Subaltern
discourse is something you don’t expect in Punjabi cinema. In
the past there has been, arguably, only one exception, Madi
Da Diva. Otherwise, we have been watching the stereotypical
vendetta movies that catered to the lowest common denominator.
The benchmark was raised significantly with the coming in of
Manmohan Singh’s NRI narrative. But the emphasis remained on
the upper-caste/middle class milieu. Going by the characters as
well as general plots in Punjabi cinema, it would appear that
Dalits simply do not exist in Punjabi society. This skewed
perception is somewhat corrected by director Jatinder Singh
Mauhar’s debut movie Mitti. However, the movie is not
purely a Dalit story, but of the Punjabi youth gone astray, and
how they are used by various vested interests, especially
politicians. All this comes to the fore on the sets of Zee
Punjabi’s Sohani Saver (January 10) wherein Balwinder
interviews Mauhar as well as theatre director Samuel. But what
remained unasked was why should commercial ingredients dilute Mitti’s
Dalit narrative? If Mauhar had shown the courage of making a
truly Dalit-centric movie, he would have configured a new
paradigm in Punjabi cinema.
Samuel expanded the interview’s
scope by giving an account of how Punjabi theatre is being taken
to the common man in the best traditions of Gursharan Singh and
other pioneers of street theatre. This theme was further
improved upon in Samwad (PTC News). Why has Punjabi
theatre not gained popular acceptability? Many alibis were put
forward — the coming of television being the most cited.
However, one tends to agree with Charandas Sidhu when he points
out the inferior quality of productions. One can’t expect the
public to become a patron of mediocrity. Why have we failed to
have Punjabi answers to Ghashiram Kotwal and Adrak Ke
Panje? Nobody asked this question, alas.
Asking
uncomfortable questions is one of the less pleasant duties of an
anchor. He is there to see that an interview or a talk show does
not end up as a promotional exercise but becomes a meaningful,
thought-provoking and enlightening conversation. Take, for
example, Masle’s treatment of the recent run in of
hockey players with the establishment. There was hardly any
attempt at providing Hockey India’s perspective. To rub in the
anti-HI bias, former national hockey goalkeeper Baljit Singh was
allowed to get away with statements like "I was treated
like a prisoner".
Why wasn’t he asked to comment on the
Union Sports Ministry officials’ claims that more than Rs 35
lakh had been spent on Baljit’s treatment? If the official
claims are true, then what or who impelled the player to come up
with such allegations? Obviously, the player as well as the
panellists and the anchor had wittingly or unwittingly become
pawns of a political game aimed at maligning Mattoo.
Pindaan
Vichon Pind is another talk show on Zee Punjabi that has
been focussing on the villages which have been home to various
singers, writers, poets and artistes. While watching Sarabjeet
Cheema’s interview, one was struck by the havoc that has been
wrought in the countryside — as epitomised by the twin
villages of Cheema Kalaan and Cheema Khurd — due to the
large-scale migration of Punjabi youth to foreign lands.
Unattended, locked houses are turning into rubble. The camera
focussed on a lane that had at least two big houses, shuttered
and in a state of disrepair due to desertion. Sad. But, apart
from the usual homilies, the anchor as well as the star singer
had nothing much to say on Punjabi youth’s search for greener
pastures abroad.
Happily, Sohani Saver hosted the noted
Punjabi anchor and theatre personality Asha Sharma on January
17. She stressed upon reading good literature as well as keeping
oneself in touch with the events as necessary for becoming
successful anchors. Hope the wannabes were listening.
