Limits to a Poetic license

The word Poetic license if defined in the dictionary as “The liberty taken by an artist or a writer in deviating from conventional form or fact to achieve a desired effect.” Normally we do see this being used my most works of fiction. Be it a poem, story or a novel: or even visual 'Avatars' of the same in form of TV serials or full length cinematographic films. An endless list of films have been produced by Hollywood on specific battles of the second world war, where heroic deeds of someone, have been interwoven with a love story of some kind and possible intrigue, to come out with an interesting plot. The cold war years have similarity produced a plethora of novels and films based on secret spies and intelligence agents. James Bond was one such well known literary figures that was born in the fertile imagination of author Ian Flaming. A 1964 film; 'Behold a Pale Horse' starring Gregory Peck, Omar Sharif and Anthony Quinn similarly comes to my mind as it was based on the Spanish Civil War, and a line of Spanish refugees crossing the border into France after defeat by the Francoists.

Bollywood producers have picked up this idea in recent years. Very few films from earlier times, did have this kind of real life background. Only film that comes to my mind was 'Doctor Kotnis ki Amar Kahani,' which had a background of Second Sino-Japanese War in 1938. In a way, a film produced in 1964 by Chetan Anand and titled as 'Haqeeqat,' could be considered as the first Bollywood film based on a true war story as it was based on India-China war of 1962. There have been few more good attempts such as 'Border' based on India-Pakistan conflicts.

Coming back to the subject of Poetic License, we have to agree that though script writers had used full Poetic license to create imaginary characters and their personal lives in all these creative works to full possible extent, they have not deviated from the main line of historical facts. In other words, they have not tried to distort history. Viewers or readers of such works accept these modifications/additions because firstly they do not distort history and secondly only deal with personal lives of the characters in the plot.

A Bollywood film released recently, even though using the poetic license in a scantiest or far distant kind of way, has caused much heartburn in Bangladesh to such an extent that Bangladesh has officially expressed disappointment over reported distortion of historical facts and a Bangladesh spokesman of the Foreign Ministry says that it has already taken up the issue officially and a “strong protest” had been conveyed to Indian authorities. Bangladesh also has requested the Indian Government to stop screening the movie with immediate effect.

'Gunday' is a Bollywood potboiler, produced by Yash Raj Films and has been released in India on February 14, 2014. The movie, released in India on February 14 and produced and distributed by Yash Raj Films portrays the birth of Bangladesh as a result of a 13-day battle between India and Pakistan. The funny part of it is that the film is no way directly connected with the 1971 war at all, except for the fact that the two main characters from the film have been shown as orphaned by the 1971 Indo-Pakistan war that resulted in the formation of Bangladesh. What has hurt the popular sentiment in Bangladesh is that the film somehow projects an image in viewer's mind that Bangladesh formation was the result of an India-Pakistan war and undermines the fact that Bangladesh was formed because of the nine-month-long bloody war, people of the then East Pakistan fought, against Pakistani occupation forces.

Bangladeshi cultural and social forums, from across the country as well as Bangladeshis abroad appear to be upset and have expressed strong disapproval on social media and demanded an apology from the production company. Bangaladesh foreign ministry has issued a press statement, which says that the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi was trying to ascertain the veracity of the reported distortion of historical facts.

Since such bad publicity would affect his commercial interests, the producer of the film has already offered an apology and says that the film was and is meant to be a fictional work and does not in any way project or intend to disrespect any particular segment of society or persons or a nation. It also regrets causing disrespect to a nation’s birth, which is always steeped in the sacrifices made by its freedom fighters and martyrs and this can never be forgotten.

This apology is unlikely to satisfy Bangladeshis and it is possible that the producer may be forced to delete portions from the script, which refer to birth of Bangladesh. Actually it hardly matters to the plot of film, whether main characters of the film are shown orphaned just by 1971 India-Pakistan war without any reference to Bangladesh at all. It might be a good idea to do this to mend the ruffled feathers.

