09 May, 2012

A DIRTY PICTURE THAT CLEARED MY PERCEPTION




The first time I saw Vidya Balan was in a song ‘Kabhi Aana Tu Meri Gully’ by the Delhi based band Euphoria almost ten years ago. First, I wondered how such a ‘humble’ looking girl with a whitish complexion and a built that was on the heavier side could be the lead model in top band’s song.

But then going by the theme of the video of a love story in a typical Indian mohalla featuring the girl next door and a simpleton hardworking boy, I was somewhat pacified because she actually suited that character.

And soon she hit the big screen with Vidhu Vinod Chpra’s Parineeta in 2005 forcing me to sit up and take notice. Though I did not watch the movie but the teasers and the pre-release interviews were enough to give birth to strong disliking towards Balan.

Reason?

I couldn’t fathom the reasons behind her sudden appearance on the red carpet. I mean she wasn’t fair like Kareena Kapoor or had a figure like Priyanka Chopra. How could she get a film?

The first movie of hers’ that I saw was Lagey Raho Munnabhai and to be honest my disliking was gradually turning into hatred. I did not like the way she looked, talked, acted or danced.

Over the years as her career graph went north, so did my hatred. Finally it was after watching the 2009 movie ‘Paa’ that I decided that it was enough. Paa was a pathetic movie and defied any kind of logic.

Her portrayal of the character of the abla nari raising a child alone did not work for me and I decided not to watch any of her movies again.

That was until 2011 when the promos of The Dirty Picture came out. Though titillating for many I found them vulgar and joked with my friends that rather than seeing Balan dance in the rain I shall go to a village in Gurgaon and see the buffaloes bathing in a pond.

However, last Saturday I downloaded the movie for one of my colleagues and forgot to delete from my pen drive. So Monday being my weekly off I was watching the IPL highlight late Sunday night and around 2 a.m. I was done with watching TV and surfing the net.

In no mood of dozing off, I decided to watch a movie but had nothing new to watch. Then I remembered that The Dirty Picture was still in my pen drive and I don’t know what came over me but I decided to watch it.

Half an hour into the movie I could so relate to the character of Emran Hashmi’s – ABRAHAM who loathed Reshma aka Balan for the way she looked and what she did.

I would chuckle in joy whenever Hashmi ridiculed Balan especially when he said “Yeh Moti Banegi Heroine?” I was in splits.

But as the movie progressed I saw Reshma’s other side which had a very uncanny resemblance to 
Balan’s real life story.

A fat, whitish and average looking girl trying to make it big in the world of mainstream Indian cinema where without good looks, you could only end up playing the heroine’s best friend’s sister at best.

However, going by the preferences of Indians down south, who are dark skinned and like big boned girls, Reshma’s journey was a cakewalk when compared to Balan’s journey in Bollywood.

To make a mark in commercial films when competing with the likes of the Kareenas and Katreenas is no small achievement.

People like Balan are a beacon of hope for many average Indian women who look average, may wear a suit but have a modern perspective on things. They don’t starve themselves to death to attain that Zero figure bullshit. Balan proves to them that if they don’t want to they don’t have to.

I guess for so many years I was thinking what the people in Bollywood wanted me to think about the ideal Indian heroine. But screw you I say. Bring it on Balan, I am ready for more… much more.

P.S. Come to think of it, I relate to Hashmi’s charater even more now because when the movie began we were on the same side—Balan/Reshma haters but when the curtains came down, Abraham fell in love with her and me on the other hand became a strong admirer of her.    
   



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