03-28-2005, 07:26 AM
We seriously need some movies that address the my country, right or wrong theme.
http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.p...&pid=70&page=22
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->NFOTAINMENT
Patriotism in Indian Cinema
The Pratibha Advani Column
[Beginning this week, Pratibha Advani, the well-known television personality, film critic and producer of the celebrated Ananya Bharati documentary on Indian films, will write a regular column in Organiser. This column will basically focus on the infotainment industry, social issues and national concerns.]
For any self-respecting nation, patriotism of its citizens is its heartbeat. If it is there, not only is the nationâs continued existence across centuries and millennia guaranteed, but its progressive evolution is also ensured. If it is not there, the nation suffers decline, debility and eventual doom.
India is fondly known by its people as BHARAT. The name harks back to its epic past, whose beginnings have defied determination. Hence, India evokes a sense of timelessness. Of course, India has been changing perpetually ever since its hoary antiquity. It has also suffered such vicissitudes of history as have pushed several other ancient nations and civilisations into extinction. How then has India faced all these internal changes and external assaults, and yet managed to remain alive as a vibrant and ascendant nation in the 21st century? The answer is patriotismâthe common emotion and self-awarenessâthat unites our people in spite of the unmatched diversity they exhibit.
Few can contest Indian cinemaâs, particularly Hindi cinemaâs, unmatched contribution to strengthening the bonds of national integration, countering divisive feelings, educating the people about our shared national history.
As an art form that strikes the chords of both emotion and intellect, the power of cinema is unmatched. Naturally, Indian cinema has contributed immensely to the cultivation of this uniting and uplifting feeling of nationalism. Patriotic films, as a special and much-admired genre of Indian cinema, have had a tremendous impact on our people, cutting across religious, regional, linguistic and economic identities. Moreover, they have also proved their unsurpassed power of communicating both to the educated and illiterate masses.
For most Indians, cinema is the enduring source of the image of their nation as a vast and diverse land bound by the Himalayas in the north, surrounded by oceans on three sides, girdled by sacred rivers like the Ganga, Yamuna and Godavari, and blessed with captivating natural beauty and rich resources. For them it is also the primary source of knowledge about our national heroes, martyrs, the struggles and sacrifices of our forefathers, the work of our social reformers, the wars of the pre- and post-Independence era, including the recent and ongoing war against cross-border terrorism, and our achievements as a free and democratic nation.
Thus, few can contest Indian cinemaâs, particularly Hindi cinemaâs, unmatched contribution to strengthening the bonds of national integration, countering divisive feelings, educating the people about our shared national history and through all this, reinforcing in them pride and love for the motherland.
Ananya Bharati is a documentary that encapsulates the spirit of patriotism that the Hindi film industry has captured on celluloid and nurtured in the hearts of Indians. Produced under the banner of my company, Swayam Infotainment, I thought the most apt beginning to this documentary would be ace musician A.R. Rahman bowing to the motherland with his rendition of Maa tujhe salaam. This forms a part of his album Vande Mataram produced by Bharat Bala Pictures. Then Ananya Bharati categorises Indian patriotic films primarily into three categories. The first category comprises of films associated with terrorism. The second features films about martyrs of the freedom struggle and events linked to the Partition of the country and the third category has war films that depict the India-Pakistan conflict.
Ananya Bharati also talks about films about nation-building, like the recently released Swades. The documentary concludes with an emotional punch in the form of a bouquet of patriotic songs that have captured the national imagination.
Patriotic Films: The Beginning
The Hindi film industryâs adoption of patriotic themes happened at its very inception, when India was engaged in a unique struggle for freedom from the British colonial rule. The first film which boldly ventured in this direction was Sohrab Modiâs Sikandar. This 1941-film carried the message of patriotism indirectly by praising the valour of King Porus in his war against Alexander the Great, the invader. Other films of this era were Bandhan (1940) and Kismet (1943).
When freedom dawned on August 15, 1947, ending 200 years of alien rule, the Indian film industry was there to celebrate this historic transition. The air those days was filled with the hopes and dreams of building a new India, most inspiringly articulated by our first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Bollywood captured this mood in films like Naya Daur (1957) and Hum Hindustani (1960). Anandmath (1952), Jagriti (1954) and Leader (1964) focused on the freedom struggle and the sacrifices made by its martyrs. Some others like Sikander-e-Azam (1965) and Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960), through their songs, talked about the greatness of India. Then there were films that were inspired by the violation of the countryâs barriers by the enemies. Three notable films made on the subject were Haqeeqat (1964), Prem Pujari (1970) and Lalkaar (1972). Of these, Haqeeqat, which is about the Chinese aggression in 1962, has left a lasting impact.
