Over the past few years its been a running joke between Jani and me that I don’t watch Indian movies. In fact even my friends used to ask why I didn’t go for Hindi movies (South-Indian movies came into picture after I moved to Bangalore) even when they were super-hit movies and my answer used to be the same, I don’t find them at all interesting or funny. They repeat the same formula for every movie (boy meets girl, falls in love… maybe some action or comedy and then Boy wins girl. Thank you for coming) and I didn’t find it interesting at all.
But all that has changed in the last 2 years or so, with Indian cinema coming up with some spectacular movies that go beyond the tired old formula. We had movies like Tumbaad (that I saw earlier this year), Stree, Bhediya and others in the Madock Horror universe. Then came some of the other movies that covered real incidents and activities (Article 370, URI, Kashmir Files, RRR, Bengal files etc etc). Others showcased movies based on India’s vibrant mythological and religious past and guess what they were awesome and I loved all of them. I saw a lot of them in the theaters, others at home on OTT and I am quite happy with the selection of choices that we are now getting.
This post was inspired in part by the push back Dhurandhar is getting on social media even though the audiences love the movie. I saw it last week and I loved it. The movie is extremely violent and that is by design. It shows how inhumane these terrorists are and imagine how much worse they are in real life because a movie can’t show all the things they do such as torture and kill to achieve their aims. People are calling the movie anti-Islam and I was expecting the movie to be a lot more anti-muslim, but it doesn’t even go there. All it does is show how Pakistan and their criminal underground has consistently supported terrorists. It starkly shows how inhumane these attackers are and how bravely our forces have been fighting against them (even when they are handicapped due to external pressures)
It shakes you to the core when you see the re-enactment of the Indian Parliament attack and the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. I have lived through those attacks just as I was in the US in New York during the 9/11 attack. Mom was planning to be in the Parliament that day but had canceled her plan for some reason. My Uncle was part of the NSG commandos who responded to the Mumbai attacks. Reliving that memory and hearing the actual phone conversation between the terrorists and their handlers was spine chilling. People are calling it a propaganda movie because it shows what we went through and how ineffectual our response was to these attacks. The movie rightly calls this out with one of the attackers saying “Hahne socha tha after the attack India kuch bada karega but wo to US se bheek mangta raha or kar kuch nahi paya” (We thought India will react in a big way after the (Mumbai) attack but they kept begging US to respond and couldn’t do anything). You have no idea how upset the common man was with our lack of response to the attack. The movie shows that. Yes, it is a violent movie but guess what, so was Game of Thrones and almost every John Wick movie. Why no protests against them?
The acting, the music, the story build up everything is so well done that it is hard to say which was the best part. I loved the use of old 80’s & 90’s music in the movie set to the action scenes. It not just tells the story of how Hamza infiltrates the gang and takes over but it also shows the emotional and mental toll the whole thing takes on him. From a small tear in his eye when he is forced to eat meat to survive to the absolute soul-shattering pain in his eye when they are watching the Mumbai attack live and celebrating. He has to celebrate with them so as not to out himself but his eyes show the pain he is going through. Part I sets the stage for the next installment where these gangs are now unified and how they will be taken down. I for one am eagerly waiting for it.
It’s past time we show the world what we have been going through because of these attacks sponsored and paid for by Pakistan and other terror states. In the new India we are showing the world what they did and are responding to it as well. Gone are the days of meekly showing the other cheek now as they said in the movie “यह नया भारत है, यह घर में घुसेगा भी और मारेगा भी” (This is the new India, we will enter your house and kill/beat you as well… (if attacked) ). Sri Krishna said in the Gita: “Always be first in seeking peace, but ultimately standing up for righteousness (Dharma) and justice when all peaceful options fail is your Dharma (duty).”. We will not attack first, but if others attack India then they will be hit back as shown by the Surgical strikes and Operation Sindoor.
The other major advantage of such movies is that it counters the narrative that is being set by folks about the attacks, India’s history/past achievements and how things happened. If no one says anything then that narrative is accepted as the truth and we lose a portion of our history. For example, the so called ‘Arabic’ numerals were discovered/invented in India but because the Arabs told everyone they invented it and India didn’t counter the claim they are now known world wide as the Arabic Numerals.
There are countless other such stories that we lost because no one told them. I am happy that the Indian Cinema is now showing such stories. I have been meaning to write a blog post where I discuss why Indian kids know more about the Greek/Roman Gods than the Indian Gods? This is because they are constantly exposed to stories about the Greek/Roman Gods but when movies/shows talk about Indian Gods there are plenty of folks who will jump on them to say that they are outdated/superstitious etc etc.
Thankfully the producers & directors have realized that we need to tell our stories before they are lost for ever and more movies based on Indian folklore, mythology, history are coming out such as: Kalki which is Based on the story of Vishnu’s 10th Avatar who is supposed to end the Kal Yuga. Then we also have ‘Kantara: A Legend’ which is based on Karnataka’ regional folklore. Thamma is based on the mythological Vetala which is a vampire like creature going back centuries before the western world ‘invented’ the Vampire. There are multiple great movies that I saw in the last year.
I think I will do a separate post to talk about these movies that I saw & liked (and some that I didn’t like).
Well this is all for now. Will write more later.
– Suramya
PS: If you have not seen Dhurandhar yet go watch it (If you can get tickets as most shows are still sold out)