Mocking or Shocking – Peepli Live?

While I was having Monday blues, I still managed to execute a plan with my girls for Peepli Live. A movie, I was waiting to watch from the first glimpse of the trailer. The very first glance was so strong that it caught my attention in a split second. I personally, liked the movie. Reason being, I myself belong from a small town and hail from a farming family. People are having mixed feeling about the movie and the whole gimmick created on farmer suicide issue.

Infact, I had a pretty healthy debate with someone on the movie. So, let’s look at the movie from two perspectives. First, hats off to Aamir Khan for publicizing the concept of farmer suicide which is actually one of the very sensitive issues in our country. The whole mockery was constituted to lure the attention of public. Which, in return was very successful because the movie received 4.5 ratings. However, the mockery didn’t go waste. From an audience perspective, I believe, I left the theatre thinking about Prakash [one of the characters of the movie]. His dialogues moved the viewers. Even though the script delivery was given in a very calm manner and did not bring tears to the eyes; it still left a durable connection with the viewer. A satire of farmer’s destruction was nicely and neatly explained. The movie showed the farmer’s tragedy sarcastically. It was depressing to see how a farmer gets entangled between bank’s loan which turns into a debt and then pressure from family and to make matters worse, the Thekedaar!

Second, some people are not taking this movie positively at all. Infact, they think it created hoopla only because Aamir Khan promoted the movie. Also, that the movie was presented with wrong intentions. It was left in people’s mind as a publicity gimmick and not a serious issue. Farmer’s didn’t commit suicide because they were greedy but because they were frustrated, agitated of loosing their only land inherited from their forefathers. By manipulating and mimicking this concept, the director was not able to show the actual reality. For a farmer, his land is the only property which makes him proud and provides him roti, kapda and makaan.

How is it that our Rajneeti never concocted any policy for such delicate issue? The media played their role effectively. Aam junta is already aware of deceit played by the news channel on every sensitive issue. That was not new to the audience. Indians are very smart people plus very well aware of the tricks played by our very own media. I openly ask my readers, what’s their say in this? Which perspective do you agree upon? Is it okay to produce a gimmick out of an issue or did this film really change people’s point of view towards the farmer’s of our country?

‘Rajneeti’ – A powerhouse package!!!

Worth the wait, ticket price well-spent. Never had I been this excited to write my article. Waited too long for the movie. Ahh…I would highly recommend, Rajneeti. A splendid performance by each actor. Needless to say, hats off to Prakash Jha. I was captivated by the very first opening dramatic kissing scene between a 20 year old girl and Nasserudin Shah. That very minute I understood Jha will take the audience on a roller-coaster. It was a hell of a ride. The trailers were certainly misleading. Katrina Kaif was not the center of the movie. It was a powerful film surrounded only by Men.

Nana Patekar, once again gave an excellent performance. Arjun Rampal, a well educated guy trapped in ‘kurta-pajama’ only because he wants the gaddi; very well executed. Ajay Devgan, well suited for the role and convinced the audience with such ease. For the last two men, I cannot praise in a one-liner. Manoj Bajpai, literally stole the show. I want to salute Prakash Jha once again; he couldn’t have picked a better actor than Manoj Bajpai. Bajpai is filled with talent; only a few directors know exactly how to squeeze out the talent from this proficient artist. From his dialogues to his looks to his dress designers, all deserve an applaud. And lastly, Ranbir, ‘Boy O Boy’, the young-sinister-strategist proved his presence in the movie. He gave the oomph-factor to Rajneeti! No doubt… he will do wonders on the screen. Now that SRK is counting his days and Aamir produces one film per year, Ranbir has the khulla maidaan for him. Remember the days when his dadaji made the Kapoor surname so synonymous with Bollywood? Surely Jha did an outstanding job by focusing on Katrina alone for the teasers. The audience got full on surprises in the movie, I’m sure everyone is happy with minimal role of Kaif. Halfway through the movie I realized, Mahabharata is still alive even in this day and age. Rajneeti portrayed a sophisticated side of exploitation. This is for the reel-life.

And now, the Real life. Our ruthless, conniving Rajneeti. One must get chills down the spine after coming out of the theatre. An entire family murdered only for a gaddi. The air gets polluted by corruption only for a gaddi. Love, sex, dhoka only for a gaddi. I must say, our Rajneeti is like no other. Obviously aam-junta gets allured by popularity, money, lavish lifestyle but the picture behind this man-made, pretty looking endurance is very shallow. Big politicos have utterly no emotions, feelings, belief, and saturated with malevolence. Call it coincidence or karma, you and I are much better off as ‘the-mango-people’ instead of being associated with Rajneeti. These big names can hide their black money; manipulate the ‘mango-people’, swear on bull crap, make promises [faulty ones], show themselves in the simplest roop-rang BUT aarey babu, yeh jo public hai yeh sab jaanti hai…PUBLIC HAI !

Thank you God for not making me a part of this…

Khap Panchayat – the name sounds familiar? Yeah, it’s been haunting me for quite some time, so decided to spread some awareness via my article. Khap Panchayat – a system of social administration and organization of different communities in our country, hamara desh; India.

Back in ole’ days, elders had nothing better to do but to barge in other’s lives and eventually came up with their own absurd rules. Alrite, I agree, there was no such thing called ‘democracy’. Fine! Purana zamana, eh! However, not anymore! Times have changed. Recently, we’ve been hearing about Manoj-Babli case. A massacre which took place in Karnal; only 30km away from my birthplace; Panipat, Haryana. Allow me to shed some light on the case: a random girl and guy fall in love and decide to get married; notwithstanding the consequences of their act. The couple regrets to follow the bull shit tradition of Khap Panchayat. So what, if they belong from the same Gotra [clan within which men and women are considered siblings; hence cannot marry]? What the heck? Firstly, we live in a free world, where so called man-made ridiculous traditions has taken over by the civilization, education, development of knowledge, idiosyncrasy, eloquence, and the most important; liberty & freedom.

And now back to the man slaughtered destruction witnessed by many. Babli’s own family members brutally killed her and her husband. She got poisoned while her husband was being inhumanely bashed by Babli’s brother and relatives. Later on, the dead bodies were thrown in a Canal with their hands and legs tied up. As if, the couple still had a breath left to untie them and start a life. I ask the question to thee? Why should we live like slaves to our old tradition? Who gave them the power? Accept the change. Today’s generation want to live life freely, want to choose their partner and live as they please! Then why these restrictions, confinements? Why the old-parampara? The Panchayat leaders acted as ‘partners-in-crime’ and performed a splendid job by taking the lives of this innocent couple. Bravo! Even our so called ‘desh-ke-rakhwale’; police officers had their share in this cold blooded murder - the height of desperation and frustration. Desperation for more money and frustration of not earning enough money. And when the verdict came out, Manoj’s family was not present due to apprehensions of threat to life. And mind you – what is our Rajneeti doing about all this? How are they helping out the aam-junta? Well, forget helping out, the bastards are busy filling their Swiss bank accounts w/ as much money as they can. Speaking of Rajneeti, let’s see how the movie will turn out? Not that it will do wonders to the aam-junta as we all are aware of how our Rajneeti works! Thanks to Prakash Jha for mimicking the reality into a blockbuster entertainer.

The aam-junta is screaming on top of their lungs: Jiyo aur jeene do !