After a long time, I've seen a good Hindi movie: Mumbai Meri Jaan (MMJ). Rarely more than one movie stands out in this league any year, but in 2008, the other one was surely A Wednesday (AW). Released in 2004, Black Friday (BF) is a movie that falls in this category. There are two common things about these three movies; one, terrorism and another, Mumbai.
Over the past few years, I've thought of writing something about Mumbai, but never have I been able to blog it out well. There were so many things I wanted to write, good and bad, but failing to prove what Mumbai finally is. I always doubted if anyone other than a Mumbaite will ever understand and/ or agree with this. Maybe not. But the fact still remains that Mumbai has this unique thing that no other place in India has. Its truly cosmopolitan. Yes, I have traveled a lot in India. To know exactly what I wanted to say all this while, you got to watch MMJ and see how the movie ends with all the characters. It contrasts so much with other depictions of Mumbai in movies like Satya, Salaam Bombay, etc, all equally true. And on a similar subject, how very well BF, AW and MMJ focus on three totally different aspects, all important! I'd urge you to watch all three movies if you haven't already. I saw AW last year, but managed to see BF and MMJ only recently. All three movies are totally unbiased presentations and though works of fiction are based on true events. Its sad that there's so much furore of totally junk movies without any message, even Oscar fever, but many of us haven't even heard of such great movies.
Although I've not been able to express my love for Mumbai on the weblog ever and perhaps never will, I'll say this following... Of so many of my tours outside Mumbai, there was one thing common: every time I returned back to Mumbai, as soon as I entered the city, I've always said "Home sweet home". No matter where I end up in life, I'll always be a Mumbaite. And yes, it is a lot different than being a Maharashtrian, a Kannadiga, a North Indian, a South Indian or whatever. Its being truly Indian, where there's a place for everyone. Even with all the negativities in the song Yeh hai Mumbai meri jaan from the old movie CID, its still Yeh Mumbai hai meri jaan!
Vande Mataram! Jai Hind!
8 comments:
Yes I too liked MMJ and AW. Both are simply great. I do not want to limit their greatness within few words. Must watch for Indians (atleast for Mumbaikars)
BF was ok. May be I am biased or the movie was little biased or gross for me.
We all have biases, its only the extent that differs. And possibly whether or not we act on those biases. :)
BF got to me because of its raw presentation "as is"; it was more of a documentary in a way.
I haven't seen a bigger racist than the author of this blog - there is no mention of the epic he was blessed to watch. Perhaps because ProbhuJi is too mishti for the Kadva mumbaikars :-P
But of course, racism is a part of me! :P
Don't you think that Prabhuji belongs to the world and is beyond racism? How can I limit him to my Mumbai blog entry? The omnipresence of Mithunda in Gunda can't be contained in a menial weblog about MMJ, BF and AW. They are too straightforward to need any IQ to understand, unlike the extremely talented approach and lifelong effort needed to even begin to understand Gunda! :D
So, Can i believe a blog entry would be made for PrabhuJi's oscar winning effort as well???
I want my fellow countrymen to know the best kept secret in history - an oscar no one knows about... and you owe me this one!
Sure, but only with the presumed condition that I'll go debt-free with that weblog... all the more so since there's so much material online, IITians' research inclusive, that to come up with even 2-3 original observations would mean a lot of honest effort! :)
main R^Namukt honA cAhatA hoon! Free, khullA :)
I accept that Mumbai meri jaan and Black friday were excellent movies...but i gues a wednesday deos fall in the same league .. i accept that it is a cut apart from regular indian cinema and also has brilliantly shown the anguish of a common indian,but then as a movie it was a good movie nothing more than that ,it was a good effort.Mumbai meri jaan has shown the after effect of the bombings from the view of all the categories of public...though the irfan khan bomb episode seems a bit dragging ...all the elements in the movie to show different emotions like sadness,insult,suspicion,anger,common sense and also a common feeling of fear over all the characters were all shown in the movie.All the characters have their own perception of things which relates the movie to all the sects. Of course all the artists in the movie are known for their performances and as expected have given top notch performances...the climax was so beutifully shown that after finishing the movie u feel a sense of respect towards the spirit of the city..... All this together makes mumbai meri jaan a unique movie among the movies released in bollywood...i thought this is the most honest effort till date in our very own bollywood....hmm this can be put in league with black friday as it has shown the colour of anger.
Precisely my point too, Bull. I see where you are coming from, not wanting to mix anger and the balm over the pain in one league. But the idea is to appreciate all angles on similar incidents, if not the the same incident. Thats where I say that all these movies depict different aspects and all very well done. Wouldn't you agree?
Thanks for dropping often on the blog. :)
Cheers!
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