The big Bullywood?
S. SHIVA KUMAR
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Indian popular cinema doesn't mean the Bombay industry alone, something that was rubbed in by irate southern stars and directors at IFFI
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Photo: Sampath Kumar G.P.
BLINKERED ARE WE? They shine and sparkle all right. But the southern sky has stars too.
The gaffe concerning Girish Kasarvalli and Dr. Raj Kumar recently at IFFI is not the first and will not be the last. Just to brush your memory. The organisers couldn't care whose picture went with the obituary of the thespian Dr. Raj Kumar in their souvenir. As they rummaged through a pile of pictures, they must have found Girish Kasaravalli's photograph first and so they put it there. Of course, the Kannada industry had a problem. The organisers quickly mumbled an apology, withdrew the souvenir and re-released it without a mention of the Kannada industry.
Remember last year at Doha, Malyalam mega star Mammooty was the only man who exasperatedly, yet boldly voiced his displeasure about the invasion of Bollywood in India's most prestigious film festival. This year a lot more have joined him, including our own Kannada brethren. Award-winning Tamil and Malayalam director T.V. Chandran called for a press conference and made a scathing attack and even said filmmakers from the south might not participate next year if they are not given equal importance. Tamil director-actor Cheran was equally peeved. "It is not Bollywood alone that represents Indian cinema," said the raging actor.
"It's become a tamasha with event managers running the show," laments Mammooty. Festivals are no longer the place for the discerning few who eat, sleep, and live films. It's become a place to market Bollywood and reiterate regional chauvinism.
There is a past
This attitude is not of recent origin. You are as usual, channel hopping when your finger stops at a station you never watch (V). There's this leggy VJ talking to a familiar looking character. She appears to be suffering from hubris as her diatribe is directed towards south Indian heroes and their foray into Bollywood. Sure enough, she poses questions to the spring-haired T-shirt vendor on Brigade road. "How do you feel when your heroes discard their dhotis and don pants for Hindi films?"
The programme, interspersed with songs featuring south Indian heroes in Hindi films, has derogatory references to our food, attire and lifestyle in general. "Why do they sport a moustache? Why are they so short?" she blabbers on till words like supari form in your seething head.
Why do those associated with the visual media up North have a patronising attitude to anything south of the Vindhyas? Belong to any of the four States and you're a Madrasi. Your English is accented and your staple diet is idli-sambar. A TV newsreader will take great pains to pronounce a Polish name right but give them something like Balasubramanyam and he/she is sure to be tongue twisted. Flashback: 1
Eons ago, Dev Anand invites me to a shoot at the Bangalore Palace after an engrossing interview. This was the time when Kamal Hassan was sending "shivers down our spines" as Jeetendra put it. You ask Dev about the impending exodus from the south should Kamal succeed. "Why do you call it exodus? Don't we belong to the same country? I'd welcome anyone with talent since there's place for everyone." Flashback: 2
You're precariously perched on a chair on the uneven steps leading to the sanctum sanctorum of the Melkote temple. You're about to interview Madhuri Dixit. She's banned the press but the mention of The Hindu does the trick. She looks emaciated and so you jest that you feel like taking her home and feeding her. Anger flashes in those almond eyes. "I've always been like this," she retorts. "It's only in the south that you like fat girls." You're rattled but riposte that when Sridevi made it big in Bombay, the audiences were more perceptive of her "thunder thighs" than her undeniable talent. The lady hums and, yes, haws.
Mahesh Bhatt born with his foot in his mouth is yet to remove it. He was once quoted as saying: "Why should we take south Indian stars? Don't we have enough talent here?" And promptly went on to sign box office draw Sridevi for Gumraah. But then one wishes that the Southern superstars would take their stands seriously. Why did Rajnikant who'd told us that he'd "rather be a king here than a guard there" go on to play insignificant roles in multi-starrers? Kamal says he went in search of wider applause. The Amitabh-Kamal starrer, based on Whose Life is it Anyway?, produced by Poornachandra Rao, was shelved after 75 per cent of the film was shot, because someone felt very insecure. Flashback:3
Kannada director T.S. Ranga is shooting for the Hindi film Gidh in a dusty village near Hubli. It's a ritual to accompany the hero Om Puri to a khanavali for bhakri and brinjal curry. On the way one day, Om points to a poster of Sagara Sangamam and gushes: "This boy has tremendous potential." Om has a look of incredulity when you chuckle loudly. He's amazed when you tell him that Kamal Hassan has already acted in more films than Om probably ever will. Om's ignorance is genuine since he's watched only Ek Duje Ke Liye.
In fact, later in the day when you mention the incident to the most charming actress you've met, Smita Patil and a budding baddie called Nana Patekar, they roll in laughter. Only the previous day Smita was telling me she may do a couple of films with "that amazing actor" Kamal, and Nana is cross that Kamal has already used a few mannerisms he was planning to.
Nothing new
Chaos at IFFI is nothing new. Telugu actor Chiranjeevi, who came in for some discourtesy himself made no bones about his displeasure. "It was not about the way I was treated but the way a senior actor like Madhu was treated that made me wild," said the angry demigod after attending a film festival.
So why did he do Hindi films? "Just to prove that you can succeed if you're selective. Believe me, their films are not half as good as ours. Malayalam films are on par with the best in the world."
Girish Kasarvalli, a festival veteran is peeved. "Things were fine till the festival was held at Delhi. Bollywood was always given importance but we were not sidelined. In Goa, it's become a tourism mela. It's not just the South but also the North East filmmakers like Jahnu Barua who've been neglected. We've joined hands to form a forum. Hopefully our voices will be heard and things will get better," says the soft-spoken director.
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