Kajol says love stories have evolved but DDLJ would still win hearts today
While she acknowledges that a classic 90s-style romance might struggle to connect with contemporary sensibilities, Kajol holds firm that a film like 'DDLJ' - which redefined Bollywood romance for an entire generation - would still have its magic.'I think that it would be very difficult to sell a love story from the 90's era in today's day and age. But I think 'DDLJ' would do very, very well today also,' she said confidently.advertisementKajol went on to explain, 'Because we had fabulous music, an amazing ensemble cast - from Amrish Puri to Anupam Kher, Farida Jalal - everyone in the film had such clear-cut roles. It was a very well-made film. I don't know whether it would be as phenomenal today as it was back then, but it would definitely work.'Kajol's upcoming film, 'Maa', is a mythological horror film directed by Vishal Furia. It will premiere in theatres on June 27.Must Watch
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Scroll.in
an hour ago
- Scroll.in
‘Exoticised, alienised, villainised': A book looks at how Muslims have been portrayed in Hindi films
In the introduction to Postcolonial Bollywood and Muslim Identity: Production, Representation, and Reception, academic Nadira Khatun writes, 'Bollywood has represented Muslims through a selective ideological lens and often overlooked situating them in landmark Indian socio-political historical events.' Khatun adds that Hindi cinema has portrayed Muslims in 'essentialized' and 'homogenized' ways. 'Muslims are always associated with a few religio-cultural components, such as the Urdu language, biryani and meat as a food habit, sartorial practices such as wearing the skull cap, burqa and Pathani dress,' Khatun writes. '…But the truth is that Muslims around the nation observe different diets, language, and sartorial choices.' Postcolonial Bollywood and Muslim Identity (Oxford University Press) analyses the diverse ways in which Muslims have been represented in Hindi cinema down the decades. Between the 1940s and the 1970s, films portrayed Muslims as rulers or aristocrats, a representation that appears positive but was misleading, Khatun says. 'The audiences of those films formed an imagined image of Muslims, and that image was in absolute contrast to the real image of Indian Muslims at that time,' she writes. In subsequent decades, Muslim characters were often gangsters, terrorists or collaborators with Pakistani spies. The book, an expansion of Khatun's doctoral thesis, also examines noteworthy contemporary films with Muslim characters, such as My Name is Khan (2010), Dear Zindagi (2016) and Gully Boy (2019). The renewed interest in the historical genre is in stark contrast to older films such as Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and Jodhaa Akbar (2008), Khatun finds. Newer films such as Samrat Prithviraj (2022) and the blockbuster Chhavva (2025) identify Muslim rulers as foreigners and despots who delight in torturing their Hindu rivals. 'It can be argued that Bollywood as a mass art form has responded to selective historical moments of the past and present,' Khatun writes. 'Through these selective ultra-nationalist and ultra-violent representations of the notion of the Hindu nation and Muslim Other, Bollywood has contributed to the hegemonic Hindutva discourse.' Khatun spoke to Scroll about what prompted her interest in the subject and how she views the evolution of Muslim representation. Here are edited excerpts from the interview. What prompted you to write Postcolonial Bollywood and Muslim Identity? I have been told multiple times, you don't look like a Muslim. I felt that Bollywood plays a huge role in the perception of how Muslims look or behave in a particular way. I grew up in the 1990s when the Khans were the biggest superstars, but they were playing Hindu characters like Prem and Raj. Meanwhile my family members were marginalised in some contexts. So my own identity issues led me to choose the subject of the book. What has been the general pattern of the representation of Muslims in cinema? Earlier, Muslims were either exoticised, alienised or villainised. They were rarely shown as ordinary citizens with regular lives and regular jobs. Between the 1940s and 1960s, there were many films about Muslim kings and nobles. In later decades, you had Muslim social films where Islamicate culture was primarily portrayed. After the 1990s, particularly following the demolition of the Babri Masjid [on December 6, 1992], the idea of the enemy changed. Previously, villains were Mogambo and Gabbar Singh. From the 1990s onwards, the enemies were characterised as terrorists, gangsters, brutal invaders and rioters. A film inspired by an actual incident such as a terrorist attack is held to be more believable. Films with a lead protagonist who is a Muslim invariably place the characters in the middle of issues or show Muslim women facing oppression, such as Secret Superstar. Or take a film like Lipstick Under My Burkha. The Muslim character played by Konkona Sensharma is struggling with the number of children she has. Women, particularly, are shown as going through subjugation or repression. Darlings reinforces the stereotype of Muslim men as violent. Domestic violence is everywhere, it isn't restricted to any one community. That said, Alia Bhatt's character Safeena in Gully Boy is assertive, she has a voice. Usually, Muslim girls are shown as very weak or oppressed. There are rare film texts where you have the characters like