Digitalism – confronting new realities

The history of cinema is as much the history of its formal engagements as that of its technical innovations. Thirty years after it came into existence, cinema finally manages to marry audio to visual and that give birth to first talkie. That was 1927 and the film was called Jazz Singer, whose first lines “YOU AIN’T HEARD ANYTHING YET”

 Suddenly there was a paradigm shift from the story narrative to performances and audiences loved every bit of it. The advent of digital technology marks yet another bend in the long road of cinema history. Paradigms are shifting one more in terms of representations, narratives and the business of movie making. What digital means technically is that picture and sound are converted to the binary digitals of 1 and 0. This data can be stored, manipulated and transmitted by computers. Once the audio & visual information starts existing in a digital form, a whole lot of possibilities starts opening up in front of the director. The digital technology first made its presence in the 80s and around the 90s it started gaining ground. Initially, the low cost of production (in relation to celluloid) attracted certain section of communicators for whom the existing mode of production was too prohibitive in its cost. Today, digital technology has become acceptable not only for its low cost production but primarily because it has opened up a new set of realities in terms of image building and their modes of representation which in turn allows a fresh set of aesthetic possibilities. New spaces are being explored. Elaborate lighting and mise -en -scene designs have become passé. Noises and grains have become part of neo vocabulary. Alternative visual punctuation are being articulated, as dissolve, bleach, wipe…goes out of fashion. And all these are happening not in Paris, London and Berlin but in Hongkong, Taiwan, India, Iran and most of developing countries which has so long remained only the underbelly of an imperial cinematic language.
Digital technology can be used to create new kind of images where fantasy is just a click away. With a suitable software one can digitally alters pictures, like removing a person or adding a building. This changes our basic understanding of photographed reality. In digital era, statements like ‘pictures don’t lie’ and ‘seeing is believing’ are clearly untrue. Digital editing is software based. Such systems are not only user friendly but also help shape new film making styles and techniques such as the use of very short shots, graphics that flow around the screen and objects that seamlessly transform (morph) into other objects. The look of most TV commercials today would not be possible without digital tools.
This digital explosion has been gleefully accepted by alternative film makers. The famous mini DV camcorders are being increasingly employed to tell personal narratives which are quiet invigorating. The results have flooded TV and film festivals. Surprises of surprises, even big production companies have started taking note of such developments. Today they are a lot more amenable to personal stories, which are far removed from the recognized genres of Hollywood. Big matinee idols are lending themselves to thought provoking digital films. A young digital film maker in Delhi or Allahabad can always take heart from the fact that coupled with digital film production is the advent of world wide web in promoting and distributing of film through U Tube, Websites, Blogs, online services and so on. High definition TV is another aspect that has given digital production a boost. Not only does it save time and money, the quality is now high enough that audiences usually can’t tell the difference. There are also digital projectors that 9 million pixels and create super real images that never get scratched or dirty. Digital distribution through the sale of DVD is much more than theatrical tickets sales. Today more foreign films are available on DVD than can be exhibited in a theatre.

The future of digital film making looks promising. The medium is young and the time is ripe to jump into the (band?) wagon. As much as we are aware that a digital picture can near match the depth of a 35 mm film image, one is also conscious of its fresh narratives possibilities. Recourse to digital film making is a matter of choice (ideological and asthetical) and need not necessary be an alternative to ones fulfilled wishes of making a 35 mm film. Serious digital film makers, globally, are becoming progressively conscious of the rigors, discipline and respect that this new format demands of its practitioners.                  

   

Culture through cinema

             Cinema is mirror of society through which society can reflects/exhibits its own pictures to external world. Culture is a blanket which covers the society and weaved by the threads of materialistic attributes like clothing, food habits, house city architecture and abstract attributes like social,norms, values, customs and beliefs. Cinema is capable in reflecting reality of society through systematization and polarized themes (moral/economic or political) which is not easily perceived by masses or ignored at large. Cinema not only characterized the reality of society but also helps to evaluate the existing social norms, values, customs and believes to build   a capacity in the society for self analysis and thus support it for self modification,correction (new shape).

  We heard a number of Hollywood inspire suffixes like Tollywood, Kolleywood, Mollywood, Gollywood and Pollywood which are examples of various regional cinemas in India. Though Indian cinema covers all these forms of regional cinema but Bollywood that many people synonymous with Indian cinema because of its large territorial extent and inter regional character.

