Tagore and Bollywood and me

 

 

Well, Tagore did have a lot to say

about injustice. And also the Pathan.

For sure he would have enjoyed Ray.

Because Teen Kanya and Ghare Baire

are Tagore’s own. But suppose

he’d been given a chance at both highs and lows -

like Bollywood, and My Name Is Khan?

 

He’d probably be able to fuse the views

in a nonchalant “Question” that answers itself.

He’d probably say, “My girl, don’t lose

your cool or perspective, we each choose

different routes, but then each arrives

in the end to the same screening. Stereotypes

are just a simplified way to help.”

 

And I of course would be rendered speechless

if the man himself were to speak to me

but let’s suppose I’m more than I am, or less

aware of his works and greatness

and I’d find my tongue and endlessly argue

“How can you, Sir?! Promote this view

that Bollywood is all there is to see?”

 

“There’s so much more to us than the syrup,

the frosted fairy tales, glitzy but shallow

that Bollywood routinely dishes up.”

He’d say, “The truth, my child, is always tough.

A part is always taken to mean the whole -

See, I’ve become the sole poet, the soul

of Bengal, and every poet stands in this shadow.”

 

And I’d argue back, “But that’s right and good”

(we’ll persist with the pretence of my cheek and nerve)

“anyone would choose you, I know they would

because you are very different from Bollywood

Those films, what they portray is all wrong

Our lives are not just catchy song-

and-dance numbers, and pretty curves.”

 

He’d smile a tired smile, the old easily tire

he’d say, fed up of the arguments

“Listen woman, just hold your fire

We never sing solo, it’s always a choir

though one voice may seem louder. A stereotype,

a snatch of song, may serve to whet the appetite

and lure in viewers to other songs, other events.”

 

“What do you call him? this chap SRK

seems to have got an interesting review,

and yes K Jo is certainly no Ray

but then should he be? A million ways

to sing and live, that’s what we’re about

the audience will realise that beyond a doubt

someday soon, and so my girl, will you.”

 

 

 

 

Over the last decade or so, Bollywood films have been feted and celebrated in the West. They have always had a very admiring audience across Africa and the Middle East, and many Indian actors have a fan following among these countries to rival those at home. I enjoy a good Bollywood masala movie as much as the next person, but I am a little bemused at the increasing typecasting of Bollywood movies as the representative of all Indian films, and extending that further to Indian culture as a whole. India produces films in Tamil, Malayalam, Bengali, and many other languages; and in regional film studios away from the big money and muscles of the Mumbai film industry; it has a growing and vibrant parallel cinema where film makers of great talent showcase a different India from what is depicted in most Bollywood movies. But these are not as widely known let alone celebrated.

Tagore died while the Indian film industry was still taking baby steps, before many of his stories/novels were made into films, his songs used to augment many film scores.  Tagore was a polymath, not just a poet.  He justifiably casts a long shadow on Bengali literature, so much so that very few of the subsequent writers/poets are known to other communities in India or outside of it.  "Question" (Prashna in Bengali) is one of his poems, written after the Jallianwala bagh massacre.
SRK - Shah Rukh Khan is a very popular Indian actor, and K Jo  refers to Karan Johar, a director and  TV celebrity host.  Satyajit Ray was a world famous Bengali film director with many foreign  awards to his name.  He made some of Tagore's works into films.

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