| Hindi
films are unlike any other. The best of them
will bore into your backbrain like a magic bullet,
unlocking the Technicolor secrets of the subconscious.
Insane musical sequences burst out of nowhere,
assaulting the viewer with explosions of light,
color, and sound. Familiar Hollywood themes
are distorted and inflamed; emotional intensity
is turned up to a furious boil. Petty logic
slips out the back door. To the uninitiated,
the world of Indian cinema can appear unassailable
and many viewers are undoubtedly scared off
by the notion of sitting through a three-hour
long movie with no subtitles. These piffling
excuses have kept American movie buffs away
from one of the most dazzling, spectacular,
and oddly idiosyncratic experiences in world
cinema. The task at hand can be a daunting one:
with thousands and thousands of films to choose
from, in a foreign language, where does one
begin? This article will reveal the shining
path to enlightenment.
Many filmgoers have seen, or have probably at
least heard of, director Satyajit Ray, who is
regarded as a master of the "art film."
His films are renowned for their poignancy and
beauty, but they are aimed at the intellectual,
and tend to cater to Western tastes. Popular
Hindi films are another story altogether; they
are made for the masses, and the masses want
lots of singing and dancing. These singing-dancing
extravaganzas are shot in Bombay, or "Bollywood,"
in the Hindi language. Despite the increasing
number of films shot in South Indian languages,
Hindi continues to reign as Language of the
Superstars. Most Hindi films are three hours
long, with an interval in the middle; shorter
films leave the audience feeling cheated. The
stories, often variations of Hollywood concepts,
are bursting at the seams with twists, turns,
and multifaceted complications. Several different
genres are often crammed into one movie. Action,
romance, comedy, adventure, music, family conflicts,
caste conflicts, and most of all, a vendetta,
are all elements of a masala, or "mixed
spice" film. Sex and nudity, by strict
rule of the Central Board of Film Censors, is
strictly forbidden. Until the late eighties,
there was evan a ban on kissing. Filmmakers
found ways to dance around the censors, through
bold and often humorous use of symbolism, mostly
phallic.
The movies are a huge part of Indian culture.
The Bombay film industry churns out hundreds
of films every year, selling over 100 million
tickets per week. In a country where most people
don't have TVs, VCRs, stereos, or air-conditioning,
the movies provide a universal escape from the
hot, crowded streets. Even the most povert-stricken
beggar will go to greath lengths to see a movie
he's already seen nine times. Movie stars are
treated with god-like reverence. A whole shadow
industry of fanzines, many of them in English,
regularly report the activitiesof the filmi
folk. Theater marquees, in lieu of titles,
will often feature huge day-glo standups of
the stars. When the great Amitabh Bachchan was
nearly killed in a botched stunt, during the
filming of Coolie, the whole country
was on needles and pins. His condition hovered.
One man walked backwards for several hundred
miles to express his devotion, and prime minister
Indira Gandhi cut short an overseas trip to
rush to Amitabh's bedside. Many actors become
politicians themselves. Some become sheriffs,
and still others band together to form their
own political parties. In a strange incident,
actor-turned-politician, M.G. Ramachandran,
or MGR, was once shot and wounded by the actor
who played the heavy in many of his films.
The actors may perform dangerous stunts and
execute amazing dances, but rarely do they sing
their own songs. The unseen stars of these great
musical sequences are the playback singers.
The playback singers record a song, which is
then played back over loud-speakers on the set.
The director, or the dance instructor, yells
out instructions ot the actors, who must mime
the words, sometimes in the middle of a difficult
action sequence. The process is called "picturisation."
Although thousands and thousands of films require
"picturisation," there is a relatively
small pool of play-back singers. Lata Mageshkar,
with her lovely high-pitched wail, is the virtual
voice of India. She has recorded over 30,000
songs and her voice has appeared in over 2,000
films! Still at the top, her voice sounds as
young and beautiful as it did when she began,
several decades ago. Just last week, I saw a
carload of teenagers cruising down Devon, blasting
a booming Mageshkar remix out of huge car stero
speakers. Other ultra-prolific singers include
Mohammed Rafi, Mukesh, Geeta Dutt, and Lata
Mangeshkar's younger sister, Asha Bhosle. In
Hindi film music, Western rules of harmonic
progression don't apply. To great affect, the
composers often combine surf guitars, disco
beats, sitars, and soaring strings in one song.
