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Don
I get into this car…it’s an engineering marvel…a state of the art dream machine…it’s got every thing put into it… what an automobile should have…you get in and the engineer stands right besides me and says…. “go figure how to ride it…I gave you the best of what’s available but it’s up to the driver to figure out how you drive it…let me test you”…but then there are those cars which give a great experience and while you are riding it you just enjoy the ride and don’t even think of the genius engineer who has designed….the man who has stayed in the background and let you enjoy his creation…give you the ride of a lifetime…
Am I even making sense here? Donno…When I see a Cinema Paradiso or the Munna Bhai series or Khosla Ka Ghosla…I enjoy my ride…just into the characters and don’t even know who the director or writer is as I see the film….the men were humble enough to stay in the backdrop and give me the ride thru their vision and creations…and never came in the foreground….and then there are the ones who challenge…say GO FIGURE…..
I do agree it’s great to hear some great piece of thought…intelligent nuances…smart tweaks…props…gigs….but in the end when it comes to the whole experience of watching a film….I shut my mind and let my heart take over….I blindly trust the maker to take me thru his creation…I lend my hand like a child. when I lose him or he abandons me…I am lost….I am scared…and hope he comes back to me…this is unknown territory for me…I am lost…need help….I was dependant on you and hope you would be there to take my hand again…..If he comes back then I might curse him and shout at him for doing that….but then after I am in his safe confines I might just realize that I rather enjoyed those lost moments…those moments of anxiety….those moments of mistrust and angst…but then all is well as he is back with me now….and made that journey memorable….but what if he never comes back to me.,…just abandons me….leaves me to figure out on a journey I went for trusting him…..into his territory…expecting him to play host…I am all alone….is it like that joke….. “a girl tells a guy…..no one is there at home…come over…..when he goes there…the door is locked…there is no one…..”
Instances in my rather brief cinematic journey of places where the director had abandoned me mid way and then later came back to me where films like Memento, The Matrix, Fight Club, Sixth Sense [If I can include that…], Being John Malcovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind…..It did give me the fright…the anxiety….but then my trust was not proved wrong…he came back to my rescue….he did not break my trust.
The response to No-Smoking as I see it has been such…that of abandonment…the article on No-Smoking here and elsewhere….and the audience response I heard when I was in the cinema hall. They were miffed that Anurag Kashyap abandoned them. Have been plagued with these thoughts…was initially shocked…did I not see it coming…..maybe not…I liked it all the way….bias….am I the “YES MAN”….lost objectivity…after reading the script…seeing it a couple of times more….At the cinema hall a friend who was there blasted me “it’s because of assistants like you who nod at everything that films like these get made……”
Donno how to react on that……All this leaves me with lots to ponder…Is intelligence an overrated word in any art form or maybe even life in general…Is it not intelligence when the filmmaker humbly stays in the background and holds back his urge to let the world know how best he can think…Is art a team game where you become a part of the creation or is it a challenge…a duel that the filmmaker throws at you….is it a you v/s me….on seconds thoughts would anyday go for the comfortable ride where the engineer does not challenge me to explore his creation….but then is that thought limiting art? Art has thrived on mystery….and the unending search of the ultimate expression…people have taken pleasure and pride in deciphering art….A Mona Lisa having a hundred different interpretations and still exploring more….a Van Gough or Picasso being pondered over and over and over…why is it that everything needs to be feed?…I personally don’t see too much into it. Like my friends says “give me prose not puzzles or poetry….”
Seems like I am playing Devil’s Advocate…but from Friday to now…..have been really confused…hurt…angry…sad…anxious…But I will still go into the cinema hall trusting the director….play games with me….make me angry….make me anxious….scare the shit out of me….but come back to me….don’t abandon me….I might not be in a position to figure my way out…come back to me.
34 Responses to “Don”
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sexy post vasan!! cudnt agree more. d more arrogant u become, it becomes more scary 4 me!
IT’S NOT ABOUT ARROGANCE per say i WAS TALKING…I mean there are forms of art where you go on pondering and interpreting….cinema also falls into that medium…..and should be open to it…Om Dar Badar was facinating and the more people told me about it the more I liked….similarly with No Smoking…the more I spoke about it …with the director….there was more to me from the film….but yeh I was fortunate….the concept and the planned narration always facinated me…..I was trying to play Devils Advocate by stating what the audience might be thinking with my experience of talking to them and seeing them react in the cinema hall…and the 2 aspects of projecting a cinematic experience..yeh but in the end I do state that I need the director to be with me…..to make the viewing more enjoyable….
