PFC waalon! Get Serious / Get Lost!
Mil baant ke khaao
CineMaa Kasam, I will never be able to forget ‘yesterday’ for the rest of my life. Thanks to PFC, some of us authors got to meet Anurag Kashyap. It took me a while to let that feeling sink in, but it did, after a while, after some beer-therapy. So this post is not about how much fun we had or how much you missed being there. NO. So this meet was a wake up call. Purush hilaayein. To smell the coffee. To shake the booty. To get serious or to get lost.
Having come a long way since oz bhai’s desitrain days, then to PFC, it has been a long & a very rewarding journey for me & since PFC’s third birthday is on the 5th of Sept 09, I will save my ‘andhi-behan-widhwa-maa‘ sentiments for then. Some potent issues emerged while we were animatedly talking about the issues that concerned / bothered us like the soon vanishing smoke sticks, the bottle-opener not being at one place. Yeah man such nuisance, while we were trying to salvage the fate of cinema.
So such sad jokes apart, one issue which stays right on top of the list was… yes, you guessed it… the one complain that the world at large has against PFC – FANBOYs. What came out of that part of the discussion was that we SHOULD & deservingly so, be fanboys of indie cinema & not the maker. I realized that some time back when I saw the 1st theatrical trailer of the much awaited ‘Aladin’. With due respects, it didn’t work for me & because I am a HUGE fan of Sujoy Ghosh, I didn’t come out & talk about why it didn’t make the cut. Not even a small decibel or a byte of protest. Did I compromise my passionforcinema? Fuck yes! Lesson well learnt. Dobaara mat poochna.
Another burning issue was the cold shoulder given to regional cinema. PFC has grown from a 13-member blog to an industry benchmark. We do cover world cinema, hindi cinema et al but what suffers is regional cinema and I will yell MUNDU in 3 languages simultaneously if you say “hey we do talk about Tamil & Telugu cinema”! So let’s talk about Assamese or Bangla cinema, shall we? If we, the digitally endowed (wudeva that means) cinephiles don’t espouse regional cinema, will it not slowly erode, due to the lack of awareness? And what will happen to Silk Smita and other thunder thighs of her league. Okay, ye main kya bakwas kar raha hoon!
Then came the much awaited juicy topic about the nasty media intruding the privacy of the celebs & the jhol-jhaal (scams) of the film industry trade experts. Now we at PFC don’t care much about these, so we will move on to something that will int-arrest us. That is: the type of cinema that we are going to witness in the coming few years & the changing-for-good landscape of Hindi films, because of the release of my debut feature. Shit, what was that? Anyways, storytellers are now finding more ways to pitch & sell their stories on the big screen. To hell with the star system & ‘formula-film-making’.
There is some mind-blowing experimental cinema that the money bags as well as the stars are also signing or backing. Heard somewhere that KJo was so moved by a movie, the name of which starts with K and ends with Aminey, that he would plug it in some newspaper. So yea, things are changing for the better and how. The lines are blurring, the cash registers are ringing & more & more people are coming forward to watch movies in the theatre, and in some cases, travelling to nearby cities to watch them, thanks to the swine.
So these were some issues, that I would like to bring out to you guys too, so that we can have a healthy discussion, debate, argument, fisticuffs, peace rallies, candle vigils or whatever else that we care. It sure will help us in taking our beloved (how cheesy is that) platform to newer zeniths. Viva cinema.
[Disclaimer: The author, if you can call him that in the first place is in a trippy-trance like state of mind, as he hasn't slept the previous night, was beer-ing the brunt of ultra-creative bakchodi till 5.0am & somewhere in the middle of all this riot, walked in Vifhal Bhardwaj. I rest my case.]
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
Magik- You owe me one majorly.Weren’t you supposed to call me last night and make me speak to … ..?
Anyways its great that you guys made it and had a lot of fun plus some serious talk on important issues.gimme the details soon!!!
bro, i was already dialing ur number, when jha said that u will be terribly irked, so i refrained… and the moment was such that ghanta kuchh samajh nahin aa raha tha…
bhai log, maaf kar do… bhagwan ne mujhe waise hi sazaa de di hai, main sirf ek se hi mil paya… wapas jo aana tha (damn corporate compulsions).
the discussion with AK was more enlightening than we actually realised at tht specific moment, and i appreciated him for just calling spade a spade, and encouraging all of us to do exactly that.
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he is ready to be critcised if any of us feel what he does or stands for is not acceptable, but he also wants all of us to stand up and counter if we hold an opinion and feel what we think is right.
