This long due September post can talk about a million things as there have been a galore of events all over the world, the latest being the global financial crisis as Wall Street would call it. Since I don’t want to write about what I already write about and what has already been written about by those hundreds of more eloquent and authoritative authors, including analysts, CEOs and veteran financial journalists, I would stick to my blog domain and try and be oblivious to all those more important happenings at my workplace and around me.
I saw The Last Lear on Sunday; it was not one of those must-watch movies in my list to go on the second day of its nation-wide release. It was neither one of those detestable pieces of art that we call “art cinema or parallel cinema”, I would never go to. With all due respect to the brilliant artists behind the scenes who delve in to such a lot of research and attention to detail in their movies! Sorry, may be I am not that intelligent to understand the nitty gritties of the same and the reason behind the long eerie silence that persist through out such flicks devoid of the otherwise interesting background score. I might be one of those dumb journos who can’t understand such work of art, but it’s ok. Someday I will, I hope.
But, the reason that pulled me to the Last Lear was obvious. Nope, if you think it’s the Bachchan magic, then sorry I am no Big B big fan. Stop guessing the reasons; you will go wrong time and again. I am not pro-MNS either. I can’t stop thinking in my language and start my thought processes in Marathi only because I am in Mumbai -- for no shivs, no senas or senapatis. Me not being in Mumbai is a different issue altogether and so is me being in namma Bengalooru and cannot speak Kannada. Yeah so, what if Jaya Bachchan said she'd speak only in Hindi while addressing a gathering? How would she be possibly hurting any Maharashtrian sentiment with that statement, is beyond my comprehension. It’s ridiculous for the nephew of the majestic Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray to stoop to such levels of regional fanatism. Not that the latter is any better. Makes matters worse with the two being at extreme loggerheads now.
Someone tells me it’s all a stunt just ahead of the premier of Mr. Arindam Chaudhary's debut production venture. I disagree with that someone simply because the Thackerays are heavy names to be meddled with in such publicity mayhems.
The movie was a smoother or rather one like a smoothie drink, which has to be patiently taken in small portions and leaves you with satisfaction towards the end.
It was indeed the legendary director in Rituparno Ghosh doing the trick yet again. I would not hold back my appreciation for Mr Bee, who despite hamming has made the character look real. Preity Zinta was average and Divya Dutta doing justice to those stereo typical roles that come her way. This time it was of a home nurse who is madly and sadly in love with one of those possessive types who remains a mystery through out.
Arjun Rampal, as hot as ever *wink wink, doing a good job as the director of the movie within the movie.
I don't want to talk about each character in the movie as it doesn't warrant so much. It was not an extraordinary movie, but the ratings and reviews do lie some time. It was just another ordinary flick taken with immense care to take it off the "commercial" list. Nevertheless, it was a cinema watchable for its directorial goodies. And not to forget, watch it for the recitals by the angry “old” man of all the greatest passages from Shakespeare.
I am afraid the Thackerays' fixation with Maharasthra and Marathi might one day drive out one of the biggest and most colourful/sought after industries -Bollywood- from the state.
With an apology, the Bachchans overcame their nightmare of getting expelled from the clan, while certain other industry pros are still struggling to establish their foothold in what may be described as "nativist politics". Nice plot for another movie on the Sarkar raj or Raj's sarkar :), this time may be we could call it, errr..ahem- The Last Fear!!!?!
