With malice towards none…
disclaimer : I admit to attributing quotes to Mr. Amitabh Bachchan in this blog which in fact are not his. I admit to writing the blog based on stories and quotes attributed to Mr. Bachchan in ‘respectable’
publications. However, I stand by my opinions and comments in the blog. My apologies to Mr. Bachchan
Let me come to the point. All of us, including myself, including those who write for PFC, including those who read PFC, including those who do not read PFC, including those who watch films, including those who write about films, including those who talk about films, including those who make films – all of us take ourselves a bit too seriously. Welcome then to the comedy of the absurd, the realm of the idiots, the supremacy of the mediocre.
We live in a world that celebrates mediocrity. Our creative energies are focused on creating differing levels of mediocrity. Some of us create excellent mediocrity. Some of us create terrible mediocrity. Some of us create only mediocrity. Whether it is Amitabh Bachchan, Shahrukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Sanjay Dutt, Karan Johar, Anees Bazmee, Vipul Shah, Aditya Chopra, Ashutosh Gowarikar, Anurag Kashyap, Sajid Khan, Milap Zaveri, Sudhir Mishra, Shyam Benegal, Suparn Verma, Guddu Dhanoa, David Dhawan, Kamaal R Khan or Hansal Mehta – we strive to outshine our own levels of mediocrity.
Mr. Amitabh Bachchan gives us his exalted opinion about Slumdog Millionaire. I believe he did not like this depiction of Mumbai’s underbelly by a white man. Come on dear sir, you must be joking. There is no ‘real’ underbelly in this film. The characters are unreal. The settings are unreal. When did Amitabh Bachchan ever fly over Dharavi? When did he ever land there in a helicopter to dole out autographs? SM is an enjoyable, polished and embellished work of supreme mediocrity. Great music, superb entertainment and good, fresh faces. Cool enough. At least this work of mediocrity does not subject us to the self-proclaimed superstars, to the media-manipulating monsters who are all bark and no cry. Imagine an Indian film-maker making this film with Shahid Kapoor/Neil Nitin Mukesh and Bipasha Basu/Katrina Kaif! Phew! At least Danny Boyle, the ‘white man’ has made a film with these new kids and made a film that is unapologetic, entertaining and not in any way pandering to the self-proclaimed stardom of our paper tigers! The same Mr. Bachchan created an industry out of mediocrity. Mediocrity from which our films are yet to recover. His films led us to a state of bankruptcy that is reflected as recently as last Friday in the ridiculously mediocre ‘Chandni Chowk to China’. Why are you complaining, dear sir? Isn’t ‘Shantaram’ the same kind of poverty porn that you were happily about to embrace? Come on, Mr. Bachchan. Even more serious and grave than the escapist SM, is a noise fest that you were part of – a noise fest called ‘Black’. A film that made disability look like stupidity. Insensitive, loud and caricaturish – the film was a ‘pretty mediocre’ attempt to titillate the tear buds. Make no mistake sir. It was a tear-jerker, out of touch with reality, bereft of time, space or sensitivity. It was watched by many, appreciated by many and awarded by many. But did that mean Bhansali was Bergman? And Monty Sharma was Mozart? And Rani Mukherjee was Merryl Streep? If it did mean all of the above, then it would mean only one thing. All the concerned people took the film too seriously. They celebrated the accolades served by the mediocre to the mediocre and began to exist blissfully in their own delusions of grandeur. Dear Sir, watch Slumdog Millionaire for its sheer celebration of mediocrity and for its cheap thrills. Enjoy. Chill. Forget it. Don’t take it seriously.
Before Slumdog Millionaire it was ‘Taare Zameen Par’. Headlines screaming that it was out of the race for the Oscars. Hello! Are we taking Aamir Khan too seriously? Is Aamir Khan taking himself too seriously? Did we expect TZP, which was again a one-dimensional, overtly simplistic and dangerously hopeful look at dyslexia to be at the Oscars? TZP was entertaining, successful and redeemed to a great extent by its actors. Does that mean Aamir is a Majidi? Does that mean TZP is a ‘Children of Heaven’? Come on. This is the same Aamir Khan who did the masterpiece ‘Raja Hindustani’. This is the same Aamir who grated on our nerves with the immensely successful ‘Dil’. The same Aamir who did ‘Ishq’, ‘Mann’ and ‘Mela’. The same Aamir who did ‘Fanaa’. The same Aamir who subjected us to ‘Ghajni’. Make no mistake here. Aamir Khan is successful and supposedly very good at whatever he does. He is supposedly committed to excellence and a perfectionist and all that. But does it mean that every time Aamir works in a film we mediocrity celebrators expect the film to be at the Oscars? If the answer is no, then why don’t we do what we asked our beloved Mr. Bachchan to do. Chill. Enjoy. Don’t take it so seriously.
Then the prized Oscars. The one award function that Aamir Khan believes in. The one award function that his highness decides to attend. The Oscars. A celebration of the white man’s superior mediocrity and a mockery of the developing world’s poor mediocrity. An awards ceremony where men dressed as waiters and women dressed like cabaret dancers make bloody fools of themselves. The world of the hysterical and anorexic. I remember a very beautiful work of mediocrity called ‘Heat and Dust’. My most vivid recollection from the film is the scene of an awkward prince (Shashi Kapoor) making out with a white lady. The Indian prince looked uneasy, desperate and totally starved. Every time I visualise the Indians at the Oscars I am reminded of this disgusting scene from ‘Heat and Dust’. Why try to make love to a woman that makes you awkward? Why display your lust for somebody else’s wife? To hell with the Oscars. They are as fake as any other award. Chill. Enjoy Bigg Boss if television is your scene . But please don’t take the Oscars so seriously.
Aamir Khan, Oscars and awards… Brings me to the next question. Did we take ‘Lagaan’ too seriously? Obviously the gifted Ashutosh Gowarikar has taken it too seriously. He goes to collect an award for an inaccurate, languorous and labored account of a love story that many thought never existed. The maker of a mediocre epic, a wannabe K Asif is angry. Otherwise a thorough gentleman and a soft-spoken man, Ashutosh Gowarikar is pissed off. He is apparently mocked at by a man called Sajid Khan. Sajid Khan – the man who makes a living out of mockery and then proceeds to make a mockery of your senses with a senseless show of extreme mediocrity called ‘Hey Baby’ has pissed Mr. Gowarikar off. Come on Mr. Gowarikar. Don’t take this jester seriously. None of us do. And do not take yourself so seriously. Loosen up ‘sir’. Chill. Enjoy.
