The third edition of the Annual Times of India Literary Carnival coinciding with the 175 years celebrations of the TIMES of INDIA group, took place over the earlier this month at the Mehboob Studios in Mumbai. A Literary enthusiasts delight, the 3-day festival saw an enviable line-up of Indian and International authors, writers, artistes and panelists, conducting workshops and indulging the audiences with their enlivening conversations. With this year's edition focused on the theme of love, romance and violence, the event was designed with an eclectic mix of panel discussions, book launches; live performance by Amit Trivedi, story book readings, ensuring that there was something for everyone of every age group.
With one of the central themes of the festival being love, how could Bollywood be too far behind? Day 1 witnessed a packed studio for a session on 'The Pyaar Con Job' where filmmakers Sujoy Ghosh, Nikhil Advani, Imtiaz Ali and Ayan Mukerji spoke with Filmfare editor Jitesh Pillaai on how love gets distorted on the big screen. With a quick round of introductions by Jitesh assuring not to make it an ‘academic’ session, Imtiaz mocked that since they were talking about con jobs, and the three filmmakers have been on the Filmfare award jury, they have some experience around it.
The session began with the panel putting their thoughts across on whether they thought that Love is overrated in the movies. Nikhil led way with stating that it’s the way the directors are approaching love is different. Be it with Wake Up Sid’s elder woman-younger man story, or apart from the conventional Aashiqui story, today it isn’t limited to running around the trees anymore. Ayan, whose blockbuster this year ‘Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani’ dealt with several layers of friendship and romance echoed Nikhil’s words, “just like in real life, love is great in the movies. It is one of the things we obsess about in real life as well”
Asserting that Love has changed over the years, Sujoy said, “The love that my grandfather saw, or my father or I saw is not what my son will be seeing and definitely not what my grandson will be seeing. So with time, views change, approaches to certain emotions change and as a filmmaker it is much more exciting for us. Cinema has to be visual. Sex before marriage, kissing a girl for the first time, it is all different aspects - there is no right or wrong. The various forms of love whether bold or submissive, it is quite welcome as a filmmaker or a writer” Talking it forward, Imtiaz added that especially in movies that is currently being made now, if movies are any reflection of what life is “love becomes as unavoidable as it is in life, and it becomes as motivational for the plot to move on in movies as it does for life to move on in reality. Things will change and we will say what people will prefer us to say”
Speaking on concept of love becoming sexualized in movies, Imtiaz commended that the society is become less hypocritical and more honest and open. “If you do not show how relationships take place in real life, and you cut to two flowers touch each other, then you will not buy into the story. It is not for titillation that these scenes are included in films. You make it a big deal by hiding it”
When asked if they thought the audience comes with less pre-conceived notions about how love should be in the movies, Sujoy acknowledged that he thought the reason filmmakers are braver in directing and writing is because the audience is much more accepting. “Kahaani worked because the audience accepted the fact that a young boy could have feelings for a pregnant movie. Audience is much more aware and accepting, which is why we are braver to replace two flowers with two people kissing”
With the changing equations of love in today’s times, confessing on issues faced while writing a love story, Nikhil clarified that the struggle wasn’t only with the romantic scenes but conveying any other emotion in a way that no one has done it before. “There is a constant fight with yourself, questioning yourself when you’re writing your film.
An interesting perspective came on when the conversation centered on whether cinema was glorifying stalking. Citing examples of Ranjhana and Shudh Desi Romance, the panel was asked if cinema encouraged persuasive heroes, to which Imtiaz said, "Earlier Shakti Kapoor and Gulshan Grover did the chhed chhad, now the heroes do it. Films reflect what is happening in society."
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