Monthly Archives: March 2006

The work of Ram Gopal Varma and his associates is ushering in a new era of Bollywood cinema

If there is one individual and talent who has been instrumental in shaping the current Indian cinema, it is Ram Gopal Varma, aka RGV. The fact that I, in Pakistan, am writing about an Indian filmmaker may be thought a little odd; but whether we like it or not, cable television has institutionalised the demand for Indian films here in Pakistan. While the country’s cinema houses are being turned into hideous plazas that violate practically every building code there ever was, the rise of the multiplex is not only luring but also creating a class of loyal cine-goers in our neighbouring country. And there, RGV seems to be ruling the roost. During my visit to Delhi last year, I was informed that all shows for his latest film Sarkar had been sold out weeks in advance.

Thus was I forced to turn to a pirated version procured from a snazzy DVD shop in Lahore. The owner informed me that new laws were on the cards that would soon put pirated DVDs and CDs out of business. However, on my last visit to that outlet, sales were booming as usual. Piracy is too profitable a business and is far too highly in demand to be phased out through the mere enactment of law. Indian cinema thrives and whatever we choose to make of it, Bollywood is here to stay. In any case, the history of subcontinental cinema – and for that matter, classical music – is deeply complex and subverts political and geographical borders. (more…)