Brings me to my dearest friend, Sanjay Gupta. I read about a sequel to ‘Kaante’ and an online poll to select the cast of the film. Sanjay will hate me for this. But I think he took ‘Kaante’ too seriously. It made money. Ok. But it was no ‘Sholay’. It was one of those successful films that one could easily forget. Mr. Quentin Tarantino praised ‘Kaante’ (on PFC?). Ok. Come on Sanjay. You are far more gifted than the rip-offs that you make. I have worked for you. I think I should know. Take some time off the DVDs bro. Write a script. Make a film. And don’t let Tarantino’s praise inspire you to make more ‘inspired’ films. Chill. Enjoy. And do not take Tarantino’s comments on PFC so seriously.
And then there is Akshay Kumar. The self-proclaimed king. The king of mediocrity is ‘magnanimous’ enough to ‘sacrifice’ an award to Aamir Khan. If this is not a mockery, what is? An award category that is laughable – Most Popular Actor. Mr. Akshay Kumar gifts his popularity to Aamir Khan. Wow! Aamir Khan must feel on top of the world. The one-man industry called Akshay Kumar who carries a disaster called ‘Chandni Chowk to China’ on his ageing shoulders pays his generous tribute to a mediocrity called ‘Ghajni’. Gawd! This guy takes himself and his stardom too seriously. Chill Akshay. Enjoy it while it lasts.
Then we have PFC. We make Anurag Kashyap, the writer of some forgettable flicks by Sunil Darshan, Sanjay Gupta, RamGopal Verma, Harry Baweja and a certain Hansal Mehta into a man with superhuman powers. We make him into a messiah, a torch bearer, a God. Any negative comments on him are slammed. Bad reviews for his films are taken as a personal affront. Give the guy a break. If he begins believing that only PFC means excellence, if he believes that only PFC understands his cinema and only PFC means the cinematic universe it will be a great disservice to him. You my fellow PFCians will be doing the greatest damage to a talent that has yet realized only 20% of its full potential. Don’t take Anurag so seriously. Don’t take criticism on Anurag so seriously guys. Chill. Enjoy. Don’t let Anurag take himself too seriously.
While the list is endless I think it is time for me to stop.
But how can I stop without talking about the man himself – Hansal Mehta?
Can the words of the man who celebrated mediocrity with his classic ‘Woodstock Villa’ and who made a mockery of teenage hormonal imbalance in the all-time-even-more-classic ‘Yeh Kya Ho Raha Hai’ be taken seriously?
Can the words of such a mediocre film-maker be taken as words of wisdom?
All I can tell you my friends is this –
DIL PE MAT LE YAAR!!!
Tags: aamir, aamir khan, ashutosh, hansal, hansal mehta, kaante, Lagaan, Oscars, woodstock villa
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
Funny. Quite Funny. But true. And ironic.
and you should be blogging more! Seriously
fuck the best post on pfc since a long time….great and funny as hell ….
Aamir does take himself too seriously. I often wonder if he can ever do something like ‘Andaz Apna Apna’ again. Probably not. He thinks he’s beyond it.
Wish people in bollywood were as chilled as you…
hahaahhha…Hansal, what a superb post!! drinks on me,whenever we meet.
SM…eggxactly my thoughts…its Manmohan Desai phillum n nothing else. great fun. n the kids r the best.
Anurag n PFC….heheheh…i love to release all the negative comments that people write against him or anyone else. enough of ego boost n worshipping. sometimes its gud to kill the same ego also…taare zameen par!!(anurag dont kill me)
but i love oscars not cz it great award n all. but cz its great tv. how often do u see george lucas, martin scorsese, steven spielberg n francis coppola, all together on stage n scorsese joking if they hav checked his name twice or not. what fun! so many stars n directors at one place and cz it gives great visibility. one nomination n u know the cast n d credit roll by heart. thats it.
Phew, dude I haven’t seen your films, but if you can make something as good as you write…!!
fucking irreverence…thats what we need!
A celebration of cynicism, an explosion of aptitude and a memento of amazement. BTW, could you please add reference to Anurag’s 20% potential please.
Maybe I am taking it too seriously.
hansal sir…bahut dino baad PFC pe comment likh raha hu..only due to your this blog…. plz keep blogging…..and its human nature to take himself seriously…and i think its best and wrost part of any human being…
Wonderful post on PFC in recent times… Jai ho!! Mediocrity Zindabad!! :D
Mr. Mehta in trying to be humorous, takes it a bit far and castigates people who have no fault.Amitabh Bachchan does not have an opinion on Slumdog Millionaire. He has still not seen the film.If you read his blog, it says the visitors on his blog were referring to SM as a celebration of poeverty. He was just trying to create a debate. Debate is what we do to discuss.Whats so wrong in that.Even on PFC we do the same.
I would just suggest Mr. Mehta not to take the tabloids so seriously. They are all a figment of imagination or a miscontrued, misrepresented story.
And your post is not at all funny. It makes one think when will you start taking yourself seriously so that you do not subject us to below mediocre stuffs like Woodstock Villa and Ye Kya Ho Raha Hai
I am sorry but I really did not want to sound rude. But you have compelled me.
..too much sir…what writeup…I hope it finds larger audience…keep posting!!…Superb!!
hahahahha Saying it like it issss!!!!!
interesting write up ’sir’ but ‘why so serious?’..amitabh takes himself too seriously,aamir takes himself too seriously,akshay takes himself too seriously..aamir is interested in ONLY in oscars(during the ‘lobbying period’ he ws in India most of the time & in some his interviews arnd that time he told that he had hired some guys there to look after TZP’s Oscar run..he didnt do that fr Lagaan..but he did fr TZP..i think he knew well enough that he shudnt b ‘taking it seriously’ this time)..also in some of his last interviews he clarified that he does go to Indian awards but only to those who he thinks r worthy enough – national awards,some Mangeshkar awards & couple of more down south that honoured him ..not his problem if we only consider those stupid popular awards as ‘the Indian awards’..he has seen success thats rare so if sometimes he ‘takes himself seriously’ – dil pe mat le yaar…now comin to Amitabh Bachchan – i just read an article on guardian.co.uk – http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2009/jan/15/danny-boyle-shows?commentpage=6&commentposted=1….the author of the article uses some very derogatory,condescending & sweeping statements abt him..urs is more subtle,very readable but kick ass anyway..my comment is posted with the user name ‘norocketscience’ there..plz read it Hansal bhai..how can we start being so rude to Amitabh Bachchan..he is the reason why many of us started loving,celebrating & enjoying films..he may hv faltered & will falter but acc to me the moments he has given to me & to many as a kid r just unforgettable…they r unforgettable coz we were less desperate to hv opinions on films,actors & ‘mediocrity’..Akshay Kumar – he may not be Aamir or Amitabh but let him enjoy his success..we shudnt take his success too seriously even if he does..watch some his pre-hera pheri films again like mr.&mrs.khiladi,khiladi,main khiladi tu anari,khiladi 420[he ws mind blowing in the 1st half..i watched it at Odeon,CP:)]..these films were very watchable to me just coz of him..i didnt care how mediocre or not-so-mediocre he ws as an actor..he ws paisa vasool..he is just gettn his due now & if he has started to falter its also coz many in the industry also want a piece of his cake..ashutosh gowariker – if he hadnt taken the success of Lagaan seriously he wudnt hv made Swades..i think so,seriously..he may falter in future but who cares..sanjay gupta -……………anurag kashyap – he SHUD take himself seriously coz many of us want to see him up there..of course im nt of the opinion that he or his work shudnt b criticized(though his work must b ‘understud’ b4 beng criticized..honestly guys i hvnt been able to make up mind what No Smoking was & i watch it anytime I cud) just like the work of Aamir,Big B,Akshay,Ashutosh,SRK(btw why did u miss him in the post?) shud be criticized as well but it shudnt b done just fr the heck of it..eventually these r the ppl who make many of us write here so we do ‘take them seriously’..they & their work r relevant to our existence even if in a small way..anyway i enjoyed ur write up very much,really & i think u shud write more often..it has the potential to generate healthy debates..good luck brother
I meant if ashutosh gowariker hadnt taken the success of Lagaan seriously he wud hv never been able to make Swades coz acc to him he really wanted to make Swades but he cudnt hv attempted until he got some recognition
All nice and in good taste and tongue in cheek but would like to hear more about your projects and views on cinema(yes I know that also will be termed ’serious’, there is no end to that argument). Was little disappointed to learn that you are following all them news stories that much. Chill!
