A Peep(li) into New Age Neo-Realism

The Italian Neo-Realist Movement of the 1940’s was a product of necessity. De Sica, Verga, Rosellini, Visconti filmed the reality of their days under the tough times of the 2^nd World War. They told stories about the man on the streets because they were sick of the idealistic, upper class cinema of the “telefono bianco” type (the white telephone was a symbol of the Italian rich). They reused old film, picked up non-professional actors and shot on location in Italy. The result was the birth of classics like Umberto D., Shoeshine, Bicycle Thief, La Terra Trema and Rome, Open City.

The necessity has arisen again. P. Sainath, in his ‘India's Farm Suicides: a 12-Year Saga’ reminds us that 16,196 farmer suicides were registered in the year 2008. And this was the year of the loan waiver. In times like these, “Bollywood” has still been producing darling little films like I Hate Luv Stories, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Kites, Pyaar Impossible and the one that is never too old for jokes, Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham. The last one of course tries hard to present Kajol as an example of the urban poor. In Manish Malhotra clothes.

In times, exactly like these comes Anusha Rizvi’s Peepli Live. Now I would hardly pin Rizvi as the new De Sica…but for a first time director with not much movie-making experience, she does supremely well. Her actors have the natural style of non-professionals and the film has a raw, unfinished look that makes Italian Neo-Realist films seem real.

Peepli Live follows the story of Natthadas Manikpuri, an ordinary farmer who is at the bottom of the social pyramid, about to lose his ancestral farm land. A randomly suggested idea by a local neta turns things around for the whole village of Peepli as Nattha decides to commit suicide and inadvertently invites a carnival of media persons into his life. The film deftly kills two birds with one stone. On the one hand, it innocently nudges you to look at the lives of these farmers, on the other, it makes a biting critique of the media frenzy that occurs in this country over the smallest of things.

The script is often reminiscent of Brecht, with dialogues and imagery that present the contradictions of the situation most accurately. For instance, when Nattha’s brother tries to show him the bright side of the situation by showing him how much respect he could gain out of this, he simply asks what use the respect would be if he were dead. Similarly, the elaborate gag that ensues when Nattha sneaks out to take a crap, the witty lyrics of the Mehengai Daiin song as well as the ingenious premise of the “Laal Bahadur” reminded me extensively of Brecht. 

 

Without giving away too much on the plot, it is the technique behind Peepli Live that I want to discuss here. The regular camera work is mingled with shots from hand-held cameras that capture the point of view of Nattha and his family, isolated, even among crowds of news reporters. But Rizvi’s expertise is in the way she deals with images. Ultimately, when you leave the cinema hall, it is these images that you take away: Nattha and his family with hardly any place to sleep in, in the midst of TVs, domestic appliances and other useless gifts they will probably never use; the lone farmer who keeps digging relentlessly to sell his soil to brick makers; the small pool of water eventually found at the bottom of his pit; Nattha in a colored shirt on a bridegroom’s horse, riding away; empty plastic bottles and trash left after all the media OB-vans have left and the final images of Nattha which bring you out of the theater wondering what is in store for him next.

Why I (definitely...maybe...) hate love stories...

Just before the film closes for a much-needed interval, Imran Khan's "J" tells Sonam Kapoor's Simran that all her "confusion" is because of "this stupid love" and all the lovey-dovey movies she's been watching. Love jaisi koi cheez hi nahi hai, he tells her with full conviction, making Santa Claus' existence seem more real and believable.In the silence of the theatre, my friend Nikita D'Cruz, who had pretended to identify completely with Imran Khan's love-hating character up until now proclaimed, "I don't hate love. I believe it exists. But I do hate love stories." I agreed immediately into the darkness. Probably because of the debacle that lay before me.

The film was Punit Malhotra's "I Hate Luv Storys". And badly spelt title, cliched screenplay, contrived dialogues and mediocre performances apart, the film actually managed to get me thinking. Films, novels, the media in general give us a picture of love that is highly distorted, to say the least. In broad daylight, love is a complicated thing. Not as glorious, as bright, as dramatic or as easy as it looks. Here's my take on the five instant distortions of love presented in most run of the mill love stories. (Each distortion comes with a case in point that illustrates what I'm trying to say as well as a must-watch exception to my theory...)

