Are there too much restrictions on Indian cinema? Or do we need to impose more?

One topic that has been burning at many places, and sometimes sadly too literally. The recent bomb blasts at the liberty cinema halls at the showing of the film "Jo Bole So Nihaal" stands out for the fact. that some kind of cinema, which provokes or hurts peoples emotions can lead them to do disastrous acts. Terrorism or no terrorism - the truth remains that innocent people were killed, in their attempt to put forth a point.

Showing smoking on screen has been banned by the parliment. A step forward or backward for Indian cinema? Thats the question on many minds. While the people for the ban argue tat the silver screen glorifies the act of smoking, thus encouraging young people to look at smoking as an act to look "cool". The people against the ban ( argueably tobacco manufacturers, who now longer will not getthose star endorsements) feel that people dont take up to smoking when the see it. Whats the dig of the common man on it?

Super star chucked his cigaratte to give in for the bubble-gum in chandramukhi. A great decision indeed!! with every other kid on the streets of tamilnadu trying to emulate 'Namma superstar', it is a matter of concern if the * introduction is in surrounded by cigar smoke. Well if u cant do any good, the next best option is not to cause any harm. This basic tenet is wat CM has tried and is seeing results comming in thru box fulls of cash @ box office.

And there in Bollywood is the changing trend of 'Item' number being all the more important than the actual film itself. "Mahesh Bhatt" - the leader of the Bhatt campagian who feel it is in their hands to liberalise Indian minds and bring it on par with the world. Churning out Murders and other flicks by the dozen. Picking up every other actress in the filmdom... Wow, they've extended it to the neighbouring countries as well. Thats what is called 'neighborhood bonding'. And their only mantra is that they've got to get the indian audience watch their films in this highly competitive market. And accept it guys.... Crap sells, we might love it or hate it but never never ignore a bhatt flick. Most of us just dont want to.

The truth sadly as accepted by most of the film makers is that there is too much mediocrity in th e whole film industry. They have a hit, and they keep dishing out either family melodramas or titilating soft porn, romatic triangular love stories or gruesome horror. And we all spend the result of the nightouts and mindbreaking queries watching total crap that is so volatile that it evaporates once we are out of the cinema halls. Hullo... I spend the amount close to one good shirt on a film in which the heroine barely wears 1 metre of dress??

The more we watch, the more successful the film is. And the film makers will keep dishing out those Kya Kool Hain Hums by the day. We will watch that too. A vicious loop. And our taste will reach such an abysmally low levels that we shall lose the ability to discern the difference between the moral and the immoral. The normal and the kinky. The sensible and the trash. All shall be the same.
For man is what he enjoys doing the most....

Television is not spared either
No i am not blaming films only. The television too has its own share to be blamed. Women are potrayed to be either the perfect incarnationof Saraswati and Parvati rolled into one, or the scheming vamps who have no reason to hate anyone, but still spit venom at the protogoanist. If not these two classes then she has to be this nubile woman bearing the brunt of the wrath of her in-laws. Where do we fit into the whole scheme? A normal lady/man?? There is no place for you and me in this muddle of characters. Coz our stories will not get the eyeballs stuck to the screen. Many of these soap operas start off on a different note - a unique story line that gets them all the TRPs. And once they do, they fall into the same trap. Love, extramarital affair, inlaws, outlaws, death of te main character followed by ressurection due to 'popular demand', the recent trend being makeovers.
And this is one trend that has cross lingual impact. If is Kyunki... in hindi, then it is Metti Oli in Tamil. Sure all the languages have their counterparts of saas- bahu serials. On the positive note, these serials have demonstrated one thing - boys can cry. Everyone in a serial 'has' to cry.
I beg for something different. I yearn to watch sense ( or nonsensical comedy will do). Something that does not make us irritated when we see gallons of salt water tsunamis in the eyes of the lead characters. Thats why Takeshi's castle or just for laughs in POGO is much better than prime time. No Sun, Star or anything out of the earth. Let me just remain on earth, with my legs firmly planted on the ground.