Why we celebrate and mourn Bollywood

The only constant in our human world is change. Change takes place for good or bad but nobody can avert it or impede it. Change has its own mind and pace.

The world of art is no exception. It has experienced change just like the others. The human necessity and aesthetics of expressing themselves started with some symbols on the walls of some cave in the Stone Age but it became a way of life once it got pen, paper and a wider audience. Then came theatre- the reenactment of what was written, another change. That change led to formation of cinema. Sciences were making progress and the cinema was one of its many perks. The dream just got bigger and better.

The beauty of the cinema is that it takes you on a journey that is life and in just under three hours you get all the shades and flavors of life. In this mayhem, those three hours are a lifeboat for many.

Our Cinema grew like any other cinema. Like anything else, at the time of independence our cinema too was in shatters. However, it remerged and we started to find our feet again. Varieties of audience were built and manufacture to consume our cinematic output. Even in those days there was a sizeable number that liked Indian cinema. Even in those days, the Indian movies use to get releases in Pakistan. The stories were relatable, the language was understandable, and the music strike similar kind of emotions. The thing about cinema is that it creates stars. People get frenzy about them. The more it gets frenzy, the better. So, Indian movie stars were now our stars too. Dilip Kumar was a big deal and Madhubala was beautiful.

The 1965 war saw a ban on the Indian movies in Pakistan. I sincerely believe that it was the start of the end of the Pakistan’s film industry. Indian movies had a better production value than our movies and they pose a challenge to our movie industry. This challenge always kept them (our film industry) on their toes and striving for excellence. Before 1965, Pakistan really produced some good movies such as Malangi (1965), Ghoonghat (1962), Neend (1959) and Anarkali (1957) to name a few which gave Indian movies run for their money. In the absence of competition, the quality of Pakistan’s cinema declined and our film industry died a slow death. Fortunately, now Pakistani cinema is in its revival phase and Pakistan is churning out some good movies but still there is a long way to go. That is why we need world cinema to not only feed our cinemas and cinema goers but also to increase their appetite and make them to appreciate a good movie irrespective of its country of origin.

However, this piece is not about Pakistani cinema or its decline or revival. This piece is about why we celebrate and mourn Bollywood? Obviously the main stimulant behind this piece is sudden and untimely demise of Siridevi and the consequent criticism on Pakistani media for her projection. The interest of the news channels in her death was natural because of the way she died and all the mystery that clouded her death. Keeping in mind the reporting of Indian media on the same issue, Pakistani news channels fared better and reported the incident in a more professional manner. First thing first, it should be understood that we can mourn Siridevi and condemn Syria at the same time. It is a doable thing and it is not inhuman.

As I have stated above, the reason for acceptance for Indian movies in Pakistan is that both of us share same kind of problems and language. So, as compared to others it is easier for Pakistani cinema goers to relate with Indian movies.

Another factor that contributed in establishing a Bollywood fan base in Pakistan irrespective of the ban in 1965 was the VCR revolution of the 1980’s followed by the Cable revolution of the last 1990’s. These revolutions gave Bollywood an access to every Pakistani household.

It should also be kept in mind that after 1980’s, at least two generation of Pakistanis have grown without the cinema of their own. Though Pakistan was making movies but they were cyclostyle gandassa vehicles, catering the needs of a particular type of cinema goers (no offence intended). Pakistani cinema seriously lacked diversity. We grew up watching Indian movies and listening to their songs. Madhuri was the first crush of many, Siridevi’s attire in Chandini was a rage among local females, sweaters wore by Anil and Rishi were local favorites, Sunny and Sanjay were our action heroes.

The only savior or the knight in the shining armor was PTV. This Bollywood onslaught coincides with the golden age of PTV. That is why both of them that are PTV and Bollywood enjoy same amount of nostalgia.

There must have been other factors too but we have to accept this as the reality of our times. There is a need to expedite the revival of our film industry without compromising on the quality of production and content. Still, there is no harm in appreciating a good performance. Sridevi was a brilliant performer and she deserved all the mourning she got. My first Siridevi movie was Mr. India and I will always remember her for the Charlie Chaplin sequence from the movie and the Hawa Hawai song. Although, I watched the movie as a kid but when I grew up the “I love you” song made me to appreciate her sensuality. Ironically, her last movies had two Pakistanis in a pivotal role and her shout out to Pakistani actors can turn many strong willed teary eyed.