Dushyant
Discussions of cinema in India have generally centered around the English cinema of Mumbai. For some time now, it has expanded towards the cinema of South. Although Indian cinema of many languages is still far from the discussion. In such a situation, we also need to see how much and how we have been watching the cinema of India’s neighboring countries. Cultural affinities developed over a long period of time, shared history as well as some sharing of languages, such as Urdu and Punjabi with Pakistani cinema and Bengali with Bangladesh. Sometimes when a film from a neighboring country achieves international status, gets a big award, then its name is heard in India, otherwise there is no discussion about their cinema. This year a beautiful Bhutanese film ‘Lunana – A Yak in the Classroom’ directed by Pao Choening Dorji has been selected among the final 5 at the Oscars. It is a coincidence that Dorji’s education and writing took place in India, but the film did not get proper discussion in India.
a decade gap
Same is the case with Pakistani films.
- After 11 years, a film from Pakistan is coming to the cinema halls of India. Its name is ‘Joyland’. It has also gone to the Oscars this year from Pakistan. Interestingly, this film has also been the subject of severe criticism from some sections in Pakistan, even as it was banned for some time.
- The last released film was Shoaib Mansoor’s ‘Bol’.
- Think how many of us know that serious people like Sarmad Sahbai, Farzad Nabi, Sarmad Sultan Khoosat are making big changes in Pakistani cinema.
- A few years ago, a Pakistani film named ‘Mahe Mir’ was also discussed at the international level. This film was also the official nomination for the Oscar Award from Pakistan. It was shown in some film festivals in India, appreciated but theater release was not destined for the general public.
Disruption of cultural movement
Political-diplomatic relations have also disturbed cultural movements. Governments will also have their own valid arguments for that. But there is also a complete argument that peace and loving relations between countries of the subcontinent with shared history and cultural affinities are better served by cultural exchanges. Arts may come and go, people associated with arts may come and go, things that connect should be strengthened, only then tomorrow can be better than today.
- ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ recently released in Pakistan and became the highest-grossing Punjabi film ever commercially. PVR had talked about releasing it in India, the date was also fixed, but it was not released.
- For some reason the Censor Board did not pass this film, while ‘The Legend of Maula Jatt’ is a film version of a popular folk tale prevalent in Punjab for centuries on both sides, on which films have been made earlier on both sides.
The way the cinema of the South has redefined Indian cinema, Pan Indian cinema in the recent past, I see the potential of pan-continental cinema as well. Ideas or stories that the subcontinent can relate to, that it organically accepts as its own cinema beyond just good cinema from abroad or the neighbourhood. It is believed that if the sorrows and hopes of a geographical cultural area are similar, then the dreams will also be the same. Why can’t that unity take a positive shape in cinema? The list of shared sorrows and hopes of the Indian subcontinent is so long that one would fall short of counting the fingers.
The geographical locale of hundreds of mythological stories including Ramayana, Mahabharata is so common, no area of the subcontinent seems unfamiliar or alien while telling and listening to the story. A few years ago a Punjabi film came – The Black Prince. I expected a good reception from the audience, at least as a film from the Indian subcontinent. The film marked the debut of popular Punjabi singer Satinder Sartaj as a hero. Apart from Punjabi, it was also released in English, English, French, but for some reason it could not cast a spell on the audience. Still, my hope remains. One or the other film will compete with Hollywood by becoming the biggest film of the subcontinent and it will not have any arrogance that it is not a Bollywood film or a South Indian film. Joint construction with the neighborhood is also a beautiful idea.
- India’s favourite, veteran filmmaker Shyam Benegal’s film on Bangladeshi producer Sheikh Mujibur Rahman is about to come.
- What a beautiful coincidence that Hansal Mehta has recently brought a Bangladeshi hero on screen in his latest film ‘Faraj’ as a gift from Mumbai cinema.
betterment of relations
This exchange of ideas, stories will also help in improving not only the cinema of the subcontinent, first cultural and then political relations. We will be able to create a better world because the ways of peace and betterment are made only by generosity of mind and understanding each other. Winds and arts do not see the border. Arts like cinema connect hearts, share sorrows, add color to dreams of a shared beautiful future. The release of ‘Joy Land’ should be welcomed and it should also become a series, because even love is not a milestone or an event, it is a series of flowing rivers. In these stories of love and rivers, there are heartbeats of life and hearts.
(The author is a lyricist and scriptwriter in English cinema)
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are the author’s own.