Barfi! and the Inability to Speak

The film Barfi! (2012 dir. Anurag Basu) has been critically acclaimed as a film that represents the changed outlook on disability in Indian cinema (Mohapatra 2012, p.130). Films like Black (2006 dir. Sanjay Leela Bhansali), Fanaa (2007 dir. Kunal Kohli), My Name is Khan (2011 dir. Karan Johar), Guzaarish (2012 dir. Sanjay Leela Bhansali) have portrayed a significant shift from open ridicule, to pity of disabled characters however, the narrative is still very much defined by disability, making it the most defining characteristic of the character. In Barfi! the inability of the lead characters to communicate has resulted in the filmmakers’ use of cinematography and music to compensate the sensory loss from because of the lead character's inability to speak.

Barfi’s inability to speak is because he is deaf and mute, while for Jhilmil it is the mental condition of autism that limits her verbal ability. Ostensibly, the story is about how the two characters overcome their disability and achieve happiness despite it. However, instances in the film constantly remind one of their disability so that as a viewer one cannot overcome it— they exist outside of the “normal”, in marriage and love and this is presented as lovable and amusing freaks.

The thin-moustached, sweater wearing, umbrella-wielding tramp, Barfi, played by Ranbir Kapoor is clearly inspired by Chaplin and his grandfather Raj Kapoor who was known for playing the Tramp in Awara (1951 dir. Raj Kapoor). The visual medium is used extremely well by Anurag Basu as the Chaplin-esque physical comedy succeeds as a means of non-verbal communication. The use of sets and movements, as well as the toy-town setting of Darjeeling adds to the visual experience.

Barfi’s constant comic run-ins with the police are backed by the strikingly French accordion style used in the film Amelie (2001 dir. Jean-Pierre Jeunet) which had clearly ‘inspired’ Pritam. Shifting focus from the obvious plagiarism we may ask, why did the use of such music become necessary?

Part of the answer may be found in the use of music in the Tramp films. Though the film is not completely devoid of speech or narration, however the expression of the lead character is accentuated as Chaplin did by using music to bring for comic effect. Chaplin himself studied music and composed the pieces for his film City Lights which despite the arrival of talkie films was produced as a silent film. This was because the universality of the character of the Tramp was in his voicelessness.  Therefore he chose to remain silent— the language of mime was universal. His silence was replaced with the use of sound technique only to provide ‘synchronized musical accompaniment and effects’. The astonishing ability of musical movement to emulate physical movement was explored extensively in the musical accompaniment to these films. 
This was perhaps why the music of Barfi! was influenced not by the style of music used in Chaplin’s films but the technique of using sound to replace words. In the film, Barfi and the cop, in one of their many chases have exactly the same encounter as in another Chaplin film, The Adventurer. The accordion music from the song 'Itti Si Hassi' (A little bit of laughter) plays in the background:

The soundtrack of the film has the difficult job of speaking for the characters and it is in this way that the sensory gap from the characters’ inability to speak is compensated. The film has a total of ten songs which is by no means the highest number of songs in a Bollywood film, but it works in interesting ways. For instance the song 'Ala Barfi' (Here comes Barfi) introduces the matwala (with a mind of his own) Barfi to the viewers and remains his theme throughout the film, henceforth whenever we encounter Barfi we hear the whistling from 'Ala Barfi' which gives us a cue about his arrival on screen. The song 'Main Kyan Karoon' (What do I do?) is written in the male voice and clearly speaks for Barfi, telling the viewers his agony with love. The songs 'Kyon' (Why) or 'Aashiyaan' (Home), play in situations where ordinarily one would hear dialogue between the two characters, and the film breaks into montages while the song speaks for its characters— setting the stage for romance.
However, the specific sound that Pritam emulated had a significance as the music of the film is easy listening for both world cinema and music-loving audiences. The subsequent entry of the film into the Academy Awards in the category of Best Foreign Language Film perhaps points to the music director’s particular creative choices.
Watch Aashiayaan and Ala Barfi, and decide for yourself, you could also let me know what you think.

