Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut has written an open letter in reply to a an open letter by Saif Ali Khan on the nepotism debate currently rocking Bollywood following his apology that the “nepotism rocks” joke at the recent International Indian Film Academy awards function by him and along with Karan Johar and Varun Dhawan was not directed her. 

Image: Indian Express

 

All the debate and exchange of thoughts on nepotism is exasperating, but healthy. While I enjoyed some of the perspectives on this subject, I did find a few disturbing ones. This morning, I woke up to one such open letter (circulating online), written by Saif Ali Khan.

The last time I was deeply pained and upset about this issue was when Mr Karan Johar wrote a blog on it, and even once declared in an interview that there are many criteria for excelling in film business. Talent is not one of them.

I don’t know if he was being misinformed, or simply naive, but to discredit the likes of Mr Dilip Kumar, Mr K Asif, Mr Bimal Roy, Mr Satyajit Ray, Mr Guru Dutt, and many more, whose talent and exceptional abilities have formed the spine of our contemporary film business, is absolutely bizarre.

Even in today’s times, there are plenty of examples where it has repeatedly been proven that beyond the superficiality of branded clothes, polished accents, and a sanitised upbringing, exists grit, genuine hard-work, diligence, eagerness to learn, and the gigantic power of the human spirit. Many examples, all over the world, in every field, are a testimony to that. 

 

My dear friend Saif has written a letter on this topic and I would like to share my perspective. My request is that people must not misconstrue this and pit us against each other.

This is just a healthy exchange of ideas, and not a clash between individuals.

Saif, in your letter you mentioned that, “I apologised to Kangana, and I don’t owe anyone any explanation, and this issue is over.” But this is not my issue alone.

Nepotism is a practice where people tend to act upon temperamental human emotions, rather than intellectual tendencies.

Businesses that are run by human emotions and not by great value-systems, might gain superficial profits.

However, they cannot be truly productive and tap into the true potential of a nation of more than 1.3 billion people.

Nepotism, on many levels, fails the test of objectivity and rationale. I have acquired these values from the ones who have found great success and discovered a higher truth, much before me. These values are in the public domain, and no one has a copyright on them.

Greats like Vivekananda, Einstein and Shakespeare didn’t belong to a select few. They belonged to collective humanity. Their work has shaped our future, and our work will shape the future of the coming generations.
 

Karan Johar, Saif Ali Khan

Today, I can afford to have the willpower to stand for these values, but tomorrow, I might fail, and help my own children realise their dreams of stardom. In that case, I believe that I would have failed as an individual. But the values will never fail. They will continue to stand tall and strong, long after we are gone.

So, we owe an explanation to everyone who either owns, or wants to own these values. Like I said, we are the ones who will shape the future of the coming generations.

In another part of your letter, you talked about the relationship between genetics and star kids, where you emphasised on nepotism being an investment on tried and tested genes. I have spent a significant part of my life studying genetics. But, I fail to understand how you can compare genetically hybrid racehorses to artistes!

Are you implying that artistic skills, hard-work, experience, concentration spans, enthusiasm, eagerness, discipline and love, can be inherited through family genes? If your point was true, I would be a farmer back home. I wonder which gene from my gene-pool gave me the keenness to observe my environment, and the dedication to interpret and pursue my interests.

You also spoke of eugenics — which means controlled breeding of the human race. So far, I believe that the human race hasn’t found the DNA that can pass on greatness and excellence. If it had, we would’ve loved to repeat the greatness of Einstein, Da Vinci, Shakespeare, Vivekananda, Stephen Hawking, Terence Tao, Daniel Day-Lewis, or Gerhard Richter.

You also said that the media is to be blamed, since it is the real flag-bearer of nepotism. That makes it sound like a crime, which is far from the truth.

Nepotism is merely a weakness of the human nature; it takes great deal of will-power and strength to rise above our intrinsic nature — sometimes we excel, sometimes we don’t. No one is putting a gun to anyone’s head to hire talent they don’t believe in. So, there is no need to get defensive about one’s choices.

In fact, the subtext of all my talk on this subject has been to encourage outsiders to take the path less travelled. Bullying, jealousy, nepotism and territorial human tendencies are all part of the entertainment industry, much like any other. If you don’t find acceptance in the mainstream, go off beat — there are so many ways of doing the same thing.

