Films & Feni: Chaos Theory
CHAOS THEORY
NOV 25, 2009 – YOU LUCKY [UNPRINTABLE]! That’s the usual effusion of greeting that comes my way when I inform people that I’m at the IFFI – in Goa! I might as well let you in on the little secret that the IFFI could be held in the boondocks of Chennai and it wouldn’t make a difference. It’s not as if there are open-air screenings of films, on the beaches, as we recline in boat-chairs as sarong-clad lovelies keep refreshing our coconut shells with freshly brewed cashew feni. The experience is more along the lines of a ruthless military drill. Rise in the morning. Rush to the ticket counter before the others can snatch away your seats. (Though having media accreditation does help a bit in that regard.) Run into first screening. Try not to fall asleep if it gets too arty or if the previous night’s film didn’t leave you much time for a good night’s rest. Rush out and grab a snack. Rush in for second film. And so on and so forth.
ACTUALLY, I REALISE THAT was a desperate attempt to draw sympathy for a situation that deserves none. But you have to believe me when I say the first couple of days here are utter chaos, the very definition of hell-on-earth. The brochures (announcing the programme lineup, with synopses and so forth) have yet to be distributed – so the highly scientific method for choosing films you want to watch is essentially close-your-eyes-and-point. (A sage soul next to me graciously shared his thumb rule: first pick films from Europe, then South America, and finally Asia. Why? Because someone else told him to do so.) And did I mention that, at the counter, you cannot simply name the film you want tickets for? There’s a code for each film, so you have to run to the one place where the codes are posted, stamp over a few hundred feet while making sure you’re not jotting down the wrong codes, race back to the counter, and… So a little sympathy, perhaps? Just a wee bit?
BUT PERHAPS THE LAD DOTH PROTEST TOO MUCH. The much-maligned Films Division has put together, here, what is a mini-festival of its own – Moments with the Maestros, “a bouquet of films on music exponents.” (Second gratuitous Bard-quote alert: the booklet ends on a note of, “If music be the food of…”) Films on Rafi, Pandit Jasraj, Manna De, Thyagaraja (or Thyaga Brahmam, as the title goes), Teejanbai, Balamuralikrishna, Ustad Allah Rakha, Semmangudi Srinivasa Iyer, Sheikh Chinna Maulana, Mallikarjun Mansur – along with meditations on dhrupad and tarana and khayal and “shruti and graces in Indian music.” There’s even a biography on Husnlal-Bhagatram, India’s first film-composer duo. For all the chaos reflective of life in India, you have to give the organisers this much – they also showcase the culture of India like few others do.
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Is feni brewed?
Good for you! Have fun!
No Kamal films right? But there’s a tribute in the offing?
BR: Pathetic try
Deepak: There was that controversy, right? Apparently, they said they’d screen three films of his while he insisted on seven. (At least, that’s what I got from the papers.)
Three, it turns out, was actually not all that bad. Most of the people being paid tribute to have only one film of theirs being shown.
No feni brewed..no saronged lasses..ahh the trials and tribulations of a film critic!!!
(read very very sour grapes!!!)
am booking my ticket to cannes..or maybe trivandrum…or kodambakkam!!
keep writing and thinking and drinking!
cheers
“Apparently, they said they’d screen three films of his while he insisted on seven.”
Why am i not surprised?
i think he played the ‘North-South bias’ card as well
A career like kamal’s can be represented in 3 films?
Amitabh might easily be explained with 3 but not kamal.ok, if 3,can you pick 3 that brings out all facets of kamal?
I can’t really pick only 3
BR : will you be reviewing some of the films shown here or at least a synopsis.
Festival does not exclusively belong to Kamal alone for that matter of fact. He could have shown some humility and come down to earth for three – Nayakan, Mahanadhi and Anbe Sivam (according to me)
I looked at the website. I love film festivals and now this one sounds like a wonderful focus for a trip maybe. But I have questions:
1 – what is a delegate?
2 – is this festival open to the public or not? or do you have to find a way to become a “delegate”? I don’t think website says what a delegate is! Maybe all Indians know!!
3 – are all movies shown with English subtitles?
4 – do directors and writers come and discuss movies with the audience?
I love film festivals but find them exhausting — for this one I hope you followed some kind of training regimen for a month beforehand!!
Venkatesh: Yes, see subsequent posts.
Virginia: 1. A delegate is someone who coughs up Rs. 300 (for the entire festival) and watches up to three films a day (as opposed to us media types, who pay nothing and get to watch up to five).
2. Yes, most delegates are the “public.” Just show up, pay Rs. 300 and fill out a form. And you’re in.
3. 99% are shown with subtitles.
4. Sometimes, they do. But because of screening schedules, there’s not always time.
RAj – Ego of Kamal fans seems to be as large as his! But then why bang your head against a wall – so go ahead pick as many films as you like to explain Kamal.
chhote saab: typical reaction of a kamal-hater; do not worry about the logic of the argument, just hit below the belt.
kamil: Why not Meendum Kokila, Sathya and Hey Ram? or 16 Vayadhinile, Kokila and Ek Duuje Ke liye? or Avargal, Moondram Pirai and Thevar Magan?
In the 35th IFFI, tribute was paid to Yash Johar by screening 5 of his films. In the 7th Indian Fim festival at Los Angeles this year, Anil Kapoor was given a tribute by screening 4 of his films. In the Cairo film festival this year, Madhur Bhandharkar got a tribute as 5 of his films got screened. Before talking about the humility of Kamal, I think we should get some perspective.