Hmmm…one more loser is trying to get publicity by attcking Amitabh Bachchan….Big B aur kitne logon ka career banaayenge aap!!
Hansal…your write up is spot on….yes, all these self proclaimed messiahs must be cut down to size…and it is NOT COOL to immediately attack someone who dares to criticize the God of PFC ,…Mr.Kashyap…I hope admin is listening…
I went back and read all of your articles(i’m fairly new to pfc) and the thing that came out for me is the honesty and unpretentiousness. Hope to see more of you, and catch DPMLY and Chhal
too good hansal.. been too long.. but with all due respect, don’t take big B or aamir too seriously either.. last thing they need is free publicity from us..!
@hansal
I have to say this…I know its just another post on just another filmy blog site…but This is what Many like me or like no one would truly believe. Watching people comparing film makers, comparing films, taking sophisticated yet abstracted cheap shots, singing praises, downing talents, forming fan-camps of their own, bringing European cinema into almost everything (phew !!) and all other bull shit …..this really comes as an expression of relief for me….thank you for reminding us what the fuss is all about
Mr Mehta or whatever is your name,
Maybe you wrote this after confronting your own mediocrity!
since it was on the front of the page I decided to continue reading and before reading googled Hansal Mehta…haha…what a bloody joke..i think he knows well that his work and thw ork mediocre dont go with in the same line…his work is an insult to the word mediocre…so of course without taking it at heart…for if one had a little humility…one would take it at heart….it seems as if he has nothing neither below average talent nor a little humility…so the next pathetic thing to do is to insult the remaining ones who have a slightly better oh no mediocrre talent than him…pathetic….i think if anyone….hansal and sajid khan are defo coming together….man how mediocre and lousy would that be….!!!!
the worst title too….im sure it was satirical but still how lousy…freak….with malice towards none…its screams of malice towards literally everyone!!! freak!!
maybe i’m following the news a bit too much… true. but i’m not taking the news seriously! just having fun…
its all in jest guys… chill… enjoy…
hansal – with malice or without it, you, dear sir, should be blogging more frequently.
You ought to write more Mr HAnsal…
and Oz – since you are the keeper of the house – why not devote this space to folks like Hansal, Anurag – the ones who don’t take themselves too seriously and have actually done something in the medium? I mean such nice posts get lost in the meaningless rubble that seem prevalent here! Your cronies could surely offer their opinion in the “comments” section !
Now I hope you post this
Nice post man… “we indians are emotional fools” – explains your post. Keep blogging :-)
hansalji –
wish one filme ..may be one film in a year out of the hundreds that we make had the potential/guts/balls to not celebrate mediocrity ..
untill then
dil pe mat ley yaar
sahi hai…
Sirji, jai ho! More from you… more and more from you!
Mass Media has made ache khaase cry-babies out of human beings.
I almost fell of my chair….
YEH KYA HO RAHA HAI!
Hilarious.
I am really surprised that some people didnt have any clue about who hansal mehta is. I can understand they might not have seen his movies..but I dont think he’s too unknown a person..
@nirja, @ajay singh
I known hansal has made some forgettable stuff off lately..but i really blve his “dil pe mat le yaar” was one of the most honest films I have ever come across.. Maybe you guys would wanna see that one..
woaa….nice post.
loved every bit of it, drinks on me Sir anytime you decide to meet me
very phunny… thanks for this!
superb ..chill enjoy…dil pe mat le..haath mein le yaar!!!
why so serious?
Agree with you regarding what all is mediocrity. But it is a very easy logic to apply. Name any thing under the sun and one can argue regarding in what all ways it is mediocre.
What is not mediocre?
Cannes? Obama’s speech? Economic reforms? Single narrative? Multiple narrative? Blogging? Space science? New sociological theories? Special effects? SRK donating 50 lakhs? Tarkovsky? The concept of cinema?
Everything will have some way of being mediocre in expert hands.
The clever thing about your post is that though you gave a lot of examples of mediocrity, you didnt give any examples of not being mediocre. Because if you had, some one in these comment columns would be explaining why those are also examples of mediocrity.
aditya
you have a choice mate… writing this blog is my choice… make your choice… do not read!
the beauty of PFC is that it allows a ‘loser’ like me to speak… and allows something that i write to be read…
cheers!
hansal
a lovely post, mazaa aa gaya hansal ji.
scriptlarva,
true. but why so serious mate?
this piece is just having fun… at my expense and at the expense of some of my seniors and colleagues…
dil pe mat le yaar…
hansal
i am a mediocre person, leading a mediocre life, and loving the mediocre things of the world, nice to meet you sir, lets have a drink,but i would just prefer a mediocre beer or whisky, yeah wine, shine mere bas ki baat nahin.
Read to me like a much calmer, wiser and older Kartik Krishnan.
Hansal Sir please keep blogging more often and putting together your thoughts here.
Art is anyways others perception of ones work…other’s perception is what drives one to go for more and most of the times instead of creating better work it gives birth to pretense…
It’s the conviction of the creator that marks the difference between mediocre and genius. The genius might not take it too seriously and the medio-critic who thrives on mediocrity gives birth to the medio-genius…..those are in abundance…after all we live in a democracy…majority rules. It takes a thief to catch a thief…takes a diamond to cut a diamond…and it takes genius to recognize genius. Till then of course….with malice towards none the show must go on……
Like to add a line from your own film “Jayate” written by Anurag Kashyap and mentioned in one of your blogs and KK just refreshed my memory on it.
“aadmi to sabhi ache hai….bas hare hue hai…”
Hansal…I have that Shashi Kapoor scene in my masala archives. :P (Have another one with SRK showing his bare bums and Deepa Mehta baring her top…in Maya Memsaab!)
