How real are historicals?
V. GANGADHAR
|
Few authentic films have been made in India on the freedom struggle, as makers and producers are afraid of offending sensibilities.
|
The 150th anniversary of the ‘Sepoy Mutiny’ came and went unnoticed. . How many of us are even aware of the event? Even Bollywood did not bother to highlight the occasion with a film. Perhaps this is a boon. For, who knows, it may have
led to trouble. According to history, the mutiny erupted when Muslim soldiers discovered that pig fat was being used to grease their rifles and refused to touch them. Even 150 years later, it can still be a sensitive issue.
In recent times, the Dera Sacha Sauda vs Akal Takht issue had kept Punjab tense. In Maharashtra, there were rumblings over the alleged insult to Shivaji Maharaj made in a remark by author James Laine in his book. Both Guru Gobind Singh and Shivaji Maharaj are historical figures but will any producer dare to make authentic films on their careers and teachings? Doubtful. For they are afraid of offending some group or the other.
India is so rich in history and it is a pity that characters and incidents from this rich history cannot be transferred to the screen for fear of offending the sentiments of this or that group.
Take a look at the historical figures such as Ashoka, Mahatma Gandhi, Subash Bose, Sardar Patel, Dr Ambedkar, Shivaji Maharaj, ‘Periyar’ EVR, Indira Gandhi and many more. They were outstanding personalities, but humans with flaws. And if these frailties are shown on the screen, the filmmakers could be asking for trouble.
Pulsating themes
History provides fascinating and pulsating themes such as the freedom struggle , the blood-soaked partition, the assassination of Indira Gandhi and the anti-Sikh riots that followed. Although there have been films on some of these historical personalities, they are devoid of realism and critical references. Even Shyam Benegal, who made films on Gandhi and Netaji, will admit that they are boring. The same same goes for the ones on Sardar Patel or Tipu Sultan. The characters have to be portrayed larger than life such as Bollywood producer Sohrab Modi’s ‘Jhansi-ki-Rani.’ All our national leaders watched the film and showered praise.
Oscar awards
It takes a Sir Richard Attenborough to make the epic, ‘Gandhi,’ which bagged several Oscar awards. The deeply moving film is historically accurate most of the time and presents the human aspect of Gandhi. Sir Richard got away with it because he is a foreigner.
Some of Bollywood’s recent attempts to tackle historical themes have failed, such as ‘Ashoka’ (Shah Rukh Khan). In ‘Mangal Pandey,’ Aamir Khan tried to do a Marlon Brando, who spent four years shooting ‘One-eyed Jack.’
Our feelings of non-achievement comes to the fore when we watched films like ‘Gladiator’, ‘Brave Heart’, ‘300’ and ‘Alexander’. Some of these films were not upto the mark. But there were no conscious efforts to distort history to avoid displeasing this or that group. They were honest efforts to recreate the past and portray certain men and women who had made history. The film makers knew that portraying controversial themes would not make the western audiences riot or damage public property. Our film makers do not have that security or assurance.
Some historical films are even financed by the government which will definitely hamper intellectual freedom. For realism and authenticity, one needs first rate screenplays, mature and intelligent acting and producers who will not buckle under pressure. One such film could be ‘Gandhi My Father’ produced by Anil Kapoor and directed by Mumbai theatre stalwart, Feroz Abbas Khan. Slated for an August release, the film portrays with heart-rendering realism, the turbulent relationship between the Mahatma and his eldest son, Harilal. This is very much part of history and the filmmakers do not deviate from it.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Friday Review
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
