On one hand we have a privileged filmmaker with a privileged cast heralding a film about Privilege (at least that’s what evident from the trailer) and on the other hand we have an under privileged filmmaker with under privileged cast struggling to get his film released.
I came across the trailer or cast reveal of Zoya Akhtar’s Archies while mindlessly scrolling on Instagram. As I was watching the trailer my mind was constantly drifting back to the day before when I came across another cinema related post on the same platform. It was by a filmmaker Chatrapal who spent years making his Marathi film called ‘Ghaath‘. The film made it to the prestigious Berlinale. Every film lover knows what that means for a film to make it to the Berlin Film Festival. But unfortunately instead of happily looking forward to a flourishing career on account of this achievement the filmmaker is struggling to get his film released. Reason- Jio Studios sends a notice to the film festival asking them to drop the film. Yes something this bizarre and disturbing happened with Chatrapal.
When these two film related updates are juxtaposed something disturbing emerges.
On one hand we have a privileged filmmaker with a privileged cast heralding a film about Privilege (at least that’s what evident from the trailer) and on the other hand we have an under privileged filmmaker with under privileged cast struggling to get his film released. Both are brilliant filmmakers considering the accolades Zoya has received, and Chhatrapal too thanks to his recognition at an international film festival.
Clearly we are living in a world where as viewers we have easy access to the shenanigans of the rich. As it is Indian cinema, especially the Hindi language cinema is notorious for its lack of representation in its content. And to add to that due to the proliferation of OTTs and streaming platforms makers are even more easily able to invest in content that is for, by and about the rich. And as a result the viewer has no difficulty in accessing such content. In fact that’s what is more easily available. To whom does the Screen belong to?
I do not mind if Zoya Akhtar or any other director chooses to produce whatever it is that they do.
I don’t even care about the nepotism angle. In fact its a perfect casting considering the story is about rich people. Who better than rich kids can play rich kids. They know how does it feel like to be rich so they are likely to portray those characters well. That’s not the problem. The problem is we are living in a world where THAT is more easily available. As a viewer I will never get to watch Chhatrapal’s Ghaath because Jio Studios killed it and the filmmaker can’t afford to fight the powerful studio. Why am I as a viewer deprived of THIS voice that is also part of my Indian society that I am living in. Isn’t that the point of art? And Chhatrapal is just one example.
I am living in a world where I have easier access to a Gehraiyan, Girl on the train (Indian version), and Lust Stories, Mismatched, Little Things and what not. But… not Ghaath. Unlike west, India sucks when it comes to diversity. I don’t even want to talk about the skin tone part. How our Screen is populated by actors of certain skin tone. How we are getting whiter, almost Caucasian on the screen. Its important yet futile at the same time. Because again the question is to whom does The Screen belong to? It mostly belongs to the rich, privileged, good looking , happy people. They hold the reigns to major departments in front as well as behind the camera. As a viewer I am forever caught high in a sanitised bubble that gives me an impression that India is ‘progressing’ wealth wise and there is no shortage of well to do people in my country. Now please don’t mistake this as an argument in favour of ‘poverty porn’. Since majority of poverty porn is also created solely by privileged people with their privileged gaze on the subject. So no matter what, basically the viewer is stuck. She has to accept whatever narrative is handed down by the well-off.
All those barrage of criticism that Zoya Akhtar received for casting ‘star kids’ is another addition to the futility of this discourse.
Do you think Akhtar did not anticipate this? Of course she did. She is smart enough to know vaguely what kind of reaction her trailer and film will receive. That much professional she is and she comes from a well to do film background. The question again is whom does the The Screen belong to? Despite knowing all of this Akhtar makes this film. And its not her fault. Those are the kind are her lived experiences. And that is the kind of content she is good at making. As a viewer to escape from my own dark life I distract myself with the concerns, plays and the gaze of the privileged. And that becomes my only respite. Because if The Screen is to be believed then everything with everyone is hullabaloo. THIS is disturbing. We the gullible viewers are forever disoriented, disillusioned bunch. This reminds me of a lyrics of a song by this Armenian-American band System of a Down.
They disguise it, hypnotize it
Television made you buy it
Mesmerize the simple minded
Propaganda leaves us blinded
It is a well known fact that the less-fortunate in this country have very few options and opportunities.
Or none at all. Those seen on The Screen as well as those viewing the screen. Due to the inherent imbalance in the power structure and inequality in the Indian society similar unfair incidences like Ghaath occur in all types of industry and spaces. THIS is depressing and disturbing. So what I would have liked to see is the likes of Zoya Akhtar standing up and speaking for the rights of filmmakers like Chhatrapal. But then again, Bollywood is not particularly known for doing something like this. Something like taking a stand. And why is that so? Fear of political harassment? Intolerance of the masses? flak from the stakeholders? Liaisons with corporate? Or other interests? Or all of this? Or worse, a general indifference and apathy? I don’t wish to get into this. But the overall results are scary and horrific. Our ruling upper caste elite seem to be morally bankrupt with zero accountability while the majority of our masses live in depression and darkness. To make matters worse we don’t even have a fair, legitimate functioning news media anymore. We don’t have a voice anymore. And that don’t disturb us? But the likes of Akhtars and Johars must abandon “nepotism” and give everyone a “fair chance”. That should be sufficient no? LOL. What kind of absurd society is this?
Be that as it may, I hope Chhatrapal, the director of ‘Ghaath’ gets all the strength to deal with this dark and bizarre development in his life.
Why The Black Bored? Why Art?
Now more than ever we need Art. Technologically these are the most craziest and dizzying times. The threat of all of us moving away from each other is real.
It surely is extremely disappointing. We either get movies of the privileged or get movies from the privileged or both. The lack of representation is just infuriating.
Indeed. We are stuck