorite actor, most actors are either art house or unknown. The film would have gone unnoticed by the masses if it weren’t for Aamir Khan’s name attached to the project, and no matter how big Khan’s ego is (one of the biggest in Bollywood, which is saying something), the fact that he’s putting his name behind a film that isn’t a popcorn movie (even the music is authentic), is inspiring and commendable.

Here’s a great video about the film:

Let’s see what the coming weeks in Bollywood bring us. Hopefully, these films can carry us through the winter, when the brainless masala films takeover the industry.

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!

Rachel Saltz of The New York Times wrote that the film jumped from scene to scene, easily resting the blame on the the screenplay for the faulty narrative. But, for me, this very feature of the movie let it redeem itself from all the other less intriguing segments. The fast pace of the film and parallels to the Indian epic Mahabharat are the reasons I write in support of the movie.

The Mahabharat was a story of the Kuru family who ruled Hastinapur. It was about the power struggle and the fight of good and evil between two branches of the family, the Pandavs and Kauravs. Both the Pandavs and Kauravs had flaws, but the Pandavs were clearly the good guys. They stood with the truth, and had God on their side (literally). The Kauravs, on the other hand, personified evil. Samar and Prithvi (Ranbir Kapoor and Arjun Rampal) represented the Pandavs, while Veerendra and Sooraj (Manoj Bajpai and Ajay Devgan) symbolized the Kauravs. Devgan’s character in particular was an accurate reflection of Karan from the Mahabharat, who was also the illegitmate child of Kunti, the mother of the Pandavs.

Unlike the Mahabharat, it is hard to argue that one side– either the Pandavs or Kauravs, are inherently “good.”  Arjun Rampal’s character was obviously flawed– his relationship with Shruti Seth’s character, his violent streak, his refusal to let a Dalit run for election and his thirst for power were all qualities that don’t match up with the famously moral Pandavs. It was unclear as to why Katrina Kaif’s character believed he had a “good” heart. His love for his brother and his failed attempt to save his brother’s girl friend did not make him a good person, but definitely a compelling character.

Samar, Ranbir Kapoor’s character, also had too many shades of darkness to be accurately matched up with the most famous Pandav, Arjun. Bajpai and Devgan together did have darker shades than their counterparts, but the stunning difference of a lack of truly moral figures from the Mahabharat is notable, and one of my favorite themes in the film. It was a deliberate and brilliant move by Jha. Frank Lovece of Film Journal International stated that the film “becomes so ridiculous and over-the-top violent that there is nobody, nobody, to root for.” For me, this was one of the saving graces of the film. Jha’s message that politics doesn’t have room for heroes was accurately conveyed, even more so, with the use of the Mahabharat.

The characters in Rajneeti played politicians, yet none showed any compassion or responsibility toward their constituents– they were all selfish, all greedy, and all power hungry. At the end, Kapoor’s character stated that politics can only bring the darkness from inside of you, and he has a point. It was a pessimistic message about Indian politics, one that differed from Mani Ratnam’s Yuva.

In Jha’s film, he conveyed that in the modern era of politics, it’s all a power struggle– there is no virtuous Yuddhishtir, no politicians who stand who work for the greater good. There are some who are more evil than others, but circumstances did play a hand (as seen through Devgan’s story). According to Jha’s film– in politics today, there are only Kauravs.

The film’s storyline and performance by Arjun Rampal were delightful. Katrina Kaif’s performance and storyline were weak and almost destroyed the film. Oh, and I must note that her character bares no significant resemblance to Sonia Gandhi.

Overall, Rajneeti was a compelling story, and due to a lackluster Bollywood year, I’m glad that a film that relied on a good script and strong performances outdid some other less deserving films that pulled strong box office numbers (cough, My Name is Khan, Housefull, cough). This movie also deserves merit because major Bollywood stars took a risk by making a dialogue-heavy film that wasn’t too commercial. It was nice to see Ranbir Kapoor, Arjun Rampal and even Katrina Kaif act in a film that was very different from anything they had done before. Kapoor’s career in particular is becoming more intriguing by the day.

Because Bollywood seems mythological obsessed these days (Raavan releases on June 19), stay tuned for a post about Kalyug, Shyam Benegal’s 1981 film starring Shashi Kapoor– also an adaption of Mahabharat.

Anyone who knows Bollywood knows that once an off-beat experiment proves successful, the film industry doesn’t hesitate in copying the formula. In this case, this film reminds of me of the witty dialogue of films like Jab We Met or the “opposites attract scenerio in Hum Tum or even Love Aaj Kal. The hope is that I Hate Luv Storys offers something original.