Poetic licenses are not really all that open, in particular, when the subject can offend some people from a foreign country.

26^th February 2014

The amazing power of Bollywood

India's northeastern border with China in Ladakh, is a vast hinterland that is desolate, inhospitable and forlorn. A British army officer, Francis Younghusband, who visited this area in 1889 has aptly described it in these words of disgust.

“ Of all parts of the world, this is the most Godforsaken and dreadful in any way. The plain itself is over 17000 feet and consists of an open expanse of gravel, bounded by dull,barren hills. Across it incessantly sweep winds of piercing cold. To add to the gloom, the plain is strewn with the bones of the animals, who have succumbed to the strain of carrying load at these great heights.”

Till 1947, all this area and much larger areas to the north and to the east, belonged to erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state ruled by Maharaja from Srinagar. Except for occasional summer patrol by the Maharaja's army, the areas were left to themselves for most of the time of the year. Pakistan, occupied northern regions by force in 1947 and China grabbed thousands of square kilometers of the eastern part of this region in 1950's decade. When newly Independent India, realised this, it started moving its army in the region. This led to the border clash between India and China in 1962, in which India was badly defeated and humiliated. Ever since that, the line of actual control has been a most sensitive and dangerous place to survive with thousands of soldiers from both sides positioned on both sides, in battle ready state. 

 

Prior to 1950's, for thousands of years, a branch of silk route passed through this Godforsaken region, that connected Kashmir with Xinjiang (Chinese Turkmenistan) cities of Kashgar, Yarkand and Hotan. Except for the trade caravans, no one really passed through here as there are no villages or nomads here. Now also, except for the army camps, there is no habitation here.

No wonder, that it was a a huge surprise for a patrol of the India army, when it encountered three men in this desolate and inhospitable area on June 12, 2013, with no human habitation in the vicinity. The three men- Salamo, Abdul Khaliq and Adil Thorsong-, one of whom is one-eyed, are aged between 18 and 23. They were nabbed inside Indian territory near Army camp at Sultan chusku, near the old trade route. The men, who know only two languages -- Yarkandi and Uyghur -- gave a different version about their family background and the way used by them to come into India. They were also found carrying with them a big political map and two smaller versions of the document with Arabic and Yarkandi script on it. They also carried improvised swords and knives, tinned food including egg powder (useful in higher region), Chinese currency of over 900 Yuan and Chinese leather jackets. Since nearest habitation across the Line of Actual Control(LAC) is in North of Karakoram range, it was assumed by the army that they could have entered through either Raki Nallah, Jeevan Nallah or North of Daulat Beig Oldie in the Depsang sector.

As the three men could not give a clear description of the areas used by them to come to India, there was an apprehension that the three could have been headed towards Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir which is barely 30 kms up North of the area where they were nabbed. The trio was moved to Indo Tibetan border police camp at Margo camp for interrogation. The men told their interrogators about their dreams to enter India and earn money as they were facing acute poverty in their region. They said that they were mesmerised by the charm of Bollywood superstars – Shah Rukh Khan and Roshan and wanted to come to India because they had seen it as a land of prosperity on the sliver screen. The men, who are from Kargalilik in Xianjang province also told during their interrogation, which was done separately, that the movies of Khan and Roshan were a hit in their area.

Indian agencies were rattled with the developments, as the trio were Uyghur Muslims and gave their origins in Xinjiang. According to the intelligence with them, Uyghur Muslims are being trained in Pakistani terror camps. China has even accused Pakistan openly of fanning terror in Xinjiang. Several Pakistani terror groups are known to have footprints in Xinjang. Given the circumstances, the men were suspected to be heading to Pakistan for terror training.

Now, almost after two months of interrogation, the authorities have given a clean chit to the trio. Detailed interrogation with help from translators and investigations of the men has not revealed anything incriminating about them, except the absence of valid travel documents. Authorities say: "The Arabic script on the political maps is actual Uyghur language, which is written in Arabic script. The maps are easily available in markets of the region to which the men belong. They have nothing else to suggest that they are either criminals or terrorists."