Thanks for this angry post (with “just-chill” as a nice cover-up phrase!)…but the uniqueness of our dilemma, IMO, lies in the fact that in India – films are a mass-entertainment media ONLY and not considered a liberal art AT ALL. In fact, ‘art’ is a bad word when it comes to cinema. The good word is ‘business’.
And a business grows while art just evolves . And so, we have Big Bs, Amirs, and Akshays making a growing business (even unintended at times) out of mass-hype and sensibilities. And as u rightly said – mediocrity.
Hansal,
Great post. Direct dil se. No matter what the cronies and the wannabes on this section might think (what they know of making a movie who never made one!!!), for me you would always be the guy who made “Dil Pe Mat Le Yaar”. And I just want to tell you that it was great reading your honest comments.
Senior ho aap industry mein, par ek advice to de hi sakta hun (more of a reminder, you already know it…the SG reference) – Phenko na yaar DVDs side mein…chhodo naa yeh White Feather ka circus…aur kuch dil se banaao. This post tells me that you have another DPMLY left in you.
If I was you, I would live for that…or die making it!
Way too cynical mate… I think the ‘chill’ bit applies to you more than anybody you’ve mentioned here… would love to see some non-mediocre cinema (dont think lagaan and tzp were mediocre) from you
suyash,
i’m trying mate…
Guys..Hansal has left “White Feather” and is trying to do something else, whether it will be a DPMLY is another question altogether. Yes..chill yaar..man, you should keep blogging!!
Disarmingly funny and yes, the most mediocre post I’ve read in a long time.
Definitely redeemed you to some extent after the horrific Woodstock Vila :p
Lovely piece of writing.Mediocrity has no standing.
Good post, very straightforward!
Most of the things are right…apart from the Amitabh link to SM…that was outright Media(some part) angst against him…checkout his blog and the days where the discussion went on…and then take a call…and dont believe the Media/Papers etc, on this…they are just f*ck all!!
To tell you the fact..most of us live a Mediocre life in a Mediocre environment with Mediocre people around us(just that they claim to be the best), governed by a Mediocre govt….and above all we HATE being called Mediocre….and thats where the mediocrity is hidden!!
Good one Hansal!
“Don’t let Anurag take himself too seriously.”
This is exactly what I wrote in this PFC article…
http://passionforcinema.com/no-smoking-the-hanzo-sword-which-cut-through-god/
The road begins from here…..
Have your own choice and opinion 7 do what YOU want to….
Anurag ddn’t say much though :-)”Sahi hai”
Keep writing :-)
The road begins from here…..
Have your own choice and opinion & do what YOU want to….
Anurag ddn’t say much though :-)”Sahi hai”
Keep writing :-)
“Great men are known by their failures or mediocrity, mediocres are known by their success ;)”.. People today and forever might remember Mr Bachchan or Aamir for their mediocrity, but their is very little doubt about their greatness.
post of the month!!!
I really wish AB read this blog…
What would you call people like Shahrukh Khan who make statements like
‘Wanted to show a few pelvic dance movements to people at golden globe’…what was he thinking! Was he being funny? or was it to confess to the world yes we only make frivolous ,bad quality cinema!
You could either define it as mediocre or just call it best out of the worst.. black versus a OSO..sing is king versus krazy 4.
Suddenly movies like TZP, Zodha Akbar then seem extra ordinary.
Hansal, Question really is why should movie makers make extra ordinary movies when they can get away with work done with half their hearts and 1/3 intellect..
Bahut zyada mazedaar post..aise hi post likhiye..ye faaltu wo faltu.. So in a nutshell..Mediocre people should not take their profession seriously…making money through movies is the sole right of the super talented..and please spare ppl like gowariker and kasyap..No smoking was a shit movie but definitley not mediocre…must be good cos mujh jaise mediocre aadmi ko samajh nahi aayi..mr Mehta aapki bas ek hi movie dekhi hai maine..saw “ye kya ho raha hai” in a rundown theatre 20Kms away frm my college with my friends when it came out..ur “American pie” remake..It was not mediocre..it was “LESS”..even by 19 yr old engineering college horndogs standards.. himmat nahi hui aapki koi movie dekhne ki fir se..bas saw ur Jimmy shergill short in 10 kahaniyaa..wo bhi samajh nahi aaya mujhe..mediocre to nahi hee hoga..but lets see if u can come up with something good…we want to take you seriously..
@ hansal,
Now I am smiling.:) You made me self conscious with your reply. May be that comment of mine was also mediocre.
Sir Ji
Take a bow …
After watching Chhal, I thought U have it in u .. though I was not completely mesmerised bu it …
But then came Wood Stock villa and I thought … “What shit this man has come up with !!!”
But then I read this article today and I must say that I have converted into a fan again …
I hope U know where u r lacking and I hope that u will come up with something that wont be MEDIOCRE !!!
Great writing …
Remark on Amitabh Bachchan about Shantaram was Bang on target( I am currently reading it and I thought exactly the same thing that u have written here)…
Reunite with our own Honhaar Goonda and KK and make smthing that will alleviate u … and us tooo !!!
Keep writing sir ..
reminds me of Salieri’s quote from Amadeus :
“I will speak for you, Father. I speak for all mediocrities in the world. I am their champion. I am their patron saint.”
Hansal Ji,
Good to see you writing after a long gap.
Good to see the power in your written words.
Good to see that its title reminds one half of the title of Khushwant Singh Saab’s column.
You are not a journalist and that too an electronic media journalist because this biradari does not believe in reading anything. if electronic media gets a clue that you have written about your dear friend Mr Sanjay Gupta in your article and has tried to remind him his hidden talent to make original films then you will be world famous on Indian TV channels in no time. They will repeat it whole day, Hansal Mehta Sanjay Gupta par garje.
Do doston mein kyon padee darar. bane rahiye hamaare saath, ye sansanikhej khulasa will be shown after dinner and then next day and then in the next evening.
Like many abovementioned journalists and many other people if you have missed to read the original writings of Mr Bachchan then they are here.
————————————————————————————–
http://bigb.bigadda.com/page/4/
The Salon du Cinema team meets me at the entrance to Paris-Nord station and after an exchange of greetings and flowers and video and stills, out into the wet and cold Paris streets, chased by a huge group of women, who scream and shout and clap, making you wonder what it is that I may have done to receive such an enthusiastic welcome in a country that hardly knows who I am. But, Fouad my driver and sincere personal guide during all my recent visits to the city, gathers me quickly into his car and drives off. They are migrants or asylum seekers from nearby or distant country and are begging he informs me. My ego brought into place I am saddened by their plight. Conditions the world over are so similar. Perceptions differ, but the reality of life and existence, unchanged.
