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Fables of patriotism almost always have sent cash registers
ringing at the Bollywood boulevard and as we gear up to celebrate
India's 60th Independence Day, nationalism has got a reel life
makeover with Shah Rukh Khan starrer "Chak De! India". The film
that released Friday may be one among many Hindi films espousing
nationalism but the Yash Raj Films (YRF) production redefines reel
patriotism without stroking hatred for another nation.
And unlike a zillion Hindi films where women play
non-consequential roles as the male lead forges ahead and saves the
pride of the nation, in "Chak De! India" the country relies on a
gaggle of 17 girls to save the day and bring home the World Hockey
Championship.
Last year itself the same banner had released "Fanaa" about romance
between a blind Kashmiri girl, essayed by Kajol, and Aamir Khan as
a Pakistan-backed terrorist masquerading as tourist guide. The film
ended with Kajol taking the life of her country's traitor. The
film, however, was not projected as a story of a patriotic woman.
Bollywood has always reflected the times. Before "Fanaa" hit the
marquees, Aamir was seen in "Rang De Basanti" in which a group of
young men draw lessons from the freedom struggle and justify using
violence to rid the country of a corrupt leader.
However, this was not Aamir's first patriotic role. He had played
a pre-independence villager in "Lagaan", who beat the Brits at
cricket, and a patriotic cop in an earlier hit "Sarfarosh".
The same goes for Shah Rukh. Before donning the hat of a former
disgraced Indian hockey team captain-turned-coach of Indian
women's hockey team on a mission in "Chak De! India", he has
played an NRI in "Swades" (2004), who comes back to India to work
for the uplift of villagers.
In 2003, a film with rabid Pakistan-bashing histrionics of Sunny
Deol in "The Hero" slumped at the box-office. Clearly, the face of
patriotism has moved from Manoj Kumar to Sunny Deol to the 17 women
hockey players; just as the meaning of patriotism has changed from
fighting imperialists to fighting the enemy across the border, to
fighting the enemy within, and finally to announcing the arrival of
India as a global giant.
That's perhaps why Rajkumar Santoshi's out-of-history-books
"Legend of Bhagat Singh" did not do half as well as "Rang De
Basanti", which used the same legend to galvanise today's
apathetic youth to action.
Ditto with John Mathew Mathan's 2005 release "Shikhar". The film
that espoused the Gandhian cause sank without a trace while
"Munnabhai M.B.B.S." and "Lage Raho Munnabhai" have become a cult.
Far from the fear of Western culture gobbling up Indians as in
yesteryears' feature film "Purab Aur Paschim", it is evident that
anything Indian is piping hot internationally. Colonisation of the
west by Indian culture is evident and Hindi films are not far from
capturing this.
Coming Friday, actor Salman Khan will be seen romancing a Hollywood
starlet in an Indo-US co-production "Marigold". As Prem, the mega
star will make Ali Larter fall in love with everything that is
Indian, making this a film to watch for all those with a patriotic
zeal.
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"Marigold" is India's first big-budget true-blue co-production
between Hollywood and Bollywood. The film marks the coming together
of Adlabs Films Ltd and Becker Films international.
Directed by Hollywood's Willard Carroll, known for his Sean
Connery and Angelina Jolie starrer "Playing By Heart", the film
features Salman opposite American actor Ali Larter who is known for
her work in "Final Destination".
"'Marigold' was my way of bridging the gap between Indian and
American cinema. My assumption is that people in America don't
know what Bollywood is. In 'Marigold', they'll be seeing it
through an American's eyes," Carroll has been quoted as saying.
At just 10 minutes short of two hours, the film even has seven
songs, composed by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy. Javed Akhtar, Carroll and
Truth Hurts have penned the lyrics.
The director upholds that the songs do not hamper the film's
storyline.
"Bollywood elements have been heightened but they are realistic,
they never go over-the-top," said Carroll.
As India turns 60, the Indo-US co-production sure is a sign of even
better times to come and a reaffirmation of Bollywood's growing
international clout.
By Priyanka Khanna
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