I think the privileged are the least to be blamed in this debate, since they are part of the system, which is set around chain reactions. Change can only be caused by those who want it. It is the prerogative of the dreamer who learns to take his or her due, and not ask for it.

You are absolutely right — there is a lot of excitement and admiration for the lives of the rich and famous. But at the same time, our creative industry gets this love from our countrymen, because we are like a mirror to them — whether it’s Langda Tyagi from Omkara, or Rani from Queen, we are loved for the extraordinary portrayal of the ordinary.

So, should we make peace with nepotism? The ones who think it works for them can make peace with it. In my opinion, that is an extremely pessimistic attitude for a Third World country, where many people don’t have access to food, shelter, clothing, and education. The world is not an ideal place, and it might never be. That is why we have the industry of arts. In a way, we are the flag-bearers of hope.

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Double standards? No, no. A Karachi dateline report of the  PTI states that  local distributors of the latest Aamir Khan-starrer "Dangal" in Pakistan are pinning their hopes on Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to give his formal approval to its release in the country and are expecting the film to be screened soon.

Despite all the noise and angst about the release of Karan Johar's film, " Ae Dil Hai Mushkil" s starring Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in India barely two months ago (October 2016), looks like Indian star of the silver screen, Aamir Khan's Dangal will not to suffer a quid pro quo fate. And Pakistan will quietly allow its release and distribution in Pakistan soon! After the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (Raj Thackeray' s threats and intimidation, Telangana BJP MLA Raja Singh had vociferously opposed the screening of Johar's film leading to high level 'consultations' before Johart appealed for its release.

According to Pakistani media reports, the Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage in association with the Ministry of Commerce, has sent an official summary to Sharif seeking his permission to release the film in Pakistan. Pakistan is considered as the third largest market for Indian films.The local distributors have rubbished  reports in Indian media as "false" that the film would not be released in the country, saying its screening may get delayed by a week.

"That is false news. Yes there are hurdles that we are facing in releasing the film in Pakistan but we haven't lost hope yet. The film might get delayed by a week or so but no final decision has been taken as yet," Mohammad Nasir of Geo films said.

Pakistani cinema owners are pinning their hopes on the release of "Dangal" and other Indian films to be released in January to make up for the losses they suffered during a three-month voluntarily ban on screening of Indian films in Pakistan. The ban was lifted last week in a low-key fashion, but the release of "Dangal" still remains uncertain.

According to officials, local distributor Geo films are in direct correspondence with Aamir, who also happens to be the producer of the film, to make its release possible.

A ministry source said that now only the Prime Minister can move things forward.

Zoraiz Lashari, chairman of the of the Film Exhibitors Association of Pakistan, has said that they too are awaiting the Prime Minister's response.

"We have been suffering grave financial issues due to the suspension. Indian artistes and distributors want their films to be screened in Pakistan but the local distributors are hesitant to purchase new films before the government gives it a green light," he said.

"I want to make it clear that there is no ban on Indian films in Pakistan as no official notification was issued by the government," he stated.

According to industry sources, local distributors pay around rupees 80 to 100 million to Indian distributors and the buying group must earn around 200 million rupees as they also have to pay off some amount to the cinemas and make profit.

Indian movies returned to Pakistani cinema houses in 2008 after a 43-year-long hiatus imposed during the 1965 war. But is the hysterical 'ban' on Pakistani actors in Indian films another matter?

Double standards–no no!

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Image Credit: Prem Verma/Hindu Sena

The film, which stars Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in a cameo had to meet with an unanticipated brouhaha – led by MNS in Maharashtra, which had opposed its release in the aftermath of the Uri attacks.
However, after the deal brokered by the Maharashtra CM Fadnavis in which the producers agreed to pay a 5-crore-donation to the Army Welfare, MNS had withdrawn its opposition to the release.

Hindu Sena demonstrated its protest in at Delight Cinema, New Delhi, however could not succeed in stalling the screening owing to the heavy police protection to the movie theatre. Its Gwalior branch also led a protest, where pictures of the director Karan Johar were burnt.

In Madhya Pradesh, Jabalpur-based Hindu Seva Parishad (HSP) stalled on Friday the screening on the film in a mall. According to the news reports, posters of the film were torn and burnt by the mob outside the mall, and shows at all the three screens were cancelled in the city. President of HSP Atul Jaiswani warned that the theatres will be vandalised if the film is screened again. HSP has also claimed that it had informed the administration of its proposed action plan 15 days ahead of the release.

