Film conversations: Fighter

As I have iterated multiple times before, I rarely venture into a multiplex to see a move due to previous harrowing experiences.  Especially so because the price of cola-popcorn sold there rivals that of real-estate in Bangalore.  That, and multiplexes allowing children into the theatre even though the CBFC rating of a film disallows them from doing so.  I have raised these issues with relevant authorities and have been met with as much response from them as from a stone wall.

Regardless, I made an exception because it was a film starring our National Treasure, Hrithik Roshan.  Add his proven combo with Director, Siddharth Anand and music by Vishal-Shekhar - the same one that gave us the peerless title track of Bang Bang, and you will appreciate my reckless foray into a multiplex again.  As if these were not enough, Hrithik is being paired with Deepika Padukone for the first time, and the format is IMAX 3D - a first for me.

Without giving away any spoilers, I will just say that Fighter is a thrill ride throughout.  It packs in a lot: aerial action, hand-to-hand combat, camaraderie, romance, feminism, patriotism, terrorism, and of course, songs and dances.  But in the words of Shershaah, Yeh dil maange more!  There should have been another dance number with Hrithik - the Ishq jaisa kuch number only appears with the end credits even as people are walking away.  And, despite its beautiful locale and choreography and Hrithik-Deepika's dancing, it does not quite measure up to the Bang Bang title track, which continues to remain the gold standard for YouTube reactionaries to score views and likes with.  

Some of the same reactionaries and reviewers have said that Fighter is jingoistic and patriotic.  That it harks back to the old formula of black-white depiction of bad neighbours resorting to terrorism.  And that the aerial actions scenes are CGI, etc.

I say, so what?  All films across the world are simulations: they are fake and made up, requiring varying degrees of suspension of disbelief from the audiences for them to work.  Fighter is no exception.  

It is no more unbelievable than the over-the-top action shown in that drivel that I had the misfortune of seeing: Jawan; or, speaking of over-the-top, RRR or KGF - take your pick.  And let's not even mention the high-on-shock-value-and-ultra-violent-but-lacking-a-decent-story Animal.  Or for that matter, take any Marvel movie character and add them in any other of the franchise and it will be a good fit, because they are all the same; only the CGI varies. 

And all of the above are allegedly mega-hits, watched and adored by the very same reactionaries.  So why not Fighter?  If Fighter is being targeted by some for not earning as much as these mega-hits, know it to be a negative campaign by those who are rankled by the pro-India, anti-terror theme of the film.  As it is, it has been banned in the Middle Eastern countries, and - to call a spade a spade -  viewers from these and our neighbouring country would much prefer watching a far less substantive SRK film only because he happens to be of the right religion - for them.   

As far as the depiction of neighbourhood terrorism is concerned, is there anybody who can argue that it isn't well deserved?  And patriotism is something that is a special feeling to us Indians, given our history that is replete with cultural and religious assault by foreign adversaries and our present situation of having to thwart constant threats from hostile neighbours and breaking-India forces.  This is something that non-Indian viewers, foreign reactionaries and pseudoseculars will never understand.

I enjoyed Fighter.  My enjoyment was only rivalled by a fellow Hrithik fan's who was sitting next to me and whooping and whistling and openly man-loving Hrithik whenever he appeared looking dashing in the various military uniforms and topless in the Ishq song.  And yes, I bet he was watching only Hrithik in the dance sequences, ignoring all the other dancers - a mesmerizing effect Hrithik has on his fans.  The guy next to me also knew when to fish out his mobile to take pics/videos - Hrithik's entry scene and the tricolour scene in the helicopter.  I figured he was the prototype of Hrithik fans who will be pouring into the theatres again and again, given the film's repeat value.

I rated this 10/10 on IMDb because of the whole experience: the story and the emotions worked for me, the actions scenes were amazing, and just the fact that this is one of the better outings for Siddharth Anand.  

IMAX 3D, though dearer, involves a larger screen with more resolution and enhances the experience by giving an immersive feel to action sequences.