References:

Gopal, S. and Moorti, S. (2008) Introduction: Global Bollywood, pp.1-68. Uiversoty of Minnesota Press.

Kamath, S. (2012). “Barfi: Let There Be Light.” The Hindu, September 15. (online) Accessed: 13/2/2015. <http://www.thehindu.com/features/cinema/barfi-let-there-be-light/article3900862.ece>.

 Mohapatra, A. (2012) “Portrayal of Disability in Hindi Cinema: A Study of Emerging Trends of Differently- Abled” Asian Journal of Multidimensional Research Vol.1 Issue 7, December 2012, ISSN 2278-4853. (online) Accessed: 13/2/2015. <http://www.tarj.in/images/download/ajmr/AJMR%20DEC.%202012%20PAPERS%20PDF/12.12,%20Dr.%20Atanu%20Mohapatra.pdf>

Panodhar, J. (2012) ‘Pritam Chakraborty Barfi! Review’ (online) Accessed: 13/2/2015. http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/3r5c

Robinson, D. (1989) ‘City Lights’ in Re-recording of City Lights Orchestra by Carl Davis. (online) Accessed: 13/2/2015. <http://cdn3.orastream.com/pdf/845458000154.pdf>

Rolf I G., & Marc L., (2010) ‘Gestural Affordances of Musical Sound’ In Musical Gestures: Sound, Movement, and Meaning. Routeldge.

Image Sources:
1. http://www.moviesharbor.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Barfi-2012.jpg
2. http://media2.intoday.in/indiatoday/images/stories//2012september/barfi-2-660_092712115327.jpg

Lootera- T(w)oo much happening

Note: Spoiler Alert! You have been warned.

Lootera (2013, dir. Vikramaditya Motwane) is a complicated love story set in 1950s India. With breath-taking cinematography and soulful music, the film successfully transports you to its quietly grand setting of a zamindar’s mansion in the age of this dying class. Despite its successful attempt at establishing setting, the plot is unnecessarily complex. In true Bollywood style, the filmmaker uses song to bring together its two story lines- the world of the gangster who betrayed his lover and her family and the world of the dying lover who needed a saviour.

The film is full of beautiful visuals, capturing the period and its old world charm with the use of poetry not only in dialogue but also visually. The character of Pakhi is introduced to us as playful when we see her delight in playing with the new electric bulb. 

Pakhi plays with the bulb

The colouring in the film though largely sepia is not overpoweringly done; certain shots are grainy, which only add to this effect. The elements such as the use of windows, doorways and corridors, light streaming in, characters hidden in shadows, build an almost Ray-esque setting. The sparse and poetic dialogues put greater emphasis on pauses and silences- giving way to music. All these elements are essential for the build-up to the climax of the last leaf, but are in contrast to the titular gangster concept which we are introduced to halfway through the film. 

The Bodycam technique

The slow languid pace of the first half shifts to a more realist, swift pace. Even Pakhi’s desolation after her loss comes to us as the calm before the storm. The lengthy chase scene, shot and edited masterfully is effective is heightening our emotions. We see Varun remove the bullet from his body, the wound in focus, his pain evident. This is in contrast to the contained emotion we see from him in the first half. In the scene where Varun decides to turn back to save Pakhi, the bodycam technique breaks the slow narrative the filmmakers built in the first half. Further, the concept of the ‘Last leaf’ is arrived at in too roundabout a fashion- somewhat killing the simplicity of the humorous yet painful original.

Amit Trivedi’s music and Amitabh Bhattacharya’s lyrics reduce the need to verbalise and sets the mood of the film, but here too the styles differ greatly. Four songs in the second half of the film depict the two lover’s lonesome soul(s): The song Ankahee (Unsaid) where Pakhi reminisces about her relationship with Varun, shows her alone in her grief and pain. Manmarziyaan (wilful desires) where Pakhi struggles with the conflict within her to reject Varun’s help and her desire to die, her life, coming to an end as her condition deteriorates. Shikayatein (complaints), where Varun decides to choose Pakhi over his life on the run and we see the transition in him, from gangster running for life to lover seeking atonement. Zinda (alive), where Varun  hangs up the last leaf are all central to the assimilation of the two plot lines- the desire for atonement and love that Varun had and the narcissism of making a masterpiece leading to his altruistic act in the conclusion of the film. 

