‘Happy New Year’ has grossed over a zillion crores. Okay, it hasn’t. But the countdown to its numbers, with a deluge of press releases reporting its stupendous success makes me think- it Must be that much at least! (You see, am weak at Maths).
And film critics, didn’t like it. The overarching tone of reviews for this massive film, have been reminiscent of past glory (‘Om Shanti Om’ and ‘Main Hoon Na’).
Predictably, Farah Khan hasn’t taken to the criticism kindly. She feels folks who criticize her films today, ten years on, call them cult hits. She thinks the only review that matters is that of the ‘samosa’ seller outside Gaiety Galaxy theatre, and finds encouragement in the multiple thumbs up that her children have given to the film, as has Deepika Padukone’s mother. At a recent media event to add (yet) another song to the film, she said as much.
Shah Rukh Khan, gracious as ever, tackled the question by saying that his effort as producer, would be to make an all-inclusive film that everyone loves next time around, including critics (I think he should write a book on public speaking that should be circulated amongst all Indian politicians, with translations. And Rahul Gandhi should be the first man to buy it).
Farah Khan’s dislike for critics and their criticism is endemic of a larger phenomenon in Bollywood, one that I relish viewing from the side-lines as a voyeur. You see, I don’t write reviews. No one’s given me that job yet and I love it that way, for watching a Hindi film or maybe two, every week, as part of my duties, scares me somewhat. But first, I find analysing Farah’s remarks irresistible.
At the onset, before multiple pressure groups at work in cinema censor me, I confess to being a huge admirer of Farah Khan, the person. Very few women get to the top of their game in male dominated industries (basically, most sectors in the sub-continent), and even fewer, learn to make films that communicate to millions sans borders. Farah, killed it, so to speak, with her first two films. In person, her sense of humour is impressive as is her capacity to laugh at herself. And as choreographer, she had innovated on Bollywood songs brilliantly.
Having said that, children often love what their mother cooks, or makes. Usually, families tend to be supportive. And if critics don’t matter, then so much shouldn’t be said about them either.
Yet, Bollywood’s ‘mainstream’ filmmakers continue to bash critics at convenience, sometimes calling them ‘intelligent’ on the record, and pseudo-intellectual off it, using these terms derisorily.
Some references follow. “Intelligent film critics welcome to give ‘Himmatwala’ one star’, Ajay Devgan tweet, 2012.
“I know the critics are only doing their job, but there is a breed of critics that only likes slow and boring movies. So I think they should not review commercial films and someone who understands and enjoys commercial films should do it," Farah Khan’s statement, 2014.
"Every opinion matters to me personally. Whichever films have crossed Rs 100 crore in Indian cinema has got mixed reviews, so I respect them," Tongue in cheek retort from Hrithik Roshan, 2014.
I believe the foundation of all knowledge, and reason, is challenged when being ‘intelligent’ or ‘intellectual’ becomes a cuss word of sorts. On this, I have a fierce, proud and if need be, belligerent point of view.
And at the end of the day, once the crore counting machine begins to fold, to all filmmakers, good reviews matter, and bad ones rankle. To argue this, I offer some background on film criticism in the contemporary Hindi film scene.
Who are film critics and whom do they cater to? Film critics cater to readers and viewers who bother to check about a film before buying a ticket. In most cases, these are upwardly mobile or aspirational middle classes of urban India. This segment of Indian population (Section A and A plus in TV TRP lingo) adds numbers steadily each year, and has maximum disposable income. Mind you, not All read a film review, or follow one, most of them don’t. Those who do, tend to value their money & time and tend to be selective. There are a section of my friends who tune in to Rajeev Masand’s review or read Mayank Shekhar’s review religiously. And they decide if they will watch a film or not.
And these aren’t big numbers in demographic terms, so they don’t impact a film’s business significantly. Especially in times when prints are hammered on to screens like a production assembly line, they hardly matter. Yet, their approval comes into play, as a check of credibility perhaps?
