Were we better off the way we were; naive, ignorant and gullible?
We consumed art purely for the sensory pleasures it offered. Occasionally we dived deeper and tried to understand the artist’s perspective and it offered us emotional and intellectual vigour, but that was rare and dare I say a short-lived engagement. For the most part, we consumed art, felt enthralled and walked away minding our own business, without dealing or bothering with the subtle layers of manipulation the artist (may have?) added to the art form.
Like many of us, I saw Chak De (2007), Haider (2014) and Raazi (2018) and loved all of them. I mention these specifically since these films are under immense scrutiny and criticism for the political bias and manipulations of their respective makers. If you have noticed the conversations around this topic, it becomes clear that this bias has been prevalent and systemic for a long time.
Let us for a moment (for the sake of it) consider that the underlying intentions of the makers was to carefully brainwash the audience and seed certain ideas. My honest question is, did it work? I know it is not a simple conversation, but my top of the mind answer is no, it didn’t. Despite their best efforts (if any), our consumption pattern was largely “limited engagement” type and if the idea was to carefully curate our conscious, then I don’t think that was achieved. If the idea was to pull the masses away from hyper-nationalistic (my left leaning friends love the word jingoistic) noises, it didn’t work. Add to that, now their intentions are uncovered. What has happened in the process though is we have lost the innocence. Whether this new found maturity is good or bad is for time to tell, but things have changed since Dhurandhar.
Seven years back, I attended this short course of creative writing at Writer Prepares, Mumbai. The course was primarily focused on screenplay writing and it offered wonderful insights into the process of building characters, their arcs and the technique of composing captivating stories. I spent some of my best days there listening, understanding and discussing the craft with the teacher (who back then was politically neutral if not right leaning) and fellow students (who were a mix). Since I never had the appetite for politics, I was way too happy discussing art and never bothered about the political leanings of my course colleagues. More importantly the teacher had such wealth to offer that there was little or no space for politics.
The course changed the way I consumed films and art in general. I honestly felt I had a better lens than the average viewer and it elevated my viewing experience altogether.
What didn’t change was the naive, ignorant and gullible part in me. Or was it the case that my moral compass was calibrated (conditioned!?) so well that despite the lack of political lens, the manipulations didn’t affect me or were subconsciously filtered out.
Gully Boy released in 2019 and I absolutely loved it. I think, some of my left leaning friends at Writer Prepares thought that there was a chance of pulling me to the left. They were disappointed! I had no interest in the politics of Gully Boy, if there was any. I was moved by the character(s) and the dreams and the hurdles and the catharsis. I saw it thrice in cinema and few more times on streaming service. Murad’s journey felt strangely relatable despite the obvious difference in conditions and upbringing and that is all that mattered to me. The “leke rahenge Azadi” song was easily ignored when “she’s gonna love me today” offered infinitely more.
I have a feeling that I am not the only one who consumed art the way I did. Most of us consumed art for the joy it offered and if at all there were any hidden intentions, those didn’t affect us. Now all of that has changed and experiencing films and art in general is no longer a passive thing. Politics has well and truly taken over and it seems have become an inseparable part of it. Whether to praise Dhurandhar and those who wish to bring about the change in perspective or whether to criticise them for ruining the innocence is a matter of contemplation. But things have changed.
I leave you with an invigorating conversation from the 1984 film ‘Party’, by Govind Nihalani. Listen and think about it. If you are in Bharat’s shoes, what will you prioritize, the artist or the human in you? My top of the mind answer is, human, even if it means being seen as a bhagoda, an escapist. Sure, there is an element of protest inside me, but I don’t wish to bring out more pain to the masses, there are plenty of people on either side of the political spectrum doing that already. If I can remain a human who brings joy to select few, that’s a better way of living. For now that is how I see things, who knows what happens next…
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