Tamasha – A lesson in self-actualisation

Dir. Imtiaz Ali (2015)

It was in my second viewing that I realised the movie is a genuine and a very personal piece of storytelling. It stayed with me at the end of my first watch – it was easy for me to classify it as a regular Ranbir-Deepika break-up make-up affair in a backdrop of people stuck in regular jobs finding peace at a holiday in an exotic location.

As Abraham Maslow noted, the basic needs of humans must be met (e.g. food, shelter, warmth, security, sense of belongingness) before a person can achieve self-actualization – the need to be good, to be fully alive and to find meaning in life. Research shows that when people live lives that are different from their true nature and capabilities, they are less likely to be happy than those whose goals and lives match. For example, someone who has inherent potential to be a great artist or teacher may never realize his/her talents if their energy is focused on attaining the basic needs of humans.

….  As a person moves up Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, eventually they may find themselves reaching the summit — self-actualization. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs begins with the most basic necessities deemed “the physiological needs” in which the individual will seek out items like food and water, and must be able to perform basic functions such as breathing and sleeping. Once these needs have been met, a person can move on to fulfilling “the safety needs”, where they will attempt to obtain a sense of security, physical comforts and shelter, employment, and property.The next level is “the belongingness and love needs”, where people will strive for social acceptance, affiliations, a sense of belongingness and being welcome, sexual intimacy, and perhaps a family. Next are “the esteem needs”, where the individual will desire a sense of competence, recognition of achievement by peers, and respect from others.

… What a man can do, he must do.

~Self-actualisation (Wikipedia)

In a powerful scene when Dev (Ranbir Kapoor) recites his interpretation of the family history to his family – he exemplifies what Maslow said. Grandfather fought for the basic necessities of life after partition, and his father fought for a place in the society – ensuring prosperity for generations to come – fulfilling their duty. So should Dev, as his family wishes and as the natural order says. But Dev (and it speaks for me, and many like me too, who come from a decently established family) has to look further outside, and deeper inside to realise that next need in the pyramid is to realise his full potential – and the need is no longer fulfilled by remaining in a 9 to 5 job in a field that he doesn’t relate to. The realisation has finally come to him, only after Tara (Deepika Padukone) leaves him -someone who admired him, for his hidden flair for storytelling. The scene ends with his father appreciating his child’s efforts, and the desire to see a happy ending to the story – it probably goes against the rigidity of the character, but a desire to see a happy ending seems to have overpowered Imtiaz Ali. Nevertheless, it a hopeful story, in the hands of a hopeful storyteller, just like the film itself.

When a confused Dev visits the storyteller (in a beautiful role by Piyush Mishra) again, after a few years, asking for a similar story that might exist, for throwing a light on his own problems – he faces a mad man, who has nothing intelligible to say to him. The storyteller was all he admired in his childhood, and finding the guy turning insane later in life triggered many things inside him – a realisation that it’s important for him to carve his own ending, because almost every story has a similar premise, and similar characters; and that there’s a good enough chance he might end up in a similar state as the mad man. Tamasha too has a similar story – you have probably heard it before. Doesn’t mean it’s not good. It’s all the more better.

Every director tells his personal story, and it trickles down consciously-subconsciously into his movies. Imtiaz Ali shows destruction through obsession, and redemption through love – Kareena Kapoor’s love interest in Jab We Met, Ranbir’s love in Rockstar, Alia’s in Highway. Stairs are a recurring piece – emotional changes, and decisions are often made in the process of climbing up or down.

The pace and chronology of the movie, and the buildup to the break-up is eccentric – it seems off-putting and over the top, if it is seen, and it gels well if it is felt. The film gather itself post interval, where it showcases the skills the lead pair has – Ranbir’s psychotic behavior, and the scenes with his boss are hilarious; Deepika’s scene at the bar is powerful and well-written -though the film is Ranbir’s showcase.

With a quite personal subject matter in a shiny cover, the movie is not a holiday entertainment as might be projected the way it is marketed, and thus the inherent discussion might elude those wishing for simple entertainment -but those who relate to the struggle to find one’s passion or field of interest, are in a mid-life crisis or simply are in a struggle to create an identity, will appreciate the kind of discussion the makers wish to have with the audience. In the end, success is probably about having stories to tell, and having an audience to tell them to.

4.5/5

P.S. I simply loved Rahman’s music. The way Imtiaz Ali uses the songs is sheer beauty – songs often turn diegetic (Sound whose source is visible on the screen or whose source is implied to be present by the action of the film) to non-diegetic and viz-a-viz, and the lyrics are perfect compliments to the scenes.