On blog, comments for the film ‘SlumDog Millionaire’ and the anger by some on its contents, prompt me to say the above. If SM projects India as Third World dirty under belly developing nation and causes pain and disgust among nationalists and patriots, let it be known that a murky under belly exists and thrives even in the most developed nations. Its just that the SM idea authored by an Indian and conceived and cinematically put together by a Westerner, gets creative Globe recognition. The other would perhaps not.
The commercial escapist world of Indian Cinema had vociferously battled for years , on the attention paid and the adulation given to the legendary Satyajit Ray at all the prestigious Film Festivals of the West, and not a word of appreciation for the entertaining mass oriented box office block busters that were being churned out from Mumbai. The argument. Ray portrayed reality. The other escapism, fantasy and incredulous posturing. Unimpressive for Cannes and Berlin and Venice. But look how rapidly all that is changing. Retrospectives in Paris and New York. Dedicated TV channels running Hindi cinema on prime timings. Premiers at Leiscester Square, the home of all Hollywood royalty, thronged by hundreds on the street in cold biting weather. Affable recognition at most corners of the universe… And a dear friend from Los Angeles wires in that Hollywood is abuzz with India and the phenomenal talent that exists there. We’re talking cinema still!—————————————————————————————
and Day 270(i)
http://bigb.bigadda.com/2009/01/20/day-270i/
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In case you have read it and still made the conclusions which you have incorporated in your article then what can be said than to search a liitle dose of malice towards Mr Bachchan.
But why a responsible director will do that. So first case seems more authentic and you have not read the original writings on your own.
So here they are.
please aap sabhi amitabh bachchan ke blog par day 265 ki post phir se padhen.yahan amitabh opinion nahin de rahe hai.unhone simply yah kaha hai ki ,agar sm mein bharat ki garibi dikhyi gayi hai to most developed nations mein bhi garibi hai….
‘On blog, comments for the film ‘SlumDog Millionaire’ and the anger by some on its contents, prompt me to say the above. If SM projects India as Third World dirty under belly developing nation and causes pain and disgust among nationalists and patriots, let it be known that a murky under belly exists and thrives even in the most developed nations. Its just that the SM idea authored by an Indian and conceived and cinematically put together by a Westerner, gets creative Globe recognition. The other would perhaps not.’
har aadmi lakir peet raha hai,saanp kahin hai hi nahin.media,mediocres aur baki log bhi ek aisi bahas mein uljhe hain,jo shuroo hi nahin hui thi.
saare fasane mein jiska zikra na tha,woh baat unko bahut naagwar gujri hai..faiz ne kaha tha.
@Hansal,
We are living in the era which is defined by the “First among equals” If certain Mr Aamir Khan is doing better than others in his field of expertise and that is acting then it is not a sin or crime to point it out.
I am sure you must always be feeling very happy when your kids bring certificates or awards etc from their schools and you, as a matured person very well know that these certificates are not going to help them in cruel real world but at that time they have to be treated as per their understanding and matured but depressed realities can not be showered on them to spoil their childhood.
You are a director and that too a director who has made few films. You are capable to make many more films and you are an active filmmaker. You have to make act your actors. You can push your actors to outshine Mr Bachchan, Aamir Khan or for that matter Akshay Kumar. Its in your hand to push them to that level where they outshine these kings of mediocrity, as you call them.
People are not best leaders, best directors, best actors, best parents, best children, best friends etc etc, and even best humanbeings. so?
We stop talking about whatever merit is existing among mediocre people living in a mediocre era?
—-
Being a director film is your medium. You have full command on your film. Same way directors of Amitabh Bachchan’s films had full command on their films. Weakness is not there in the craft of Mr Bachchan. Weakenss is in the craft of directors taking him in their films.
—–
I find your heat and dust memory quite amusing.
Before you forget, Mr Shashi Kapoor was married to Late Jeniffer kendel and she was white.
If scene of H&D leaves you in disgust then you must search fault in the work of its director or cameraman and the person who selected the venue for that love making scene.
Still you may have certain idea while writing about this scene and its confusing at present for readers so perhaps you have not been able to translate your thoughts in to words.
If you have not seen Siddhartha, please watch it, Mr Shashi Kapoor is not quite comfortable in giving love making scene with Brown Simi Grewal also.
This lack of comfort level in giving love making scenes for screen may be something different than what you have quoted.
All of your observations are spot on HM.
I have yet to see a truly awe inspiring Indian movie in recent times, nothing to really appreciate on an International level.
Having watched a lot of the movies which are praised to the skies in India I have almost always been left distinctly under-whelmed.
Our entry to the Oscars, TZP, was a very nice movie when compared to those countless other movies assaulting our sensibilities, but was nothing truly special. Hollywood churns out movies in a similar vein a dime a dozen – just watch Movies 24 or True movies on Sky!
Aamir Khan is a “good” actor but his virtues as one have been grossly inflated. His act in TZP was as sentimental and emotional as any I have seen in other B movie – by that I mean very little subtlety.
When we Indians start making movies for the love of our subject and with complete honesty, without regard to box-office collections, will be the time when we “may just” create something to talk about. Until then I suggest we just enjoy whatever floats our boat at that particular moment in time without trying elevate our films from “molehills into mountains”.
@Hansal,
In civilized world a person can have expectations that what he is not doing with others that is not done to him
Mr Ashutosh Gowariker is not making fun of Sajid Khan or not insulting him. He has full right on objecting Sajid Khan’s jokery.
Humanbeing lives with his limitations and emotions. It can not happen that a person is always in a mood to bear all kind of nonsense. It has nothing to do with AG taking himself too seriously.
He may not be best director of Hindi cinema at present but he is not among average directors also. He is above them. He has years to outshine his own works, or mediocre works as you call them.
chhota-mota mediokrity karega to filmfare jaayega… bada mediokrity karega to oskar jayega! LOL!
great rant hansalbhai! in true pfc tradition! glad to know of your sense of humour, your not taking yourself too seriously. have watched a few creative output of yours but my absolute favorite is none other than your unforgettable contribution to the Kieslowski legend: KOGA!!!
this post puts everything in perspective, of not taking things seriously…very profound…hats off!
@Hansal,
This is really amusing to see that PFC’s existence has reached at that level where you advise Mr Anurag Kashyap through this platform and though being a part of same film world you could have done this in person also.
Can few bloggers make or destroy the career of any filmmaker?
Mr Kashyap enjoys, whatever mediocre level of fame, as you say, just because of PFC and PFCians?
He has no mind of his own and can not differentiate between honest feedback and a biased one?
If thats the case, can people rely on him to make good films?
What about normal readers who comment on his matters? They are not PFCians. They have to buy tickets to see his films.
How PFCians can stop you guys from taking yourselves seriously?
May be 1-2 people can advise on personal basis who are personal friends. But how come entire PFC and all the PFCians can be defined in a single defintion?
Was it possible for PFC to stop you to make any of your past films in the way you have made them?
Or can PFC and PFCians affect your future based films?