Indian cinema has credit of release maximum number of movies in the world. Indian cinema reflects popular culture of india in a melodramatic effect. By melodramatic we means portrayal of extreme situations and actions, overt valiancy, persecution of good and final reward of virtues. Its extravagant expression that the world governed by a moral order which is also central theme of Indian cultural philosophy i.e. “Dharma ki hamesha jeet hoti hai (truth always wins)”.   Our debate is to find out the intensity of cinemas impact for shaping role which is already established.

              First we divide cinema in two parts regional and inter regional cinema (national broadly). Regional cinemas mostly target the audience having regional and parochial outlook. So its display will also exhibit the values of particular region. This type of cinema merely depicts the deep entrenched social values of a particular region and hardly tries to introduce any theme contradicting to existing values. But whenever there is a sense of change is probable and a passive acceptance ready to convert in overt admission, cinema take the lead particularly regional because of its deep understanding of culture of concerned society. Bollywood is watched throughout India at large so it can better play the role of shaper of popular culture. Due to Bollywood cultural intermingle role Bhagra and Dandia is danced throughout India . Bollywood is also inspired from Hollywood and other international cinema. It depicts the ultra modern values as central theme like mega cities culture of lavish life, cosmopolitan culture  of individualism, live-in partnership, homosexuality etc. These types of characterization have accountable impact on Indian youth. Prime minister Nehru once stated, “…the influence in India of films is greater than books and newspaper combined.” Cinema has become powerful vehicle for culture, education, leisure and propaganda. Cinema is wholly unique form of art where visual simulations make you emotionally stable with leisure and entertainment. Highly accessible social art form cinema generally cuts across economic lines. At the same time, attending the cinema allows for the excuse of personal preference and the human need for distinction. That is why its impact is much broader, deep and durable than other art forms.

                    For the last 100 years cinema has been shaping and reflecting Indian culture. Both culture and cinema influence each other. Cinema has been changing in its ethical motif with the changing conditions (socio-political and economic) and values of culture. Culture and cinema communicate bidirectional that is why cinema is always relevant and depicts the social reality through which it has been so popular among masses. Let us have a look our changing portrayal of values by cinema

Before independence: mythology and strong women are dominant themes because of crisis of masculinity in political dominance.

        After independence: Three themes parallel occupied the cinema

1.    The state emblem (courtroom portrayals)

2.     Rural urban debate under confusion of what is modernization

3.    East west cultural debate Rajkumar movies show the darkness of cities life by Barsat ki rat, Awara, Fauji as central character to depicts loyalty towards nation. Mother India prioritized the community life above any relation which was also the message of patriotism. Afterwards Devdas, Agnipath  were inspired from shattered dreams of socialism and equality and showed how dominant class exploiting the masses and immune to social culpability.

1980s theme Ek duje ke liye, Love story and Quamat se qyamat tak to challenge establish values (regional, religious or class differences) in starting of liberal era.

After liberalization: 
    1.    Disenchantment with politics of urban middle particularly because of their raised awareness and aspirations (Shool, Satya, and Rang se basanti) formerly personal value politician targeted not of their being politician. 
   2.    Celebration of business class (formerly despised by masses) – Guru, Baazigar, Hum aapke hai kaun 
   3.    Individual aspiration after state withdrawal and opening of economy (Bunty  aur babali, Guru, 3 Idiots) 
   4.    Illegality considered as enterprise (Bunty aur Babi, Doom1- 2-3, Kaminey, Jnnat) 
   5.    Show off India’s spending power (Jindagi Na Milegi Dobara, Yejawani hai deewani) but portrayals loosened interpersonal bonds not as Sangam and Lalkar.

     At last cinema is itself a part of culture like no marriage is complete without dancing on Bollywood songs. Electoral campaign is done by patriot theme based songs. Disco culture though borrowed from west heavily dependent on latest Bollywood songs.           

 

Dhruva Poem  dedicated to dreamy beloved

“Pen is me”
Holding a pen in a little finger
As lover holds back
His beloved
And let him allow
To kiss her passionately,
As point’s blue ink touches
Lips of paper,
Both do the same but minutely differ
The lover who kisses is my illusion.
While the pen is me
Ink is my love
And paper is my beloved...!