 

 

 

 

Salman Prem Loot Khayo

Prem Ratan Dhan Payo (2015)
Dir. Sooraj Barjatya

Salman Khan movies might have been lame, they might have been dumb, but one thing they never were, boring. This time, it bigger, sweeter, and a new low even by bhai standards, plainly boring, to the point of being irritating.

I have personally loved Rajshri’s brand of cinema, especially the 90’s decade, which more or less established Salman as the noble, humble, heartthrob ‘Prem’- on the shoulders of Sooraj Barjatya. They single handedly set marriage trends – whether it be musical chairs, long lavish melodious pre-marriage celebrations in Hum Apke Hain Kaun, or be it ladies sangeet introducing family members in bollywood style in Huma Saath Saath Hain, while being inlcusive and politically correct. But they were always enriched with beautiful songs, brilliant supporting cast, a believable story and decent A-stars.

Sooraj and his Salman-Prem should have worked again. Prem should have been back. Legally and crtically.
At nearly 3 hours of lecturing about various topics – brother-sister relationship, property settlement, a football match between men in kurtas and women in sarees – with not a single whistle-podu moment or digestible one-liner, this was unbearable. The only appreciable thing I can find is the set and art-direction.

While Sooraj Barjatya stayed ahead of his times, assimilating the will of the youth and traditions of the established during his outing in the last 2 decades, his recent films don’t have that charm that invites you to watch them again. I can watch Maine Pyaar Kiya again and again; Hum Apke Hain Kaun is still a staple on Diwali every year on TV. But the rigidity on traditions, and political correctness make it plainly unbearable (along with the irritating lyrics – aayo, paayo, laayo b#$). 

Nevertheless, Bhai, just like his characters on-screen, is never wrong.

Masaan (Fly Away Solo | मसान ) – Unapologetic, hard hitting but humane

Dir.Neeraj Ghaywan

There is a scene in the film where Deepak, a civil engineer UG in his last year, is sitting in a GD for placements, but has no worldly relations to his surroundings. It’s the last place you would want to be, trust me.

तू किसी रेल सी गुज़रती है, मैं किसी पुल सा थरथराता हूँ  (You pass like a train, I tremble like a bridge)

If anything, I believe the writers and the directors have an intimate bonding with the trains, and the ghats of UP. The railways employ our protagonists to fulfil their dreams, and form quite a part of the visual and literary imagery.
There is a certain kind of symmetry in the story and the narrative, that has been subtly embedded into the film –
whether it is people stalking their loved ones on Facebook, living or dead; running for employment for or because of loved one; both arising from ashes of love and intimacy, their pyre (or masaan) – one man, one woman – fire which finally crushes and burns their body, but lets their soul free, much as what Hindu mythology has preached while discussing afterlives.

The film boasts of how grounded the writers and director are in their environment, I believe they have something to live out where they spent their childhood or teenage years on screen.

The film hits you, and it hits you hard. There are certain moments of utter shock and desperation that will leave you pitying and loathing, and a wide range of contradicting emotions that neither you nor the characters onscreen could have assessed in the time frame they exist – when Deepak throws the only memento he has of Shalu into deep waters, and then diving in to recover it or when Devi willingly denies the intimate couple to book a train ticket, possibly, not wanting to be alone in the self loathing or inflicting the same pain on someone, just to feel not being alone.

The movie has a brilliant eye for the minute, and has scenes with such a brilliant comic timing, that you will laugh out loud, and at the same time be worried that what happened to Devi should not happen to Deepak and vis-a-viz, two separate storylines, but in a common colour, tinged by the tradition of masaan ghats(crematoriums).

We haven’t had many films that linger with you much after you have left the theatre in recent years. Its romantic but not hopelessly. Just the perfect amount for a realistic and harmonic relationship.

9/10

Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015)

Dir. Kabir Khan

There only a few muscles and joints that Salman Khan can move humanely – thus rendering him possible of only certain dance steps involving the pelvis and a small catalogue of emotions.
Thus the only way to make a sensible movie with him is to make one around him. This is something Kabir Khan has realised in his second feature with Salman.

Thus, a well timed, comic Nawazuddin Siddiqui and an extremely cute child actress make the decently paced second half of the film worth bearing the overdose of melodramatic songs and glycerine. (And there is also a song about how a chicken dances and tastes).

The premise is less Bhai-like, hence more bearable, comparing the last decade of his films.
The overplayed falling action ruined the build-up for me, but its an entertaining affair.

6/10