If you are praised or criticised at PFC, does it affect your thinking, decision making power?
————————————————–
With no malice towards anyone, its true that Hindi cine world is a strange world, and people here are biggest critic in the world. Here directors write articles criticising others films. They dont try to make better films than the films they are criticising but they feel happy in criticising the films and their directors.
On an average Indians are biggest critics of their country, and people of India but hindi cinema people outshine rest of the India in this trait.
I am not aware, if Martin Scorsese writes articles to criticise QT’s films. Or Hitchcock used to write articles criticising Bergman’s films.
Creative directors make films and may write about good things existing in cinema or how to improve the cinema.
————————————————-
Material did not materialise Sir,
Dil pe mat lena.
Everybody has opinions.
Nice post. Very funny and please blog more. I would like u to write about things which is not mediocre for you.
LoL! I agree with many points and disagree with many too. But this article does make for some entertaining read! Mr. Mehta, we only hope we see more of this in your films!
Mediocrity is a problem with India and with mankind. Some countries fight the temptation to be mediocre harder than others. Sadly, we dont. I think that most of the industry takes itself too seriously. And I also agree with PFC often becoming a platform for AK-worshipping. So I am glad that you pointed it out.
If only we can learn to concentrate more on our work and stop thinking all the time about projecting ourselves to the world, we would do wayyyy better! I dont even want to begin talking about what the media should ideally be doing!
Who is Sajid??? Farah’s supposed lookalike twin in trousers or is it other way round? He should not be taken seriously but cannot be ignored too. The cheapo should be gagged and banned from making any public appearances other than being at SRK’s feet.
Akshay has been doing ‘bachche ke jaan lega kya be’ for ages now.. When is going to stop? Goss hath it that he ’sacrificed’ his awards because he was promised ‘Best Actor’ category by the organizers and not ‘Best Actor-Popular’ which he eventually got. Can anyone authenticate that pls? Whatever may be the reason, most of the actors do not attend award. Oscars might not be anything to you and I do not wish to go into the debate on that but at least if there is a award function in west then all seem to respect and attend it, unlike here.
@Hansal,
Anees Bazmee … Sajid Khan… Milap Zaveri … Shyam Benegal … Guddu Dhanoa… Kamaal R Khan
Sab ek saans mein?
Shyam Benegal, mediocre filmmaker?
Please can we know if in your opinion any filmmaker or any film exists in indian cinema which you think is above mediocrity?
Is there none?
You are an active filmmaker. If whole hindi cinema is filled with mediocre talents then it should have been quite easy for you to outshine others.
Please outshine even mediocre films of Mr Benegal.
Though it does not matter but I will touch your feet just infront of India Gate. I will bring atleast 20 more hard core cine lovers to do so.
21 is a good and auspicious number
—–
Your past work does not bring you credibility to criticise cinematic work of people like Mr Bachchan and Mr Benegal.
and that too without even providing any substantial support by your thoughts.
Ye janta ki adalat hai, ye adalat saboot mangtee hai.
Please Dont kill few good and talented people just because you are not in a good mood today.
:P thats nice to hear. i am no movie expert myself, but have written a story on a wildlife film makers 3 escapade to film the clouded leopards (some of the most reclusive animals in the world). you mind listening to it sometime?
P.S. it’s surely not ‘bad mediocre’ :P
Mazedar stuff! We all need to hold a mirror to our selves once in a while. I’m relieved to know that mediocrity is what keeps the world going around.
Kya baat hai… killed in. Couldnt agree more!
Full Power… whacked the nail on the head. The irony is that what is excellence to some is mediocrity to others? Who decides… the long standing question that all especially our film industry is plagued by. David Dhawan vs Dibakar Banerjee. Who knows… is there really even a winner at all?
@RK, why so serious dude??
On a serious note, HM has taken PFC too seriously. I guess HM is looking for some publicity thtough PFC. And the best way to do that is by mud slinging Bachchan. Many politicians, actors, directors, news paper professionals owe their career to Mr Bachchan. Sadly, instead of beating Mr Bachchan in the art of film making/acting, Hansal wants to bring Mr Bachchan down to his level. Lekin woh kehte hain na “Haathi chale bazar, kutta bhouke hazaar”.
@ Azad
Was that because Mr. Bacchan acted in “Main Azad Hu”…
;-)
@Azad (84),
Serious? no!
But this is PFC. Many faces and many formats.
Its not defined and presented simply by thinking of Mr Hansal Mehta or any other individual only.
He has tried to present some thing which has some good points but at same time he has covered the topic through wrong examples and wrong people.
few PFCians have been singing the same song for few days about SM and Mr Bachchan without bothering to read the original post. Mr Mehta too joins this brigade of people, acting to be under the influence of sleep.
Whats the harm if bell is rang to wake them up and sing
Jago mohan pyare jago.
@RK(#68) – Good to see the truth Bolded in its true form, did read the post in AB’s blog though…kyon pata nahi…everyones started questioning AB without looking into reality…everyone believes in Media…so tough yaar…sad that apna own icon Amitabh is facing unwanted angst…people have forgotten the real Amitabh whom we all used to love…guys, he has not changed….look for the true Amitabh…just look into his blog…if you are not interested looking into it, then pls dont blame before knowing the truth….Cmmon guys!!
iska matlab hai ki hamam mein sab nange hain.
Dear Hansal,
You seem to have stirred a hornet’s nest here. I haven’t seen any of your movies, but I get this feeling from your hilarious, albeit, sarcastic post that you truly regret having made them. Which is a good thing. Maybe we can expect your next movie to be of some substance. Something way above mediocre. Because if there’s one thing I admire, it’s a ‘loser’ who redeems himself. Just do it, Hansal. Seriously.
Finally, someone says exactly what i feel about slumdog…..
keep up Hansal, like from anurag,onir navdeep we expect great films from you too in the near future…
aarggghh am being too serious again
hahahahahahha…
you need to blog more sir
The whole post reminds me of three hindi idioms..Iss hamam mein sab nange hain..Choron ko saare nazar aate hain chor..Chor ki daadi mein tinka..So to each his own.
I think he needs to blog less and read more. If this is what he comes up with,after sleeping all this while(it can be fathomed by the kind of work he is doing.nobody can do it with eyes open.),its better that he is put to rest again.Atleast make ur points with facts in place.Why should someone talk about amitabh’s blog without having read it or having read about in some tabloid.Some amount of research is expected out of featured bloggers on PFC.