Scorsese’s wolf rule...............

Scorsese’s wolf rule  (from my article in aakhirkyon magazine)

“I would wish for any one of my colleagues to have the experience of working with Martin Scorsese once in their lifetime.” These lines are from world famous by legendary actor Daniel Day-Lewis. Martin Scorsese who is famous for his noir films like Taxi Driver, GoodFellas, Departed and The Wolf of Wall Street. He handled many plots, time and social upheaval. Handling a character is his forte.

Many directors from US work according to story and then create the character. Scorsese never give importance to story. This revolutionary director who make his film around the character, for him character is the most important factor. Film is about the character and his psychological landscape. His films offer us an exclusive glimpse of society, social scenario and its impact on character’s mind. We surrender ourselves to the screen and scream with a character because we never realize when his character becomes our alter ego. The Wolf of Wall Street is a film about Jordan Belfort's memoir. Jordan Belfort who worked as stockbroker and who is convicted for stock market manipulation. He has spent 22 months in prison. Now he works as a motivational speaker. Jordan who was greedy for money and who committed many frauds to experience all his whims and fancies of as a mortal. In this film we find anxiety, emptiness and despair amid the rampage of group hysteria throughout the film. As Scorsese say, “As you grow older, you change.” These lines come true when we watch films. This film showcases the characters of William Shakespeare’s characters from tragedies and comedies. Representative stories of great men and their downfall, facing trial, drugs, daughter get kidnapped, car crash ultimately he become vulnerable. He realizes his self destructive urges. This showing us how the world works, everything comes up with a price. Belfort gets scared once he goes to jail. Thus the Machiavellian Belfort, an anti-hero of late-capitalist finance selling the lure of wealth as an alchemical panacea , may be our equivalent of Richard III or Iago - who also charm us and immobilize our moral instincts by taking us into the confidence of their villainous schemes.

Rothstein has much in common with Shylock, hated by his Italian associates as a Jew, and finally incited to self-destruction by a contradictory human passion for family. conceivably the damaged and driven, yet heroic Hughes that Scorsese and DiCaprio showed us resembles Coriolanus - a mother- figure of immense power whose uncontrollable personal demons shape our destiny. We can call it a psychological capitalist epic. It could be compared with Citizen Cain. It is a film with a serious subject when we are living in the time of fast change. 2008 financial collapse of financial world made him make this film

Bicycle Thief and Pather Panchali

Over the weekend, I watched 
Vittorio De Sica's The Bicycle Thief (1948) and Satyajit Ray's Pather Panchali (1955) back to back.  Both the films are landmark films. In fact, Ray's Pather Panchali is said to have started the so-called art cinema movement in India. It was the first of the Apu Trilogy. The other two films of the trilogy are Aparajito (1956; The Unvanquished ) and Apur Sansar (1959; The World of Apu ). This trilogy tells the story of Apu, the poor son of a Brahman priest, as he grows from childhood to manhood in a setting that shifts from a small village to the city of Calcutta. The conflict between tradition and modernity is the interconnecting theme spanning all three films, which can be construed as portraying the awakening of India in the first half of the 20th century.

Ray has written in his "My Years with Apu" that he was deeply impacted by The Bicycle Thief. When he was in London, he saw this film many times over. This neorealistic film, with its downbeat story and its economy of means -- location shooting with nonprofessional actors --, convinced Ray that he should attempt to film his favorite novel, Pather Panchali . Ray had illustrated this novel by Bibhutibhushan Banerjee, and had been contemplating its cinematic possibilities after seeing De Sica's work.