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why cant we all have a creative / healthy discussion and agree to disagree as long as we dont get down to calling names to earn the upper-hand, or succumb to fawning over any deeds of our ‘idols’ like stupid fanboys.
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and thats exactly AK wants all of us at PFC or in life to achieve: have the gumption to stand up for what we believe in.
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i, for one, learnt the lesson of humility from AK. (hope im not sounding like a fanboy already..)
kaminey, send me the pics. RIGHT NOW!
Awesome! I am jealous to the core!! But am glad you got to meet the two czars in a single night – really, a night to remember forever! Hope I get there, soon!
I have question,
Who, from PFC, gets invited for such parties?
it wasnt a party. just an informal meet n greet of new pfc authors and the older ones. zimble.
Oh bro! Envy you. Viva passion.
I am sure, PFC is moving in the right direction….we will keep the pace going….
arey yaar… debate aur discussion ka kya? bahut nainsafi hai.
Woh toh hum abhi bhi kar rahe hain…..LOL
On a serious note, What did Anurag think about the new wave that’s hit Indian Cinema…the revamped focus on story telling….
what will he think? he is the poster boy of the new wave bro… but dude, do wait for vishal bhardwaj ka movie with hrithik roshan… it will be THE movie to shake us all up… wish i could share more, but alas.
kar di na aadhi baat ..my curiosity now has reached the acme point ..wht am i supposed to do now .. will hav to start digging the net once something concrete comes up
bro its worth the wait. worth the search. dig it out…
Dude Magik, Vishal B & Hritik? need more info on this.. you shouldn’t have said it in the first case.. idu tumba mosa (yeh bahut nainsaafi hai). I’m still dying to watch Kaminey, stuck in a small town, where no desi movie gets a release. Damn..
I am too young else i would have said lucky a-holes
i hope you don’t mind .. I am actually beyond jealousy right now 
So right … the post by Sujoy was much much better than the shitty trailer, i expected so much after that post … i am thinking what the target audience would be … if it is kids then why is Ritesh doing all the adult comedy and kissing the beautiful girl(she’s the only positive in the trailer) and if it is adults then again why is ritesh doing such shitty adult comedy which didn’t even make me smile …
mind-effed bro. dont worry abt that. anyways, you are taking the post in the right spirit. this is what the intent of this post was. i mirror ur thoughts as far as aladin is concerned. no 2 thoughts. and this is just one movie. i have my own worries about sikandar & acid factory. thanks for your contribution to this topic. do share more as it strikes.
Okay then, points taken. But did you ask him about the fate of Paanch?
we did, but dont remember getting a specific answer… damn the beer… but yea, we all are hoping it gets a release… also heard was that the new guy at the censors doesnt hv a problemo with paanch… so fingers crossed bro!
New guy! Sharmila aunty hat rahi hain kya?
yea bro, something to that effect… so….
how much beer did you have really? beer ka naam leke kata rahe ho sirr
Casting couch? Did yall discuss that? Now thats THE reason why people make films no?
castnig couch no, but we did have a massive discussion on the guru dutt mythology… wish i could share here.. but will save it for some day, when we could meet and discuss in person.
I guess, that will be clear with AK’s movie. As for now,’Kaakag Ke Phool’ got released 50 years back and here is an article on that.
http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?sectionName=ViewsSectionPage&id=3027372d-ee87-477c-86c2-1370c6bdac08&Headline=Dead-flowers
thanks a lot for sharing the link bro… there is a truck load of research material about GD at Anurag’s adda… its sheer mindnumbing detailing to what kinda car GD ka family drove in and such … speechless…
u lucky bastard! u put the most tantallising bit in ur comment; Vishal n hrithik movie! bloody hell !
u seemed to have loads of fun.
a word of advice- next time beer kam peena
i cant tell u how much fun it was bro… hv jotted down ur addvice in my small black diary
Thank god! Somebody realised that PFC walen have been sucking each others for a long time now. Seriously, the wannabe hatke/low budget/”script” oriented movie lovers need to take a break.
I love the PFC that tells me what is coming up, how a great movie was made and which great movies need to be seen.
I still think Sankat City was average ( a case in point).
Its really irritating to see 10 reviews of a single movie. Why cant u guys release the reviews once in three days (chat vaat ke).
Thanks and keep it going!