Interestingly, now China has asked that the men be handed over back to them. However, since they have illegally entered India without a valid passport, they will be just handed over to local police for further action on passport violation. Anyone, who has any knowledge of the region, where the trio was nabbed, would appreciate the extra ordinary courage, determination and perseverance of these three ordinary men, who crossed one of the most inhospitable region, without any help or proper equipment.

Recently I have read some travelogues describing travels made by some westerners through central Asia and Xinjiang region of China. All these describe the tremendous popularity of Bollywood actors and films in that region. Apparently, the only films they watch there, are all Bollywood flicks. India must make use of this soft power. As far as this trio is considered, it is most important that they are allowed to see Mumbai and meet their beloved Shah Rukh Khan and Hrithik Roshan, if it is decided to send them back. However, I think that India should really give them political asylum and make use of their in depth knowledge about Xinjiang, the border terrain and their methods of survival in such adverse conditions.

12 August 2013

The Super star

 

I want to take you back about fifty years or so in time. I had then just alighted from a taxi at the domestic departures concourse of Mumbai's Santa Cruz airport and was proceeding to the checking in counter of Indian Airlines, the one and only air carrier of those days, which flew between most Indian cities. In those days, air travel was no pain in the neck and used to be actually a pleasant experience as there were no security and baggage checks. You have to go to an airport, buy a ticket if you haven't  done it previously, walk to a check in counter, hand over your bag, get your boarding card and proceed to a waiting hall. When your flight is announced just walk to your aircraft parked across, and that was it.

That day, I think, I was travelling to Bengaluru and found that there was a queue at the check in counter. I waited in the queue waiting for my turn. Indian Airlines of those days, had just one class of travel in domestic flights, the economy class. Everyone used to travel in the same class starting from political VIP's, celebrities and ordinary mortals like me. Except for Political bosses, everyone had to collect their boarding passes individually from the check in counters and wait at the same waiting hall. There used to be a small VIP lounge at Mumbai airport, which was mostly used by Government officials and ministers.

As I was standing in the queue at the check in counter, I happened to glance sideways at another queue of people formed at another check in counter for an Indian Airlines flight going to New Delhi. I noticed a man not exactly standing in queue but talking to someone in that queue, whose face I felt looked very familiar. It took me just a fraction of a second to realize that the same face was looking at me from thousands of posters all along the road that I had just travelled. As this realization came to me, it also must have come to hundreds of people standing or waiting at the airport. Suddenly all the hustle-bustle of the airport gave way to a pin drop silence at the end of the world, as everyone watched, as if spellbound, how that man stood, gestured and talked to his co-traveller. That was the power of that man. Bollywood's first super star, Rajesh Khanna. In few seconds, he just left, perhaps to the VIP lounge, and the airport reverted back to the state of organized confusion.

I remembered that airport scene vividly today, as I heard the news of Rajesh Khanna's death. During Sixties and early seventies that man had such a powerful sway on Indian youth that it can not be even imagined today. A cine journalist (Known for her coining of the word Bollywood, for the first time), who had become famous because of her acquaintance with the super star, even went to an extent of describing in great details the personal bathroom of the star and millions of Rajesh Khanna fans devoured every detail of the bathroom and its smells. For girls particularly, he was a heart throb and went mad over him. Some even married his photographs secretly.

I was never a great enthusiast of Bollywood films. Yet I saw most of the great, Rajesh Khanna hits, like Anand, Aradhana and Amar Prem. Even today, after so many years, I do remember screen shots of Rajesh Khanna standing on Mumbai's Choupati beach in Anand or singing to Sharmila Tagore with a glass of a wine in Amar Prem. With his death, the super star has made the final exit from a scene no doubt.

19 July, 2012