Cinema is a major industry. It employs millions of people;
it churns out loads of money. But in India, cinema is not just that. It is a
part of our lives, our dreams. And in 2013, we step into 100 years of Indian
Cinema! The journey has been a long one and there is no denying that every
Indian has been a part of it. To celebrate this great occasion, four directors
(Karan Johar, Zoya Akhtar, Dibakar Bannerjee and Anurag Kashyap) have come up
with Bombay Talkies: a medley of four short movies under one banner.
Karan’s movie is laced with gay characters. If I had to
title his story in Bombay Talkies, I would call it The Coming Out. Initially,
the story runs the mundane path of a homosexual guy who wants people to accept
him as he is; a normal gay boy. It has its share of humour, wit, sarcasm,
philosophy and fun. But as the story ends, we suddenly realize that the story
is not about the coming out of the homosexual characters. It’s about the coming
out of the female protagonist. The story ends brilliantly with the female
protagonist coming out of her stigma of a failed sexual relationship with a
victorious smile.
Dibakar’s story is about a father hunting a story for his
sick daughter. It’s heart touching to see how a father turns a humiliating
experience of his life into a heroic story for his daughter. Nawazuddin Siddiqui steals your heart with his
performance in this story. Probably he will steal many awards too for this
one. He brings to life the simple truth:
whatever the circumstances, a father is always the hero for his daughter. Also,
this story is a silent tribute to all those people who play the smallest of
parts in our Hindi movies. We do not see their names on the roll, we do not
remember them after the movie, but without them, the movie is incomplete. If I
had to title this story, I would call it Hero.
Zoya Akhtar’s story reminds you of an important part of
Bollywood movies: the child artist. This little guy called Naman Jain will
steal your hearts with his dreams. If I had to title this story, I would call
it Sheila ki Jawani. Zoya’s story is an idealistic story. It tells you to
follow your dreams, no matter what. By the end of this story, you may still
remain a cynic, but you will not remain without a happy smile. That’s a
guarantee.
And then comes Anurag Kashyap’s story. Indians are crazy
about their favourite filmstars. They worship Dilip Kumar and Amitabh Bachchan.
But are they blind in their faith? Or is it that the fan knows full well that
Amitabh Bachchan is not a God but still chooses to worship him? Anurag’s story
beautifully captures this theme. The story starts with the craziness of an
Amitabh Bachchan fan and ends with the wit of a man who has seen and lived his
life. The story is a tribute to Bollywood stardom and the Bollywood fans. If I
had to title this story, I would call it The Un-dying Fan.
The movie ends with a brilliant song and dance number
celebrating the 100 years of Indian Cinema. I loved Bombay Talkies very much
but there is just one thing I found missing in this movie; a boy meets girl
love story. After all, romantic love story is the most dominant theme of
Bollywood movies. This is what Bollywood is famous for. But the four stories are so brilliant that its hard to keep holding grudges. Another praise: the casting song brilliantly captures the centenary mood.
Bombay Talkies is a subtle reminder that Bollywood has
shaped our lives in more ways than we can recognize. It has given us dreams, it
has given us hopes. It has pioneered changes in the society. It has celebrated
womanhood. It has celebrated love. It has celebrated homosexuality. It has
given us careers, it has given us entertainment. And it has given us our
favourite stars!