RK
chill dude… these are my opinions… you might disagree… i respect your disagreement…
about the AB blog i do admit not having read his blog… i am guilty of following what i have read in the print media… sorry…. it however does not dilute my opinion about SM… it does not change what i feel about ‘Black’… and please understand i am not trying to be derogatory in this post… i hold AB in high esteem for reasons that go beyond his obvious ability as an actor…
i apologize for misquoting mr bachchan but my opinion stands.
btw i have no intention of outshining anybody or gaining cheap publicity out of PFC.
hansal
Kya Likhte ho yaar..I do not agree with you completely but likhte accha ho..
by your own post, SM can also be qualified as taking mediocrity too seriously :P..tum bhi kuch jyada hi seriously le rahe ho
hansal bhai, itne dinon ki chuppi ke baad aisa bum phoda hai ki tehelka mach gaya ha. pura bollywood hila kar rakh diya hai aapne maa kasam. puri bhadaas nikaali hai aapne tabiyat se. :-)
nicely written atleast you ahve the sense to admit that your filsm are full of shit
but seriously you need to relax a little
on the other hand WHY in gods name are people on PFC so stringent when it comes to acknowledging any good hindi cinema other than Anurag kahsyap films
btw i dont think aamir expected TZP to win the oscars
@ hansal….
it was disappointing to read that u formed ur opinion on Mr Bachchan’s misreported take on SM without even bothering to read his blog. I understand the third grade media making a mountain out of a molehill but !eh tu brute….
as for other things…..i think rk has already said what i feel….
do keep writing sir…..expect better stuff from u than this mediocrity
None of you have really seen Swades.
1. Amitbah Says,
Now what was the name of that Kishan in Swades?
2. Amitabh Says,
An example? Satyajit Ray movies aren’t Globally recognized? And what were his movies mostly about?
So who is morally right and who is morally whatever..
Hansal
Very clever way to criticize everybody at one place AB,Aamir,Oscar,Anurag covering with two words ‘mediocrity’ and ‘Enjoy have fun’….even portraying your own movies as mediocre shows that you dont even know your potential!(though lot of people think by selling their weakness they can gain publicity)
I dont bother whoever you are a loser,a struggler or a common man….to me movies are like life.after oxygen and water I cant live without it…they inspire me,motivate me the characters make me cry,make me laugh ans sometimes portrays myself….thats whee the success lies irrespective of the language,director,country…….so if today priyadarshan/David Dhawan/You creates a Satyajit Ray or speilbarg magic I would be glad and I can watch that movie n number of times…..Lot of people are Slumdog is a simple love story….DB is selling it like story of a boy(of course have to be poor and slumdog!) who finds its lost love….but Vikash Swarup wrote the story from completely different perspective…..There are some movies (of course less than the mediocre level defined by you) but I am personally moved by them…..and I am sure there are lot of people like me (I dont care what the world thinks about those movies)…Dasvidaniya,The President is coming,The pursuit of happiness,The motorcycle Diaries,Babel,bommarillu(the very common story told in the simples way possible..Hope you have seen it) to name a few…..movies of 4 different languages……
So stop having fun and try to come up with such a movie which will shut everyone up….a movie which will really move us,inspire us….of course with a completely different idea
this is a classic case of Lost in translation ..
all HM i guess wanted to say was lets not take ourselves seriously and it got lost in mediocrity by readers who’ve commented on his post ..
FUCKING BRILLIANT!!!! One of the BESTEST post on PFC in past million years!! Hansal, I forgive you for Woodstcok Villa!! :P
brattycookie,
exactly my sentiments… kya karein? to each his own i guess!
hansal
@Hansal (comment no. 44) just one question … Is the “why so serious ?” uttered like yourself or in the manner of the most overhyped performance of the year … Mr Joker ???
Man…(phew…) all most all the ppl posting here are awesome writers, but the only who took it the most seriously is Mr. Mehta I guess [;)]
@Hansal (94),
Thanks for the disclaimer, you have added in the begining of the post.
Just writing 3-4 comments on your post does not deviate me from the calmness. I am already chilled, most of the time.
It can not be and should not be my concern what kind of opinion you have on a film, be it SM or Black. That is a matter between you and the film.
But as a director when you make and release a film you must be expecting that people would watch and react on the film.
But as a writer when you write and publish a post on a forum open for all the people who can reach here at PFC, then you must be expecting that people world read and react, otherwise you might have paid attention that there should be a facility below the compose box where you can close the comment section on any of your post. Post will be published but others will read but will not be able to make comments.
In the begining I had no intention to make another comment after comment no, 68 but then I felt to check whether you keep a distance from the trend described by you in the post or not. Hence 3-4 more comments.
Thats your right to point out lack of objectivity in any of the comment. I would not mind it and would correct next time. If I am biased, catch me.
I enjoyed the humour in your post but even if anyone leave forced comments on Mr Bachchan, Mr Benegal and Mr Shashi Kapoor, things are contradictory.
Why and how?
For example, you shower sarcasm on the people hankering after whites and OSCARs etc but at same time under the zest of writing spicy things you compare Rani Mukharjee with Maryl Streep, Aamir Khan with Mazidi.
Why Rani Mukharjee should be like MS or Aamir should be like Majidi?
Why they should not be compared with Indian actors because parameters will be similar in this comparison and it will look justified.
I know you have not written it in a derogatory manner, But problem comes in this understanding that being director you have an eye for deep observation.
Being director, you have an inherited skills of a writer also and factors like your sensitivity and sensibility and observation etc have to be more towards accuracy and less towards shallowness.
Being a director you are an interesting person and hence expectations can be more from such a character.
When humour is covered on the solid body of things coming from deep and accurate observation then it brings state of param anand.
That objectivity was lost in this post.
And its true that nothing is so serious in life that it makes a permanent scar on the face of existence.
Things have to be taken lightly.
We shall meet next time, again somewhere, discussing something.
All in good humour.
SOMEBODY STOP RK… HE IS FUCKING MY MIND… PLEEEASE…
;)
hansalbhai, :-) :-) :-)
No one can stop RK. He is the great grandfather of PFC. :-)
Now that I know I am no wiser than anyone else.
Does that make me wiser than those who don’t know?”
@Hansal…ROFLLLLLLL…..RK can do that!!
FAR TOO CYNICAL…..!!!!!
The only thing common to Anurag Kashyap and me is that we both smoke Classic Milds. I have never met him and only know him through his cinema. He obviously just knows my name. So now that I have given the background, let me tell you what I think of him. I made some wrong choices in life; like I took up engineering and went to a business school. I wanted to go to a film school. Now it’s too late for me. I live Cinema vicariously through PFC. As though a dead part of mine has resurrected and living a covert and isolated but happy life. Anurag took 12 years to bring his first movie as a director to fruition and then the censors didn’t allow him because apparently there was “no positive message” in the movie. He made the brilliant “Black Friday” and it was again banned. (Correct me with my facts if I am wrong) He waited for 2 years. His Gulaal has been in waiting for many years. It so hard to hold back when you have such an amazing work that is kept hidden from the world. Do you know what it does to a person? When his art is not taking form, when he is rebelling from within and when there is no light on the other side of the tunnel? You give in, you succumb to the system. Not with AK here. He persists, he gets beaten up but he doesn’t become a whore to materialism and conformity. He continues his art, his volition and his vision in “No Smoking”. He gets crucified by the media. He still persists. His persistence, art and integrity to his “being” inspire me. I am working hard with what I am doing professionally and personally. The Howard Roark in him makes me not to give in. Every time I regret not to have taken up films in my life and go back to board presentations and strategy, I feel happy someone is living my dream. Someone had the balls of steel to persist. I gave in, he did not. I feel like I haven’t lost. This is the reason why he is the “torch bearer”, “god” for me Mr. Mehta. I have thought about No smoking for more than a month and then I had to watch a lot of movies to get it off my head. Even in my personal struggles (not the vicariously lived cinema) his ideologies help me. His cinema is hope to many more cinema aspirants like me. Although I am a loser w.r.p cinema, that I sacrificed my soul to the evil like K in no smoking, I am happy for so many budding cinema aspirants that there is AK to look up to. You can only crucify a man to a point of making him god.
