What used to be C-grade, forbidden-for-kids stuff in the good old days is now mainstream family entertainer, writes Randeep Wadhera

In the 1970s, the subject in B. R. Isharaa’s Chetna and its portrayal scandalised staid cine buffs. The most talked about, and "retailed", scene in the Press was a pair of uncovered female legs framing Anil Dhawan’s visage. The movie savagely shook the existing cinematic canon, but failed to impel the mainstream cinema to follow suit, albeit temporarily. Today, this movie, certified ‘A’ then, will leave cine-goers cold. What Rehana Sultan did in Chetna, and in Rajinder Singh Bedi’s Dastak, is now bland stuff, comparatively speaking.

Scenes, even in U-certified films today, are enough to raise the granny’s hackles. For example, in No Entry (U/A) there’s this sequence of Fardeen Khan slithering through a cluster of bare female legs.

The camera focuses more on the legs than the "cute" Khan crawling away for dear life. Moments before this, Fardeen was hanging from a precipice and was saved by the girls—who took off their pants and skirts to make a twine.

It’s caused no moralistic outrage. After all, one sees more explicit scenes in movies nowadays.

Traditional values regarding family ties, love, sexual norms and relations between genders are being increasingly challenged in a manner that makes prudery a welcome antidote. At least Chetna sought to sensitise the society on the issue of rehabilitating a ‘fallen’ woman, and Dastak tried to explore a woman’s psyche when she’s caught in a not-so-clean social environment.

Today’s movies, however, are all libidinal waffle as witnessed in Masti, Mujhse Shaadi Karogi, Kyaa Kool Hai Hum, Maine Pyaar Kyun Kiya, etc. And, in Govinda starrers, we’ve him team up with the Shakti Kapoor-Kader Khan duo while mouthing crudely derisive in-law jokes.

Worse, if in the movies of yore woman’s status was barely animate, mere chattel, today’s movies have degraded her into an inanimate object, viz., in Masti she’s the edible biryani, while in No Entry she’s a disposable car. Worse metaphors have been employed in other cine productions.

Till a generation ago, movie goers in India were happy watching syrupy romance, abla-naari type tear-jerkers and genteel comedies—Mehmood’s not-so-refined portrayals notwithstanding. Talking of comedies, the Ganguly trio of Ashok, Anup and Kishore Kumar gave us the rip-roaring Chalti Ka Naam Gaadi. Another landmark comedy was Padosan featuring Mehmood, Kishore and Sunil Dutt with Saira providing glamour. One also enjoyed refined humour in Chitchor, Choti Si Baat, Chameli Ki Shaadi, Khatta Meetha, Dillagi, Angoor, Gol Maal, Baton Baton Mein, Chupke Chupke and many others. Certainly, Shaukeen did jolt us a bit.

Starring Ashok Kumar, A. K. Hangal and Utpal Dutt, it was a tale of three old men who wanted to relive their youth through a sexual adventure with Rati Agnihotri, leading to rather farcical situations. But even this movie hadn’t dared to tread the risqué ‘n’ ribaldry path.

What we’ve in the name of sex comedies now is something that’ll make even that master of Marathi calembour Dada Kondke nod in appreciation. No Entry, top grosser among today’s comedies, has Salman Khan in the role of an incorrigible philanderer who pushes Anil Kapoor and Fardeen Khan into a vortex of suspicion and accusations, with Bipasha Basu — a call girl — mouthing coarse dialogues. Garam Masala is another comedy that has a Lothario as its ‘hero’. Akshay Kumar, engaged to be married to Rimi Sen, plays the role of a mediocre photographer, who prefers to romp around with three other beauties.

If this three-timing bit’s getting tiresome, with Aftab Shivdasani doing it in Mr Ya Miss, then for a change, watch Deewane Huye Paagal, wherein one woman tackles six men, right from the senior citizen Asrani to pubescent-looking Shahid Kapoor.

What used to be on-the-fringes C grade, forbidden-for-kids stuff in the good old days is now mainstream family entertainer. Make no mistake—no matter what the censor board certification is—all movies are universally accessible, thanks to DVDs. And, entire families watch them. Libidinal levity can prove to be more addictive and destructive at the macro level than any psychotropic drug.

It loosens societal norms that are so essential for preventing anarchy. It trivialises the very act of
sex—needed for propagation of human race. Carnality is fast becoming socially acceptable.

Marital ties are no more sacrosanct while other relationships, too, are fast losing sanctity. Sex for fun or sport is on the brink of becoming the norm. Wanton promiscuity, if not bridled now, spells AIDS epidemic. Or, haven’t you heard of this mass-killing byproduct of libertine lifestyle that Bollywood is promoting so assiduously; and insidiously too?

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