There is only one parameter on which I am going to compare both these films. Their treatment of morality.Both question/break the conventionally set patterns of morality - Sex before marriage, extra marital affairs, violence, brutal cruelty et al. There are two themes which usually constitute scandal - Violence and 'illegal' sex. Both the films have covered these themes in abundance.
While LSD is explosive and bold, I am not sure if it was thought provoking. LSD was a statement to make. Statement made, some appreciated the statement, some didn't. Considering LSD was definitely not entertainment,it should have atleast given some food for thought, right?
We never get to know the motivations of the crimes committed, so we only see victims to whom horrible things are done by villians, which apparently is depiction of a stark reality, that we already somehow know about. Somehow, I could not empathise with the victims or villians, and if it was about LOVE, SEX, and DHOKA, I didn't really question anything about them
And if you say, its only that LSD depicted what has never been attempted on screen before, lets give it credit for boldness, and not make it a good film!
On the other hand, in Laalbagh, all the 'crimes' (I am using the word for what is conventionally taken as that)committed were by characters who we knew. We knew what they wanted, who they were, where they were coming from, their circumstances and situations...They become relatable now, and their deeds seem to be justified, and yet in your head they are not..there is conflict and there is questioning...
When Kashmira Shah wants to have an extra marital affair with her neighbor, when she has a really nice husband who is impotent, whether you approve of what she does or not, you don't hate her. When kids take to shooting, and shoot left, right and center just like the kids in City of God, shooting without purpose, you're disturbed, but you make an attempt to understand their angst, confusion caused by poverty, and the bleak hopelessness that unleashes the animal in them. Such many examples. All the characters are heroes, villians and victim, grappling with a tough incomprehensible life...I realise, empathy and conflict is a deadly combination, won't leave without taking your sleep
Now I know why I wasn't so excited about LSD. There was a tiny voice within that quietly kept asking 'so what', and I couldn't really shut it up!
While LSD is explosive and bold, I am not sure if it was thought provoking. LSD was a statement to make. Statement made, some appreciated the statement, some didn't. Considering LSD was definitely not entertainment,it should have atleast given some food for thought, right?
We never get to know the motivations of the crimes committed, so we only see victims to whom horrible things are done by villians, which apparently is depiction of a stark reality, that we already somehow know about. Somehow, I could not empathise with the victims or villians, and if it was about LOVE, SEX, and DHOKA, I didn't really question anything about themAnd if you say, its only that LSD depicted what has never been attempted on screen before, lets give it credit for boldness, and not make it a good film!On the other hand, in Laalbagh, all the 'crimes' (I am using the word for what is conventionally taken as that)committed were by characters who we knew. We knew what they wanted, who they were, where they were coming from, their circumstances and situations...They become relatable now, and their deeds seem to be justified, and yet in your head they are not..there is conflict and there is questioning...
When Kashmira Shah wants to have an extra marital affair with her neighbor, when she has a really nice husband who is impotent, whether you approve of what she does or not, you don't hate her. When kids take to shooting, and shoot left, right and center just like the kids in City of God, shooting without purpose, you're disturbed, but you make an attempt to understand their angst, confusion caused by poverty, and the bleak hopelessness that unleashes the animal in them. Such many examples. All the characters are heroes, villians and victim, grappling with a tough incomprehensible life...I realise, empathy and conflict is a deadly combination, won't leave without taking your sleep
Now I know why I wasn't so excited about LSD. There was a tiny voice within that quietly kept asking 'so what', and I couldn't really shut it up!
I think your review of LSD is bang on. It was not intriguing nor did I care much about the characters on screen. Like you said, different style doesn't mean good film.
ReplyDeleteI like your reviews. Keep writing!
I haven't seen the other film, so I really wouldn't know about that, but I absolutely disagree with your take on LSD.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, the third short was pedantic & preachy - but to say LSD is only a statement and there are "no motives to the crimes" is a very superficial thing to say.
Either that or subtlety isn't a virtue you appreciate in your cinema. The first short was a slap across the face of 30 yrs of candy-floss cinema - deliberately spoofed to contrast reality. And when the couple are killed, there is no jarring music, no melodramatic screams, no tears, no blood splattering, no hard-hitting, 'realistic' monologues in chaste hindi with 'saali raand' or 'khaandaan ki izzat' or 'saccha pyaar'.
Just one cold line about 'tujhe apni jagah nahi pata?' - I was deeply disturbed. Shades of Rizwan came up immediately. I dont think the director wanted anybody to empthatise. He wanted to shake you from your seat and scream at you to not be naive! The world is not a pretty place where people take stands and everyone has a "motivation" - people are bastards and selfish!
And a lot of naive people get hurt.
The second short was equally brilliant. Have you ever been to sites like 'debonairblog.com' or 'exbii.com'? I think you should visit them once. The sheer scale of it stumps you. The Indian male has a different life that you dont know about, there are literally millions of people out there sharing pics of their girlfriends & friends (not necessarily nudes, normal facebook type pics) under threads called 'Desi maal' and shit. Just go there & see it for yourself.
Then perhaps the sheer scale of his 'statement' will get through to you. Make no mistake - this film is a document of modern India. It is ugly and nasty and unapologetic.
Its not just the 'treatment' - that's a small part of it. The film itself is a masterpiece. LSD is way superior than any 'realistic' film Bollywood can/will make. It starts its grammar from a realm beyond the RK Studio sets and script-writers who live in South Mumbai but spend some time in the chawls to pick up 'linguistic & lifestyle realisms'.
And while we all wished we lived in a 'Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi' - kinda world & saw such poetic films (its one of my faves too)but LSD transcends that.
The world is not poetry it says, it is here & now. Welcome to reality!
@Moontwined: Appreciate your comment and your love for the film..Obviously, we were looking for different things from films, especially this one..
ReplyDeleteI know that reality is dark, stark and uncomfortable...but tell me your take on it,give me a possibility i didn't think of, a perspective i didn't see, a new possibility...
I would have loved to know what happened to that victim in the 2nd story 15 years from now...her take on the idea of 'shame'...she could have committed suicide, but it would have been nice to know what she did and became if she didn't,I would have liked to know how the guy quelled his conscience...with cynicism, bitterness, more crime, with what, really?
For me atleast, the film should have begun where it ended..
Naive people get hurt, we already know, how they deal with it is interesting
LSD was well depicted, it was a slap on 30yrs of candy floss cinema...but we can't use candy floss cinema to benchmark LSD or any of Dipankar Banerjee's films anyway...
LSD was def. controversial. No wonder there are people who strongly like it, and others who strongly disliked it..calling the other perspective superficial would be superficial, no?
I missed out on the Mahesh Manjrekar little gem but I had the misfortune to watch LSD. Even though Khosla Ka Ghosla was a rehash of Sting I had immense respect for Dibakar Banerjee, which grew manifold after watching Oye Lucky.. Next comes this juvenile film that channels the energy of every mms clip that makes rounds and Blairwitch Project but will be a surprise to only those belonging to Amish community. Am glad that you voiced my thoughts. Would have appreciated more had you gone beyond a solitary paragraph.
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