PFC being a democratic forum, it would be difficult to put any chk on the number of reviews on one film. if any author thinks he has somthing unique to say, he will. anyways, its not that suddenly one fine day we realized this, as u must hv noticed the recent change in the layout, there are a million other value additions and developments happening in the back-end. this year will be a great one for PFC. just stick around bro… many people are working their butts off to keep the show going… its not hobby. its passion. thanks for dropping in anyways.
“one issue which stays right on top of the list was… FANBOYs. What came out of that part of the discussion was that we SHOULD & deservingly so, be fanboys of indie cinema & not the maker.”
That’s funny, coz if this article isn’t about FANBOYism, what is?
Magik, you coul hold yourselves from talking about the fun but I for one cant
I was born to witness the night of 16th August, 2009. What a night; I mean watching two of the greatest auteurs of our times discussing cinema, while we guys were not just the audience but sharing the wisdom and contributing as much to the J&B 
Some more “Minutes of the meeting” were (corporate burnout, right Oz 
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We mustn’t fear from writing the truth. If something moves we should write about it. When we hate something we should write. Let cinema be told in the truest essence as it should, pure and unadulterated.
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Following the meeting, I had a conversation with OZ bhai. I had goose bumps listening to him. In one line I realized we are being part of a greater revolution here. We are collecting artifacts and meaningful literature about the greatest art of India: Cinema. We still read about the temples in 1300 in all school books but the history in the middle of it, our generations and coming generations are oblivious to it. PFC is doing its bit in restoring this repository of cinema. This is like the Louvre of cinema as an art form. In years to come we will have such literature that it will become the Mecca of information on Cinema. It made me realize that we’re doing something that is bigger than we actually know. Viva PFC!
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I want to stress more on what Magik has already written out here: We need to encourage cinema that needs a pedestal. We should provide the support system for Independent cinema, regional cinema and every kind of cinema that needs a voice. Having said that, we must abstain from discussing films that we have not seen. You can dicuss a trailer but be a critic by witnessing and taking your viewpoints out of it. Don’t believe in hearsay; just put your own viewpoints. I confess my review on Kaminey gave the plot points and I was feeling bad about it. Mea culpa! Lesson learnt.Our discussions should not kill the essence of watching a film. Speak to the point without giving away the plot and avoid personal prejudices; let cinema be told in its purest form, disjoint from the source.
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Personally the highs for me; to see how a script is written and thought out on screen. Listening right from the makers was priceless. So many myths and misconceptions about cinema got cleared in one night. In times to come, cinema will be taken to a different high. There is jaw dropping content that is going to come. Obviously, we can’t disclose what it is but folks; the future is more than bright. Light on the other side is not an oncoming train, it’s a flash of morning light that is completely going to change the way we see, breathe and live cinema. Other high was when AK and VB appreciated my writing and spoke in length about it. I felt reborn.
Neeraj, thanks for all the info. So glad to hear about the initiatives that PFC gonna take.
@Neeraja, are you a grad student? Just curious after seeing phdcomics character beside your name.
Yeah I am
….and the last thing I needed right now was someone reminding me that!
I’m so sorry, Neeraja. I should’ve understood it. But, still felt like asking (may be for empathy or a little sadistic pleasure
). Latke raho wahaan!! (Hang in there)
I’ve followed phdcomics all thro’ my grad life n still do.They are awefome.
Oh so you have been through it? Cool.
Yeah phdcomics is awesome and soooo true!
Yep, graduated few months ago.
And one more thing,we are still more attracted to ‘bollywood’ cinema.I hardly see articles on cinema made in other languages like,tamil,marathi,malayalam,kannada,bengali.I feel,there are so many good movies being made in other langauges also.Let’s people realise,inidan cinema is not only about bollywood..I think we should better change the name..”Indian Cinema”..
There are many “Cinemas of India,” “Bombay Cinema” is one of them. There is no such thing as “Indian Cinema” though we might be able to find many things that are patently “Indian” in the many cinemas of India.
I want all these starts to do sensible, high on content films…thats when industry will change…
people should talk about their acting more than their looks, image, boyfriend/girlfriend vagera vagera…
not too bad job meeting two of the better directors present in India in one night…good going
Great bit of scoop on VB and Hrithik. Completely agree on the fanboyism.
Small points – reviews should be first person account (what the person felt). This becomes must as PFC publishes more than one review. And in no way should look as if it was PFC’s opinion.
SMS lingo should be avoided strictly for the PFC posts (comments can be as one wishes). Some standardization is must at least for the authors. It brings in more regular readers (young and old alike).