We just take films too seriously
Fatema, I don’t think the issue is taking films too seriously…
I think we take film-makers and shakers too seriously.
Brilliant
Mazaa aa gayaa! Quite a hillarious post
neeraj,
point noted and understood. i must tell you that i have a great amount of regard for AK. beyond the regard i also have immense belief in his talent. by crucifying him or putting him on a high pedestal one would be alienating a talent such as his. the intention here and always is to put things in perspective – in the case of this blog it is with the use of humor. unfortunately the humor has been taken too seriously!!!
cheers,
hansal
hansal,
RK is absolutely FUCKING your mind…and some others too…but you started it bro!!
Hehe… I think people who have written some very serious comments here are just like PANDORA… they are just not thinking outside the box!!!
@RK
of all what you could have got from this post…was taking it easy… :D ,,instead you got stuck on the facts, figures and postmortem :P ..usne kya bolna chaha…tum kya samajh baithe…
Throughout the blog, I was wondering how could a guy who made a Woodstock Villa (even if he had a DPMLY before) slam anyone else? And then you had me at the end. WV was plain horrible, not even mediocre! Anyway, its good you are off the White Feather films flag! Hope to see something better from you next time!
Well, so why even bother, if everything is mediocre anyway? Look, it is easy to mock everything, it is easy to be cynical. You can find flaws with any movie. So What? Will we ever get genuinely good cinema, if we take nothing at all seriously? So, yeah, just chill, but please don’t mock everyone who is seriously trying. Please… ;)
Whatever, don’t take me seriously, yaar.
@nina
each of my blogs reflect a particular state of mind and an expression of that state of mind. sometimes hopeful, sometimes serious and sometimes cynical. Why so serious? Chill.
Hansal
@Hansal: Didn’t really get the hopeful. But, in that case, I agree with you. People tend to make a crusade out of everything they hate or love and ruin it both ways.
Dear Hansalbhai,
Out of curiosity, is there anything or anyone in the Indian films that you have NOT found mediocre ?
Must admit I haven’t read your previous mail…and am not in a hurry as well
Hansal,
I LOVE THE HUMOR IN UR BLOG!..I THINK ITS FUNNY AND ITS A SHAME YOU HAVENT USED IT IN YOUR FILMS!..I UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT OF ASKING 13426 PFC BLOGGERS TO CHILL!, BUT SURELY YOU HAVENT WRITTEN THE BLOG WITHOUT HOPES OF GETTING COMMENTS AND IF I MAY SAY SOME CHEAP PUBLICITY!..I COMPLETELY AGREE ABOUT WHAT U HAVE TO SAY ABOUT MR. BACHCHAN! AND THE EXAMPLE ON SHANTARAM FITS PERFECTLY!. AND MOST OF ALL I LOVE WHAT YOUVE WRITTEN ABOUT SANJAY GUPTA! I APPRECIATE THE STYLE IN HIS FILMS, ALTHOUGH HIS SCRIPTS ARE AS ORIGINAL AS ME SAYIN THAT “KITNE AADMI THE” IS MY LINE!..BUT THEN AGAIN COMMENTS ABOUT ASHUTOSH GOWARIKER AND ANURAG KASHYAP ARE A LITTLE UNWARRANTED!.. BUT ALL IN ALL A VERY FUNNY WRITE UP!
P.S I SAW YOU SMOKING IN 4 MHADA THE OTHER DAY!..MAYBE ILL DROP BY TO SAY HI NEXT TIME!
CHEERS
VARUN
Oho Hansal,do be prepared to get comments on your post which are actually posted by someone who cannot accept half a comma of criticism. When excellence knows that it has lost the plot, it dives into desperation…repetition..ham fests..and overconfidence..forget mediocrity. But yeah who cares, after all it’s just the movies.
@ramesh
Yes indeed…are you planning to post a blog then?
Sad to see people with fake ids spewing venom like this. if you have an opinion, voice it, but not hiding under the guise of some generic name…
ramesh or whoever you are i have one more suggestion for you. do what my friend anurag kashyap suggested to many. there might be a long queue but you should await your turn if you know whats good for you. Go get an ENDOSCOPY!
Dear Mr. Mehta,
Loved your post. Keep writing. May the force be with you!
@ Mr. Mehta
I was visualising everything that you wrote and found that to be 90% correct. Each one who has reached heights is living in illusions. Aamir khan who has created an environment that he is best no matter whatever shit he does. TZP was a copied film from west though disease covered was different. I found it to be a good movie but not even close to something that can win oscars and all.
We have created very small standards as our milestones and hence get excited if those are attained.
Correct me if am wrong.
…….and then one day we’ll find ,the rebels are the only ones left behind….to dance to the music of the third kind…..so, are we ready to lose something we’ll never find ?
hansal..
i am waitin a masterpiece from u after haasil
i want to see irfaan khan ..that energetic,dat natural..dat firing
dat only u can do dis.
please reply me hansal
hi hansal
loved ur dil pe matle yaar.manoj bajpai was awesome in it.i think u should do another movie with him. coming to the post why sir stress so much on `mediocrity’.so everyone from amitji to aamir to akshay are mediocre in your eyes.then sir u must give us some examples of excellence to put things in perspective.slumdog a film hailed by the likes of spielberg,clint eastwood, tom cruise et al and the rest of the world is mediocre to you.considering they also make potboilers they must be mediocre too and indeed if they give us our money’s worth idont care whether a product is mediocre or excellent. all the names mentioned by u have done creditably and have significant mass following even if they are mediocres in whatever standards u judge them in.
really looking forward to hearing about what exactly is excellence from u.all the best for ur future projects.
hansal
like kashyap
I need xplicit conntent in every film
Including Gaali galoch” coz most of da people do dis
without it da film looks fake
like vishal bhardwaj….
directors like hansal mehta,tigmaanshu dhulia,
anurag kashyap ,rgv….prakaash jha
thse directors r my taste
i luv them
god bless u all.
n make xplicit watever
Nitin jamdagneya