Bollywood
is actually a misnomer. In true subservience to Hollywood this name was coined
since the Indian Film (Hindi) Industry was located in Bombay—which ceased to be
so long back and Mumbai took over. Therefore, if at all, this industry should
be called Mullywood! Anyway, Bollywood consists of a vast assortment of
producers, directors, actors, music directors, lyricists, singers, production
managers, spot boys and a huge lot of technicians in various categories ranging
from cinematography to post-production labs. Basically all these people are
individuals and thus all have right to their own opinions. Difference of
opinions has been a celebrated hallmark of democracy—particularly in the
largest democracy called India. If this democratic right of having one’s own
opinion is universal why Bollywood be an exception? We cannot jump to the
conclusion, as many self-motivated individuals engaged in media or politics
often do, that ‘Bollywood is divided’.
That
the righteous difference of opinion applies equally to Bollywood is made amply
clear by the mind-boggling types of movies being churned out by this industry
over the decades. Every producer or director has his/her own way of approach to
filmmaking, own concepts or ideas and own intellectual types or standards.
Likewise, all actors or singers or technicians have their own forms of
expression that may be termed as excellent or poor. Else why would this
industry make movies like ‘Pistolwali’ or ‘Hunterwali’ and also ‘Mother India’,
‘Sholay’, ‘Black’, ‘Neerja’ and so on over the decades? Grading of A or B or C
for movies has been too apparent all the time. If some desperate souls still
try to ‘unite’ Bollywood based on the celebrated ‘masala formula’ (an unholy
but deliberate mix of entertainment ingredients) of Hindi films, they must
admit now that the formula has come to a natural death quite some time back as
the evolving audiences of the country saw through it. Therefore, it is almost
surely established that Bollywood has difference of opinions within and this
has nothing to do as the industry being ‘divisive’.
There
is thus absolutely no problem if someone in Bollywood supported the continuance
of Pakistan actors in Bollywood films and some opposed it, if someone even
slammed the Prime Minister of the country and if some rallied with the
government. The problem lies elsewhere.
There
are always opportunity seekers, particularly from some sections of the media
and politics sectors, waiting for every kind of expression, and thanks to
social media opinions are now never private. The celebrities enjoy huge fan
following and so their tweets go viral if the concerned tweets are
controversial. The opportunists take full advantage of this and try
manufacturing ‘mass ‘opinions’ thus contributing to the on-going tirade of
labelling the whole country as ‘divisive’ ‘intolerant’ or ‘propagandist’. The
currently popular term of ‘polarisation’ is also an off-shoot of this,
particularly nurtured by some sections of the media not realising that in the
process they are getting polarised and losing the principles of objectivity or
neutrality. This ridiculous tirade to misinterpret ‘difference of opinion’ has
led to even categorisation or sub-categorisations of universally accepted terms
like ‘patriotism’ or ‘nationalism’. True anti-nationals are relishing this
new-found chance.
When
Bollywood biggie Karan Johar expresses himself, his mode of expression may well
be controversial, he does so from a practically business point of view as the
release of his film has been caught up in the melee. Maybe he preferred that
mode of expression to avoid hounding from the opportunists. And, it is woefully
wrong to label him as ‘giving in to the so-called ultra-something forces’
thanks to misinterpretation by the ever vigilant opportunists. If fact, every
individual or association or company is guided by certain interests, and nobody
could be so selfless as to defy one’s own interests on this planet. This
‘self-interest’ is also universal and often this also leads to ‘difference of
opinion’ which is again lapped up by the waiting opportunists.
At
the macro level the ‘self-interest’ leads to ‘vested interests’, and in India
the sway and the clout of the vested interests can never be denied—at every
level of activity and existence. In the present fluid situation it is hazardous
to express one’s opinion—for or against or anything. However, for nonentities
or non-celebrities there is not much fear of being labelled something.
Therefore, at least at an analytical or argumentative level, this writer would
like to suggest that the overwhelming power-play of the vested interests got severely
affected by the change of government in 2014, and so, since then every effort
has been made to hold the government responsible for anything under the sun. This
is, of course, open ended and not mutually exclusive.
Coming
back to our basic subject, Bollywood has only difference of opinion and the
industry is not divided or ‘divisive’. If it has problems presently, these can
be solved too.