Safeena who owns her religion and wears a hijab because she wants to and not because she is subjugated. Muslim characters also feature prominently in films with patriotic or nationalistic themes. Muslim characters are supposed to prove their nationalism or allegiance to the nation. This is even the case with a non-mainstream film like Iqbal. You are putting out the message that you have to prove your nationalism to be considered a good Muslim. A new trend I noticed was supernatural elements with Islamic demonic powers, such as Pari and Roohi. The women in these films are shown to be subjugated, they get possessed and they need supernatural forces to gain power. Films like Gully Boy and Mulk have saviours coming in from the outside. Audiences believe that Muslims are the way they are shown in films. Muslims are usually side characters. Did your research throw up positive examples of representation? The Hindi film industry has always had a reputation for being secular and giving space to marginal cultures. This isn't the case in other film industries. Take Bengali cinema – even its most celebrated directors have largely ignored the community. There are examples of Muslims being represented in a fair way, where they are not shown as obviously religious. In these films, Muslims are mostly character actors and not the lead protagonists. Films like Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara or Dear Zindagi have regular, ordinary Muslim characters. It's fascinating to see Jehangir Khan [played by Shah Rukh Khan] in Dear Zindagi. As an audience member, I didn't look at him for his religious identity. His predominant identity is that of a therapist. He is like any other human being. Also in recent years, we lack the cinematic representation seen in the films of Saeed Mirza and MS Sathyu in the 1980s and 1990s, which were critical of the socio-political events of their times. We are avoiding or entirely ignoring issues – the lynchings, the bulldozing, the attacks on meat sellers, the loss of livelihood. We are living in a time of sustained attacks on Muslim identity and an attempt to erase India's Muslim heritage. How is this playing out in films? If you look at the filmmaking part, there are fewer Muslim filmmakers, writers and lyricists. Muslims are being represented by non-Muslims, except in a few cases like Zoya Akhtar, Kabir Khan and Imtiaz Ali. Kabir Khan's New York is at least trying to generate a dialogue about the roots of terrorism. His film Bajrangi Bhaijaan doesn't demonise Pakistanis as well as Muslims because many times, 'Muslims' and 'Pakistanis' are used interchangeably. So, an insider point of view also matters. More recently, we have Muslims in historical films. In movies like Padmaavat or Chhaava, Muslims are shown as outsiders and villains who want to harm the nation or torture Hindus, who are shown as the original inhabitants of the country. The older Muslims historicals, such as Mughal-e-Azam and Shah Jahan, glorify and exoticise rulers. This is problematic too. How can an ordinary viewer relate to these films? Jodhaa Akbar in 2008 was the last film where a Mughal ruler was shown in a positive light. If you must take up social issues, why not subjects that have wider implications in the contemporary societal context, topics that can help us make sense of the larger politics? Some of these forms of representation have a direct impact on society, such as what happened in the case of Chhaava. There is a definite polarisation. One of my participants said that audiences are learning about history from cinema. That said, cinema isn't the only culprit – there are larger politics at play.
Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Bollywood six-month report card: The best performances of the year so far, from Adarsh Gourav to Kanwaljit Singh
It's no secret that Bollywood has struggled this year, but this is becoming something of a trend. Even when Hindi films do well financially, they're rarely the kind that deserve to be praised. There's an art to a great mainstream performance, and actors like Ayushmann Khurrana and Rajkummar Rao had seemingly cracked the code, before falling into a trap that has consumed bigger stars than them in the past. The best performances this year so far have come on the small screen, with Sanya Malhotra delivering yet another remarkable turn as a downtrodden housewife in Mrs. It's slim pickings out there, with Akshaye Khanna's murmured performance as the villainous Aurangzeb in Chhaava almost making the cut by process of elimination. Meanwhile, Sunny Deol proved that he can have a laugh at his own expense in Jaat, a movie with a genuinely enjoyable first half but a truly terrible second. As much as people enjoyed watching Vicky Kaushal in Chhaava, it's disappointing to see one of our most talented male actors reduce himself to starring in a movie that basically requires him to scream at the top of his lungs. Here's a list of the top Hindi performances of the year so far. Mia Maelzer (Stolen) As a young tribal mother named Jhumpa in Stolen, Mia Maelzer exudes a quiet ferocity that saves her character from being a stereotype. The biggest compliment that one can pay her is that she is able to get the audience to root for someone who allows their toddler to be kidnapped from under their nose. Jhmpa could've very easily been perceived as a negligent mother. But over the course of the thriller, she transforms into a fuller person. While much of this is down to the writing and the direction, a lot of it is a direct