I understand that not all films need to be a turning point for Bollywood. But, the film industry is at a fragile place right now, and a hit in the right direction could make a lot of difference. Indian audiences are not only ready, but deserve an original film this year. I Hate Luv Storys could be the satire of Bollywood we’ve been waiting for, or, at the very least– this year’s Wake Up Sid, which was also produced by Karan Johar and directed by a young first timer.

After the past few years, Bollywood filmmakers have convinced me that the industry is ripe with talent, and even big production houses are betting on it. I hope that this film continues on a path of the industry’s creative streak. While watching the promo, I laughed out loud at some parts, but cringed at the other sari-in-the-alps and sappy dialogue portions. There is no doubt that is a mainstream film aimed at the masses. But, this is a great opportunity to remind us that mainstream can rise above formulaic cinema and be refreshing and real.

Either way, I’m eagerly awaiting the film. As of now, I’m intrigued by Imran Khan’s hilarious Shahrukh Khan-Raj-Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi reference. Enjoy!

Khan has been repeatedly saying that this film is made for entertainment purposes only, and is made to appeal to the masses. He says it will be a masala flick, and has in the past hated on critics for giving him bad ratings. His last film, Heyy Babyy, “borrowed”a plethora of material from Hollywood and Bollywood films, lacked an original script, and was ripe with overacting and brainless jokes.  According to this review of Housefull, it seems like this film is more of the same.

In an interview with India Express, Khan said:

I know that there are 10 per cent pseudo intellectual people who like slow, boring, insignificant and non-entertaining films. But then for me, cinema is only about entertainment. It could be in any form, whether action, comedy, thriller or drama,” Sajid said.

Expressing his desire to make only entertainers, Sajid, “Nobody comes to watch a film to change their life. Has a film ever cured cancer, split an atom or changed society? Not at all. The sooner most directors realise it, the better it would be for Bollywood as it would stop delivering any flops.”

Filmmakers have proven that art and comedy can be mixed, that intelligent films can deliver box office gold. Take Jaane Tu Yah Jaane Na or the Munnabhai films. They were commercial, mainstream, but were original,  inspiring and hilarious. Entertainment doesn’t mean that there’s no room for some depth.

A few years ago, the Sajid Khan- style brainless masalas were all the rage in India. The audiences loved them, and the producers loved the profit. Khan’s words may have held a lot of weight in the 90’s and early 00’s, but today, his words aren’t applicable to Bollywood. Art films are doing well, and filmmakers have begun to make smart entertainers. At some point, audiences started rejecting these cliched scripts and overacting, and began to appreciate films that were smarter, more original, and all around better films.

I’m not saying that films like Dev D. or Omkara, though both successes, are the only examples of what constitutes as a smart yet successful film. Uber-masala flicks like Wake Up Sid and Jab We Met are all great  and original films that achieved box office success.

Khan’s may say his main goal is to attract audiences and to make money, but his rejection of films as art work is problematic. Alas, he was successful with his debut film, and it seems like he will be with this movie as well. That’s fine, and that’s his right. My only hope is that Bollywood filmmakers and producers don’t budge from their current progress and don’t forget that intellect and entertainment aren’t mutually exclusive.

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.

Priyanka tweeted, “kashmir is absolutely safe and definately a place i wanna come to on a visit.. stay on a house boat.. walk around the lake.. mmmm.. ” But when she returned to India, she tweeted, “Back to civilization,” which caused some offense.  She corrected this by tweeting further, “by back to civilization i meant coming back to my regular life.. kashmir has been amazing and i love it.. you guys MUST plan holidays here!!”

Peer’s mirthful and sympathetic (well, slightly)  tone toward Chopra points to a much bigger issue. One of the obstacles to peace in Kashmir is that fact that both Pakistan and India have tended to overcompensate and use Kashmir to project there own rhapsodic fantasies onto it. (Peer discusses this at length in the discussion, of which the full conversation can be viewed here.

In particular, Hindi cinema has tended to reinforce an ahistorical notion of Kashmir as India’s Paradise. For decades, Kashmir was the lush backdrop for some of the most exquisitely romantic song and dance sequences. To give Ms Chopra the benefit of the doubt, location filmmaking is gruelingly dull. Remember the fuss created when Sienna Miller, fatigued from filming The Mysteries of Pittsburgh, described Pittsburgh as “Shitsburgh”?

But Priyanka Chopra, wittingly or not, was playing into this ecstatic and traditional honeymooner narrative of Kashmir.

In this clip from the 1970’s super hit film Bobby, Kashmir is the dreamy backdrop for young Rishi Kapoor and Dimple Kapadia.

Political events in Kashmir over the last generation has made it all but impossible for Kashmir to be represented in this way. And as Hindi cinema has grown richer and more global, the whole world

is now its theater when it comes to song sequences. And Kashmir, in the Bollywood film imagination, has become a Paradise Lost.  The treatment of Islamic fundamentalism and the Kashmiri insurgency in films like Fiza and Mission Kashmir — both of which curiously star Hrithik Roshan as a dream boy Taliban — are in many respects political cop-outs,

even if they at least acknowledge a history of state violence, repression and discrimination in India against religious minorities. Suketu Mehta in his staggering book, Maximum City, tells of the experience of being politically at “left angles” while writing the screenplay of Mission Kashmir with Vinod Chopra, “I do not believe in the mouths of my characters,” he wrote. “The script,” he complained, “keeps making half-hearted attempts to balance the view of the Indian state with that of the Kashmiris.” Mani Ratman’s visually very beautiful Roja of 1994 plays virulently plays into this tragic- paternalistic and Indian nationalistic Paradise Lost narrative. (Ananya Jahanara Kabir has an interesting discussion of Roja in her book Territory of Desire.)

Where, one wonders, is the bold, Pontecorvo-or Loach-like  filmmaker to unsettle this and turn Bollywood’s treatment of Kashmir upside down? Could a filmmaker of the dazzling and subversive talent of Anurag Kashyap frame Kashmir in a non-nationalistic way? There are rumors that Arundhati Roy–a brave writer who is never one to shirk controversy—is writing a novel set in Kashmir. And one can hope that there is a filmmaker who has the sensibility to render Peer’s eminently cinematic memoir to the screen.

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):

Both Deol and Kapoor’s films have captivated the youth of India. Both men hail from major Bollywood families, and both have acted in films that have done well with the masses, critics, and awards.

Deol has been in the industry longer, and is, in my opinion, the better actor. His track record is impressive– he was the star in last year’s most successful off beat film, Dev D. Before that, he starred in films like Honeymoon Travels, Pvt. Ltd., Manorama Six Feet Under, and Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! His latest film, Road, Movie, has done amazingly well at various festivals, and with critics. The film is directed by Dev Benegal, a famous documentary filmmaker.

Here is the promo:

Deol’s choice in films are telling. He isn’t an actor from Nasseerudein Shah or Rahul Bose’s house of acting, that is, he doesn’t act in art films. But, his films are far from mainstream. His films represent the new crop of Bollywood films that are off-beat, but have humor, romance, and music. They’re often low budget, with new directors. He avoids major mainstream films that usually have a high box office return.  Deol’s films don’t always make a lot of money, but are well-made, original films that find their niche audience.

Kapoor, on the other hand, does act in major big budget blockbuster films with high profile stars. His first film, Saawariya, was Hollywood’s first major investment in Bollywood, and was made by an established and famous director. Ranbir Kapoor the won best male debut award at the Filmfare Awards for his role.

After the film, Kapoor was sought after some of the biggest names in Bollywood. He could have followed Hrithik Roshan or Abhishek Bachchan’s career path, two actors who also hailed from famous Bollywood families. Instead, Kapoor did a little bit of both. He wasn’t as courageous as Deol– he still stuck with big production houses, but after an initial mainstream phase, started to act in films with new directors in films with fresh scripts.

Kapoor had a great last year. He starred in the very filmy Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahaani (which was mainstream, but much better than many of his previous films). Along with the masala flick, he acted in two parallel films, which won him the Filmfare Critic’s Award last year. His film Wake Up Sid was one of my favorites- It was about a rich boy who hadn’t yet figured out what to do with his life. The plot wasn’t anything too new, but the way the story unfolded and the superb acting made the film one of the best of last year.

Here is a promo for Wake up Sid:

In Rocket Singh- Salesman of the Year, Kapoor played a Sikh. He wore a turban and spoke a lot of Punjab. The film didn’t have songs and had a very compelling and original story. Kapoor is a favorite among the youth and has a huge female following, yet he chose to take a huge risk with his career and acted in two films that weren’t guaranteed box office hits, and in fact didn’t earn as much money as some of his other more safe offers would have.

None of Kapoor’s films compare to Deol’s film Dev D. last year, which also managed to fair extremely well in India, as well as bag many prestigious awards. The film was not only path breaking, but revolutionary for Indian cinema.

These two actors have all sorts of options available to them, and are easily the most sought after actors in Bollywood. Yet, their choices are far from expected. These new breed of actors aren’t repeating the safe choices of actors before them, but are taking risks and trying new roles. They are the future of Bollywood, and right now, the future looks promising.

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.