Though I am not going to analyze these two masterpieces (they anyway have been done to death), what I was trying to discover through this experience was the possible influence of De Sica's work on Ray's vision. The two films do share their spirit of humanism in an atmosphere of poignancy and depict the tortures that poor people have to undergo in order to survive (the aspects of social commentary). De Sica's work is matter of fact; Ray's is poetic. I cannot forget the scene where the trembling lotus leaves herald the arrival of monsoon as well the scene where Apu and Durga discover the train. Both the films have struggling parents and innocent but astute and understanding children. Both the films end on the road, without a resolution. While Apu and his parents escape (from crushing poverty, and sadness due to Durga's death) to Benaras, Antonio and his son Bruno keep walking on the road towards an uncertain future.
The story of The Bicycle Thief develops like a chase and the audience is kept in suspense throughout. Will Antonio find his stolen bicycle? Will he get his job back? In Pather Panchali, the story develops like life itself, Harihar's family and its relationship with the neighbourhood being revealed slowly. Ray uses a lot of close ups and extreme close ups and the camera often lingers on faces to depict the moods. The music is brilliant and rooted in the culture of Bengal.
        I found the last part of Pather Panchali especially relevant as it deals with the issue of migration. When the poor Brahmin family is all set to migrate to Benaras, a neighbour visits them and says: "Staying in a place for a long time makes people mean. We will also see if we can migrate."
                Apu's father Harihar is a priest and writer but he finds no takers for his art. Apu's migration from poor Bengal to the literary Benaras reminds me of Naipaul's (also a Brahmin's son) escape from Trinidad to London.De Sica's film also reminded me of Bimal Roy's classic Hindi Film Do Bigha Zameen. In its vision and philosophy, it is much more closer to The Bicycle Thief.

MANIAC

                                                                         MANIAC

I do not want .....
Still I love you calling me Maniac

If I say I am a dreamer;for you a maniac
If I say I love you;for you its a shock
If i feel emotional;for you a old stock
Still I love you calling me maniac..

I do not want............
still I love you calling me maniac

I am maniac and i love your smile
I am maniac and i love your style
I am maniac I love you going wild
I am maniac good prisoner to filed

I do not want.......
Still i love you calling me Maniac.............

You comes around my dreams
Now I believe in screams
Workout all way; say no to treams
Still I have to flow in streams...

I do not want.......
Still i love you calling me Maniac.............

How much i feel you how much miss
You can fell it only after kiss
I did all but; all will be fiss
How much i feel you how much i miss

I do not want.......
Still i love you calling me Maniac.............

Uncertainity in life..........

Past midnight, there’s something which is stirring my thoughts. That something is what I have decided to term as uncertainty. Sometimes life keeps throwing question at your face and who have to scramble for the answer in fact not just answer but the best one. Since last three months or so, I am doing the same, everyday facing a new question and then trying to sort it out, Phew!
New City, new people, new environment in fact everything from professional to personal life has taken new dimension and somehow my soul just can’t resist these whole sale changes which keeps coming to my life after a certain period of time.
The restlessness which I have been going through, needs to be contained now, to an extent where I can start thinking beyond the obvious. May be I am writing this as kind of reminder to my own self that its nothing brave to term that life is a challenge, but what matters is that how you tackle this challenge known as life.  Few people are crushed, few keep struggling and few find their way to handle these challenges. WOooha…I know I know, I am being a bit too clinical about life.
Hmmm…seems like the uncertain period needs to get some answer, and I feel that answer is lying somewhere within me and not only that, I even feel that somewhere I know what’s the answer .
All those reading this post please don’t curse me for writing this post with no direction, but some how I need to remind myself, that it’s all about being quick with life, else you will be left far behind in your own phony world, and I am doing the same, trying to be real quick. Time to hit the sheets, good night.

Changing patterns of Indian cinema

‘Cinema is a reflection of society’ legendary film maker of Russia Andreai Tarkavosky write these lines in his book ‘sculpting in time’. After studying Indian cinema I live by these lines. I would like to put changes and challenges witnessed and recorded by Indian society in Indian cinema.

Indian society and Indian cinema shaped simultaneously, as both are inter dependant. The very first Indian Filmmaker was Dhundiraj Goving Phalke for Raja Harishchandra released in 1913. It was a completely Indian production. Several Indian silent films were made between 1917 and 1931 on epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

As sound came in cinema during 1930, 1931 Alam Ara, the first Indian talkie film made waves with its fantastic musical score. Indian films had a strong influence of drama or nautanki. Indian cinema is has great influence of drama and mythology. Indian audience has always praised the poetry as it is used to describe the heightened emotions. Song sequence is a unique character of Indian cinema. Indrasabha in 1932contained 70 songs I think this example proves my point.

