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| Screening terror |
| Radhieka Pandeya / New Delhi Aug 31, 2008, 05:22 IST |
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A new breed of filmmakers is making films on terrorism, but focusing on emotions rather than the violence.
Reality strikes time and again in cities and hearts that suffer blows of terror and are ripped apart by unimaginable acts of violence. There are thousands of untold stories, millions of unheard cries, but what everyone knows is fear, which remains in the trail of blood-stained streets and shaken lives. We may laud the courage of humans who pick up the pieces and start over, but how many understand the strength it takes? Maybe that is why the Indian film fraternity decided it was time to take our hands and walk us through lives of terror.
Whether it’s the story of the terrorist who comes to Chandni Chowk to blow up the Red Fort on Independence Day in Subhash Ghai’s Black & White or the story of the young Muslim doctor who returns from the UK to find his family and his own life at the mercy of Muslim extremists who hand him a bomb in Raj Kumar Gupta’s Aamir, one thing is certain — terror has been the backdrop of a lot of films that hit the theatres this year. Last week it was Mumbai Meri Jaan and this week it’s A Wednesday and Hijack. In the offing is also Ruslaan, which depicts the fallout of the Mumbai train blasts on a young Muslim.
While the backdrop may be terrorism and violence, the new breed of filmmakers is attempting to pull away from the violence and put forth the human emotions it evokes. “There have been innumerable acts of violence in the recent past, and how people are dealing with them is a very strong aspect of these incidents. This is what needs to be shown. I believe this is a very good prompt for us,” says Neeraj Pandey, director of A Wednesday. Though he insists that his film is a work of absolute fiction, Pandey also admits that it stems from whatever is happening around us.
This is true of most young, creative minds in the industry right now. Attempting to break away from conventional drama and at the same time to reveal the grief and pain caused by acts of communal and political violence, scripts and film reels are being devoted to films that can truly be heart-wrenching. Kunal Shivdasani, who has scripted and directed Hijack, which explores a father-daughter relationship woven around an aeroplane hijack, believes that the increase in terrorism greatly influences filmmaking.
“This is what influences us… we want to capture the human side of these terrorist attacks and acts of violence, what goes on in the human mind.” He adds that the motive behind a film like Hijack is to recreate lost respect for human life, especially for your loved ones.
For major production house UTV, such films have been a favourite flavour. They produced Aamir, Mumbai Meri Jaan and A Wednesday. Agrees Siddharth Roy Kapoor, CEO of UTV Motion Pictures, “The broad theme of these films is the same, even though each film is very different.” He believes that since terrorism is all-pervasive, a lot of creative minds have been influenced by it.
For UTV itself, it was a matter of the subject of the films. “When we heard the scripts, we decided they were too good to let go. And the response we have got for Aamir and Mumbai Meri Jaan has been thrilling.”
That is true. Aamir, a film made mostly by debutants, was applauded by audiences all over the world, while Mumbai Meri Jaan, also the work of a debutant director, received standing ovation during one screening. “It shows that people are truly moved by what they have watched,” says Kapoor.
At the same time, the filmmakers are not ready to slot themselves in the “non-commercial” domain. “Yes, the issue and situation of terrorism has become very important and instigates many, but we also want people to enjoy these films and be entertained. It isn’t just about conveying a social message,” says Pandey. Shivdasani agrees, and adds that India is now ready for this kind of cinema, which is why new directors are experimenting with this genre. “And anyway, family drama is well taken care of by television soaps now.”
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