result of the lived-in performance that Maelzer delivers. She's quietly the protagonist of the film, and one to watch out for. Also read – Stolen: The rare Hindi movie that isn't afraid to insult its own audience, and you know what, we deserve it Adarsh Gourav (Superboys of Malegaon) While the industry turns to Rajkummar Rao and Ayushmann Khurrana for roles that demand small-town angst, Adarsh Gourav has proven, several times, that he's probably the brightest star out there. In Reema Kagti's Superboys of Malegaon, he's predictably excellent as a wannabe filmmaker whose story serves as a metaphor for so many others like him in our country. A tip of the hat to Shashank Arora, who has the almost Bill Nighy-esque ability to steal every scene he's in, and Vineet Kumar Singh, who's better here than he was in Chhaava and Jaat combined. Also read – Superboys of Malegaon: Piracy can't be condoned, but Reema Kagti's film believes it's essential to the survival of theatres Kanwaljit Singh (Mrs) They wouldn't have made a movie like Mrs before, and even if they had, they would've conveniently shown the 'villain' to be an overbearing dictator who probably yelled a lot, and perhaps even raised their hand against the protagonist of the story. She's played by Sanya Malhotra, who's as good as ever. But a key reason behind the effectiveness of her performance is Kanwaljit Singh. He plays the domineering father-in-law character with such a quiet menace that you can't help but lean in and take notice. By avoiding a high-pitched tone, he is able to convey his character's firm belief in what he's doing is right. Also read – Mrs: Sanya Malhotra is Bollywood's posterchild for smash-the-patriarchy cinema, and her Neglected Housewife trilogy is one for the ages Gagan Dev Riar (Costao) Appearing only briefly in the otherwise ordinary film Costao, Gagan Dev Riar leaves a mark. Nawazuddin Siddiqui's performance as the titular customs officer, who is caught in a murder scandal, is rather uninspired. However, as the CBI officer tasked with investigating the protagonist, Riar has a sincerity that saves the character from being an outright villain. Like Costao himself, Riar's character is simply doing his job. Sometimes, little is more. Zahan Kapoor (Black Warrant) It's never easy playing the audience surrogate character in a film or show; they're usually the least interesting part of the story. Often, the folks they meet on their journey are far more colourful than they are. But Zahan Kapoor manages to make his wet-behind-the-ears cop more layered than you'd expect. He's vulnerable but strong-willed; he's ambitious but not arrogant. It's a fine line to balance, and Kapoor does it really well. Shoutout to his co-stars in the show as well: Paramvir Singh Cheema, Rahul Bhat, Anurag Thakur, and the very memorable Siddhant Gupta as Charles Sobhraj.
News18
an hour ago
- News18
Aamir Khan's Cinema-First Approach Gets A Shoutout From Subhash Ghai
Last Updated: The Sitaare Zameen Par actor stated that he would undoubtedly choose theatres if given the choice. Renowned Bollywood filmmaker Subhash Ghai has praised actor-producer Aamir Khan for his commitment to reviving Hindi cinema and preserving India's theatre culture. Ghai not only lauded Khan for his performance in a recently released blockbuster, Sitaare Zameen Par, but also appreciated his decision not to release the film to OTT platforms immediately. Taking to the photo-sharing app, Instagram, Ghai posted a picture of Khan and wrote, 'Dear Aamir, You have done it again to bring dignity to Hindi cinema with your heartwarming film in cinema halls and pledging not to show it on the small screen for six months." He further mentioned, 'I'm glad that all India exhibitors honoured you as a brave filmmaker yesterday for respecting the business of big-screen theatres too. Congratulations and blessings." Before concluding the post, Ghai also tagged major cinema chains, including Mukta A2 Cinemas, PVR Cinemas, INOX Movies, Cinepolis and Zee Cinema. View this post on Instagram A post shared by SG (@subhashghai1) Aamir Khan feels that the quality of Indian films hasn't improved in the previous three to four years and that the only way to boost sales is to avoid selling your movie to OTT platforms before six months have passed. The Sitaare Zameen Par actor stated in an interview with Hindustan Times that he would undoubtedly choose theatres if given the choice. He believes that the 'safety crutch" of the OTT industry has made matters worse. The difference is that previously, films were available on OTT six months after their theatrical debut. He suggested that if people want us to start over, studios and producers will need to say, 'We won't sell to OTT before six months," and then observe how the company develops. Kamal Gianchandani, the former president of The Multiplex Association of India, stated in the statement, 'Aamir Khan has always prioritised the audience in his films. His decision to bring Sitaare Zameen Par exclusively to cinemas is a significant show of confidence in theatres and the shared magic of the moviegoing experience." He further mentioned, 'Indian exhibitors thank Aamir Khan for standing by theatres. As we continue to welcome audiences with renewed energy and world-class films, Sitaare Zameen Par will remain a shining example of cinema's resilience and its irreplaceable magic." Sitaare Zameen Par is a sequel to the 2007 film Taare Zameen Par. Directed by RS Prasanna, the film also starred Genelia D'Souza in the lead role. First Published:
