Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Movies – A reflection of our society!




Being in advertising I must have flogged that line, god knows how many times. The reason I am writing this is that recently I saw – Bheja Fry, Khosla Ka Ghosla, and Mixed Doubles. The so-called “movies for the multiplex audience” Although I might be over intellectualizing but I thought there were 3 notable trends, which one can see.

Bheja Fry & Mixed Doubles highlight the frustrations which today’s urban rich are going thru. Rich but bored. Married but frustrated. It’s not just about wife swapping as shown in Mixed Doubles or the extra marital affair in Bheja Fry. They are just metaphor but just look around – talk to today’s teenagers, school going kids, fresh graduates and you can feel that pulse. As you grow the need to achieve some thing / reach somewhere / make a mark grows faster. And this in a way has become a second nature for all of us - that constant dose of adrenalin, activity, something new / different / exciting will manifest itself in one’s personal life at some point or the other.

The second interesting aspect of both these movies is the change in the attitude of women towards sex. In Bheja Fry in a touching turnaround, we find that the tax inspector’s (who is our usual middle class fellow) wife is sleeping with some rich person. Similarly in Mixed Doubles, the wife is never interested in the entire wife swapping business, but in the end it’ she who actually agrees and goes ahead. In both cases the women made the choice while their counterparts just watched and gagged.

Both movies also in a way depict a strange status quo which today’s marriages are reaching. It is more of an arrangement and not a commitment. Each has their own aspirations not only about them but also about their kids and their future. So if the EMI has to be paid and the kid’s future secured both need to work. Most of the younger generation is wise in having that bank balance before they start washing the diapers. They are ok in taking a break but “looking after only my kids for next 5 years” or “having a kid after the 1st yr of marriage”– No way! Lot of couples I talk to have found an easier solution – Adopt a dog. They are faithful, your house is safe and they live only for 20 years. What next! A robo-dog who doesn’t shit and can be switched off when required.

It also showcased, the difference between a grown rich and someone who becomes rich. While the former believes it’s ok to exploit the other. Someone who has grown rich by nature remains middle class and believes in helping / sharing the pain and by heart a genuinely warm person. A lovely example of this Khosla Ka Ghosla which beautifully depicts the pains which a father goes thru so that his son can go to US and he could buy a house of his own.

While Mixed Doubles dragged at times Bheja Fry and Khosla Ka Ghosla was just brilliant. No fancy sets, songs and dance sequence but simple focus on characterization, dialogues – getting the accent and the local lingo right. It was almost like seeing a theatre in NCPA. I don’t think too many people read my blog but Great Show and yes I will see it again when it comes in the idiot box. So your TRP is secure. Jai ho Multiplexes ki! (Although I saw it in a DVD)