I' m on holyday tonight!

[chani]

I examinated students for 4 hours this afternoon and I'm done with the Baccalauréat. Of course I may have a sore throat!

Also I saw the Indian movie on Monday. Swades could be translated as "we people"...something that we don't usually see in Bollywood productions. There are still songs and dances but it's about the realities of the countryside in India and even if the landscapes and Gita's sarees or penjabees are pretty, everyday life of the farmers in India isn't always pretty. Many social issues are raised. Bollywood films aren't that down to earth usually so despite its flaws it's a must-see.

Well it lasted 3 hours and a half and it was entertaining. I couldn't say it's a great Indian movie but I couldn't say it's bad either. The leading actor, whom I' ve already seen in several Bollywood flicks (Lagaan for instance!), sucked. He's always teary and his acting is often so Bollywood-like it's ridiculous while the theme of the movie is quite serious. He's a star but not an actor yet IMO. Yet he has some moments in which he's almost convincing which is better than in his usual romantic flicks.

By the way I don't understand why they keep hiring actors who can't play well and who aren't even attractive while the country is full of handsome men (more dark-skinned but with beautiful features) and probably better comedians. Oh well the rest of the cast was good...and their acting was quite genuine. I loved the postmaster who dreams of Internet to have more free time and the dhaba cook who dreams of opening a "highway dhaba" in US! The Pariah father who is afraid to send his children to school was also very touching (pun intented!).

Basically it is the story of an Indian scientist working for NASA (of course!) who comes back to his native country after 12 years in the US...and he discovers the reality of Uttar Pradesh in the small village where his nanny lives. Of course there's a bit of romance between Mohan and Gita the teacher, but it isn't the main storyline and through this hero the film shows a middle and upper class India losing touch with the harsh realities of the sufferings of the poors. *I* knew that India better than the hero actually and I've been there only twice! So his stay in the village is quite a trauma...and a journey. Yes it's a film that teaches lessons about humanity, responsability, traditions vs modernity , castes, sending kids to school even girls and with a message that isn't very subtle but when you know India it's something that needs to be said still.

A few scenes are precious and the film maker can be proud of them...like Mohan's journey when he travels by train and boat, or like the festival that celebrates Ram and Sita. Of course there's what I called the "fiat lux" scene, the epic scene when electricity happens in the village (it's such a big problem in India I remember the constant power cuts in Rajasthan!) thanks to Mohan's efforts.

But for me the gem of the film, my favourite scene is the cinema session. An old Bollywood flick is shown in the village and it's a very symbolic scene. It's an event in the village and everybody is there, young and old, to watch the film on the huge sheet that provides the screen. Indians love movies, especially with love stories and songs. There are the first movies producer of the world before the USA!

And the sheet/screen parts the Pariah from the others. The Pariah are actually behind the screen, seeing everything reversed. Of course a power cut happens and in order to pass the time the hero starts showing them other stars, not the movie stars that cannot be seen without electricity, but the ones in the sky (he knows them for he works for the NASA!) and then starts singing and dancing and the symbolical barrier is taken off, the screen is put elsewhere and everybody ends up on the same side, reunited...

That scene is wonderful because there's such a mise en abîme, an old Bollywood film watched outside by farmers within the modern Bollywood movie that we viewers are seeing in theatres, and the old film is old-fashioned one, all about romance of course, while the modern film is about reality; the stars on screen and the stars on the sky being what links the people together, and the leading character himself is an Indian star worshipped by more than a billion of Indians, playing here a man who managed to reunite all the people of a village!

 

I wanna return to India now...but it's mostly time to go to bed.

 

 

Comments

[elizabeth-cs.livejournal.com]

You examinated students, then you are our Chani!

Chani, hey, it's me, 'Lizabeth, rember? *Waves*
Missed you!

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

Of course I remember! I've just posted a comment on your LJ as well. *giggles*

Hey sounds like a happy reunion!

I haven't seen you on the C&S for ages!

[elizabeth-cs.livejournal.com]

IoI Yeh, looks like you are posting in mine, while I am posting in yours (and vise versa). Should we meet on the neutral territory... England may be... hm... Spain?

No, haven't posted on BC&S for a while, and then found LJ. I am very Spangel now (occasionally Spander, Spiles, Spread, and still very Spuffy). Does BC&S still forbid ship talks? They definitely forbid explicit Spike pornography that I promote...

*bounce, bounce, bounce* DOn't pay attention to me, I am jumping up and down on the sofa.

I'll go through your journal, if you don't mind, so you don't have to answer my silly questions about yourself.

Love, Liz

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

Ship talks aren't forbidden, and the DSN is still running (but Sharky stopped doing it so it isn't the same). I'm still Spuffy at heart of course!

You may be disappointed by my LJ because I don't talk much about myself. I mostly post movie reviews.

But i'll friend you!