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The day and age of pure historicals is apparently over and it is the fictional ones that are thriving, observes
Nirupama Dutt
While the Taj Mahal may have been derided in poetry and painting but come to the world of Hindi cinema and it is celebration all the way. Not only have specific films been made on one of the Seven Wonders of the World, it has figured as a metaphor of love in many a Bollywood romance on celluloid. The most recent one being Akbar Khan’s extravaganza going into the minute details of history that led to the building of this monument in white marble. Of course, it has met with only lukewarm response from cine-goers unlike the great enthusiasm an earlier version of the same theme had done way back in 1963. One is talking of Taj Mahal, starring Bina Rai and Pradeep Kumar, in Pushpa pictures production, directed by A. Sadiq. The film turned out to be a blockbuster just on the strength of its music scored by the great Roshan. Ironically, the lyrics were penned by none other than Sahir Ludhianvi, who in his youth had torn down the glory of the monument in his famous pre-Independence poem Taj Mahal in which he called it an insensitive exhibition of wealth: Ik shehanshah ne daulat ka sahara le kar; Ham gharibon ki mohabbat ka udhaya hai mazaq. The songs written for Sadiq’s film by Sahir are evergreen ones still sung: Jo vada kiya who nibana padhega, Paon chho lene do phoolon ko inayat hogi and Jo baat tujh mein hai teri tasvir mein nahin. It is noteworthy that while celebrating high romance, Sahir was cautious enough to not pen a single phrase in praise of the monument he had so derided. In fact a year later the praise for the Taj came from the pen of Shakil Badayuni set to the scores of Naushad in Leader, starring Dilip Kumar and Vyjanthimala. The lead pair go to Agra and in the backdrop of the marble magic sing: Ik shehanshah ne banva ke hasin Taj Mahal saari duniya ko mohabbat ki nishani di hai. The latest version starring Zulfi Syed and Noor Jehan’s beautiful daughter Sonya Jehan, has cost a lot of money. Awe-inspiring cinematography, historical details and all have failed to touch the hearts of the masses. The music, in particular, in spite of Naushad and Uttam Singh, lacks the old magical quality. Mumtaz Tujhe Dekha Jab Taj Mahal Dekha and Ajnabi Thehro Zara have not even reached the lips of lovers of film music, what to talk of the hearts. Perhaps the day and age of pure historicals is over and it is the fictional ones that are thriving. This also holds true of re-makes. It is the contemporary masala that did the trick for Devadas or Parineeta. As far as the Taj fever goes, the greatest mirth it has inspired in current times is when Abhishek Bachchan and Rani Mukherjee sell it off to unsuspecting foreigners in Bunty aur Babli. Perhaps, time has come to rethink and reinterpret the symbol of Taj Mahal if it is to work well. No longer the 1980 trick—two suitors, Rishi Kapoor and Rakesh Roshan, presenting the cheapo soapstone replicas to the fickle Tina Munim in Aap ke Deewane. It is being done in painting. Minni Radhakrishnan takes up the case of Mumtaz with a feminist perspective for she says: "Mumtaz bore 14 children and was anaemic. If we keep this in mind and view the Taj, our perspective will be different." Atul Dodiya gives a kitschy view of the monument by painting it in the backdrop for the visiting Clintons. So cinema, too, will have to reinvent its Taj with a changed socio-historic vision. |
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