It is a two way process. It can NEVER be a one way process. Personally, I feel there is a lot to be desired from the Exclusive Blogs too. Most of the filmmakers come here during the time of the release of their movie, write couple of blogs and fade away. That won’t do us any good. Also, what is the content of the majority of the blogs – their struggle. The stories which makes for a good reading, but at the crux what does it convey – nothing. They are at the end of the day what they are – pedestrian blogs, which does not engage me as a reader, because as a reader I am not interested in where you slept, in what room you stayed, how many meals a day you ate(or not). Or, who rebuked you and why. As a reader, I am interested in what you learnt in the process, in terms of ‘filmmaking’ and nothing else. It does not have to be pontificating, but we are more interested in the technical battles that you guys took head on. There is just too much to be learnt. It is no wonder that most of the people here want to analyze the film’s sea, but are merely splashing the shore in terms of analyzing plot points and other trivial motives. I may have used the ‘We’ a bit generously. But, then I can be corrected.
Nope you are bang on. One of the better posts was by Pankaj Advani introducing Chiru the cinematographer.
Which Beer did you drink?
Magik – Nice topic you have raised here. I have been a regular visitor to this site since ‘07 when I came across “Black Friday” and was trying to find info on the maker of the film…
For what it’s worth – coming from a casual reader – I see the fanboys here go out of their way at times to put down films and filmmakers (and critics) that don’t meet the criteria that PFC adheres to (and that criteria may not be very well defined too). I get the fact that these boards exist to encourage small cinema and critique a work of art … but lets be fair in that criticism and show no mercy towards anyone.
Case in point – there was a time when bashing Khalid Mohammed’s reviews were the norm on these boards. It was like anything he says ought to be trashed pronto coz the big names imply so… and then, lo and behold, Mr. Mohammed comes on board as a blogger and there is this 180 degree turn in attitude! It’s like you are either with us or against us
… if these boards can co-exist in the understanding that lesser, tacky, mainstream films will always be made and some of that revenue makes possible some of the movies that we all like then it we could have a more decent, mature and less temperamental approach to understanding and appreciating cinema.
My suggestion is to take off posts that are spiteful towards other films or filmmakers unless people associated with those films are given a fair chance to defend themselves! And let’s not post anything here from anyone just for some sense of cronyism… Just coz you happened to be one of the 18 members or drink beer with them does not entitle you to post anything in the name of art!
All this is my opinion of course and not intended to trash anyone personally
Savio, I remember the incidence you are talking about.
People hated Khaled for his attitude of putting down movies of certain individuals for personal gains. Not sure if you remember the incidence from the pre-internet era, when he lambasted Love ke liye Kuchh bhi karega (which was a nice movie in my opinion) for using names like Khaled Mohammad and Sultan Ahemad. He just went on what looked like a personal vendetta. That sort of attitude had earned him ire of Amitabh Bachhan also recently. That sort of attitude is what PFC readers were after, too.
His joining this forums showed signs of change of perspective. No one could put him down for his knowledge of cinema probably. And that was what people welcomed at that time.
savio..well said..ur absolutely rite!!
Kya sahi hain..kya galat…isko dekho, usko matt..isko support karo..usko matt…aise dekho..waise matt…aise chalo..waise matt…mein kahunga..tum suno ab…
Viva Cinema!!!!
@OM, your comment reminded me of “Main khuda” song from Paanch. Here it goes,
Ye sahi hai, ye galat, meri maano, socho mat
Ye na pehno, woh na bolo, ho sake toh munh na kholo
Ye pado mat, woh suno mat, main chununga, tum chuno mat
Kat-te jaao, mit-te jaao, dabna seekho, dabte jaao
Bas ab aur nahin, ab aur nahin, aur nahin, ab aur nahin
Bas aur nahin, ab aur nahin
Viva cinema!!
@Vick, Yes :-)
Its a curious case, when no one listens to you, you say i have a voice too. When you are up there at a position where your voice is heard, you dont let others have a voice and follow the same path against whom you were raising a voice.
Remember college ragging?
OM, who doesn’t remember college ragging? We all do. The question would be “to follow or make your own choices/opinions”.
But then I wanna know which fking beer was that..! :-)
Oye Kameenon.
bro – did you really see VB and AK in the same night – or were you fully drunk to be aware of it?
Ho nahi saktha…
On the fanboys thing , I wanted to shout at Anurag – How could he ever appreciate a fake ‘love aajkal’?.
But then I did not , cuz I got this realization that, he saw it , he liked it , he said it as and when he felt it. Wots the big deal..?