Image Credit: Prem Verma/Hindu Sena

The situation remained tense in the state capital Bhopal as well, where demonstrations reportedly were carried out outside Alpana Cinema.

News reports said that the tension was palpable in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar as well, where right wing organisations like Shiv Sena and Bajrang Dal actively opposed the release and succeeded in halting its release in some places including Patna, Ranchi and Rajnandgao.
 

The post Hindu Right Wing Orgnisations stall Screening of ADHM in four States appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Image: BFI
 
According to an Indian Express report, Akhtar has criticised MNS and questioned the government’s role as the mediator, and said, “The only word, I think, that comes to mind is unfortunate, because it has set a terrible precedent.”
 
Following MNS’ threat of vandalising theatres screening Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which has a Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in it, CM Fadnavis had called for a meeting of the party president Raj Thackeray and the producers, in which it was agreed that the filmmakers will not cast Pakistani artistes in future and will pay Rs 5 crore as ‘prayashchit’ (penance) to the Army welfare fund.
 
Referring to the series of incidents since MNS’ threats, Akhtar told Express, “It’s not even the government telling you what you should be doing and not doing. So who are you listening to? You are listening to the people who are threatening you with violence. Now, when you have the threat of violence, it’s not only about you. You have kids at home, you have a family.”
 
Speaking to The Indian Express during the promotion of his next film, Akhtar questioned the selective targeting of the film industry. “By all means pass a law. If you pass a law, you are representing the voice of the people. We’ve elected you to do it, so by all means pass a law. But don’t hold that standard only for the film industry. Why only the film industry? Because we are easy targets. Why don’t you stop business between India and Pakistan, this two billion dollars of business that happens every single year. Stop it, go the whole hog. This is like window dressing,” he said.
 
Supporting Johar’s statement in which he had explained how the circumstances were different when he had signed Khan, Akhtar said, ““People were encouraging exchange, our Prime Minister travelled there. It was an air, an environment of optimism, an environment of wanting bridges to be made. That’s the environment you started functioning in. Now, if that’s changed, you cannot hold this person by his throat and say that what you have done is wrong, and force you to say things and force you to pay money.”

To read the full report, click here,

The post Farhan Akhtar questions CM’s Role in ADHM-MNS Deal, dubs it as ‘terrible Precedent’ appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Photo: News 18

Singh threatened that he would “attack” theatres in entire Telangana, starting from his constituency Goshamahal, if the film is screened there.

“My idea is that a message should go to Pakistan in all possible ways about India’s opposition and public anger against Pak-sponsored terrorism,” Singh said.

“There is widespread anger in the country against Pakistan at the moment following the neighbouring country’s support to terrorism against India,” the MLA claimed.

He alleged that the tax paid by Pakistani actors to their country is used against India.

The filmmaker should know that there are many talented actors in India itself, Singh said.

The legislator said he is also “campaigning against China which is supporting Pakistan”.

Singh was in news earlier for opposing a proposed beef festival here.

The Raj-Thackeray led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) has opposed the movie and threatened to break glasses of film theatres screening it.

“We will oppose the screening of the movie everywhere in the state (Maharashtra). If any multiplex operator dares to screen the film, they (operators) should remember that multiplexes are decorated with expensive glass sheets,” MNS leader Amey Khopkar had said.

Under pressure over opposition to the upcoming release of “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil”, Johar had yesterday said he will not “engage with talent” from Pakistan in future and made a fervent appeal against stalling the blockbuster.

(With inputs from PTI)

Courtesy: Janta ka Reporter
 

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Image: Scroll.in

Karan Johar’s video statement on Tuesday pleading for his new movie to be allowed to run in theatres without disruption looks like a better lit version of the victim videos released by kidnappers and terrorists. As he reiterates his patriotism and beseeches protestors to allow Ae Di Hai Mushkil to be released without violence on October 28, Johar looks less like the master of ceremonies he often plays in TV shows and more like he is seconds away from an executioner's dagger.

The mood in the video, which runs one minute and 46 seconds, is appropriately funereal. Johar is dressed in a black t-shirt with white markings and seated against a deep grey background as he addresses his hyper-nationalist critics, many of whom are nested in the film industry. There are minimal hand and head movements. Johar’s tone is even but the despair is unmistakable.

