Film festival short on class

AUDIOSCAN
Sweet but without spark
HAAN… MAINE BHI PYAAR KIYA (Tips): Nothing seems to be going exceptionally right for Abhishek Bachchan. Normally, a newcomer’s films have foot-tapping music. But all his releases so far have been without that special quality. Even this film does not seem to break the jinx. Nadeem-Shravan’s compositions are sweet, but do not have that stand-apart oomph. At times, you have the feeling that you have heard the songs before, although you cannot place you finger on the source of the inspiration.

Oh, what a lovely channel!
Amita Malik
AS a media watcher, and, hopefully, the viewers’ watchdog, I decided to watch the launch of the Bharti channel on the set rather than brave the auditorium. In any case, my colleagues reported that so full was the place with bureaucrats and families, that they had a hard time getting a seat.

Film festival short on class
Vikramdeep Johal

WHEN a film festival showcasing six works of a director has just one outstanding movie to offer, it seems obvious that the films have not been well selected. However, in the case of the retrospective of Alain Corneau, held recently in Chandigarh, the organisers’ choice of the film-maker was itself questionable.

Indeed, it was surprising that the Embassy of France and Alliance Francaise decided to pay a tribute to Corneau, who does not even rank among the distinguished French film-makers of his generation, let alone the all-time greats. Bertrand Blier, Claude Berri, Bertrand Tavernier and Jean-Paul Rappeneau are his chief contemporaries whose films have won, and deservedly so, much greater appreciation both within and outside France. No wonder then that the Corneau festival was a disappointment, with only "Tous les Matins du Monde", the director’s masterpiece, winning the hearts of viewers.

Corneau’s forte is considered to be the film noir, a term applied to movies about crime and detection with an air of pessimism. The festival showed three films belonging to this genre — "Police Python 357" (1975),"Serie Noire" (1979) and "Le Cousin" (1997).

In "Police Python 357", Marc Ferrot, a cop, falls for a girl who is actually the mistress of his boss. The plot thickens when she is murdered by the latter. Unaware of each other’s affair with the girl, both Ferrot and his superior begin to search for "the other man". While the innocent cop has to find him to avoid becoming the prime suspect, the guilty one is on his lookout to pin the murder on him. It is no doubt an engrossing film, with plenty of suspense, but quite superficial and corny.

"Le Cousin" aims to explore the relationship between a cop and a drug peddler-cum-police informer. Both need each other, but it is an association fraught with danger. Looks promising? Well, the film never really gets going, marred by a weak script and pedestrian direction.

"Serie Noire" is the most typical film noir of the three, and the best. A chance encounter with a reticent teenaged girl changes the life of a salesman dogged by professional and domestic problems. He is mesmerised by her, and led to committing robbery and murder. Based on a novel by American pulp writer Jim Thompson, the film portrays a dark world inhabited by morally weak beings. Patrick Dewaere, playing the salesman, superbly brings out the complexity of his character, while Marie Trintignant offers an offbeat interpretation of the role of the femme fatale.

"Nocturne Indien" (1989) adopts the format of a detective story, giving it an existential slant. In search of his friend (and alter ego), who has got lost in the labyrinthine land of India, a foreigner comes face to face with mind-boggling facets of the country. Two great French film-makers have been attracted to India before— Jean Renoir directed "The River" and Louis Malle made the celebrated documentary "Phantom India". Corneau’s obscure work does not belong to the same class. It is nothing but pretentious hokum. Communication, the sine qua non for any medium, takes a back seat as the director keeps obfuscating things, taking viewers inside a labyrinth but providing no exit.

Spectacle overshadows the narrative in "Fort Saganne" (1984), which describes the exploits of Charles Saganne, a French lieutenant of farming stock who chooses to go to colonial Africa, circa 1911. There he accomplishes many arduous tasks, like bringing rebel tribes back into the fold, tackling his superiors and coping with harsh conditions in the Sahara. However, he is not projected as a superhero but as a vulnerable, sensitive human being.

