Gulaal – My Perspective

(While the words ringing in my ear - )

ye duniya agar mil bhi jaye to kya hai ...

 An impressive movie with a remarkable beginning and a little experiment with narrative. After a long gap, that of a week almost, suddenly the images from the movie have began to flip in my mind.

The whole mood of the movie is Disillusionment, and it is also one of its prominent themes. The Rajputanas of Rajasthan are disillusioned after Independence. They realize that their sacrifice, their blood, their treasure has all been wasted. They have not been given the Rights, the Reverence, the Privilege that they deserved. The Rajputs are only giving voice to the general disillusionment felt by everyone after Independence. Moreover, their agony has been highlighted by the fact that the Democracy or Government is doing the Same Thing that they have been accused of. And so,  we all agree. 

The political disillusionment is soon shifted to the disillusionment in all spheres of life : friendship, love, filial relations. Dilip Kumar is the one, trapped in all sorts of disillusionment. Beginning with his enrollment as a Law Student, paradoxically he ends up doing Unlawful actions. He is again disillusioned when he gets to know the Real Politics behind much simple looking college elections for college development. And at last, his disillusionment with Love.

One of the achievements of the movie is - it is symbolical - and the symbol is so well woven that only a critical and observant eye can catch it. Kay Kay Menon is outstanding while Ransa deserves much accolades. Piyush Mishra plays the Elizabethan Fool to the Court and King, here represented by  Kay Kay Menon. The songs of the movie are Poetry in its best progressive movement tone (*). 

There is a sort of Mass Mania in the movie. A mass mania, I would say, is, when common sense has been  given up for a foolish purpose by a certain group. The first thing that hit me was, a different side of Politics. Apart from all mania, stupidity, impossible and almost laughable purpose of Politics shown in Gulaal , the striking thing is , it is shown, grossly at the grass root level - College politics. Where the movies like Singham, Gangajal, Rajneeti, show you the Climax and End, from a very common perspective, of the Honest Policeman or Honest Game-playing Rajneta- Gulaal takes you back to the Beginning - the College Elections - the most hideous side of Politics.  

Another fascinating thing about the movie is - its Title. Such a title invites number of interpretations, which is a pleasure to a searching mind like me. What Gulaal represents? Gulaal is the red color powder used in the Hindu festival - Holi. Thus it is symbolizes happiness, fraternity and love. But have you noticed Gulaal has been used since ages by Revolutionaries? Gulaal, in much Indian sense, also symbolizes Revolution. I have noticed one more thing these days, in all Hindu dharmik yatra or Julus , in which people dance in frenzy, Gulaal has been used, then, does it also symbolize Mania, Frenzy?  Of course, the red color is a dynamic color - representing Contradictory emotions - On one hand, Anger, Hatred, Blood and one other hand,  Love, passion, revolution. One color - many faces. That makes it just a perfect Title.

Well, look at the poster carefully.

(*) - Progressive Movement in Poetry of Hindi Literature was affected by Marxist Movement of Europe, Political turbulence at home and as a reaction of Chhayavaadi Kaavya. The most efficient representative of this Poetry is Ramdhari Singh Dinkar , and one of his most famous lines are - ' Sinhasan khali karo ki Janta aati hai...' , which was used by Jay narayan Prakash as a motto for his revolution. 

Gulaal - Thoughts on my Mind

Just watched Gulaal.



Thoughts on my mind -

1.) Gulaal is a good movie.

2.) At least , it Provokes.

3.) Piyush Mishra ; eh ! he is a Man !!!

4.) Songs - Would have to Read the Lyrics, (as one had to do with the lyrics of Rockstar's songs) that's a compliment, isn't it. And well... the beats will remain for long in the heart. They are very conventional and yet afresh, anew aroma lingers about them - a compliment that even Rockstar missed.

5.) Ground-level Politics - that was the first striking thing.

6.) Violent , abusive, rash, coarse - and yet a poetic feeling wraps them all. Credit goes to the - Symbolism, Dark Characters, Madness, Tragedy ??

7.) Nothing is made up, added for flavor - what is , it is.

Second Thoughts -  


1.) Read about Anurag Kashyap - his life is itself like a movie, interesting ! inspiring !


2.) Madness always adds a poetic touch to the life, literature and movie. Madness mirrors the life within - incoherent, inconsistent and irrational.


3.) The place of Ransa is the Post-Modernism Alive. Bob Marley with Pornographic light effects, sharp red-Green erotic lights, with frames all over the walls. Its not just to create a dark-lusty atmosphere but to emphasize the underlying Plotting and Deceit. 