The decade of 1930s was a revolutionary decade for Indian cinema. Film makers like Dada Saheb Phalake and Baboorao Painter handled many social issues. Subject of cinema changed from mythology to real life. As most of the films were silent and music is played in the background.

In the decade of 1940s Indian cinema developed in cinematography technique. The use of sound in form of music, songs, dance and fantasy has become a part of Indian cinema. Second World War changed the sociopolitical landscape of India. As country is moving through political change and religious unrest many film directors and actors like Bimal Roy, Raj Kapoor, Guru Dutt, V Santaram, Mehboob Khan took Indian cinema to other countries. India got independence in 1947. It is a positive indication for Indian cinema. Mythological subjects took the back seat and subjects other than mythology and real life took prominence.

Many film historians note the decade of 1950s as a golden age of Indian cinema. Movies like Awara (1951), Pyaasa (1957), Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), Shree 420 (1955), Mother India(1957), The Apu Trilogy by Satjyajit Ray consisting of Pather Panchali (1955), Aparajito (1956) and Apu Sansar (1959),carved a niche of Indian cinema in world market. Most of these film talked about the subjects like change and challenges of city life and development and displacement.

In the decade of 1960s Indian government has realized the immense potential of Indian cinema as a business and aspect of art in to it. In 1961 Indian government formed Film Finance Corporation, which later became National Film Development Corporation. The motive behind this initiative is to finance and export Indian films. This decade gave us many color films. Films from decade talked about class difference, education and employment changes and challenges of reforms are easily found in this era.

In 1970s decade many people have shifted from villages to towns. Many factories have started; the changes and challenges of human resource, exploitation, poverty and grassroots problems of sanity, food, and issues of middle class. This is the period of emergence of middle class in India. Television altered the perspective of Indian Cinema. People started watching TV serials. This change put up a challenge for scriptwriter and Indian cinema gave importance of character other than story. Films like Mera Naam Joker, Seeta Aur Geeta , Bobby, Ankur, Dharmatma, Deewaar, Sholay, Amar Akbar Anthony are some of the examples.

1980s decade gave us many stars like Amitabh Bachhan, Vinod Khanna, AmirKhan became popular with their devil may care attitude. Changes and challenges in music, trends and society, technology, importance of education and collage shaped society along with cinema. 1990s decade became famous out of new stars like Salman Khan, Govinda, Shahrukh Khan and many made their mark through love stories. The emergence of Cable Television and the job opening frim abroad Changes and challenges to Indian youth they are jolly reflected in Indian Cinema. The role of negative hero played by Shahrukh Khan gave a new twist to the portrayal of character. Films like Baazigar, Darr, Roja, Bandit Queen, Hum Aapke Hai Koun , Pardes , Taal, Satya, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam made Indian audience more open to the character and subject. New millennium 2000s decade came up with challenge of digital technology. Digital photography camera became more famous. Digital Film making became more easy and cost effective. Film makers like Nagesh kookanoor made his film with a very low budget film Hyderabad blues. The other films Monsoon wedding, Mumbai Express followed the league. Changes and challenges of gender, belief, terrorism, NRI marriage, collage life and suffocation of city life are handled very effectively. Indian cinema made a mark for Oscars with the entry of Queen Elizabeth by Shekhar Kapoor.

2010s decade has come up with many changes and challenges. Indian cinema industry in year 2000 got official “industry” status. It helped to raise the finance from bank. Subhash Ghai’s company, Mukta Arts, availed this facility later that same year with a public offering of its shares on the Indian stock market. Many others followed the league. Changes and challenges like, boom in satellite television, global market for Indian movies, large number of Television production houses. It was a blessing in disguise for Producers to earn for selling Tv broadcast rights. Film making became a successful business. Every film makes sure earning by theatrical release, by selling oversea release rights, music rights, by Vcd or Dvd rights or for selling the rights of broadcasting on TV. It is a win-win situation. Now Hollywood studios have started to distribute Indian movies in a small way, although they soon ventured into production.

With the growing number of films are produced every year. Very few film run for a month in theaters. Audience of film has now various options to access the film via internet or TV release. Modern movie multiplex houses are located in major cities of India to lure back its middle class film goers. Many multiplex are coming in India. The add-on facilities and schemes of Multiplex convince middle class to visit back the cinema hall. Very lately Indian cinema has witnessed a paradigm shift of using ‘Red Camera’ to shoot a feature film. Now using a film stock is old and expensive idea. With HD digital camera the clarity of image could be achieved and with no quality loss between any transfers of information. Today Indian cinema image is not depending upon the way they shoot but the way they do the postproduction. I have mentioned the method in table.

