By Vishnu Mahesh Sharma
Khara Sona Ya Jevar (pure gold or gem)
In Hrishikesh Mukherjee’s Satyakam, there is a conversation between Ranjana (Sharmila Tagore) and Narendra (Sanjeev Kumar). Regarding his appreciation for Satyapriya (Dharmendra), Narendra says: Khare paase ka sona” Ranjana said, “Vahi to.
The preceding conversation is about purity of character and its consequences, but I would like to extend it to creativity and art as well. The conundrum: “Should art be in its purest form, or should it be accessible?” It is a perennial herb. This debate could go on forever, but here are the two films that, through design and consideration, made use of the impurities of readily accessible commercial elements to create ‘Gévart’ from ‘color cinema ka’. I want to indulge in a discussion about movies. Sona”. And oh boy! In fact, these films proved to be gems for all the creative people involved in their respective films.
Jayin to Jayin Kahan? (Going in the commercial direction or the artistic direction?)
Both ‘Sairat’ and ‘Satya Prem Ki Katha’ deal with conventionally non-mainstream subjects. A film that deals with caste discrimination and honor killings with realism and an artistic approach will likely find fewer takers. The difference in commercial success between ‘Fandry’ and ‘Sairat’ clearly demonstrates this fact.
Even Nagaraj Manjour (director of both films) himself admitted in an interview that people hate Foundry and its world. So in “Sairat” I showed the audience what they wanted to see before I showed them what I wanted to see. Once the audience was familiar with the world, he told the story he actually wanted to tell. Needless to say, this trick worked wonders for the film.
The same logic can be extended to ‘Aakashvaani’ and ‘Satya Prem Ki Katha’. Both films deal with crimes against women (marital rape and date rape respectively) that are difficult to convey even to lawmakers and forgotten by the general public. But the gloss and lightness of the world presented at SPKK played the same trick that “Sairat” did over five years ago. Even in this case, the trick worked wonders.
Therefore, I thought that comparing and contrasting these two films would be a good opportunity to provide an interesting study of the emotional balance between the audience and the creator. However, this comparison by no means qualifies as a qualitative comparison of the two films. Rather, this is an attempt to dissect how both films use specific tools to convey offensive themes. Again, this essay does not attempt to compare the styles of filmmakers, but instead two filmmakers of diverse sensibilities, with diverse casts, presenting several pieces wrapped in silky ribbons. I’m trying to compare how similar approaches were taken to convey that hard truth.
Hum saas sart hein (similarities)
1. Git Gata Chal (The Music):
I would never say that “Sairat” and the SPKK music albums are equally melodious and memorable. Its purpose is to highlight that both films use music to engage the audience. SPKK’s song “Gujju Patakha” has a line: “Itona mine cute hun, kanha ki flute hun.” In this vein, who can guess in the strangest and strangest dreams about the true subject of this film? Those brains dancing to the beat of “Gingato” couldn’t have imagined what awaited the young couple in this film.
Both films combine musicality and love stories to give them the feel of a family romantic drama. They whisper softly in our ears, gently inviting us to witness a world of musical fantasy (in the case of “Sairat” the background is rusty, but it is filmed in a fantastical way and the music greatly enhanced by). These movies say: “Bone Fire is ready. Come sing and dance with us.” accept the settings of
2. Ek Duje Ke Liye (An Opposition Love Story):
Both films are set locally. At SPKK, the film casts a young heart-thumping diva, with a couple boating on the local ‘Kankariya Lake’ and the heroine reluctant to wear western clothes, the setting is as local as the commercial film outline can provide. . “Silat” is local both visually and linguistically. We don’t focus on local vocals. Vocals are local here.
These settings, when used with familiar tropes such as “opposite attraction,” establish a relatable world. The girl Archie of “Sairat” comes from an upper caste, upper class. She’s more outspoken and outspoken. On the other hand, the boy Parsha in this story comes from a lower caste, a lower class, and is relatively modest. At first glance, this seems like a story of lovers who crossed the stars.
At SPKK, the boy is unemployed from a middle-class family. They come from reputable business families who happen to meet a famous (locally famous) singer-dancer. Boys are outspoken, girls are silent. The boy didn’t have a girlfriend, but the girl waits for her boyfriend only when she meets this boy for the first time. The couple tells the story of how her husband wins over his wife, who has been forced into a forced marriage and whose soul has fallen out. This is a typical “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” and “Namaste London” template.
Combining the music with the local setting helps maintain interest in the main character couple. These local musical and romantic worlds can resonate emotionally and geographically. We travel with our characters not only from place to place, but from heart to heart.
3. Abhi Na Jao Chchod ke (no highlights, but there are moments):
Recently, we’ve witnessed scenes in movies that don’t allow characters to be with them. These are written and executed as highlights. The script moves from highlight to highlight. Nonetheless, these two films of his are invested in the moment. How silly they may be for the big story, but they play an important role in building the environment and making us a part of it. No need to rush or rush to jump to the next high point. They give us the opportunity to eavesdrop on the characters’ conversations.
