INDIA vs INDIA

I am not writing this blog to show what a big fan,i am of Prakash jha:in fact I have admired some of his films but not to an exceptional manner.

I write this since I am bewildered at the manner in which the Indian State has joined the league of pressure groups in this country which operate on muscle power to tell us what we can or cannot see. The UP government has "banned"if I can define this correctly; the release of Aarakshan; the other governments of Punjab and Andhra have followed suit and I am not so sure other state governments will not follow suite to this viral banning craze.Now if this goes on,each film maker will have to screen his film to 30 state governments before the authorised "Film Certification Board of India"!

My thought of writing against this came much before all this,at first when Mayavati decided to rule her magic wand to decide what the members of her state is authorised to see,I did not as many would apprehend that my surname is provocating me to write this.

But right now, I think I’ll risk that. Because what we are seeing right now, with the Maya regime leading the way, is the setting of a precedence that must be fought, must be checked.

For the past few years, the trend of bodies and individuals demanding to see movies before they are released has been an increasing one, and because ten people throwing stones at a movie hall is good enough reason for screenings to be shut, most producers agree to this completely illegal and unjustifiable demand. If at all we need certification about whether a movie is fit to be screened or not, that job is the Censor Board’s. But if a Balasaheb or Ammaji has a problem with a movie, the movie may not release, or, at the very least, he will have to be shown at a private screening to ensure people don’t smash theatres.

The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee ostensibly asked for twelve changes in Singh is Kinng, post which it gave a ‘clean chit’ for it to be released. A Jodhaa Akbarfaces protests and subsequent ban if it cannot placate Rajput leaders. As toAarakshan, even as I write this, a news report has come in that says that Jha has agreed to cuts “suggested” and has “reached a settlement with the RPI” which is “now supporting the movie”. So, the Republican Party of India, whose activists stoned Jha’s home and office recently, has become a body whose support has to be earned by ‘reaching a settlement’. What is this, political negotiation or dons enforcing compliance?

One could dig out more instances of pressure groups, community ‘leaders’, outright bullies and politicians temporarily in power deciding what we can, or cannot see. But the point is not a compilation. The point is that we are going on a reverse track – instead of a more open and accommodating society, we are quietly legitimizing this nonsense of vetting by anyone who has a fragile ego. Today, anything you write, anything you make, can hurt SOMEONE’s ego or sentiments. And that someone has to be mollified. Or else..!

This whole point about our otherwise callous, brutal and indifferent governments being so touchy about law and order and people’s sentiments is a little far out. Case in point is UP. The fiery leader rose to power with walls plastered with the BSP’s original election slogan, ‘Tilak, Tarazu aur Talwar, Inko Maaro Joote Chaar’. For her to today take the moral high ground that dialogues in a movie will ‘incite violence and disharmony’, is far more filmy than any of Jha’s films have ever been.

UP’s Entertainment Tax Commissioner told our Lucknow reporter, “After viewing the film, we have enough reasons to believe that it could incite public sentiment, and therefore the department has taken the decision to suspend its release. Besides the objectionable dialogues, we felt that the film is raking up the debate over reservation, which, frankly, has been dead for a few years.”

I condemn this act of misjudgement,unnessary forcing of issues over Indians who want to see a film,and making the title of the movie apt which has indeed become

INDIA vs INDIA

जूते कहाँ उतारे थे

ज़िन्दगी को कभी कभी पीछे मुड़कर देखता हूँ तो बड़ी अजीब लगती है.कहाँ से कहाँ ले आई इतने सालों में.कितने रिश्ते बने,कितने ही बिछड़ गए,कितनी ख़ुशी मिली,कितनी बार उदासी ने घेर लिया,कभी एक लम्हे ने आसमान पे बिठा दिया,तो कभी दुसरे लम्हे ने ज़मीन पर ला पटका.पर जो कूछ भी हो,ये तो यक़ीनन है,की ज़िन्दगी अब तक बड़ी मजेदार रही.एक "उड़ान" Movie की कविता याद आ रही है,आपके साथ बाँटना चाहता हूँ.

छोटी छोटी चित्रायी यादें,
बिछी हुई हैं लम्हों की लान पर.
नंगे पैर उनपर चलते चलते
इतनी दूर आ गए:
की अब भूल गए हैं
जूते कहाँ उतारे थे.

एडी कोमल थी जब आये थे
थोड़ी सी नाज़ुक है अभी भी
और नाज़ुक ही रहेगी;
इन खट्टे मीठे यादों की शरारत
जब तक इन्हें गुदगुदाते रहेगी

सच,भूल गए हैं
की जूते कहाँ उतारे थे
पर लगता है
अब उनकी ज़रुरत नहीं।

ये कविता श्री अमिताभ भट्टाचार्य की लिखी हुई है,और इतनी संजीदी से लिखी गयी है,की लगता है,कवी ने दिल को छू लिया हो.जो भी हो सच ही तो है,जो जीना है जी लो,ये ज़िन्दगी फिर दोबारा नहीं मिलेगी.

मुलाकात आईने से

बहुत दिनों बाद मुझे मेरे ब्लॉग की याद आई.या ऐसा कहूँ की मुझे खुद की याद आई.कहाँ खुद को भूला बैठा था इतने दिनों तक पता नहीं.बहुत कूछ नींद से जागने जैसा।एक कहानी याद आ गयी,आज वोही याद आ रहा है।
एक दिन सम्राट अकबर के दरबार में एक पागल आदमी आया.मैले कुचैले कपडे थे उसके सारे शारीर पर.इधर उधर घूमता रहता था,किसीसे कूछ भी नहीं कहता था.सब लोग उसे देखके हंसने लगे।
ऐसा रोज़ ही होने लगा.पहले तो दरबार के लोगों ने उसकी अनदेखी की,फिर बहुत हंसी उड़ाई,फिर भी जब उस आदमी का बर्ताव नहीं बदला तो वो आग बबूला हो उठे और उसे गालियाँ देने लगे,और पत्त्थर मारने लगे.अकबर ने देखा तो उस आदमी से पूचा तुम कूछ बोलते क्यूँ नहीं?इसपर वो आदमी सबको दुयाएँ देने लगा.अकबर हैरान हो गया.उसने कहा ये क्या,ये सब तुम्हे कोस रहे हैं और तुम इन्हें दुयाएँ दे रहे हो!इस पर वो पागल बोल पड़ा,हुज़ुर जिसके पास जो अन्दर होगा,वो दूसरों को वोहि तो देगा।
मेरी हालत भी कूछ ऐसी ही थी.ऐसा लग रहा था,की जैसे दूसरों से बाँटने के लिए कूछ भी न बाकी हो,खुद के अंदर.अचानक आज ऐसा लगा की कूछ लिखूं.लिखना सिर्फ दूसरों से ही नहीं,खुद से भी तो मुलाकात ही है.