To the demand that he stall the release of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil because it features Pakistani actor Fawad Khan in a few scenes, Johar points out that when he shooting the film between September and December in 2015, there was no sign of the hysteria that would wash over India months later, after a militant attack on an Army camp in Uri in September killed 19 soldiers.

“The circumstances were completely different,” Johar notes. “There were efforts made by our government for peaceful relationships with the neighbouring country and I respected those endeavours then, those efforts then. And I respect the sentiment today.”

Having reiterated his loyalty to the nation, Johar cuts the final threads that connect us to the very brief (and very pleasurable) Fawad Khan era. “Going forward, I would like to say that of course I will not engage with talent from the neighboring country given the circumstance,” he promises.

The statement dispels lingering doubts that Pakistani actors or singers will be hired by Indian producers in the foreseeable future – or, possibly, ever. India discovered the bounty of Pakistani talent in scriptwriting, acting and singing through videotapes of television serials in the 1980s. In the 1990s, the internet brought Pakistani stars closer to India, and in 2014, the television channel Zindagi brought them into living rooms across the country. But Uri has resulted in an angry chorus demanding retribution: the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena in Mumbai has threatened violence against theatre owners who show films featuring Pakistanis and the Indian Motion Picture Producers Association has issued a ban on Pakistani talent being employed in future productions.

Zindagi has dropped Pakistani serials from its programming, while the Cinema Owners and Exhibitors Association of India has issued a directive to its members in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Goa and Karnataka against screening films with actors from across the border.

The decision of the exhibitors' association directly affects Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, and Johar’s statement seems to be aimed at assuaging distributors and exhibitors that they will not be guilty of sedition if they screen his quadrangular romance.

“Today I’d like to clarify that the reason why I’ve remained silent is because of the deep sense of hurt and the deep sense of pain that I’ve felt that a few people would actually believe that I’m being anti-national,” Johar said, stating the obvious. “I need to say this… and I say this with strength that for me, my country comes first, nothing else matters to me but my country.”

It's all about loving your country

Any disruption of screenings of Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, which has been given a UA-rated certificate by the censor board, will only harm the 300-odd crew members who have worked on the film, Johar said. He “beseeched” his attackers to respect their “blood, sweat and tears”, even as he emphasised his respect for the Army. “I salute the Indian Army for everything they do to protect us in our environment. I respect them with all my heart, and I say that I condemn any form of terrorism, any form… and specially the terrorism that would affect my people in my country and me.”

Murmurs of the heart have inspired all of Johar’s films, and he seeks to broaden the understanding of love in his video statement: “We love and respect our country over and above anything else.”

Johar’s films are characterised by their unabashed celebration of wealth, beautiful people, attractive foreign locations, chart-topping songs, haute couture and occasional subversive digs at conservative values. With the video, the act of buying a movie ticket for Ae Di Hai Mushkil has become an expression of subversion and protest, like defying the diktats of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad to watch a documentary about Kashmir, Muzaffarnagar or Dalit killings.

The video provides an apt mirror to the Hindi film industry, whose celebrated secular fabric has been revealed to have gaping holes. There are many filmmakers, actors, singers and technicians in the film trade who suck up to power rather than stand up to it. There are others who rail against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led regime (but mostly on Twitter and Facebook). And there are still others like Johar who seek a live-and-let-live middle path.

All these filmmakers want to do is make movies and money, be featured on magazine covers, grace red carpets, and be the object of public adoration. But the increasingly divisive political atmosphere in the country makes distance from and indifference to social and political debates impossible. For Johar to sit in front of a camera and beg for tolerance and understanding is a new low. Some commentators might dismiss his effort as a craven compromise, made in the service of commerce. Others will regard the video with the same sadness they feel when they watch agitations by Muslim beef traders and striking students at the Film and Television Institute of India, whose acts of protest, major and minor, strengthen the spine of Indian democracy.

Journalists are already drawing up their lists of the most noteworthy films of 2016. This year, the candidates need to include Pahlaj Nihalani’s tacky thank-you notes to Narendra Modi and liberal-bashing videos by ultranationalists. To that ever-expanding roll of dishonor, let us add “Karan Johar breaks silence, speaks up on the Ae Dil Hai Mushkil controversy.” Save it on your desktop, for it is of this moment as well as a sign of things to come.

(This article was first published on Scroll.in)

Related story: Revisiting ‘Sadgati” by Satyajit Ray: Caste in Indian Cinema
Related story: Cinema & Secularism

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