But then unfortunately I went over and beyond , wondering…Was he just pomoting his friend’s movie ? Then I got my senses back and managed my self to understand the fact that , why the heck he will ever do it..?
But then there is this crisis that, I still have this fucked up question eating my head – ‘how could the creator of Dev D appreciate a Love Aajkal ?
I will need to go ahead and ask this to AK , in front of Imtiaz ; that is when I meet both of them , for the first time in my life!
Subin..coz Imtiaz is Anurag’s friend…thats it!!..thts why he liked ‘Love Aaj Kal’..:)
Magik, great read this is. Yes, this tendancy of fawning fan boyism by some on PFC becomes quite irksome sometimes. We all admire films made by Anurag or Vishal (just to name two your post mentions), but for god’s sake let they not be elevated to semi-god status by anyone. The most damaging thing for any creative person is a bloated ego, which often results from this kind of behaviour. If a film is good, say it is good, but also explain why it is good, and that should not be just because X or Y director has made it. PFC is all about passion-for-cinema, and we must let this passion find all kinds of expressions on this forum, but hopefully that will exclude PDC (public display of chamchagiri).
BTW, cannot there be a PFC anniversary bash on Sept 5? I am in Delhi, and if there are anyone else, let’s just meet and celebrate. What say?
Great idea Utpal da.. i think we should have pan-India PFC Anniversary celebrations… wherever PFC filmi keedas exist!
Don’t really understand the meaning or the intention behind this post. Enlighten me?
me too.
What is there to understand? Just follow what is said
Intention is to promote a new beer in market. Now that intention is clear why would u even care abt the meaning..?
Monalisa Beer to be more specific.
oh yeah, monalisa. wife of moser.
VIVA cinema…
carry on… you guys are doing great job and taking Indian cinema to new heights…bravo PFC 
Oye Magik…Magik Oye.
Whatta post…very well said…get serious or get lost.
Thanks for introducing PFC to me…where we can get the first hand updates on cinema sans geography. Be it hollywood, bollywood, tollywood or “WoodSide Inn”.
Now respect your post…and get serious. Come to mumbai.
Mumbai aa jaa…fir peepal tale ******** aur nadi kinare ******* jayenge.
~Cheers
Ashu Bhai MAPRM Wale.
talked about DOGA ?
Doga got left out amidst all the banter about guru dutt & kaminey… vishal the Bard, was the HERO of the day… so.
Magik, can u get insight view of assamese or manipuri cinema. i know lot about hollywood but just don’t have much idea about Indian cinema.
me neither, but the intention of this post is also to encourage people who watch such regional cinema should come out & share it with us. i remember anurag saying that you might get 10 comments on a post about regional cinema, but you should think that atleast you dint get 9! so bring ‘em out folks… manipur, assamese, bengali and all such. thanks!
magik..my comments are nothing against your article..as i have said earlier.. i am a silent admirer of your post..somthing is bothering me and i cant say it here….i like your articles..fo..sure
bro u know all means to get in touch wid me and give wudever feedbak u have. got a good dose from oz bhai y’day, aaj shayad om bhai ki baari hai. bring it on!
Mein bolta hoon get KJo to write and read on PFC.
well even thats a great idea, not that the PFC admin hasnt thought of this already… but if it does happen, it will add a new flavour to pfc. thanks!
Just a request if it’s ok. Please do not do that.
Because although that might give you an exponential growth on the eyeballs, it will totally get people like me out of this place – People who come here to enjoy the comments section.
Although if you have to have to, then make sure you keep a tight control on his content (in terms of the topics he writes about), and you ensure that his entry is not celebrated in the media. Lest we have fanboys of a different variety (no offence meant to anyone, it’s just the way I am)
I am just happy that AK has still not gone on to make his mindless blockbuster (please don’t tell me he is not capable of that cos you never know what circumstances might a filmmaker face). Cos people who don’t come here regularly, still associate this very strongly with him.
If Kjo writes on pfc..what will happen to the independent “movement”?
jus curious, can’t both of them co-exist? indie-commercial bhai-bhai types… ? do give it a thought!
After that night my being is not same anymore.
Thanks for the calling me in, Magik.
I am encouraged to write on regional and unerrated movies now !
I hereby request to other MCs who had witnessed that night, please do control your emotions and don’t let us know that you were there, you were fuckin there.
bro u cant blame anyone of ‘em. had u been in their place, even you would be hyperventilating, flapping your arms in a wierd fashion, chanting ‘jai ho’ in arabic, sinhalese and telugu simultaneously. it was a TRIP.