Each film usually contains at least six musical
numbers, which consume most of the budget.
Having read this far, you already know more
about Kindi film than the average American.
Now, you must see for yourself. Make a day of
it. go get a delicious, all-you-can-eat lunch
buffet at one of the many restaurants on Devon
(in Chicago.), and then head over to Atlantic
Video at 2541 West Devon. Their huge space is
packed with thousands and thousands of Hindi
films. Some of them have subtitles but most
don't. Don't worry about it! Do you know all
the chords in a song to enjoy the music? Even
in an unsubtitled film the attentive viewer
will notice little bits of English sprinkled
here and there. Usually, this is enough to go
on. Even if you are totally confused, remember,
music is a universal language that can transcend
all cultural boundaries.
Here
are a few to get you started:
Khuda Gawa (God is My Witness) (1992)
This is an excellent place to begin. Clocking
in at over three hours, Khuda Gawah is relentless
in its intesity. It is a love sotry on a scale
so epic, it makes Gone With the Wind
look like an episode of "Who's the Boss."
It stars the great Amitabh Bachchan, as Badshah
Khan, who goes on a wild search for the head
of Habibullah, in order to win the love of
the feisty Benazir. Your heart will race and
your jaw will be agape; long-dead emotions
will come back to life.
Deewar (1975)
Amitabh Bacchan began acting in the late 60's
and became known as "the angry young
man." In Deewar, Amitabh is a
man of few words, who lets his smoldering
presence do the talking. This is the story
of two brothers; Shashi Kapoor becomes a cop,
and Amitabh becomes a mob boss. Amitabh demonstrates
his prowess for fighting, in a great ass-kicking,
shovel-wallop sequence, where some heavy sitar
takes the place of the whacka-whacka guitar
from all those blaxploitation flicks.
Sholay (1975)
Like Spaghetti Westerns? Then why not try
a Curry Western? Amitabh puts on a cowboy
hat and hits the dusty trail.
Gumnaam (1965)
This contains one of the greatest rock'n'roll
sequences ever put to film. Phantom-masked
surf-rockers do an unbelievable shakey-shakey
dance! The white-suited singer is the coolest
cat ever! Everyone I've showed this to has
been blown away. I can't even count how many
times I've watched the first ten minutes,
dancing in front of the television.
Bombay (1995)
A story of two star-crossed lovers: he's a
Hindu, she's a Muslim. Through their story,
Hindu-Muslim conflicts are illustrated, against
the backdrop of the devastating Bombay riots.
Don't get the impression that it's like watching
the news. This movie is entertaining, moving,
and has great musical sequences.
Nagin (year unknown)
The opening montage sequence where the stuffed
vulture attacks the snake-man would have Eisenstein
green with envy. A pair of lovers, who can
change into snakes at will, are happy until
a hunter shoots the man while his is levitating
in snake-form. His mate must take revenge.
This lysergically-colored remake of a 1956
classic is truly mindbending.
Dil To Pagal Hai (1996)
This is a modern musical, featuring two of
today's hottest male and female stars: Shah
Rukh Khan and Karisma Kapoor, respectively.
This lighthearted romantic comedy features
great hit music by Uttam Singh.
Ali Baba Aur 40 Chor (Ali Baba and the 40
Thieves) (circa 1970s)
There are some great horseback stunts in the
first massive fight scene. The boomerang-wielding
villian is amazing. This kind of drags in
parts, but stick around for the secret cave
of jewels, complete with disco floor and giant
turtles screen (!?). Did I mention the exploding
horse?
Mera Naam Joker (1967)
A tragic clown with a broken heart (Raj Kapoor)
invites the three great loves of his life
to witness his performance at the circus.
As Raju the Clown performs his act, three
love stories are revealed in the pieces of
a broken heart. This film had me in tears.
A timeless classic.
Virisat (1996)
A beautiful love story starring Anil Kapoor.
I haven't finished watching this, but the
first half hour looks great.
Thanks to Amir Khan Kamal at Atlantic Video,
for answering my never-ending questions.
-Marlon Magas
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