Where the film could have been either a story of betrayal and love or of selfless love and sacrifice, it becomes a mix of the two- making the viewing not disappointing, but somehow unsatisfactory. That said, I loved writing this review and going over every detail of the film, so it is definitely worth a watch. At least.

References:

Ganti, Tejaswini (2004, 2013) Bollywood: a guidebook to popular Hindi cinema.  London: Routledge.

Henry O., 1907. ‘The Last Leaf’ on Online Literature.com, Viewed on 05-011-2014 <http://www.online-literature.com/o_henry/1303/>

Lootera (2013) Directed by [Film]. India: Shobha Kappor, Ekta Kapoor, Vikas Bahl, Anurag Kashyap.

Image sources:

1. http://www.oneknightstands.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Lootera-Sonakshi-Sinha.jpg

2. https://oorvazifilmeducation.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/bulb.jpg

3. https://cinemachaat.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/lootera-varun-on-the-run.jpg

Are White Rappers Racist?

Hip-hop culture has become one of the most popular forms of music and pop-culture in the past twenty-five years. In fact, it has emerged as mainstream culture from its erstwhile existence in the margins[i]. The mainstreaming of hip-hop culture has meant that predominantly black music culture has been appropriated by white youth and musicians[ii]. Is the appropriation of rap music and hip-hop culture by white artists a sign of implicit racism? Here I speak specifically in relation to the 2014 Grammy Awards results.

Beginning in 1970s New York, hip-hop was the means for black youth to express their struggles with racism, poverty, and other forms of oppression that made them disadvantaged in society. It was a conscious act of dissent that had themes, lyrics, music that reflected the culture of the black communities. However, it became mainstream in the 1980s with a show on MTV showcasing hip-hop music and rap. In the 1990s, hip-hop also became popular in Europe. This is what constitutes the 'Cultural appropriation' of hip-hop. Cultural appropriation is the process by which a cultural product from a different culture is adopted, performed, and transformed. It is not so that white rap and hip-hop artists ‘want to be black’ but that they want to be associated with those qualities associated with blackness which make blackness cool[iii]. 

The cultural appropriation of hip-hop is not problematic in itself, but the past of the art-form is done away when performed by white musicians. Racism in contemporary society acts through ideology as well as practice. The different ways in which hip-hop culture has been moulded to mainstream popular culture has had certain racist outcomes—though it may not be detrimental in itself or in its intent.

The extremely famous rapper Iggy Azalea was accused of making racist remarks in her song “D.R.U.G.S” (2012) in which she called herself a ‘runaway slave master’. Not only this, in the recent Grammy award nominations (2014), Iggy Azalea, a white rap-artist, was presented with four nominations and Macklemore, a white hip-hop artist, won the award for best rap record of the year. This is not the first time that a white artist has won in this category. In fact, Eminem, a white rap and hip-hop artist is the best-selling hip-hop artist of all time. Further, there were no nominations for any person of colour in the top categories: Record of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist. Racist practices are racist not because of their racist intentionality but in terms of their effects[iv]. Perhaps, the practice of rewarding only white rap artists in such categories has had racist effects. As Azalea Banks, a black-rap artist said in an interview, ‘the message to white kids..is, ‘You’re great. You’re amazing. You can do whatever you put your mind to.’ And it says to black kids, ‘You don’t have s***. You don’t own s***, not even the s*** you created yourself’”. Despite the profanity, Banks makes an important point about white privilege in the music industry.

It would be relevant to mention here that though few black artists won awards in 2014 Grammys, for instance— Beyoncé won multiple awards including Album of the Year. However, she represents a very commodified, objectified, racialised‘black beauty’ [v].

