Filmworld
'Bajrangi Bhaijaan': Triumph of brotherhood across borders
By
By Radhika Bhirani New Delhi, July 26
Strained diplomatic ties
between India and Pakistan are back in focus only days after leaders of
both the nations discussed how to defuse tension. But the unanimous
success of Eid release "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" - a Salman Khan starrer that
propagates a positive message of peace, unity and brotherhood - on both
sides of the border is proving there's a strong force in the soft power
of Bollywood.
Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met in the Russian city of Ufa earlier this
month in an effort towards restoring cordiality in ties - but the
situation was back to square one when a top Pakistani diplomat said that
no dialogue process will take place with India sans the Kashmir issue.
It
only seems more symbolic then that the movie too doesn't miss Kashmir -
neither in its visual treat of the picturesque Valley nor when a Muslim
character tells a Hindu man on a lighter vein: "Thoda (Kashmir) hamaare
paas bhi hai."
Largely, cinema can play a "big part in changing
the bitterness of our history into a sweet future for our children",
concedes Fakhr-e-Alam, chairman of Pakistan's Central Board of Film
Censors.
"Films are a great way to bring people closer or to make
people understand each other better. It's a great tool for propaganda
and awareness. If used wisely like in 'Bajrangi Bhaijaan' and 'PK', it
can connect people the world over, create a better understanding for
each other, increase tolerance, open minds and connect hearts," Alam,
who courted "life threats" for giving a green signal to the Salman Khan
starrer and was trolled on Twitter for being a "traitor", told IANS in
an email from Karachi.
Alam - the same person who banned Akshay
Kumar's "Baby" in his nation for being a "a poor propoganda (sic) film
basically saying all muslims r terrorists & Pakistan harbors them" -
however, went on record on social media to convey "'Bajrangi Bhaijaan'
is the most positive film for Pakistan that Bollywood has produced in a
long time".
The Kabir Khan directorial sees Salman - a hugely
popular Hindi film superstar - in the role of a god-fearing Hindu
simpleton named Pavan aka Bajrangi taking it upon himself to unite an
accidentally-lost six-year-old mute Pakistani girl in India with her
parents in Pakistan. It's not just Salman's holier-than-thou portrayal
sans his trademark mannerisms that has tugged at the audience's
heartstrings, but the angelic smile of talented little girl Harshaali
Gupta; the quirky dialogues of Nawazuddin Siddiqui and the deftness with
which the director has handled a subject as sensitive as Indo-Pak ties.
Ali
Murtaza of Shiny Toy Guns, currently producing the upcoming Pakistani
romantic comedy "Dekh Magar Pyaar Say", told IANS that he saw the movie
in a "packed show" on the fourth day of Eid. He describes it as a
"brilliant and breathtaking" story, with special praise for the
director's attention to detail.
Having released in 47 screens
with over 74 screenings on July 17 - a day before the holy Eid
celebrations - "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" has enjoyed a decent run over one
week in Pakistan, despite clashing with two awaited Pakistani movies
"Bin Roye" and "Wrong No.", as well as Hollywood movies like "Ant-Man"
and "Terminator Genisys".
The gross billing for Pakistan
territory for the first seven days turned out to be $1.2 million, said
Satish Anand, head honcho of Eveready Group of Companies, which
distributed "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" in the nation - primarily in Karachi,
Lahore and Islamabad, which are key centres for films.
"Salman
Khan films on Eid always have a very strong initial draw in Pakistan,"
Anand told IANS in an email from Karachi, adding that what makes
"Bajrangi Bhaijaan" stand out from his past entertainers is the fact
that it's not "all out action" and it is this reason why women and
family audiences in Pakistan are patronising it from the word go.
However,
Anand, who was himself bowled over by the "different tangent and
direction" that Salman had taken as an actor and producer of the film,
and is all praise for the movie's feel-good-factor, said he faced issues
in distributing "Bajrangi Bhaijaan".
"I had a lot of problem in
having it released...first due to the trailer, and then in the past, the
director (Kabir Khan) had made 'Ek Tha Tiger' (about a RAW agent),
which never got released in Pakistan. So, there was anticipation in the
market that there would be a problem with the content in the film. There
was a huge campaign (from certain quarters) to try to create a negative
perception about the film," he added.
The business which,
according to him, is "phenomenal", could have been better had the movie
been released at a time when not many Pakistani films were coming. Also,
pirated prints, he said, have already come into the market and on
cable, hampering chances of sustainability on Pakistan's big screens.
In India, of course, the film has crossed the Rs.200 crore mark.
Decoding
why the film is working, Mumbai-based film historian S.M.M. Ausaja told
IANS: "It's working because we as Indians are largely tolerant and
peace-loving. I also feel that these are times when politics has
polarised the people and this is their way to endorse secularism and
human values, giving a message that the basic civilizational values we
(in India and Pakistan) have imbibed remain intact."
While
several people are praising "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" for avoiding
Pak-bashing, Ausaja pointed out how "all the films on Indo-Pak issues
eventually depicted a triumph of peace and brotherhood, including
'Border' and 'Gadar - Ek Prem Katha'".
"There may be stray scenes in some, but the industry has largely been secular and above narrow divisive ideologies," he added.
Shailja
Kejriwal, who pioneered the Zindagi channel - a platform which brings
Pakistani TV content closer to Indian TV viewers - told IANS that apart
from a political discourse on igniting peace between the nations, a
social discourse involving people-to-people understanding, acceptance
and involvement must also be stressed upon. And this, she said, is
possible with the power of mass media platforms like films and TV.
"Someone
asked me: 'Will what you're doing (through Zindagi) bring peace between
India and Pakistan?' As I see it, most landmark movements have been
people's movements, and even if efforts like Zindagi or a 'Bajrangi
Bhaijaan' may not bring peace, they are a step towards peace."
To
that end, she added, the remarkable aspect about "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" is
that it tells a simple story about people, goodness and genuine
emotions without touching politics, and sends out a universal message:
"Goodness is more important than enmity."
Pakistan had banned
Indian movies in 1968 but lifted this later. Now, various initiatives
like the Aman ki Aasha movement, fashion shows and movies like "Bajrangi
Bhaijaan" are doing their bit to promote harmony between the two
nations.
(Radhika Bhirani can be contacted at [email protected])