There are some magnificent desert scenes but as a whole, the film lacks the emotional sweep of a great epic. Its duration — three hours — is not justified by its content. At times critical of colonialism, the film is basically an ode to unjingoistic heroism. Gerard Depardieu plays Saganne with conviction while Philippe Noiret and Catherine Deneuve are wasted in sketchy supporting roles.

Easily the best film of the festival and quite different from the director’s other works was "Tous les Matins du Monde"(1991). It is the poignant tale of Sainte-Colombe, a 17th century viola virtuoso, as told by his pupil Marin Marais. While the puritanical master refuses to be lured by fame, his pupil chooses to become the royal musician, much to the former’s chagrin.

A feast both for the ears and the eyes, this poetic, elegiac film explores the relationship between life, music and death with subtlety and sensitivity. The scene in which Marais (Depardieu) visits his master (brilliantly played by Jean-Pierre Marielle) after the suicide of the latter’s daughter overpowers the viewer with its emotional impact.

Take away this beautiful movie from the festival and you are left with hardly anything to rave about. The two French film festivals held last year in Chandigarh were also no great shakes. In future, the organisers should show better discretion while selecting films (and personalities) to ensure that French cinema remains popular with local film buffs.

AUDIOSCAN
Sweet but without spark
ASC

HAAN… MAINE BHI PYAAR KIYA (Tips): Nothing seems to be going exceptionally right for Abhishek Bachchan. Normally, a newcomer’s films have foot-tapping music. But all his releases so far have been without that special quality. Even this film does not seem to break the jinx. Nadeem-Shravan’s compositions are sweet, but do not have that stand-apart oomph. At times, you have the feeling that you have heard the songs before, although you cannot place you finger on the source of the inspiration.

This type of staleness had crept into the work of Laxmikant-Pyarelal towards the second half of their career. Now it is the turn of Nadeem-Shravan to do a bit of recycling. No, it is not the aping of any composition. Let us just say that they are not very original here.

The film has two heroes, Abhishek and Akshay Kumar. So, the lead song, Hum yaar hain tumhare …, is there in two versions. In one Udit Narayan joins Alka Yagnik, while it is Kumar Sanu with her in the other. Udit gives a more youthful feel to the lyrics of Sameer.

The instrumental version of a song is rarely included in a film album, but here that "honour" is reserved for Teri aankhon ka andaz... rendered by Udit and Alka.

Udit brings some novelty to his solo, Mubarak mubarak …, but Alka remains committed to the mould in hers (Zindagi ko bina pyar …). In fact, this latter number is also there as a duet in the voice of Kumar Sanu and Sarika Kapoor. To that extent, this cassette can be called a compilation of mirror songs.

CABARET (Times Music): The beat has become faster; music is far far louder and yet today’s songs cannot match the sensuousness of the cabaret songs of the ’70s and ’80s.

Times Music has come up with this remix version of nine of such sizzling songs. It is not just a cosmetic change. The attempt has been to reinterpret them wholesale. It has been put together by Miko, a composer-arranger from Assam.

Tracks like Chandralekha…, Mehbooba mehbooba … and Piya tu ab to aaja … have been sung by Dominique Manuel, Swastika Maitra, Hamshika Kishore, Narendra Bansali, Sujata Trivedi and Inakshi Singh.

SANAM(TIMES): Rahul had knocked at the door of musical world with his debut album named after himself. He is now in the market with his second offering which is an amalgamation of Indi-pop, rhythm and soul and western pop.

Four ballads and five dance tracks include a song called I wanna be a star… which he has performed at numerous live shows like Filmfare’98. This one has been composed by Asif Ali Beg while the rest have been composed by Jayanta Pathak.

SIGHT & SOUND
Oh, what a lovely channel!
Amita Malik

AS a media watcher, and, hopefully, the viewers’ watchdog, I decided to watch the launch of the Bharti channel on the set rather than brave the auditorium. In any case, my colleagues reported that so full was the place with bureaucrats and families, that they had a hard time getting a seat.