King Lear and 'an ordinary old man'

Every old man is a King Lear, said Goethe once. But I would rather say, Every old man must be a King Lear.

It is in fact painful to see if an old man is a King Lear half a way and very much an ordinary man , rest his life. I don't know if it was good to read literature. Literature, out a way, did nothing good to me. I keep on meeting Symbols on my way, finding parallels hopelessly and remembering experiences from revered poet's and writer's works. Every day looking at my granddad the lines echo in my ears - 'where palsy shakes a few sad last gray hairs.' or 'when you are old and gray and full of sleep.' What good it is to be alive and be dependent. But I think of King Lear often. It is good to be alive if you are going to have some realizations.

But 'an ordinary old man' is one who : Like King Lear, has lots of Ego, has Dreams for old age, has few good friends, misunderstands one of his child, experiences Ingratitude on other's part and is doomed to a dark fate. And Unlike King Lear , he is thoughtless, repeating mistakes, doesn't realize his mistakes till ends.

Only if 'an ordinary old man' was a King Lear , he would be , in spite of his Ordinariness , 'every inch a King'. Sometimes it is irritating to be with an old man and more because you have read poets and writers about old age , that they disliked being old and they still have immortal yearnings and poetical thirst of knowledge. It is irritating when you are full of Lofty thoughts about old age and what all you get at the end is 'an ordinary old man' dying 'an ordinary death.' You realize you lived in a different world of poetry and imaginations. Because the old age reflected in poetry is still some graceful than the old age seen in reality, let alone experiencing it.

It seems King Lear doesn't exist these days. The towering figure, every inch a king, with capacity to bear the Ingratitude and Storm and a courage to Die... when the reason to live has died.

It is, good to know when to quit Gracefully. 

Between and Beyond : An Impression of two movies - The Piano and The Reader

I deliberately chose a movie. It turned out to be The Piano. I liked something in it at the first glance, I don't know what it was. But I chose a terrible day to watch it. I must confess, I was already lost that day and I couldn't get much out of the movie. The next day early in the morning when the sky was quite blue, blue like the ocean, the movie slowly came upon me. Every scene began to roll in my head and as if I were a Piano myself, knots began to play in me.

No, I am not allowed to be poetic here. For the more prosaic side, I would say, the movie reminded me of another compelling story, The Reader (2008). Why? I guess you would know it only if you watch both movies with a long forgetful gap in between.

To quote IMBD summary of The Reader, " Post-WWII Germany: Nearly a decade after his affair with an older woman came to a mysterious end, law student Michael Berg re-encounters his former lover as she defends herself in a war-crime trial. " Well it is about love. Love which creeps you in a strange way. It creeps you in through a dark passage of desire, passion and anything but Platonic Love.

And the summary of The Piano goes like this , " A mute woman along with her young daughter, and her prized piano, are sent to 1850s New Zealand for an arranged marriage to a wealthy landowner, and she's soon lusted after by a local worker on the plantation. " (IMBD)

Lust? Is it the keyword? But it isn't just Lust - 

George Baines: Ada, I'm unhappy. 'Cause I want you. 'Cause my mind has seized on you and can think of nothing else. This is why I've suffered. I am sick with longing. I don't eat, I don't sleep. So, if you have come with no feeling for me, then go. Go. Go. Get out. Leave!  (The Piano)

I feel am quite powerless to say about both movies. But I do feel about them, I feel about them differently. I read them through my colored senses. And all I read is - Passion. Whether for Piano, a quest to one's own voice or for Letters, uneasiness over one's mortal flaw. Have you ever been ashamed of something? So much so that you put your life in brackets? The Reader is a story of such a character who prefers confinement to reveal a shameful secret - that she can not Read. 

The crux of both movies is love and yet it is not just the love. The movies revolve around strong Female characters who can just not let go of something so Precious, though they can let go of anything else. Ada, in The Piano, let go of her Self, allows Baines to ... do something with her while she plays the Piano. It is a deal. But isn't it more than a deal? One finds the answer when Ada , after he has returned her Piano, being restless, goes to Baines, only to Slap him hard and submit herself again, this time Unconditionally. The Reader is more complex to understand. I watched it perhaps an year or two back. And now I realize I hadn't understood much at that time. 

The human quality and touchiness of both the movies is just enough to make you leave in trance. And when in this trance the words like Lust and Love echo in your mind, you know it, you know there is something between the Lust and Love - something between and beyond...