And Fighter is a perfect film to watch in the IMAX 3D format - go for it! 

 

Image source: https://www.timesnownews.com/entertainment-news/reviews/bollywood/fighter-movie-review-hrithik-roshan-deepika-padukone-film-is-a-gripping-aerial-action-drama-with-stellar-performances-review-107127719

Film conversations: Kantara

Kantara is turning out to be a sleeper hit, running chiefly on the fuel of word of mouth.  Very rarely do I venture into a multiplex, but when the family insisted that it was our 'national duty' to watch this film since everyone else was, just as during Dangal, I had to give in.  But of course, my grouse is about the multiplex experience, not the film per se; the film itself is first rate.  

Think of Thithi in terms of the rustic rawness, and you have it in this.  Think of Jallikattu in terms of beautifully lit night scenes in the jungle and background music, and you have them in this.  Think of the eerie jungle mystique of Churuli, and you have that here.  Think of Karnan in terms of the village being under siege and the villagers fighting back against the police/landlord, and you can see the similarity.  

But then Kantara is not confined to any of these descriptions; it stands alone in its own right as a showcase of the culture of Uttara Kannada/Malenadu/Udupi regions of Karnataka, specifically of bhuta kola, or the spirit dance/worship artform.  The situations and dialect is so true to the region, that even Kannada audiences need to read the subtitles sometimes to make sense of the drama, which comes with a smattering of Tulu, the local language.  

Kantara could have ended up like a documentary, but the makers have come up with a clever combination of intrigue, culture, spirituality and humour to keep one engrossed for the two and half hour duration of the film.  I could almost taste the ele-adike (betel leaf & nut) in my mouth as the scenes showing the natural beauty and culture of Kundapura unfolded.  And as touted, the denouement is captivating.  There are sexual innuendos and swear words throughout, which makes it difficult to classify this as a family film.    

The film is not without flaws: it could have lingered on certain moments instead of the breakneck pace we get to see, the change in the landlord's and police officer's characters could have been shown more convincingly, the mother's lament that her son is walking in the footsteps of his father is not explored fully, the entire romantic/sexual angle could have been more implicit or even eliminated, and the background music, though excellent, could have been toned down a bit, but I suspect this is down to the multiplexes jacking up the volume rather than any fault of the makers.  

Kantara goes to show what can be achieved by focusing on our indigenous culture, rather than the standard Bollywood fare that major production houses dish out.  It also demonstrates the stature of regional, especially South Indian, cinema that is growing with every outing.  Not least, this is a successful demonstration of the untapped cinematic potential of our culture, spirituality, smritis, shrutis, puranas, and itihasas, which, if Kantara's success is any indication, we will be thankfully seeing more of.   

The only blemish on Kantara is that one of its songs appears to be more than 'inspired' by another music group's song which is at least five years old.  It would be prudent for Kantara's makers to acknowledge this if they haven't done so, and give due credit to the original song's makers.  

This does not, however, diminish what Kantara otherwise achieves.  In a time when needless remakes of old classics or films from other languages are the norm - not to mention the biopics galore on every conceivable high achiever - Kantara is a rare danta kathe, or a folktale, that is remake-proof: neither is it a remake of anything else, nor can anyone remake it into another language given that it is a product of a specific local culture.  

So, well done to the entire team.  Highly recommended viewing!  

Picture source: https://www.deccanherald.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/rishab-i-always-aim-to-reflect-issues-of-society-1147789.html

 

Daylight robbery at multiplexes and restaurants

A few days ago, we go to watch a film at a local multiplex - one of the big name multi-city franchisees - and after buying the tickets, make our way to the snacks section.  We order the usual stuff; popcorn and cola.  When the till keeper announces the charge, we are shell shocked to discover that the grub costs much more than the price of the tickets.  And what are we getting for the exorbitant charge?  Measly popcorn and highly diluted cola.  