@ Negi- My emotions are well within my control.
Else, by now I would have posted all about the description of the posters, DVDs, magazines and paintings in AKs house and the video I shot where AK & VB discussed finer details on Kaminey for 10 minutes.
But I didn’t.
Did I ?
more power to you bro. awaiting to read what you will now write as an official author of PFC. viva passion.
Magik … the entire post seems so logical … i mean it in the most positive way … i agree with everything you are raising and ranting for … but “fan of Sujoy Ghosh” … that … scares me … big time …
can you please elaborate ?
On your point on regional cinema , i am yet to find posts on rituparno ghoshs cinema on pfc … and i mean posts on his/her cinema … not him / her … and to make my allegiance clear … i do admire his cinema with Shubho Muhurto being my favourite.
bro prasun, do go right ahead and write a post on the cinema that you would like to see more of, irrespective of who, where, what etc. me fan of sujoy ghosh is a lambi kahani…. if we meet, will talk at length over koffee or any poison of ur choice. hey wait, may be this post of mine will put some thing into perspective here: http://passionforcinema.com/jhankar-beats-on-the-birthday-of-boss/
Prasun- Its “Shubho Maharat” not Subho Muhurto. Now that you said it, i think i am motivated to write in Rituporno’s cinema.
Here is one thing that PFCwaalon need to ponder over.
As an observer for a long time and then as an intermittent commenter, I have witnessed a slight but noticeable slump in the standard of this site. There was a time when it was fun being here, reading the ineractions, absorbing the comments, learning from the posts, imbibing from the experiences of various film makers. I am not a part of the film industry except as an outsider. I have in no way contributed towards its betterment or downfall- either which way you look at it. But like every other person, I am inspired by it, I am star struck in my own inexplicable way. It makes the people, who you’ve only heard or read about till now, seem real. I like the fact that very often they all are as complicated, as wonderful, as silly, as intelligent, as obnoxious, as normal as most of us. What makes them stand apart is that they are all achievers in their own right. They have made a name for themselves and are public figures. They are endowed with talent that many of us can only wish for.
As a teenager, I used to struggle to get my articles published in the school/college magazine. A fact which hurt me a lot. I used to keep wondering what I was doing wrong. ‘If I can’t manage to get even a couple of pages right, how do people write stories which run into hundreds of pages??’. The realization then dawned on me that I wasn’t cut out to be a writer. My expertise and talent lay elsewhere. If I was obsessed with writing, I probably would’ve pursued it regardless of the failures. But I wasn’t. So I moved on.
Film makers are passionate people. So drawn to the art are they that they stumble, rise up and stumble yet again only to dust their clothes off and bury their selves into the art that they worship. Ever seen a painter at work? He paints fervently, mixing colours, stroking the brush here and there, wiping some off, working on it again till the time he is satisfied. He then sits back and appreciates the labour of his love. When he shows it to people, they all see it with different eyes. It’s like the Rorschach test. Everyone derives a different meaning from the blobs of ink. What appeals to one might not appeal to the other and vice versa. Films and film makers are like that too.
My friend once went to the preview of a movie. When he returned, I asked him if he had liked it. He replied in the negative. My next question to him was- Did you let the director know about your thoughts? I am sure he asked you- kaisi lagi!! He said- ‘As a film maker myself, I know what goes behind making a movie. I also know that what didn’t appeal to me might probably appeal to a lot of other people. It is beneath my moral conduct to say anything negative about the movie. Not just because I am a part of this mirage too but also because I know for a fact that even if this movie fails, he will rise up and get busy with another project with undeterred passion. I want to keep his spirit alive by giving him positive energy’.
So what is the point of this rather long rhetoric? There have been myriad insulting comments floating around here. Comments that are in no way critical but are personal and cheap. The hindi word that comes to my mind is- khilli udaana. No self respecting individual will stand that let alone a person who is an artist. If they find this forum constructive, they will visit us again and again. If they get negative vibes mostly, they will go back to doing what they were doing anyways and leave us bereft of the opportunities that could have come our way. I myself have been rude on a couple of ocassions and I apologize profusely for that.
You call yourself passionate about cinema? Come forth and discuss cinema, criticize it, laud it, learn from it, yearn for it, appreciate it. Don’t insult it. Don’t demean the artists themselves. You will lose something beautiful if you do. These are people who we have much to learn from. Become their audience. Let them satisfy our curiosity, our hunger. They are libraries of experience and we are all avid readers. Sure they will make mistakes, sure they will make movies that many don’t like, sure they will churn out masterpieces that leave us in awe. They are going through the same process that we all go through- life itself is a long learning process.