This article is half hearted. Are you criticizing the movie or self-aggravating yourself in pity for being self professed yesman. Or trying to balance the two, so that the libels hurled at AK do not comes your way.
The example of car is the most lame one in the series of No Smoking bashing post. But even following the mechanical aspect of car example, you will find people who admired “zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance” and not a “how to learn driving in 1 days”
i know. nobdy will hurt u if I use the word arrogant. u may call it whtever u want!!
I guess Vasan Bala ka brain fry hogaya hoga :D
Its real sad dat AK’s henchmen (first KK then you) are abandoning him now… just like AK disowned shaka laka… it wasnt meant to b AK’s answer to DDLJ anyways…
wut i figure out is dat they (producers) were tryin to sell it to the wrong audience. it was just an expectation mis-match. if dat item number wasnt aired… if it wasnt there, people would know wut to expect.
The day i bought the No Smoking CD, that day itself I had this concern (which i posted)that the publicity is very vague & misleading.. that’ll attract the wrong people who will feel cheated and then curse the makers.
I am in the creative business and one thing i dont do is - DISOWN. good, bad or ugly, stand by it yaar… just like AK is rock solid abt his preference of NS over BF… and yeah, chill guys, at the end of the day it’s just a film! now smile.
God bless. :)>-
Kuch log kya bol diye aur Sudhir Mishra saab kya statement diye, ab sab log ek ke upar ek gir rahe hain trying to be politically correct and prove they are not Anurag’s chaploos! haha yeah I read that term in the rediff chat.
Yaar..chillax…move on!! Next article please!!
“so that the libels hurled at AK do not comes your way.”
Omprakash Seresta - goon one….but all said and done me a nobody seriously no one is even going to bother to raise a finger on a no body who had not contributed to the film. It was a friend who said in
Machchar if this post prompts you to talk about taking stands then am sorry man you don’t know what it is to stand by people….I know where my loyalties are….and please spare me a lectrue on that…this post was not written now….this was written yesterday Machchar and was lying as a draft…was not even wanting to post it…expecting this….but then if I had written it then I thought it should go.
You have no idea what it was been the last few days….had an idea as to what the reactions would be…..but was stumped at the reactions I got….and please spare me this man “Its real sad dat AK
@Vasan,
Brother where is review of the film you saw?
What you personally saw!
——
A joke to save humour on PFC-
—
Mulla Nasrudin’s family was upset because the girl he was planning to marry was an atheist. “We’ll not have you marrying an atheist,” his mother said. “What can I do? I love her,” the young Nasrudin said. “Well,” said his mother, “if she loves you, she will do anything you ask. You should talk religion to her. If you are persistent, you can win her over.” Several weeks went by, then one morning at breakfast the young Mulla seemed absolutely brokenhearted. “What’s the matter?” his mother asked. “I thought you were making such good progress in your talks about religion to your young girlfriend.” “THAT’S THE TROUBLE,” said Nasrudin. I OVER DID IT. LAST NIGHT SHE TOLD ME SHE WAS SO CONVINCED THAT SHE IS GOING TO STUDY TO BE A NUN.”:)
@VB
Sorry. My reaction was mainly to Car logic used in the post (and in want of words called it bashing post which it isnt in its entirety), which I still deem as unfit.
I was thinking what is that in my car that makes it more comfortable riding it compared to other’s car. I was taught to drive in others car, but how did my car became mine. How did my personal liking went to this level of obsession. I guess its knowing more, the nitty details. There are two types of people: one who will take ones car for maintenance to a mechanic everytime there is a noise to guide him through the end and be outside the loop of technology citing ugliness of it and others who will take pleasure in knowing more about the car and trying to fix it . [PS the thoughts are from Zen and the motorcycle maintenance and passed to me that this is apt in the current discussion about the car logic]
Rk just that a lot of people were saying a lot of things to me and it was getting very uncomfortable for me to keep it in and not tell them as it is…the post is collection of thoughts of people…..the questions they bounced on me…..the analogies they threw at me….the arguments I had…the after thoughts I had……I just thought they should all come on the forum…..
(Trying to keep a straight face): Vasan, KK log aur baaki Anurag ke admirers!!! It’s all your fault for No Smoking!!! See, even Sudhir Mishraji feels the same! Pratim Bhaiyya also shares the same ideas!! In admirers ko goli maaro! First time in the world history of cinema that the admirers have fucked up a movie!! Ripleys Believe it or not mein daalo!!