You have no choice; you have to go for it.  Because they confiscate all the food items that you have in your bag at the entrance.  The security personnel tell you that you can always collect the food items that they have retained after watching the film.  But then how many remember to go back to collect them?  Also, at the end of the movie, you are let out of a different door than the one you entered the hall - usually a floor below the multiplex.  You would have to climb all the way up again to the main entrance of the multiplex to ask for your stuff.

Besides, during the weekends, the usual ticket prices are jacked up to twice or even more than thrice the amount.  If this is not daylight robbery, what is?

The blood suckers are at it in the restaurants and hotels too.  Just scrutinize the bill that you get at the end of your meal.  You are likely to find an assortment of extra charges in the name of 'hotel policy'.  First of all, they quote ridiculously expensive rates for the dishes listed in the menu; then they add 'service tax' to the final bill; and also VAT and/or luxury tax.  There is also an tacit expectation that you would tip the waiters after shelling out the bill amount.  Some suggest that according to etiquette - whatever that is - as much as 10% of bill amount is supposed to be given as a tip.  So, if the bill amount - after all the extra 'garnish' that is added to it - happens to be Rs 1000, are we expected to cough up Rs 100 as a tip?  If service tax is already included in the bill, why the hell should we pay anything more?

Who regulates these establishments?  It is particularly disappointing to note that in December 2014, a prominent minister in the Karnataka government said that multiplexes cannot be regulated!  He suggested that since they provide high quality conditions for customers, they should be allowed to charge as much as it tickles their fancy.  

It is high time that these pirates of the entertainment and hospitality industries are taken to task.  Boycott their services if you can.  If you are using their services and feel that they are over-charging, please make it a point to leave your feedback.  Say that they are over-charging, and that you are unlikely to come back.  Also say that you will be discouraging others from visiting these establishments; spread the message. 

If possible, write to the local minister or the consumer affairs department about this issue.

Update (October 2022): Based on visit to a multiplex to see the Kannada hit, Kantara...

...a word about the multiplex where I saw this film.  After a medical incident a few years ago when multiplexes were not allowing even a drop of water to be taken in and someone collapsed and didn't have water to drink, they grudgingly agreed to keep drinking water inside.  I looked for water in this multiplex, and found that the area marked 'free drinking water' had paper cups, and a regular washbasin with a tap over it.  It didn't look like the water came out of a water filter, and seemed more like a handwash area.  The water, though clear, tasted a bit funny.  

The doorstep confiscation of food items continues to date, because the multiplexes are out to make a killing by selling popcorn alone.  The ticket price for Kantara the film was ₹370, and that for a medium sized tub of popcorn was ₹430!! - more than the price of the best Kannada film in a long time!  Why is it that whoever monitors these multiplexes is/are not addressing this issue?  

Further, it was troubling to see many parents with children less than 10 years of age, allowed to watch what is, as I have mentioned above, a violent film with mature themes, depictions of substance abuse, sexual language/scenes, and several jump scare moments.  Who would be responsible if one of these children had an stressful reaction to such scenes?  Even if there is no immediate impact, the long term adverse effects of such scenes on a young mind can be profound.  

Also, these children are often restless and I have been in theatres where they were playing, running about, and shouting in the aisles, even as their parents enjoyed the film, unmindful of the nuisance they had inflicted on other audience members.  It is all very well displaying the censor certificate at the beginning of the film, but if its implication is disregarded by multiplexes, there is little point in having them.  

The CBFC, film producers, consumer board, or any other responsible authority should look into these issues if they are serious about enhancing viewer experience in theatres and drawing in more audiences.  

Otherwise, unless it is a landmark film such as Kantara, I will stick to OTT platforms, thank you very much! 

[I have forwarded this to the Central Board of Film Certification and the Consumer Affairs Helpline, in the vain hope that these issues would be addressed.]

Image source: https://bollywoodpresents.com/wp-content/uploads/leading-multiplex-chains-in-india.jpg

Satire: Real Action for the Price of Reel Action

Satirical take on the perils of movie gazing in a brat-infested movie hall (published on boloji.com)...

Real Action for the Price of Reel Action