Dev D:
Q: What would you do as a dad if you come to know that your teenage daughters MMS is being circulated in the world where she is having sex with her boyfriend?
A: You download it, see it, think what hav you done to see this day, fly off the handle with your daughter, say you did it knowingly and then when you cant take it.... shoot yourself?
OR
You take your daughter in arms and say it’s okay beta, you need not worry. It’s a mistake and we both would take care of it.
Well in the movie Dad goes ahead and shoots himself….
Think about it what would You Do?
The Movie. Yes I loved it. It’s irreverent, on the edge, full of questions and real picture of the world which India’s youth Inhabit, and on the name of Culture and Society We Refuse to see it or face it. We keep our head buried in Sand like an ostrich. Movie has an exception though that one or two of its main character actually takes a step which nobody in India actually takes.
Q: What would you do as a dad if you come to know that your teenage daughters MMS is being circulated in the world where she is having sex with her boyfriend?
A: You download it, see it, think what hav you done to see this day, fly off the handle with your daughter, say you did it knowingly and then when you cant take it.... shoot yourself?
OR
You take your daughter in arms and say it’s okay beta, you need not worry. It’s a mistake and we both would take care of it.
Well in the movie Dad goes ahead and shoots himself….
Think about it what would You Do?
The Movie. Yes I loved it. It’s irreverent, on the edge, full of questions and real picture of the world which India’s youth Inhabit, and on the name of Culture and Society We Refuse to see it or face it. We keep our head buried in Sand like an ostrich. Movie has an exception though that one or two of its main character actually takes a step which nobody in India actually takes.
In reality our youth (I could not fathom why) just put scales on their eyes and follow the footstep of parent, staring with scaly eyes up to the stage of burying their heads in sand.
It is typical Dev Das story complete with Paro and Chanda. But all have changed in contemporary. Paro loves Dev and goes to any extent, from sending her Top Less photo to Dev in London, to rolling her bed on her own to go to fields to be with her Dev. Dev spurns her and Paro sees that he has scales on his eyes. Of all the people, in the movie, first person not to shed the scales from the eyes and being mired in the age old adage of marrying a virgin is actually still a driving force of Dev. He is okay getting the girls nude photos and rushing back to home, but moment he hears the false rumors about her virginity;spurns her. Paro just leaves; to everybody’s consternation dances in her own wedding; and with immense dignity comes later to messed up Dev's messy room, cleans it and then just leaves showing him his place ("aukaat" the apt word actually used in the movie).
Then there is Dev. Spoilt by Mom first then the Dad. He loves himself more and never actually loved anyone. He was a narcissist in Love with himself. But he finds his way ( I believe so after all the debauchery, I would like to think so, but its not clear)
Chanda. Strong, independent. Was caught in MMS incident (like reallife DPS incident). Father killed himself. She Leaves and finds her way. Is the CSW (commercial sex worker) in streets of Paharganj. at the same time continues her education in college. For me she raised most questions and had powerful presence in movie.
Yes she was in MMS. The voyeur society downloads it on their own volition (not publicized on TV or magazine) have fun and then just castigates her. That’s the morality of our society.
The other is question which I asked earlier. My answer. Yes the dad was more concerned about himself. His position, rutbaa in society, than the turmoil she was going through. The guy just ruined her (and who does not have a boyfriend or girlfriend at that age and who does not experiment). She was in pain. As a human being her trust was broken and then the father was worried about just himself. Just went ahead and shot himself. Did he believe in completing his responsibility of being a dad. Seeing what his daughter is going through. It was He who was important not the daughter. It was class, caste, society which was more important. Again the choice and right of the daughter was trampeled because women being the Maan and Maryada of house is sacrosanct. We are not humans in this society, but a cog a trophy of this society. Think of it, how much choice our women have. And for that matter even a man has.
The most touching moment was when Dev takes Chanda in his arms and says Its okay, Koi Baat nahin.
We know Dev is not bad. He feels. He is Human. I would have a drunkard Dev with me rather a respected, rich and well known Dad who just thinks about himself.
Yes it was irreverent. It raised many a question. Many would take it as an assault on our culture. Berate it as sick even. For me it’s a beacon of Light. I understood myself. Saw the pitfalls and simply loved.
You know where I stand.
The actors did classic job. The Script and each character were well adapted and seamlessly synched in the movie. Music was again irreverent with equally irreverent lyrics. The songs specially Payelia, and Emosional Attyacahr was superb. I liked the picturisaton of song Naina Tarsey and how it carried the movie.
Yes we are subjected to lts of Emosinal attyachar not by lovers but the societ as a whole. But its changing.
Three Cheers for Kashyap.
Thank for being the Kerouac and the enfant terrible of Indian Celluolid.