The decade of â80s saw India faced with a peculiar form of warâa proxy war from across the border in the form of terrorism.
Films on Terrorism
The decade of â80s saw India faced with a peculiar form of warâa proxy war from across the border in the form of terrorism. First, it cast its evil eye on Punjab, bleeding it for nearly a decade before being snuffed out. Then it targetted Jammu & Kashmir. The perpetrators of this proxy war were also behind extremism and terrorism in Indiaâs northeast. Films that dealt with the issue not only portrayed the barbaric face of terrorism, but also exposed the misleading propaganda that sought to justify it through direct and indirect support for it.
Some of the important films in this category are: Karma by the great showman Subhash Gahi, and Maachis by lyricist and film-maker Gulzar. While Karma emphasized the need for fortifying the countryâs commitment to overpower terrorism, Maachis was a very sensitive portrayal of how some youth of Punjab were misled into taking to the gun. Another memorable film from this period is renowned film-maker Mani Ratnamâs Roja (1993), which also introduced a new melody in Hindi films songs and by a talented young music composer, A.R. Rahman. Vidhu Vinod Chopraâs Mission Kashmir, tackling the same theme, sought to revive the forgotten concept of Kashmiriyat. Two other films set against the same backdrop of terrorism in KashmirâThe Hero (2003) and Zameen (also 2003) eulogised the bravery of Indian soldiers and undercover agents in overpowering the enemy in his own stronghold.
Mani Ratnam re-visited this theme in his 1998-film Dil Se. The following year saw the release of another powerful film, Sarfarosh by John Mathew Matthan, which is a tribute to those patriotic police officers who fearlessly fight social evils. As an attempt to boost the morale of the much-maligned security forces, it was a highly commendable film.
Refugee (2000) by J.P. Dutta, who specializes in making patriotic films with a mega star-cast, stands out for touching upon an interesting subject: the buffer zone on both sides of the Indo-Pak border, where people have their own definition of patriotism, and how terrorists take advantage of such a situation. The film also saw the launching of two star-childrenâAmitabh Bachchanâs son Abhishek and Randhir Kapoorâs daughter Kareena Kapoor, both of whom have moved on to become mega stars themselves. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.p...&pid=70&page=22
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->NFOTAINMENT
Patriotism in Indian Cinema
The Pratibha Advani Column
[Beginning this week, Pratibha Advani, the well-known television personality, film critic and producer of the celebrated Ananya Bharati documentary on Indian films, will write a regular column in Organiser. This column will basically focus on the infotainment industry, social issues and national concerns.]
For any self-respecting nation, patriotism of its citizens is its heartbeat. If it is there, not only is the nationâs continued existence across centuries and millennia guaranteed, but its progressive evolution is also ensured. If it is not there, the nation suffers decline, debility and eventual doom.
India is fondly known by its people as BHARAT. The name harks back to its epic past, whose beginnings have defied determination. Hence, India evokes a sense of timelessness. Of course, India has been changing perpetually ever since its hoary antiquity. It has also suffered such vicissitudes of history as have pushed several other ancient nations and civilisations into extinction. How then has India faced all these internal changes and external assaults, and yet managed to remain alive as a vibrant and ascendant nation in the 21st century? The answer is patriotismâthe common emotion and self-awarenessâthat unites our people in spite of the unmatched diversity they exhibit.
Few can contest Indian cinemaâs, particularly Hindi cinemaâs, unmatched contribution to strengthening the bonds of national integration, countering divisive feelings, educating the people about our shared national history.
As an art form that strikes the chords of both emotion and intellect, the power of cinema is unmatched. Naturally, Indian cinema has contributed immensely to the cultivation of this uniting and uplifting feeling of nationalism. Patriotic films, as a special and much-admired genre of Indian cinema, have had a tremendous impact on our people, cutting across religious, regional, linguistic and economic identities. Moreover, they have also proved their unsurpassed power of communicating both to the educated and illiterate masses.
For most Indians, cinema is the enduring source of the image of their nation as a vast and diverse land bound by the Himalayas in the north, surrounded by oceans on three sides, girdled by sacred rivers like the Ganga, Yamuna and Godavari, and blessed with captivating natural beauty and rich resources. For them it is also the primary source of knowledge about our national heroes, martyrs, the struggles and sacrifices of our forefathers, the work of our social reformers, the wars of the pre- and post-Independence era, including the recent and ongoing war against cross-border terrorism, and our achievements as a free and democratic nation.