While there is nothing inherently bad about cultural appropriation of hip-hop culture,  when white artists use the very same medium in racist ways (as Iggy Azalea did), or when white hip-hop artists clearly enjoy the privilege that their skin colour provides them, such practices do have racist effects. So what about here in India? Is Honey Singh racist? Some would argue he is definitely sexist and misogynistic but does his cultural appropriation create problems for black rappers? Not really, but for women, sure! 

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[i] Androutsopoulos and Scholz 2003 p.463

[ii] Rodriquez 2006 p.646.

[iii]Perry 2002, cited in Androutsopoulos and Scholz 2003, p.649.

[iv] Anthias and Yuval-Davis 1992 p. 13

[v] Gilroy 2000 p.21-22

References:

“Beyoncé.” 2015. The GRAMMYs. Accessed January 9. http://www.grammy.com/artist/beyonce.

“Grammy Awards: Is Iggy Azalea This Year’s Macklemore & Ryan Lewis?” 2015. EntertainmentWise. Accessed January 9. http://www.entertainmentwise.com/news/162890/Grammy-Nominations-2015-Why-The-Backlash-Against-Iggy-Azalea.

“The GRAMMY Awards.” 2015. The GRAMMYs. Accessed January 9. http://www.grammy.org/recording-academy/awards.

Androutsopoulos, J. & Scholz, A. 2003 “Spaghetti Funk: Appropriations of Hip-Hop Culture and Rap Music in Europe”, Popular Music and Society, 26:4, 463-479, [online] Accessed January 9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0300776032000144922

Anthias, F. and Yuval-Davis, N. 1992 “The Concept of ‘race’ and the Racialization of Social Divisions” in Racialized Boundaries: Race, Nation, Gender, Colour and Class and the Anti-racist Struggle.  London: Routledge, pp. 1- 20.

Chang, Jeff. 2015. “Azealia Banks, Iggy Azalea and Hip-Hop’s Appropriation Problem.” The Guardian. Accessed January 10. http://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/dec/24/iggy-azalea-azealia-banks-hip-hop-appropriation-problem.

Freeman, Hadley. 2013. “Miley Cyrus’s Twerking Routine Was Cultural Appropriation at Its Worst.” The Guardian, August 27 2014, sec. Accessed on January 9. http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/27/miley-cyrus-twerking-cultural-appropriation.

Gilroy, P. 2000. “The crisis of Race and raciology” in Between Camps (London: Penguin, 2000), pp. 11-54

Ramirez, E. 2014. “Why Iggy Azalea Will Win the Best Rap Album Grammy: Op-Ed.” Text. Billboard. December 5 2014. Accessed on January 9. http://www.billboard.com/articles/events/grammys-2015/6363746/iggy-azalea-best-rap-album-grammys.

Rodriquez, Jason. 2006. “Color-Blind Ideology and the Cultural Appropriation of Hip-Hop” Journal of Contemporary Ethnography. Volume 35 Number 6 December 2006. Accessed on January 9. http://www.sagepub.com/newman7study/articles/Rodriquez.pdf

Wilson, Carl. 2014. “White People Win the Grammys.” Slate Magazine. January 27 2014. Accessed on January 9. http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/music_box/2014/01/_2014_grammy_winners_daft_punk_macklemore_and_other_white_people_triumph.html.

Queen(r)— A queer reading of Queen (2014 dir Vikas Bahl)

            Vikas Bahl’s Queen won the most prestigious Best Film award at most award functions this year. Why would it not? It was a light-hearted family film that broke many traditional frames used in Bollywood. Usually, there is little place for sexual minorities in mainstream Indian Cinema. Films like Bombay Talkies, in which Randeep Hooda played a gay man or My Brother Nikhil are few films where the queer is not ridiculed openly. But queer cultures everywhere appropriate straight social texts for their own means and thereby create a new language using which they express themselves[i].

Queen is a film that breaks away from most of what Bollywood stood for in the 1990s- demolishing the idea of the big fat Indian wedding and focusing instead on finding oneself outside of society’s rules. Not to forget the queerness of the word ‘QUEEN’ itself, in the title card the word QUEEN appears in rainbow hues, perhaps underscoring Rani’s ‘queerness’. She is queer in the sense that she would finally be able to break free of established structures within which life is usually lived[ii].

