Friday, September 28, 2012

Why So Much Hulla-Bulla On Barfi?

... I really do not understand!

Why do we have to go back and analyse the film and then realise that it is copied from other films? Why can't we just enjoy it just as it is?

I watched Anurag Basu's interview yesterday. He openly admitted that the film is a tribute to all the movies that he grew up watching. He also mentioned that there was a note in the beginning of the movie saying so, which he had to remove because of the "Smoking is injurious to health" message that he had to add. Isn't that enough?

More than that, how does it matter if he has copied the scenes from such other movies? Just adding them in the movie in the right manner, at the right point of time in the movie, and with the right timing, direction, and editing is a feat in itself, don't you think?

Several scenes are copied exactly as they are from the other movies. That does not make their importance any less in Barfi. They remain as enjoyable as before. To understand that those scenes from those particular movies could be reused in this movie in the same likeable manner is great. To direct the artists to give excellent timing and beautiful moments in Barfi is awesome. To bring out the same effect, to shoot the scenes from the same angle, all that requires technique, and definitely a great understanding of camera work and filming.

I really do not mind Anurag Basu copying the scenes. In fact, he has used the same theme of those scenes. But used them beautifully in his movie. And what really is wrong in that? All great artists have done that. Shakespeare is a good example of that. Most of his world-famous dramas had their plots or stories picked up from stories from history that were already well-known in those times.

So, if one film-maker does use the world-famous scenes from different movies in his movie, why should it be such a big issue?

If such scenes had been used by the Chopras, Johars, or Khans, would the media raise similar issues? Or would these bigwigs be acquitted just because of their well-known names?

3 comments:

  1. Thank you. I wasn't happy that it was sent for the Oscars, though, after all those copied scenes. But then, The Artist was pretty much like those B&W movies, and it won. So there you go!

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  2. i havent seen the movie [yeah, u heard it right!! i hvnt :(]
    but on the whole what u say is true.. its like people are just waiting for a chance to rip a movie apart! i dont know if thats good or bad.. but something people get so obsessed with the means that they forget the end!

    anyways, the main reason i wanted to write here... i loved the last part.. ur take on johan n chopras! somehow i cant stand them anymore! not like i hv seen too many of their movies... n its amazing how when i watch it, i am curious n seem to be involved 'voyeuristic-ally' ;) in the melodrama.. but later feeling like a sinner for wasting my time over BS! n whats worse still with all the copying... the bugger of a guy - karan (ever pouting) johar HAS TO put his KKHH tune in each of his movies... heights of narcissism!!! :D

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    Replies
    1. Dear Revathi, calm down! :) Don't be so mean to yourself as to call your watch movies as voyeuristic. It's okay to watch those movies. And it's also okay to hate them, and then curse the film-makers. Mostly, it's our frame of mind while we watch the movie. If we have nothing else to do, we might even enjoy the movie. Sometimes, the same movie is irritating. So, just calm down. :)

      Do try and watch Barfi. it's pretty good.

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