The use of Digital SLR for shooting a feature film is a new trend. Many regional film makers are making their film with Digital SLR. This technology offers you an extra ease to move your camera in a small location. This way we save time and money to make a film. LED lights have taken the place of earlier Halogen Baby, Multi lights. LED light can be run on battery or on low energy. This new style of film making offers speed and accuracy. Nonlinear film editing completes a monstrous task in few times. The development of technology has not overtaken the subject of film. Indian cinema has entered in animation and SFX as well. Films like Krish, Don 2, Agent Vinod, Ek Tha Tigher are the few examples of this league. Indian regional cinema has made entry in Hollywood, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have shown keen interest in preserving the screenplay for their research library. The script of this film is preserved in museum of Academy awards. As we have many languages in country and films are also made in many languages we have a strong base of regional cinema. Regional cinema of south India and West Bengal is already famous in foreign critics. Now many film makers are making their films on shoe string budget with the small but powerful equipments like Digital SLR and portable sound recorder. The boom in technology has created a platform for Indian directors to explore the world of storytelling. Impeccable background of poetry, literature Indian film makers are ready to take the world.

Barfi again!!!!

Some one said that life is a festival celebrate it.I decided to write Barfi’s review  again as this time it’s the heart which takes the final shot, and I just came back from a mesmerizing cinematic experience known as BARFI! again

This movie is about a guy named “Barfi” [Ranbeer Kapoor] who is deaf and mute but still he is more expressive than normal human beings living in Darjeeling. Essentially Barfi is all about his bonding with other two main characters of movie Shruti [Ileana D'Cruz] and Jhilmil [Priyanka Chopra] which essentially drives the movie.
People might try to slot this movie in some genre, but I feel this movie can’t fit in one single genre, but yes I do believe that romance is something which can be felt in majority of the frames in this movie. Beauty of Barfi lies in the fact is that it’s not a movie which preaches about helping physically challenged people.
Barfi falls in love with gorgeous Shruti (who is already engaged), although Barfi can’t listen or speak, but still Shruti likes his company. Although Barfi is no match to Shruti who is from an affluent family where as Barfi’s father works as a driver. Shruti inspite of being in love with Barfi gets married to a different guy and moves on to Calcutta. Story moves on and brings together Barfi and Jhilmil who is suffering from Autism. Overall movie revolves around various incident happening around these three characters and how they keep  converging in each others path.

No-where this movie tries to invoke sympathy from audience toward the character of Barfi and Jhilmil, from the word go they will grab you and will take you in their beautiful world. Performance wise I must say Ranbeer Kapoor has out-done himself. When Rock star came I felt it to be his career best performance which wont be repeated again, but as Barfi he has proved again that he is ready now to take on the reigning khans etc. Can you believe that he has not spoken a single dialogue or did some heroic stunt or typical latka and jhataks, yet he delivers like a heavy-duty performer. Watch out for a sequence where Barfi goes to meet Shruti’s dad, people actually clapped for this sequence. It’s will surely bring  tears in your eyes.
Priyanka and Ileana have played their part with full conviction and brilliance. You will fall in love with both of these characters. Ileana as Shruti will spell-bound you with her beauty and dignity, whereas Priyanka as Jhilmil will surely win your heart.
Many sequence will surely moisten up your eyes. Music plays a crucial role in the whole narrative with some soulful track you just feel like as if you are watching some one drawing a beautiful picture! Specially this track “Phir le aya dil” will stir your deep hidden feelings of lost love.
Barfi is all about faith in love, if you love some one then tell them, stand by them and hold them, if they go then release them, its all about acceptance of your own emotions which we tend to ignore just because of some situation.
Through out this movie I had a strange smile on my face, at times my eyes were moist too, overall I left  with a strange happiness in my heart, what else you want..if you can be happy!Watch Barfi, again specially if you have ever been in love, this movie ultimately emphasizes the fact that indeed…..Life IS beautiful.. 
 (from my second blog on wordpress published few months back)