Thursday, September 29, 2016

A New Film School: Dum Laga ke Haisha

A New Film School: Dum Laga ke Haisha
             A family film, after a long time Bollywood has produced a family drama which holds a potential to entice audience to the edge of the seat. Unfortunately this film could not stand on theaters for a long time.  Dum Laga ke Haisha is made with US$2.4 million and generated US$4.8 million on box office. Ayushmann Khurana played a helpless son of a middle-class family. He belongs to the cassette era of Bollywood. He is completely suppressed by his father. They decide his arrange marriage with Bhumi Pednekar. Bhumi played as an educated and independent girl. She has a job in school.
             The otherwise good above average looking Ayushmann Khurana who is lost in the music of 90s decade paint his dream canvas with colors. He lives in a dream and expects his wife to be beautiful and surrendering. Bhumi who also has her marginal expectations from husband try to woo him with her beauty. Ayushmann Khurana starts neglecting and repainting of marriage. Now the time is gone. It is fun to watch this couple as the decade of 90s is famous for love marriage and early era of globalization. Indian youth was perusing higher studies to go to US as it was the only country on youth’s mind. IT revolution was on the way. This film nails at perfect spot of Indian psyche. Quyamat Se Quyamat Taq was the epic of that era. Papa Kehe Te Hain was a hit number. The concept of love marriage was new on that time. Automobile industry was just mushrooming. Hero Honda 100ss and Suzuki were just entered in Indian market to woo the Indian youth. Owning a motorcycle was an archetype of ready to move youngster.
            Ayushmann Khurana and Bhumi Pednekar fight and Bhumi take lead for separation. This is a new twist of 2015. Girls of that era where always use to love the groom and divorce was not common at that time. In 2015 divorce is a common and part of life.  50% people are getting divorce today and 30% from remaining are not happily married is the reality today. Only 20% people are happily married and staying together.  Technically speaking, the stand of Bhumi does not gel in the film but what the hell! Film is for 2015 audience.
             Audience easily co-relate with the film as the songs are shot with cinematographic precision of 90s. The style of group dance like Greed Drama, Lead actors will remain in focus by color, shape, scale, space or action. Background dancers will enhance the mood with their group dance, design, movements and visual spectacle.  After a long time I took a long and deep breath of fresh breeze as the songs were shot on open hill top or on natural bounty. That was the era of comparatively less population and less pollution.  Songs are written with considerable background of that era.  Lines like, Abhi abhi dhoop thi yahaan pe lo/ Ab barsaaton ki dhaara/ Jeb hain khaali, pyaar ke sikko se/Aao kar lein guzaara. Singers like Kumar Shanu and Sadhana Sargam sang a long gap. The music of the film transformed us in to that era.
               Sharat Katariya the director and screen writer of this film is amia Milia Islamia alumnus. He started his career in 2007 with a film, Behja Fry. He has written 8 films so far. Dum Laga ke Haisha is shot 60% in one house only. It shows the strength of a director. Sharat Karariya who started his career with Bheja Fry with maximum one location film maintained his strength of writing a screenplay. While teaching I always give example of Jean Luc Godard and Robert Bresson for use of location and their shot division, I find Sharat Katariya a new blood screenwriter and director will take Bollywood to new high.

                 Sharat Katariya born on 15 June 1978 a very young and promising director has crafted this film. Although the director as mentioned in interview that he has inspired by a poster of husband carrying wife in a run, true but this film has created the decade of 90s. A character of Ayushmann and Bhumi touches our heart, their personal and social life talks much about their psychological and social built up. This film talks bluntly about the internal complex and external complex of Ayushmann. How Bhumi creates a space in his heart is the beauty of this film.  Race sequence and their budding love are wrapped very fast. The first draft of this film was written in 17 days and second in 3 days this itself is a wonder. I think this is a good film for all film lovers. All film school students will learn a lesson out of it. 

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