In the film, Rani is dumped by one Vijay and meets another and they quickly become friends. There is an implicit lesbianism in the film as on the surface it is merely comedy but this Vijay gives to Rani what her fiancée did not. She is attentive to Rani’s needs and encourages Rani to be herself.  In their last scene together, Vijaylaxmi says-“Vijay nahi hai toh kya hua Vijaylaxmi toh hai!” This is almost the theme of their relationship. Vijaylaxmi repeatedly replaces Vijay in situations that allude to the homoerotic relationship between them.

Their first encounter occurs when Vijay is barely clothed and Rani looks at her bare body with wonder and discomfort. In another instance, when they go shopping for clothes, Vijay walks into the changing room without warning where Rani exclaims, she isn’t wearing anything. Moreover in the same scene, Vijay wears a moustache, literally viewing Rani with the male gaze, whistling and hooting as she tries on outfits. Both women seem very aware of the other’s body. Rani appreciates how Vijay has ‘maintained’ her figure post child-birth. While Vijay grabs at Rani’s chest telling her she has a beautiful body and that she should show it off more.

More cues lie in the setting of the film. Paris, known to be one of the LGBT hubs of the world, is where the two girls go clubbing. The city is also where Rani and her fiancée wanted to go to for their honeymoon. Rani eventually does go to the Eiffel Tower with her friend Vijay, not her fiancée. The scene is in slow motion as their hair flies in the breeze and the Eiffel Tower— symbolic of their love and friendship twinkles between them.  In a different scene, Vijay and Rani are in the back of a cab, and Vijay in her drunken state exclaims ‘Je t’aime’.  The director perhaps uses the French language to make this homoerotic element less accessible, but it lends itself well to our queer reading.

In most such films there are scenes that deny any lesbian intent[iii]. In this film, Rani watches closely as Vijay exchanges a ‘lip-to-lip kiss’ with her boyfriend or when she talks about needing condoms. However, there is no explicit denial of a possibility of a homoeroticism, nor is there any ridiculing of such allusions.

To me then, the film deals with the implicit lesbianism with a subtlety and maturity which is rare in mainstream Indian cinema. There are other elements such as the themes of marriage, gender roles, prostitution, morality and travel that are well worth exploring in this film. It is full of interesting dialogue, well timed humour, and a depth in characterization that is rarely seen in films with female protagonists. No wonder it was successful— critically acclaimed and loved by the public. The fact that such a mainstream film was nuanced enough to show sensitivity towards the queer (in the broadest sense) is a step in the right direction.

To Read More about female friendships:
http://www.livemint.com/Leisure/RBlMvJXmEPWDaxxX17DwwJ/Girls-dosti-and-love.html
(I have a credit in this post)

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[i] Dudrah 2008 p. 256

[ii] Bakshi 2014.

[iii] Smelik 1985 p. 498.

References

Bakshi Kaustav, 2014. ‘Queen – Review: The Joy of Being Happily Unmarried’ CinemaChronicles.in. March 18, 2014. Viewed on 27/10/2014. <http://www.cinemachronicles.in/queen-review-the-joy-of-being-happily-unmarried/>

Dudrah, R 2008. ‘Queer as Desis: Secret Politics of Gender and Sexuality in Bollywood Films in Diasporic Urban Ethnoscapes’ In: Sangita Gopal and Sujata Moorti, editor(s). Global Bollywood. Travels of Hindi Song and Dance. Minneapolis, USA: University of Minnesota Press; 2008. p. 288-307.

IMDb. Internet Movie Database-Queen. Viewed on 27/10/2014. <http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3322420/>

Smelik Anneke, 1985. Feminist Film Thoery  In: The Cinema Book, King’s Cross,UK: British Film Institute; 1985. P. 491-585.

Queen (2014) Directed by Vikas Bahl [Film]. India: Viacom 18 Motion Pictures and Phantom Films. Viewed on 27/10/14. <http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x25b197_queen-2014-new-hindi-full-movie-720p-hd_shortfilms>