I have a mixed reactions to Sanjay Leela Bhansali's films, but I have great respect in his middle name "LEELA" that perhaps I saw for the first time some 30 years back. You may google to check the history of it. Beginning with "1942, a love story" (1994) for which he wrote the screen play, I went on to see a lot of his work and appreciated some.. even the blockbusters had some attraction in the unusual sets and loud but rythmatic misic and dances.. you may criticise him for those grand sets but they nevertheless had some attraction.. talking of "grand" we saw grand sets even in the "Mughal e Azam" that became a legend.
Some of films that he produced like Black, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas, Bajirao Mastani, Padmawat were all box office formula films but even for one who appreciates only "creative and purposeful" films can not deny that these films had some attraction at least in terms of entrainment. Film1942 that is indeed a different class produced by Vidhu Binod Chopra and had one of the best of RD's music, (ek ladki ko dekha to..) had shown Bhansali 's talent as a screen writer.. later one saw his talent as a music director in Bajirao Mastani with the dance sequence casting Deepika and Priyanka in "Bangari Pori".
Gangubai is a film based on a true story of a girl who is lured into attractive Bomay film industry but gets sold into prostitution by her suitor who she loved and trusted. The prostitution "industry"'s supply chain is full of such stories when the protectors of girl child push them into the trade. I don't have any official number but one can safely assume that over 90% of prostitutes are forced into it. around the world, plenty of films have been made on the subject not to talk about 100 times more books that have been written to highlight this. Even then, Gangubai has a different touch.. the real life character who is forced to adapt the trade but moves on to become someone who champions the cause of betterment of these "professionals" without asking for the eradication of the trade altogether.
Alia Bhat has done a wonderful job. My trip to Kamathipura as a curious student of our social structure in a decade that followed Gangubai's existence there, is fresh in my memory, what I could see nervously and hurriedly passing through those streets is inked in my memory forever and I can relate the film from that scene which was many times worst than what was shown in the movie. The prostitutes of all ages were kept worst than in a menagerie. It was such a site that I wondered (and still do) how ever any man can think of having sex there... but well....
It's a moving story and I must stop to keep your interest alive well enough so that you watch it with interest.
Nice review, less of this film and more of your own related recollections!
ReplyDeleteMy personal take is that a large lot of people frequenting poor brothels can be compared to somebody responding to the urgent urge to pee andat that time it is the urgency that dictates and not the utility's condition. And here we are talking of the class that tends to be closer to the animal in rut!
Good write up, Pradeep ji. The first 30 minutes are depressing, though steeped in harsh reality. Thereafter, a highly inspirational movie. How the heroine uses her angst as a tool to achieve greater good is remarkable. One incongruity I found was that of use a poster of 1960 movie 'Chaudvin ka Chand' even after a few years had passed in the story. I also find it surprising that a passage from one of the songs from the movie 'Pyasa' gets quoted in the presence of Nehruji who, I believe, had it banned when the movie hit the screens.
ReplyDeleteyou have an eye of a detective 😂😂. wonderful observations. thanks for the comments 🙏.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Regards
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