Kedar Writes..

I wonder many times these days, as to why they call the movie industry in India as Bollywood. Initially at least they coined this term by using ‘B’ombay and H’ollywood’. Looking at the last few years, I think we should call it ‘P’ollywood. I can explain in a bit. But first, let me get my disclaimers right.

This is not a hate-filled, intolerant barrage against anyone. This is just stating the facts as they are, in a rather comical way. I don’t mean to say, however, that there is no truth to it. All I ask is that it be looked at in an honest, introspective manner.

Having said that, let me tell you the etymology behind this word now – I came up with this word – Pollywood – from ‘P’unjab and H’ollywood’!

If one goes back in time and looks at Hindi film industry, it has mostly been non-aligned to any particular religion, caste or language in India. It has played fair with almost every group in our diverse citizenry. Films in the 60s/70s or even in the 80s and early 90s didn’t portray people from one group or the other. In fact, it used to be transparent and wasn’t important.

Names like Vijay, Salma, Raj, Mogambo, Mona, Gabbar Singh, Sujata didn’t shout their caste or religion to us. They just blended in the movie and were chosen to convey their personalities phonetically. Songs like ‘Ude Jab Jab Julfe Teri’ from Naya Daur, had the smooth flavor of Punjab just because the film was set in that environment and not because the lyricists couldn’t think of any other words or because that was the hit formula at that time. Gabbar Singh never called Dhanno as ‘oy kudiye’ nor did every soldier who died in Haqeeqat think about the ’sarson ke khet’, everyone thought about India in general. If you remember, Asha Parekh and Joy Mukherjee didn’t get nostalgic about India in Love in Tokyo by dreaming about the ‘bhangda’ and coming back to a house with 100 people celebrating Baisakhi!

I believe, during the last few years, most probably starting with “Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge”, films have exclusively started putting the focus on Punjab. Words like Kudi, Nachle, SoNiya, Mere naal, Oy, Paappe, lagiya, mundeya, mainu, SoNA, Tennu, vich… became commonplace. When someone went abroad and they thought about India, their memories almost always landed in the green fields of Punjab. Everyone was eating Parathas and Rotti. And they all celebrated Karwachauth with 100 women in their house on the terrace. Whatever happened to the poor apartment dwellers in Mumbai who probably don’t even get a decent glimpse of the moon in their lives or villagers in the rest of India?

In some cases, this ‘punjabization’ of Bollywood has gone to insane levels where even though the family in “Chup Chup Ke” is Gujarati, they sing a song laden with “vich, lagiya, ve, soniya, dil di”.. Does anyone ever think about logic these days in this industry?

Seems like these days lyricists just refer to the Punjabi dictionary to fill in the gaps in the songs they write. I believe, they have forgotten that other languages too, have words that can rhyme with Hindi!

Back in the old days, Gurudas Mann used to be admired on Doordarshan. Things were bearable even when Daler Mehndi came around to make us dance to his numbers. Even Apache Indian was tolerated and forgiven. But now-a-days, it has grown way out of hand and not enjoyable anymore. Every tom-dick-n-harry is taking the first bus out of Punjab to slap an album on our ears and faces, on every TV channel we tune to. As if this is not enough, all of a sudden, a flood of semi-Punjabi, horribly rapping next generation kids from UK are mass producing new *music* videos. And the networks are embracing all.. it’s true, anything sells these days!

It is not that I have anything against Punjabi culture or people. I like the Dharmendra family, love Punjabi food, their land, and even their music until it started choking us all over. I do appreciate a punjabi song here and there, or a bhangda once in a while, or even an occasional punjabi shaadi on screen. I appreciate the tremendous singing talent of Sukhvinder and have wholeheartedly enjoyed Daler Mehndi. Things just have started getting tougher to digest these days, with this explosion of Punjabi everywhere. I like Punjabi songs too.. I think they are pretty catchy; I just don’t like them to be my default and only language option.

I remember seeing a recent song by Akshay Kumar to pay tribute to the people who died in Mumbai Blasts called ‘Nirgun Raakh Liya’. I do not mind the language there, it is the depiction that amazes me. The video starts with a picture of a local train and then completely rewrites itself with the fields of Punjab, the Gurudwara’s, the mountains.. It shows the locals working hard in the fields of Punjab, sometimes against the backdrop of snow capped mountains and lush green valleys of Himalayas.. Where is the connection with the city whose artery – the local trains – was ripped apart by these blasts? Where are the people who faced this, helped themselves out and are still recovering. Shouldn’t the focus be on the place where it all happened? If the idea was to show the greatness of our nation, irrespective of the calamities inflicted upon us, does it only lie in Punjab?

In a country where illogical things can spark flames and reasonable demands are overlooked, I am sure, this thought will get ignored. So be it…