Ironically enough, they had to call on Tejeshwar Singh, the very same Tejeshwar who had resigned because they had downgraded him as a newscaster, to anchor the launch. And I must report with pleasure, that the launch programme, which was entirely produced by DD’s own staff, was a smash hit in terms of content.

It had three major artists, Satish Gujral, Ram Kumar and Manjeet Bawa doing on-the-spot paintings on a somewhat shaky easel on top of some steps on the stage. For music, they had everyone, from Hariprasad Chaurasia, Begum Parveen Sultana (they forgot to mention she is from Assam), Dr L. Subramaniam (they mentioned all the famous foreigners and Indians with whom he had played, except Zubin Mehta) they even had the Colonial Cousins.

There was an amusing snarl up of painters and musicians which lent novelty to the proceedings. The only top artist who can do such quickies is M.F. Hussain, obviously not top of the list with the government. So while Satish Gujral did a meek black and white bird in a corner of the canvas, Ram Kumar took his time. So when he was half way through they hurriedly brought on Dr Subramaniam. So it became Kumar painting with incidental music by Subramaniam or, if you prefer, Subramaniam painting with Ram Kumar as backdrop. By the time Subramaniam finished, both Kumar and the painting had disappeared without a trace or a bow. And Manjeet Bawa did a magnificent leaping cow framed in vibrant red, with Parveen Sultana in full swing. He also disappeared by the time she finished, and we never saw his painting in close-up.

The Colonial Cousins were great with the audience. But with their tendency for "boss-worship", the cameras were throughout focused on the six faces of ministers and bureaucrats. The only audience reactions were from them. In any case, the sound failed when Tejeshwar was doing his opening and also off and on, including applause from the audience.

If this is going to be the standard fare, this columnist is not only sold, but will watch frequently, with pleasure. Alas, next day the party was over and came the daily bread. Revivals of the 50 years of Independence programme, all the patriotic videos (Mile sur hamara... onwards) Mickey Mouse, a Punjabi disco item by Jaspal Jassi where the earthy audience took over, jumped on the stage and joined in. Otherwise, lots of old wine in new bottles, including the moving programme about the Oberoi brother and AIDS. Also, mad mix-up of items, including dances captioned Manipuri folk, Assam folk and then Israeli folk dance. But, nevertheless, good entertainment.

But we shall look for new programmes, of which DD is perfectly capable, and proper announcements of individual items by proper announcers, instead of a mad relay race, without any introduction of very mixed-up items. I also wish everyone, beginning with Lata, did not do their own version of Vande Mataram which is a national song and not subject to quick music changes. The most moving item was the splendid children’s choral group, one of the best I have heard on any international network. And glad poet Naresh Saxena kept his recital short.

Now, of necessity, some mini reviews. Manisha, the Hindi commentator for Beating the Retreat, knew neither her subject nor military protocol. Armed with a suitcase full of cliches and platitudes, not to forget a poem by the PM jabbering away shrilly at moments like fanfares, carrying on with trite comments at the end when the lights came on, when even her colleague in English had said: "Let the viewers see for themselves". And shame on portions of the audience which shattered the solemnity of Mahatma Gandhi’s favourite hymn, "Abide With Me", which is the climax, by talking loudly. DD’s camerapersons, with producer Sharad Dutt, did splendidly and the bands did us proud, as usual.

TAILPIECE: Smita Prakash made a real hash of her interview with Tapan Sinha, often making comments which he had to contradict gently, including about himself. She also mentioned Shabana Azmi and Jaya Bachchan as young artistes (which he corrected) and forgot Bengali directors of international fame, such as Gautam Ghosh, Buddhadev Dasgupta, Aparna Sen, when dismissing contemporary directors with contempt. You need vast research, experience and authority for such interviews. There are not many David Frosts, Tim Sebastians, Karan Thapars and Vir Sanghvis around. And Smita is not one of them.