Remember when you stumbled upon a stone as a tottering toddler? When you erred in childhood? When you went on a hormonal intoxication in your youth? Your mother corrected you gently, patted your back and urged you on with a smile and a box full of advice. She didn’t hurl a deluge of insults upon you.
Make the change by being a part of the change yourself.
It was indeed mind-blowing to read your comment. Am so glad that my post triggereed this from you and many other comments & suggestions from people across the spectrum of PFC readers. I am very grateful to you, for taking time out to analyze the situation objectively & bringing it across gracefully.
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PFC 3rd Anniversary is around the corner & such feedback says that we have come a long way from what it was originally, a personal blog for 13 filmi keeda log, spread across continents, to the monstor-muscled Industry benchmark that it has become now.
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The thing about blogging is that you cannot shape it consciously… it is very organic. PFC started like a lawn in the backyard & now it is a JUNGLE here. Many things [people & their opinions] are beyond control, Ofcourse the moderators are doing a fantastic job, still they are only humans, pursuing careers, juggling their personal lives, taking time out for this endeavour driven only by passion. But thanks anyways for the feedback. Highly appreciate it!
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Viva Cinema. Viva Passion.
Aarti … extremely balanced post … one specific question … when u see a certain film maker make rgv ki aag , phoonk , james , agyaat , etc … dont you feel that the maker is so caught in his own world that he is insulting you as a viewer ??? what would you do then ??? he is insulting you personally as well as cheating you of your money.
Prasun, it’s not that you had to break a fixed deposit in order to go and see the movie so the question of being cheated of your money doesn’t arise. And its your sensibilities that govern which movie you want to watch. No one forces you to go and see them. It’s like you see a book while browsing through several and it looks interesting to you. You buy it and upon reading it, you feel disappointed. You chuck it at the back of your book rack and wait for some days before being interested in yet another.
Every movie tries its level best to lure the audience. The newspaper today has ‘BIG HIT’ splattered on the ad for ‘SHADOW’. Get my point? You label the movies mentioned by you as cinematic crap but go to RGV’s website. His fans are salivating over them and begging for more. You and I may not be one of them. I don’t even remember the last time I saw a movie made by him. But he must be making his movies for some audience and he IS making movies. It’s not that he’s been labelled a reject. He still has producers backing him. One taste can not cater to every palate. Diversity is something we will have to accept.
Aarti … point completely taken regarding diversity and differing audience tastes … i have friends who have hated films i like just as i have hated films they like. I am talking about school friends with loads in common in terms of same city , similar upbringing , etc. So obviously audience taste is different. And again its not the quantum of money … i do not have a problem with even the later mithun films which catered to a specific audience … even himesh s film … well one knew what as a viewer one was getting into … rgv on the other hand claims to be making masterpieces , his interviews , his blogs all are basically a middle finger pointed at anyone who does not like his views . thats what i hate. its always his way or the high way … and again point taken on him having financial backers … the point is there is a full world of a porn film industry with people putting money and backing people as well. What scares me is RGV has kind of taken himself above the likes / dislikes of people. So if you have an artist who cares not for critical / commercial success and in fact believes that he is successful given any scenario. That is insulting.
Prasun, either he will learn from his own mistakes or time will teach him that. What goes above HAS to come down. Sit back and enjoy the plethora of other movies/movie makers.
Aarti, good write-up. I wonder why you did not become a writer after all.
While I agree to things you have said, the site probably has been serving its purpose well, which is to connect aspiring film makers with their prospective audience. The problem is, and it has been being beaten around so often, they disappear right after the release of their movie. Their posts here are nothing more than about their travails of making their first movie. I mean, everyone knows about those problems right? Whether it is making a film or starting a business or, geez, getting that first job. It is always full of problems.
“No one wants to hear about your struggles, until you have succeeded.” – some sage.
