A lesson or two from Mr Aamir Khan

Peepli  Live, a film which I not only loved but devoured. Hence, wanted to write on the much written and much hyped film.

I have grown up on a staple diet of rice, fish, books and cinema and naturally have watched many realistic films on rural and urban poverty, be it Mrinal Sen’s Aakaler Sandhane or in very recent times City Of Gold ( this one film has really haunted me) by Mahesh Manjrekar.

All these critically acclaimed films, after a whirlwind tour of Film Festivals usually rest in the Film Archives away from both the masses and the classes.

Undoubtedly, it is the sheer genius of Aamir Khan that blurred the divide between Art house or Parallel Cinema and mainstream Commercial Hindi Cinema. It’s amazing, that Aamir made a spoof on media, yet used the media to create hype, popularize and make Peepli Live a commercial success. All students of Cinema must take a lesson or two from Mr Aamir Khan on this.

I went to watch Peepli Live after obviously reading the reviews, that it is a great Black Comedy, a satire on media, but came out of the theatre with so many questions in my head.

Is it only a satire on the media? or a satire on our collective Psyche? A satire on us? A satire on the society as a whole?

I don’t believe that Cinema can change the society but it can be a mirror of the society and reflect the times we are living in. Peepli Live, I think , has just done that.

The film deals with the miserable plight of Indian farmers, but the humour and wit never lets the pace to slacken. Two farmer brothers, Natha(played wonderfully by theatre actor Omkar Das Manickpuri) and Budhia(played by the immensely talented Raghuvir Yadav ) are on the verge of losing their land to an unpaid Bank Loan. At this point they come to know that the government gives one lakh rupees to the family, where a farmer commits suicide.

In an emotional and impulsive conversation with his brother, Natha declares that he would sacrifice his life for his family. Now a local reporter, Rakesh,( played beautifully by Nawazuddin siddique) hunting for news, overhears this. what follows is a complete melee. Crews of all TV Channels arrive at this sleepy, nondescript village. Natha is on all TV Channels each trying to overdo the other. It surely becomes a media circus.

Now be it the Hindi channels, with Sansani, “Chain Se Sona Hai To Jag Jao”, “Qyamat Ke din Aa rahein Hain” etc fighting to grab the eyeballs of the bored, sensation hungry aam janta, or the English News Channels, catering to the intellectuals, who revolutionize the world over a cup of coffee, listening to the news hour.

God knows who decides or determines the TRPS but aren’t we all part of this?

Whether my mom addicted to her TV Serials or me glued to the NEWSHOUR ( despite of Arnab Goswami, imposing his views quite often), we both contribute to the magical TRP numbers. So do millions of others. Can we deny the relation of cause and effect between us and the media? Can we have a holier than thou attitude?

There is a beautiful scene in the film, where the local reporter Rakesh asks the Lady Reporter from the English Channel, why they can’t make news on the malnourished, landless farmer, who spends the entire day digging. The Lady reporter doesn’t pay heed to his question, for she feels that Natha’s suicide news is hot and has grabbed the nation’s attention and she suddenly cannot divert. Neither does she feel that a landless, malnourished farmer’s story has potential to generate TRP.

Debut Director Anusha Rizvi, being a journalist herself, certainly knows very well, how media today not only covers but generates news to create a flutter or under reports and even abstains from reporting an event, if the people sitting at helm of a media house, do not consider it TRP worthy.

Let’s be honest. Why only target the media? In today’s market economy isn’t everybody (including me) selling something? Whether it is insurance, home loan, car loan and even education or health care …. everything is up for sale. More the demand more the price go up. So if the media aims at higher TRP to generate higher Ad revenue, what’s wrong? Even the Media Houses have to survive in Cut Throat Competition.

In the hedonistic times that we are living, where a man’s greatness is measured by his bank balance and the car he flaunts, why only blame the News Channels and Media?

Since historical times, Artists and Writers have played important roles in bringing changes in society. Thus the saying goes “Pen is mightier than the sword.” Naturally it is expected that today Cinema and Media will play such role. How far is it possible?

In our Country (Mera Bharat Mahan???) farmers commit suicide, children die of malnutrition, a huge population live below poverty level, but tonnes of grains are left to rot and our great agriculture minister becomes richer by the day. Crores and crores of rupees which can be spent to provide basic amenities to this suffering million, is unashamedly lapped up by our politicians in the name of national pride and Commonwealth Games. What a farce?

Can this crude reality be made into a film? Will that film draw the Indian Audience to the theatre, who mainly watch cinema for entertainment?

The success of PEEPLI LIVE lies exactly here. Though the film may seem to be speaking in hyperbole, it handles a grim subject with such craftsmanship, that the audience is shocked, shattered and amused at the same time.

Now let’s face the fact that huge money is spent to make a film and at the end of the day a film, irrespective of any creative hangover, has to be sold, for the entertainment industry to survive.

And PEEPLI LIVE is sold. A little movie made within Rs. 10 crore did a business of Rs 30 crores. Kudos to both Amir Khan and Anusha Rizvi. Surely, this film will inspire future Filmmakers to dare to make films on crude reality, perhaps justifying Cinema’s role in society, yet get the required TRPS…Oops! Sorry, it should be probably CRPS (Cinema Rating Points).

And now PEEPLI LIVE is rightly selected for the official Indian Entry for the 83rd Academy Awards Competition. Hope Aamir Khan’s magic power also works there.