Thus, few can contest Indian cinemaâs, particularly Hindi cinemaâs, unmatched contribution to strengthening the bonds of national integration, countering divisive feelings, educating the people about our shared national history and through all this, reinforcing in them pride and love for the motherland.
Ananya Bharati is a documentary that encapsulates the spirit of patriotism that the Hindi film industry has captured on celluloid and nurtured in the hearts of Indians. Produced under the banner of my company, Swayam Infotainment, I thought the most apt beginning to this documentary would be ace musician A.R. Rahman bowing to the motherland with his rendition of Maa tujhe salaam. This forms a part of his album Vande Mataram produced by Bharat Bala Pictures. Then Ananya Bharati categorises Indian patriotic films primarily into three categories. The first category comprises of films associated with terrorism. The second features films about martyrs of the freedom struggle and events linked to the Partition of the country and the third category has war films that depict the India-Pakistan conflict.
Ananya Bharati also talks about films about nation-building, like the recently released Swades. The documentary concludes with an emotional punch in the form of a bouquet of patriotic songs that have captured the national imagination.
Patriotic Films: The Beginning
The Hindi film industryâs adoption of patriotic themes happened at its very inception, when India was engaged in a unique struggle for freedom from the British colonial rule. The first film which boldly ventured in this direction was Sohrab Modiâs Sikandar. This 1941-film carried the message of patriotism indirectly by praising the valour of King Porus in his war against Alexander the Great, the invader. Other films of this era were Bandhan (1940) and Kismet (1943).
When freedom dawned on August 15, 1947, ending 200 years of alien rule, the Indian film industry was there to celebrate this historic transition. The air those days was filled with the hopes and dreams of building a new India, most inspiringly articulated by our first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Bollywood captured this mood in films like Naya Daur (1957) and Hum Hindustani (1960). Anandmath (1952), Jagriti (1954) and Leader (1964) focused on the freedom struggle and the sacrifices made by its martyrs. Some others like Sikander-e-Azam (1965) and Jis Desh Mein Ganga Behti Hai (1960), through their songs, talked about the greatness of India. Then there were films that were inspired by the violation of the countryâs barriers by the enemies. Three notable films made on the subject were Haqeeqat (1964), Prem Pujari (1970) and Lalkaar (1972). Of these, Haqeeqat, which is about the Chinese aggression in 1962, has left a lasting impact.
The decade of â80s saw India faced with a peculiar form of warâa proxy war from across the border in the form of terrorism.
Films on Terrorism
The decade of â80s saw India faced with a peculiar form of warâa proxy war from across the border in the form of terrorism. First, it cast its evil eye on Punjab, bleeding it for nearly a decade before being snuffed out. Then it targetted Jammu & Kashmir. The perpetrators of this proxy war were also behind extremism and terrorism in Indiaâs northeast. Films that dealt with the issue not only portrayed the barbaric face of terrorism, but also exposed the misleading propaganda that sought to justify it through direct and indirect support for it.
Some of the important films in this category are: Karma by the great showman Subhash Gahi, and Maachis by lyricist and film-maker Gulzar. While Karma emphasized the need for fortifying the countryâs commitment to overpower terrorism, Maachis was a very sensitive portrayal of how some youth of Punjab were misled into taking to the gun. Another memorable film from this period is renowned film-maker Mani Ratnamâs Roja (1993), which also introduced a new melody in Hindi films songs and by a talented young music composer, A.R. Rahman. Vidhu Vinod Chopraâs Mission Kashmir, tackling the same theme, sought to revive the forgotten concept of Kashmiriyat. Two other films set against the same backdrop of terrorism in KashmirâThe Hero (2003) and Zameen (also 2003) eulogised the bravery of Indian soldiers and undercover agents in overpowering the enemy in his own stronghold.
Mani Ratnam re-visited this theme in his 1998-film Dil Se. The following year saw the release of another powerful film, Sarfarosh by John Mathew Matthan, which is a tribute to those patriotic police officers who fearlessly fight social evils. As an attempt to boost the morale of the much-maligned security forces, it was a highly commendable film.
Refugee (2000) by J.P. Dutta, who specializes in making patriotic films with a mega star-cast, stands out for touching upon an interesting subject: the buffer zone on both sides of the Indo-Pak border, where people have their own definition of patriotism, and how terrorists take advantage of such a situation. The film also saw the launching of two star-childrenâAmitabh Bachchanâs son Abhishek and Randhir Kapoorâs daughter Kareena Kapoor, both of whom have moved on to become mega stars themselves. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->