1. The Fat and the Furious
So how come the lovers in most love stories are bloody gorgeous? Even if this is one of those films/novels where the hot girl/guy falls for the "inner beauty" of the geeky character, this love business never happens without a complete make-over. And no matter how geeky the character, he/she is never fat, never has cellulite and is always one shave/wax/haircut (+ pair of contact lenses - braces) away from being beee-you-tee-full. Of course, these films always hypocritically advocate the importance of being yourself.

The truth is, you have to alter yourself quite a bit even to get a date in the real world. You have to watch and learn. And learn fast. Because nothing is as it seems. Ask any girl who's had to wait an hour before replying to a text message from a guy she likes just so she wouldn't appear too needy (when she's actually just dying to have a conversation with the fool).

Case In Point: She's All That
Must-Watch Exception: The Mirror Has Two Faces, The Hitch

2. Who Moved My Cheese?

"You complete me."

"I'm just a girl. Standing in front of a boy. Asking him to love her."

Any of these ring a bell? At the crux of any good love story are some really great lines. And although you call them cheesy in front of your beer-and-football buddies, you love them, you weep at them and when the time comes, you even SAY them. Yes, yes, love is a gigantic cheeseburger...and its probably no fun without the cheese. But these lines are just spontaneous and emotional. We're socially conditioned to spurt these by the dozen. What we don't realise, because the film always ends happily, is that jealousy, rage, possessiveness are as much a part of  the grimy, greasy burger as the cheese. If he chooses someone else in his next janam, you can't take him to court. And when she finds someone else who completes her better, its time to learn some new moves.

Case In Point: Dil To Pagal Hai
Must-Watch Exception: Juno

3. Monetary Affairs

Characters in most love stories are rich. My bad. They're middle class people and all they can afford is Dior, Armani, Prada, Louis Vuitton, Blackberry/iPhone,chauffer driven cars, expensive sushi and a daily cuppa Italian-coffee. In some films, you're not even aware of what they do for a living; in others, they have exciting, colorful and unconventional occupations. Money, recession, unemployment, rat races, life goals are not an issue. These are sorted so that you can pay attention to the "important" stuff.

Case In Point: Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

Must-Watch Exception: A Lot Like Love

4. Sign-tific theories

Important. The theory that "love will show you the way" or that you will see signs that lead you to your love are dubious. There are coincidences. And they're fun. But that's that.

Love stories teach you to expect these magical symbols. And take it from someone who once believed, if you're looking for signs that the random girl you were trying to pick up at a party is in love with you, it ain't gonna come. Go home. Wash your face. Get to work. That song you danced to together plays on the radio EVERYDAY. Because its a chart buster. Not because she's going to appear at the corner coffee shop.
(However, if she does appear at the corner coffee shop with a toy-boy in tow, then that is probably a very very good sign)

Case In Point: Dil Toh Pagal Hai and I Hate Luv Storys
Must-Watch Exception: Serendipity (at least debates the idea fairly)

5. Love Makes The World Go Round
My number one problem with love stories: they repeatedly drill into you the idea of love as an all-pervading force; they convince you that its the only thing in the world worth living for. Not true. Individuality, dreams, success, ambition, happiness and just doing what you love are as important. In fact, these often create, cement and strengthen relationships.

Case In Point: Twilight
Must-Watch Exception: Runaway Bride, Jerry Maguire (again, they debate the idea fairly)

Epilogue
Towards the end of Jerry Maguire, Renee Zellweger says to a divorced women's support group,

"I agree that men are the enemy. But then maybe, I love the enemy."

The way I feel about love stories is probably this. (The fact that I remembered that line off the top of my head should be proof enough as to how Rom-com-addled my brain is...)

I am a happy sitter-on-the-fence; I cry like a baby during some of these films while "Mard ka sar sirf teen auraton ke saamne jhukta hai"-type dialogues make me go "Ew. Ew! EW."

In short, I'm open to debate. But while I'm at it, let me just say this: I like my caramel-tomato-cheese popcorn shaken.