India vs Bharat. It’s a political slogan but it’s truer than ever before. We must accept there are two Indias.
Just think.
The only time I travel by train or bus is when I am in Kerala.
When I need grocery or vegetables I book online.
Most of us middle class rarely get to see Bharat or know its share of problems.
The only time we do that is when we take an Uber or Ola cab and strike a conversation with the driver. Or when there is whitewash or construction work on at home.
When such an opportunity presented itself recently, I decided to take up the most pressing issue these days.
Why are Pushpa and KGF super-duper hits when Hindi films are tanking at the box office?
The cab driver was very clear. “Hindi films bekaar ho gaye hain. Dekho to south ke films dekho.”
He then gave me a tip, “If you happen to be down, just watch Pushpa or KGF. It will lift your mood.”
“Why not RRR,” I asked.
“RRR bakwas hai, aap Pushpa aur KGF dekho.”
As I got out of the cab, he said, “Pushpa Part 2 will be better. Some new villain has come His name is Shekhawat. But Pushpa is a proud man. I fear he will die in the next part.”
The painters at my house concurred with the cab driver.
I acted on their advice and watched Pushpa and RRR and bits of KGF.
Pushpa is a kolamass film. So is KGF. Both have punch dialogues and action.
Now RRR is tricky. RRR is a patriotic film that ends with the protagonists becoming Ram and Bheem to finish off the British colonizers. Of the three films this one has better special effects. It is a raging hit among the middle class. Then why were the cab driver, carpenters and painters gushing over Pushpa and KGF more than RRR?
This became a hot topic in our weekend drinking session.
After three large pegs, we started to see light.
“Many Hindi films that have released over the last few months have also been patriotic films and turned out to be duds,” pointed out one.
“We are being fed patriotism round the clock on news TV free of cost. After this we are expected to pay to see more patriotism in the theatres,” explained another, “We want to forget our worries and enjoy a bit. Pushpa and KGF do that.”
“There is more to Pushpa and KGF,” the wise one among the drinkers theorised, “Heroes in both films are taking on the establishment. They are the Angry Young Men of today.”
He then down another double large and extrapolated further, “There is anger in society. The question is who will channelize it.”
We then downed a couple more pegs and moved on to weightier issues like legalizing cannabis.