Now I know how it is to be bashed/ripped apart for ones films….me had long chats with Oz and Vijay on saturday when they spoke to me for a good 2 hours. [can never thank you guys enough for that]….man comments like abandon and henchmen……fuck man it does churn the heart…me not able to even take all this…what would I do when am faced with the question AK does….No Idea
@Vasan,
This is not entirely unpredictable. But why to fall in to the trap.
Why you dont post review of the film rather than to post reactions of audience.
You have been part of the film making, you know more and better than most of the authors and far better than the common audience, then why not bringing film in central focus. Why other things are becoming point of discussion.
Film is lost because of these posts.
Concern should be the film.
Vishal Bhardwaj+Anurag Kashyap combination cant bring out a completely crap film, and like any other film has merits and demerits then why they are not quoted here.
Why discussion is going in other direction completely alien to the FILM.
Many will not get complex films in first go but being associated with whole process you can make their viewing simple and perhaps they will be able to see what they are unable to see and especially in such a scenario where everybody is discussing disillusionment.
From you, atleast I expected a wonderful post dealing mainly with the FILM.
Please do that.
Omprakash Seresta - chill man…thats ok..
Others - me not even wanting to discuss anything…..I never though personal equations and thoughts on cinema will be draged on the same lines….feels like shit
Vasan Bala: What were you going through last few days? of course everyone is feeling bad but one thing that pisses me off is why is everyone trying to justify anything? So what if you are admirers!! So what if you guys did not understand the movie? It can be only some petty mind that can think that a guy who has been in the industry for around 15 years can be influenced by people around him or a website. Those kind of people really need to look at the big picture!
Look Vasan, everyone works hard in the making of any film…Whether a bhojpuri movie or a big budget Hindi movie…the effort is the same. But why don’t you guys at least be proud that you are with someone who is doing something different?
@VB
At least post the chat scraps of yours and oz/vijay. what did they tell you ? 2 hrs is pretty long.
vasan…chill re…kuch to log kahenge…logon ka kaam hai kehna….
@RK, I am awaiting ur post on NS yaar.
@VB, let’s hope Anurag gets the audience swinging to DevD…NS might be one of those attempts that would later be course material for Pune Film Institute. Maybe the future directors will learn from NS of what can go right and what can go wrong. I know it hurts the most where you expect the most. But as there’s no successful recipe of creativity — so chill yaar…lets move on. Let PFC be once again the vibrant discussion forum it is.
@Bishu,
Hope I get to see it soon. Surely will write whatever I may get.
Wasan machcha - honestly have absolutely no idea what you were trying to say .. or what the intention of the post was …..
director abandons you …. you feel sorry ?? What is happening maan ?? Why r u so confused ? What ru smoking ???
@ Magik - Henchmen ??? WOW !!!
u like tendulkar … u follow his career well.. u revel when he scores a century … u feel sad when he goes for a duck … that makes u his henchmen ???
And yes .. the marketing of the film was lop sided
@ Machchar - exactly its our fault .. Anurag is a little kid who gets really happy when his “henchmen” praise him .. and then he gifts us Lollipops … then we wag our tails
He doesnt want to make money/earn rave reviews/awards … he just wants his “henchmen” Kartik Krishnan and Vasan Bala to be happy …. his henchmen will keep him happy .. he in turn keeps them happy …
DUDE RU NUTS ??? why don’t u use all this creativity into making a REAL script … There aint no SURREALISM PRAYOGSHALA happening that he is the baba bengali and we’re the fat men and the dwarf …
Seriously no one needs to lick anurag’s ass and get ahead in life …..
If anurag has screwed up in his film it may be because he has indulged … because he failed as a director….
not because few ABSOLUTE NOBODIES LIKE VASAN BALA AND KARTIK KRISHNAN ARE HIS CHAMCHAS ….
We’re not anyone’s chamchas .. I have the balls to tell anurag that he has made a bad film .. tell me which “chamcha” does that ???
Sudhir mishra isnt an authority …. just because he feels something aint make that feeling correct. It was his opinion … OPINIONS are like noses… everyone has one .. EVEN a struggler like you .. and a nobody like me too !!!
Every artist has his own share of “yes men” and “admirers” …. You should be insulated from them …. anurag made the film what he wanted to … and it wouldnt have been different if PFC existed or not existed ….
Sorry for the outburst .. but move on maan …. become someone maan .. stop excreting on PFC ….
