The writer is the editor and translator of Why I write: Essays by Saadat Hasan Manto, published by Westland in 2014. His book, India, Low Trust Society, will be published by Random House
aakar.patel@tribune.com.pk
I am paraphrasing her, but I think I have accurately got the essence of what she said. I am not sure about the Iranian films bit, but I was more interested in what she said about Bollywood. Something similar was said by Saadat Hasan Manto many years ago. In my translations of Manto’s non-fiction writing, there is an essay on the first 25 years of Bollywood. The essay is originally called “Hindustani Sanat-e-Filmsazi Par Ek Nazar”. In it, Manto talks about the craft of Bollywood, and writes: “We want good films. We want great films, such as we can put up against the work from other nations. We want every aspect of India to shine ... But for the last 25 years, made of 9,125 days, what have we got to show? Can we put on display our directors? What about our writers, who exist by ripping off the writings of others? Can we show our movies — all of them copies of American films — to others? No.”
In my opinion, Bollywood’s importance to India and farther afield is not from the quality of its art, but something else which I will come to later. I thought of this subject when I read that the government had appointed a new censor board chief, the producer Pahalaj Nihalani. On being appointed, Nihalani, whose record is of making such movies as Aankhen, starring Govinda, and Talaash, starring Akshay Kumar, said two things. He said he was a Bharatiya Janata Party man and that the prime minister was his “action hero”.
This was fine, and it is a political appointment. However, Nihalani also said that there was too much nudity on television and that it should be controlled. I have not seen any nudity on television, though I may be watching the wrong channels. I think what Nihalani meant was obscenity. And this is what I wanted to link to those comments about Bollywood’s quality.
The truth is that Iran produces some fine and sober cinema because its filmmakers are not allowed to make popular entertainment. They may not be explicitly banned from doing so, but popular entertainment can only be produced on the cusp of obscenity. This higher tolerance to obscenity in Mumbai, which is India’s most liberal place, over our other cities, and the higher tolerance to obscenity in India over other countries in the neighbourhood is what makes Bollywood the centre of South Asian entertainment. There was time not long ago when Bollywood was dominated by individuals from Lahore and other parts of what is today Pakistan. But despite having the talent, which I presume it still does, Lahore could not produce a film industry of the calibre of Bollywood because the talent was not allowed to make popular entertainment.
Manto writes in that essay: “There are many ways of educating a nation, but there is consensus that film is an important one. It is easy and efficient to communicate a message, even one that is complicated, through movies ... India needs entertaining movies that also educate, exercise the mind and introduce us to new ideas and new thinking.”
He wrote this in 1938, when he was only 26 and in the early stages of his career in the film industry. Though he did not touch the specific subject again in his writing, his view on tolerance in society to obscenity is today well known because of his short stories. Manto understood the function of Bollywood and recognised that its openness and tolerance, more than its artistic quality, was its greatest attribute.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 1st, 2015.
Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.
COMMENTS (8)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Thumbs up to Manto's views on the film industry.
@Rangoonwala: Sir, your alleged knowledge of Indian culture is laughable. Are you stating that India was a cultureless cave man civilization before the attack of the Mughals? That we had no music, literature, medicine, mathematics, art, sculpture, architecture, fashion, jewellery, domestication of animals, cuisine, farming, governance, plastic surgery, astronomy, Yoga, spirituality, debates, discussions, discourses...everything that a cultured civilization needs to have if it claims that title? And are you aware that the Mughals in their wake brought along with themdestruction and rampage and pillory and rape? They converted an ill prepared population by the sword. Ffor all you know, your unfortunate ancestors may be some of the converts. Also Indian cinema is not just Bollywood. We have great cinema from Kerala and West Bengal and Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka. All showcasing Indian culture and ethos and many having won awards internationally.
Also, why has the great Mughalculture not found its way in your Pashtun films. The last I heard, you had one an Oscar for a film on acid victims in Pakistan. What culture is that?
Bollywood is only "Hindi language" film industry. It's not indian film industry, but just small part of it. Every state has its own film industry/culture. And it's not tolerance for obcene scene is more in Mumbai. Rather people of mumbai just don't care and or interfere in others business.You can pass of any voilence, hate filled movie, anti religion movie. People won't hit the streets. The only time I saw mumbaikars hit the street or saw emotions was after mumbai incident. Otherwise people are busy into their own lives. Anyone is free to do what he wants within the law. And it's not like bollywood doesn't produce good movie. Lunch box won various country film festivals. Haider was best film Rome festival. Lagaan-nominated Oscar,devdas,taare zameen par, english vinglish,black etc. And Ofcourse the old era Bollywood. Commercial categ Bollywood cinema is only for entertainment. Businessmen make it for money. If one prefers serious cinema and art there's movies there are that categ movies too just search it. They win most of national and international award.But are lesser known to us because it's not backed by Promotion or tv ads as it doesn't earn much money on box office compared to commercial cinema.
I have a great respect for Manto's short stories, but have my own opinion about bollywood. Films are made not as piece of art but a commercial enterprise. And here bollywood has succeeded more than any other industry of India. If anything it has has an enterrtaining value. That is why you see bollywood films in many developing countries. Be it midele east, Africa or far east. I have seen youngsters singing hindi songs in Morocco, even when they do not know what the words stand for. It provides jobs to a million people, which is more than any other industry does. What is lacking in bollywood fils is to attract mature audience. It concentrates about young, dancing singing etc which do not attract older people. And generally the stories are weak. But on the whole a success story.
@Rangoonwala, I did get you point about culture. Are you saying that the invaders who happened to be Muslims, came to India from Central Asia, had brought the culture with them? and before that India was a CULTURE-LESS society? I hope you don't mean that.Because no sane person who has very basic understanding of the history sub-continent will not make that claim.
Did the VHP visit your house or did you get a phone from ISIS? Suddenly your conversation is How is the weather, the sun rises in the east. oh, yes, please, thank you.
India produces many different movies of different regions and Bollywood produces its own version of commercial movies as entertainment on simpler themes based on short stories that happens in everyones life in India. They connect to the segment of masses and India movie industry has its own style, in contrast to the same style of the rest of the movie industries that are fashioned on movie education classes of the western cinema academia.
Glitz and glamour is always a part of entertainment, and the movies are time capsule of a society. Obscenity is in the eye of the beholder and in his /her mind. Example : Veena Malik story of our time.
It is not the job of movie producers to make a film to change the society. If only that is so, the world have been brain washed into different spectrum easily. The movie industry today has to compete globally, and global competition drives the theme appealing to the viewers. The theme that is universally appealing to all makes the box office. High end drama, tragedy, complex social issues and themes are risky story to tell in commercial scale.
The Film Industry is a very valuable medium of conveying a culture. You could even mold a culture, through this medium. Take for example Goebbels and his propaganda machine during the 30's and how it changed enthralled the German psyche. About a Master Race and German Revenge stream of thought. But we do not have to go that far,...we just look at Bharat and the 3 shifts a day Bollywood juggernaut. And what do you see? We see something that died with Madhubala. A king size Aping Machine. Aping American Culture, aping British Culture...well Western Culture. Nothing about the Great Indian Culture that was bestowed upon the Bharatis by such greats as Babar, Akbar, Humayun, Tippu Sultan. The great Mughal Culture. Nearly gone. Instead we have mongrel culture masquerading over,... er Hindustan.