At SPKK, ample time is spent on mundane moments in the relationships between fathers and sons and husbands and wives. For example, consider Katha’s suicide scene. It has rhythm. After the joke between Satou and the guards, some practical pranks of Satou followed before Satou used the stairs to climb. Even there, the first thing Satu notices is not the blood. He attempted to converse before realizing Cather had lost her consciousness. Movies breathe and we can breathe with them.
The same is true for silat. We witness a camaraderie in which friends drag each other down. A parallel minor subplot of the love story ends with the boy finding the nails of his crush in a piece of paper and mistaking it for a love letter. This sequence is both foreshadowing and humor.
These moments, apart from character growth, also build rapport with the audience. They make us feel like we have always traveled with these people, sharing laughter and dreams. This bond between characters and audience plays a very important role when their grief ultimately becomes our shock.
But before we get there, let’s take a look at how these films differ, and why they have varying degrees of impact, even after taking similar approaches. .
Ye Dooriyaan (difference):
1. Buna Bazari Dange Rag Gay (Central Conflict):
“Sairat” uses caste as the center of conflict, while SPKK uses date rape and its trauma as a conflict. Caste discrimination is so pervasive in our social order that a theme is established the moment we mention it. The rest of the blanks are filled by the audience themselves. This system is so visible, discussed and debated in public life that it needs no background or explanation. So when ‘Sairat’ uses caste as a love story conflict, it doesn’t need to spend extra screen time educating audiences on the gravity of the issue.
But in the SPKK, this conflict has become a criminal trauma that many don’t know about. Conflict is psychological. I can’t see it. This requires communication and explanation, and a certain amount of screen time before you establish yourself as a competitor. Kasa all explains that the terms first base, second base are one such attempt by the narrator to emphasize that the crime is so serious as to haunt the couple. Socially, therefore, the central conflict is as strong as the caste conflict, but its perception by audiences varies based on social and educational background.
“Sairat” uses caste as a point of friction to remove this “viewer background” from the equation and increase reach compared to SPKK. This reach difference has a significant impact on the next largest difference.
2. Mea Mehaboob Kuayamato Hogi (and volcanic eruptions):
We are all dancing and singing around the bone fire. Bone Fire is actually a silent volcano, ready to erupt at any moment at the direction of the script. The timing of this eruption is very important to shock and surprise the viewer.
“Sairat” pulls the rug out from under our feet at just the right moment. Caste disputes can help a lot here. why? With caste disputes, we always expect conflicts to reach a tipping point. This anticipation is mixed with moments of tension and joy. The narrator knows it. He takes out a trick called “Zingato” from his bag. This year’s most popular Marathi songs are used to boost your well-being and boost your well-being. There was a mixture of joy and tension, but the song’s euphoria makes us forget the expected fear.
It’s the moment when the director presses the trigger, the volcano erupts, and we’re pulled into the other side of the world he’s always wanted us to see. Here in Ward, the premise gets wilder, darker, more realistic, more violent. Even the melody of the song is replaced by a haunting silence.
This is where the SPKK’s more psychological conflict is incomparable. But the moment the SPKK choose to pull the rug is also a moment of euphoria. Kata finally feels attached to Satyaprem. This is the first time we see romantic and sexual tension growing between them. In fact, they’ve traveled from forced couples to companions to now couples. This is the peak of their relationship. It’s the perfect moment for a volcano to erupt. This movie does just that.
However, since this is a more psychological volcano and less visible, it affects different members of the audience differently. It is not as ubiquitous as karst volcanoes. Shock and surprise are different for each individual, and the dispersive effect of this twist limits the movie from stepping into dark spaces, as each audience member may or may not be able to see the truth in that darkness. The result is an effective yet cinematic scene from an episode of Satya Narayan Ki Puja.
These climactic parts have a deep impact, but not as much as “Sylart”. While “Sairat” tears our hearts apart, the SPKK anoints our wounds with a soothing balm. Some drown us in a sea of grief and shock, others have to put a smile on our lips. Some rock us out of the ecstasy deep sleep of love stories, others have to sing lullabies to lull us to sleep with the hope that they will live happily ever after. yeah. Both films start in a similar fashion. But the subject they wish to treat liberates the one from a framework of their own choosing, but confines the other within the laws of the same framework.
Rote Rote Hasna Sikho (mainstream career):
Whatever the final impact, both films prove the fact that the impureness of art can be a boon if done right. Using the mainstream template as a career for problem-based drama gives you a much broader reach. This creates a world in which we do not want to close our eyes in repulsion, but to witness the problem, its impact, its victims and their trauma.
Despite all its problems, SPKK is the first Hindi film in a long time to make us think, not just in terms of its social message, but the film as a whole. It expertly brings a smile to our face and compassion to our hearts. This technique of “making art computationally impure” is a difficult rope to walk. Nevertheless, if trampled, it ultimately has the potential to justify the average, convey a message, and please the masses. Could the film serve more of its purpose?