Dnt get personal equations into the picture ……
Kartik, I don’t understand whom you were directing your comment against? If it was me…I guess you did not understand the sarcasm in my comments! I said exactly what you meant albeit in a different way. Why is everyone behaving like jerks? It’s just a movie dammit! Move ON!!
ohhh pardon me machcharji .. i do not understand sarcasm….
If we praise anurag’s films we’re called chamchas …
If we criticise his films we’re called jerks/khalid mohmds …
I have one Question, Coincidentally I smoke Classic milds too..
Does that make me anurag fan ? or anurag stalker ? or his henchmen ? or his chamcha ? or a jerk ? or a sarcastic pseudo vehement fanatic ? or a noir infested maniac ? or a surrealistic existential being ? or an absolute nobody ? or an eccentric psycopath ? or another machchar ? or another buzzing nobody ? or no buzzing everybody ? or a sensible pretentious socioopath ? or a struggler with a difference ?
Dude … EGGJACTLY .. MOVE ON !!! and pls dont get personal
Mujhe samajh mein nahi aaraha hain ki tu kya bol raha hain!! :)
arre KK, jerk tujhe nahi bola re maamu…main woh logo ko bola hu jo pfc aur anurag ke beech mein connection karne ka try kar rahe hain…read my above comments and cool down. I smoke Classic Milds too…Was a Marlboro man but for couple of years, it’s Classic Milds! So I guess we are all in the same shit! :d
What really pissed me off with Vasan Bala’s post was when things were really settling down after all this screaming and shouting and all this huge waves of attacks, this guy had to start a new fire! It was totally unnecessary. I mean…why can’t you guys just let it be??? What’s this sadistic pleasure trying to keep these flame wars alive?
Art has a thousand forms and should definitely challenge you.. but that challenge should come from the piece of art itself and not the creator standing besides you and saying how this piece of art is challenging you. If art does not challenge the viewer / listener / receiver by itself, then there is no qiestion about the clallenge. The beauty of Monalisa is a thousand interpretations but Da Vinci never had to come and explain it - let alone give his interpretations. He just drew!!! and thats where the beauty lies.
machchar boss - jaaney dey usey .. he wrote what he felt ….
he never defended AK .. nor attacked him … he just wrote his POV …
???? ?????, ?? ???? ???? ?? ????. ?? ?????????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ?? ??????? ??? ??? ???? ??? ?? ??? ???? ????? ??. ???? ?????, ?? ???? ??? ?? ???? ?? ???? ?? - ???? ????? ???? ????? ??.
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???? ????? ?? ???? ??? ???? ??? ????? ?? - ?? ?? ?? ??? ??? ?? - ???? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ?? ??? ?? ?? ???. ??? ??? ??? ?? ??? ??? ???? ?? ????? ????? ?? ??????? ????? ?? ?? ?? ?? ?? ???? ??? - ??? ????? ??? ?????? ?????????? ??.
??? ?? ???? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ?? ???? ???????? ??. ???? ?? ???? ??? ????.
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?? ?? ??? ?? ???? ?? ??? ???. ?? ???? ??? ???? - ??????? ???? ???? ?? ?? ?????? ?? ????????. ???? ???? ?????????? ?? ?? ???? ?? ?? ????? ?? ???? ?? - ??????? - ?? ????? ???? ???? ?? ?? ???? ???.
http://www.desipundit.com/baradwajrangan/2007/10/30/review-no-smoking/#comments
sorry Pankaji…..sorry sir….
pankajsaab…vasan ne jo kiya accha hi kiya hai. use jo laga usne wahi kaha. isse gaddari nah kah sakte. agar vasan jhoot kehta to isse bura aur kuch nahi hota. ramu ke aas paas rehnewaloon uski tarifoon ke pool bandhte huye itne jhooth bolne ke aadi ho gaye ki ramu sach-jhooth ka fark hi bhool gaye. ek dost ne bataya ki jab woh ghatiya sa holi ka gaana shoot ho kar aaya tab bhi log kahe ja rahe they ki kitna badhiya hai, kya dikh raha hai, ye sholay ke “holi ke din gaane” ko bahut picche chor dega. log pehle se sach bolte to shayad ramu ki itni durguti nahi hoti.
?????????? ???? - ???? ??????? ?? ????? ???? ??? ??? ???? ??? ?? ??? - ??? ?? ????? ?? ??? ????? ??? ??? ???? ?? ??? ???? ????? ??? - ?? ????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ??? ????? ????? ?? ? ??? - ???? ?? ???? ?? ?? ???? ?? ??? ?? ????.