Bashing critics and criticizing anything that goes against a film’s content or its maker is becoming a norm in Bollywood. Surprisingly, the usually erudite Abhishek Bachchan turns his ire on critics quite frequently. Rohit Shetty takes digs at them regularly. Akshay Kumar has made it a habit to mock critics, as did Ajay Devgan who tweeted till kingdom come when ‘Himmatwala’ was criticized heavily.
Sometimes, acclaimed filmmakers fall prey to it too, as Sanjay Bhansali did when ‘Saawariya’ didn’t get good reviews. Even the mighty Salman Khan has been occasionally harsh in his vituperative against critics. And Katrina Kaif doesn’t like critics one bit, although the crore counter has now taken her to a zen state on such mundane matters as performances and quality.
Becoming a Bollywood filmmaker is not easy, involving years of hard work and struggle as assistants. And becoming a super hit filmmaker is even tougher. So when a blockbuster happens, and gets positive reviews, those ratings become a selling proposition in a newspaper ad. If they swing towards the negative, then the gloves come off. This contradiction isn’t healthy.
My arguments in favour of film criticism are threefold. First, a film critic has a job to do, to provide his/her best take on a film for a reader of viewer. Their first loyalty is to their consumer (India’s biggest newspaper being an exception to this). Second, fortunately for us, India is a free country, a democracy. We can say what we want, where we want most of the time. When filmmakers, producers and actors get particularly nasty about critics, I have half a mind to shift them to China, Iran, or (just for fun) North Korea for a year. They will fast value the role of freedom of expression (but wait, that’s an ‘intelligent’ rant perhaps? One that mainstream filmmakers disapprove of?) And in the larger scheme of a zillion crores, minimal expression of criticism shouldn’t matter right?
My primary defence for welcoming film criticism rests on the fact that all art flourishes amidst an environment of criticism and healthy debate. Bollywood shuns Western comparisons, so I won’t cite examples. But creating an entertaining Hindi film is also a work of art. Cinema is the 6th Art, one that moves, talks and comes alive for you. It touches everyone and it is an extraordinarily powerful medium.
Mainstream cinema is the most voluble form of Indian art, for decades, they have told India’s story in the most acceptable, entertaining way (Deewar; Hera Pheri; Amar Akbar Anthony; Arjun; Damini; Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara; Yeh Jawani hain Deewani; My Name is Khan are good examples of this.)
Why then, do 21st century, super successful members of Hindi film fraternity, shun criticism? Is it because art is dead, and it’s all now a business? Does the viewer also see it that way, as a crore counter only? Rather, who are those viewers who don’t watch a film just as a crore counter?
I will begin with my example (unfortunately for some, perhaps, this example requires delving into logic, reason and intelligence, but I can’t help that bit). I am an avowed fan of the Harry Potter books and films. So on a cold day in London, when I had had a rough time and was homesick, I took a long walk between Clerkenwell and my student residence. A break to buy coffee brought something to my notice, a tiny board for ‘Cruikshanks Street’. Walking around the street takes you to Great Percy Street and Merlin Street. I couldn’t help but smile, sit on a bench and buy myself an ale, of course (The reference is to Crookshanks, Hermione’s pet cat, Percy Weasley and the term ‘Merlins Beard’ from Harry Potter).
As much as Rowling’s books thrill the reader, the films brought these characters to life. And I love them for that. The Potter movies must have made zillions too, but I don’t remember them for the money they made. On this solitary, cold day, flashes from the film made my day.
So a film critic, more often than not, has a single agenda- to review a film that can be remembered fondly over time. Filmmakers and actors, who flick crores off like gold dust on a Friday, should view their criticism in the same spirit, and ideally, should live and let live. Cinema is art, and like all art, is precious. Sacrificing diversity to the altar of single-minded, uniform, applause would sound a gradual death knell to this popular form of art.