What am I trying to say here? Apart from the regular authors, a lot of time and resource are devoted to the exclusives but it’s often not a discussion. Because there is not much scope for it. All we can post to those new directors is, “Looks awesome sir, waiting for your movie. It looks bloody brilliant.” Which of them actually returns to see the reviews? Do we even watch those movies, after praising the directors’ posts here?
at tejas, bro, totally agree with what you gotta say, including the bit about aarti’s writing comeback
Tejas, my calling lay elsewhere! About your thoughts, it’s a catch 22 situation really. We do understand that the directors etc who come in here are extremely busy people. They are already fighting against time and waging a battle elsewhere. So their interaction here can only be limited. What could be an interesting way of solving everyone’s grouse would be to have some kind of an online chat system. Once a week or whenever convenient, one person could be invited for an online interaction with the readers. Ask a question, get your reply instantly. People from diverse fields should be invited. Directors, writers, cinematographers, actors, technicians, music makers etcetera. Just a thought. I am sure it can be explored.
“Looks awesome sir, waiting for your movie. It looks bloody brilliant.” is INFINITELY better than ‘Ho Gayi Googly says: Rohan, Paste all the pages together 4 + 5 + 3 + 7 and you would have a thick 100 pages solid script. I guess that’s what the writer of Sankat City has been doing since his childhood. That would explain all the childishness in the story.’
Or
’shashikantha says: i went to the movie (lak) because of your recco, i wasted 60 bucks… it is not even worth downloading online…dint nobody read the script before filming and said it sucks?’.
These are just 2 examples of the sad and distasteful comments that have found their way here.
And yes, I do watch the movies that I say I will. It’s a choice that we all make individually. We read how the directors present their movies and regardless of what the press or anyone else says, we watch what we want to watch. No one forces us to make our choices.
hey magik
in which movie was that MONALISA beer used?
i closely remember watching it some time back..
viva cinema
Ek Chaalis ki Last Local.
“Ek Chaalis ki Last Local”
oh ya..
how can i..
damn..
nyways thanks shekhar thanks tejus
viva cinema
hey WAKE UP SID music is out..
anyone took a chance?
hope it wil be a good one as its from S-E-L
ciao
there is one song by Amit Trivedi which is very good. Other songs sound like an extension of Rock On. Much like the punk rock style of the Ramones, or the Kinks.
chk the review by saurabh, its there now…
NFDC, which had funded a slew of path-breaking films in the 1960s and 1970s, had registered a sharp decline in the 1990s, with India’s bureaucracy failing to keep the outfit in good health.
However, buoyed by the recent allocation of Rs 30 crore from the ministry of information and broadcasting and the induction of veteran actor Om Puri as its chairman, NFDC is back on the film production scene in a big way.
The four films that the organisation is promoting in the market here are Arindam Nandy’s ‘Via Darjeeling’, Anjali Menon’s ‘Lucky Red Seeds’, Aijaz Khan’s ‘The White Elephant’ and K M Madhusudanan’s ‘Bioscope’.
http://www.samaylive.com/news/nfdc-back-on-production-scene-with-four-films/99541.html
Magik, It would be good we can bring all of them to put there view here on pfc.
absolutely bro… could you, by any chance, help us at PFC join hands with these filmmakers? i am not sure how to go about this.
Magik Sir, I am giving my life for financial stability in an IT company and enjoying life as a blogger.. I have no connection with NFDC or even people from cinema industry.. You have better social connection than me. Sorry boss for not helping in this regard..
Hey Magik!
You say ‘it wasnt a party. just an informal meet n greet of new pfc authors and the older ones. zimble.’ – How did u get to know??? Did someone contact you – I would have loved to come but had no clue……
bro, all you gotta do is be a PFC author and see your life change for good.
i totally agree with you on the regional languague films talk!!you guys should do that often so that anpad ganwar people like me get to know more about them!!
beer-ing the brunt of ultra-creative bakchodi till 5.0am…nice!!
i have never beer-ed for that long…Royal Stagged though!!
royal stag eh! cool, for starters chk out ghabricha paus, wherever you can. thanks.
kaminey, interview kahaan hai?
its too censored to share on a public forum. khopche mein mil, will tell u stuff that will shock, amaze n thrill.
interview ke liye curiosity aasman chad rahi hai….
BTW woh khopcha kahan hai……
I am sorry to be so super late in replying but what the heck?! I still read it! And it’s a great post, Magik ji! You sound like a kid with a new toy. A big, new, expensive, fancy Japanese toy!
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I hope that somewhere on the agenda of PFC is to maintain standards in the articles that make it to the site. My personal opinion is that the standards had dropped in between. I have not read PFC regularly in the last 2 months so it would be unfair if I even commented on the ongoing standards.I love reading PFC and I hope, like many good blogs eventually become, this doesnt turn into a vomitting bucket where people simply vent their anger and frustration. Like Aarti beautifully put it here, let’s make this a constructive platform!! More power to everyone!