Anand: Because I would like to see Film Festivals avoid what you refer to near the end. It should be about the films, not personalities. Get some perspective – you gotta be kiddin me!
Anand, nallA sonneppA. If I say something, tamil fanatic-nu twist paNNi vuttudvainga. Ofcourse, none of these guys will question anil gaffoor’s humility.
5 films for madhurai pandaaagan? And we are supposed to pretend that bolly doesn’t domkinate through nefarious means? And when someone of the stature of kamal protests, he is playing the north-south card? And while people protesting this are labelled southie fanatics by this blog and its followers, kamil and his ilk get away with an objective image. Wow, what objectivity this blog has!
Anand – what was so below the belt? I think dragging Amitabh in the conversation was below the belt. And how do you know I’m a a Kamal-hater? Go back in archives , check my comments and see if I’m a Kamal-hater or our friend Raj is a Bollywood basher. The size of Kamal’s ego is a well known fact, so what was below the belt? Kamal’s ego and his cinema skills are 2 completely different issues. Friends like Raj and you think you guys are the last word in cinema, esp. anything related to Kamal. Raj – stop questioning the objectivity of this blog – the fact that you can still write on it is an testament to that.
kamil: Tributes are about film personalities – it is a tribute to their body of work.
chhote saab: The size of Kamal’s ego is well known. Egos of Kamal’s fans as big as his. Raj and I think we are the last word in Cinema.
And there is nothing below the belt! Wow!
Anand: when someone like Raj (with his history) comments that Kamal’s career cannot be explained in 3 films , that’s understandable but this is a few days long film festival and not a month long ICC sponsored event (the other film festivals you mentioned are also big farce esp. if they are showing 5 films of Madhur Bandharkar – now thats HIS career!). But then in the same breadth making less of Amitabh’s career – I think thats just uncalled for. Even though it was not aimed at any one making the comment, that was below the belt – after that everything was fair game. Obviously just like our friend Raj, my comment was supposed to rile him and anyone who thinks like him. I surely did not expect a rebuttal from anyone else. If I hurt the feelings of other rational fans – I apologize, but then other rational fans would have objected to Raj’s comments more than mine. If I think Tendulkar is the best, does it have to be by belittling Lara or Ponting or Waugh (or vice versa). Maybe a better analogy would have been if I think Dravid is the best, does it have to be by belittling Tendulkar!
My friend(rational friend), what if my dragging in amitabh is for the same reason as you quoted – to rile “objective” guys like you? Ofcourse, you will keep making personal attacks and act high and lofty.
And just for people on this space who can use their thinking faculty, I have appreciated several hindi films and personalities in this very blog but I am being dubbed a bolly basher just so that my hard hitting comments lose credibility. My take? There are still people who see through this game and don’t fall for it – others don’t matter to me.
Another interesting perspective; because I just happened to mention bachchan, and that he deseves only 3 films(nothing offensive, mind, just an opinion), our friend goes and throws invective at a) kamal b) kamal fans. And then comes and says “he started it first”
Friend, I make forceful opinions but never stooped to lows like you have done here so stop sermonizing
Our ‘hard-hitting’ friend out here has gone in the age old refuge of – just my opinion (re: bachchan’s career). Well, it seems like our friend hasn’t realized yet, everyone out here is giving their opinions. And for a ‘hard-hitting’ person with such ‘forceful’ comments, our friend is unusually sensitive to criticism. This is the same guy who questions the biasness of this blog when Baradwaj’s opinion/review regarding a movie or a personality does not agree with his! Our ‘misunderstood’ friend who apparently doesn’t care, needs to understand that he is not the only passionate fan around. Open your eyes, my friend, and you will see how low YOU stoop every week. And get used to ‘hard-hitting’ and ‘forceful’ comments from others.
chhote saab: To each his own. The beauty of this blog is many of us here have strong opinions but still agree to disagree. I may belittle Tendulkar to praise Dravid and it may sound silly to you, but I think I am entitled to my opinion. Only if I call a Tendulkar fan an oversized egoist, the problem arises.
This is atrocious to even think about. More like a ration shop than a festival. Do the houses run full or are there any films that run empty?
Nawab saab, much as you try to whitewash, it is still you guys making personal attacks. Not me. You can try your best to hide it by copying my comments
To make a link between my comment on this blog’s opinion and the individual review made in this blog shows poorr comprehension skills.
Anand: Point taken, though I don’t agree that one should/can trash a legend to praise another. It would be interesting to see if the comment by our friend was reversed – I wonder then how Kamal fans would have reacted. Maybe much more rationally than I did. I’m not so sure.
Raj: At some point you will have to get your head out of your butt, so that you stop hearing just yourself. Till that point communication with you will be like banging head against a wall, but hey, I’m a glutton for punishment!
Wow – more personal attacks. Since I cannot stoop to your low levels, I’ll let that wonderful rational comment you have made speak for itself and your class.
Note: I still haven’t made a personal comment against you, just in case you didn’t notice
Raj: I know you are very resilient. You’ll get over it.
ps – you’ve been making personal comments and not even realizing it. You cannot decide what is personal for others. And you know what, seriously I did not expect this avalanche of a reaction for my comment, so let me take a leaf out of your book (I know you are always sorry for the effects of your comments on others) and apologize to you for my personal attacks.