1979 was a landmark for me. In my mid-teens, I viewed fifty movies in theatres that year. It was a ‘record’ that I reached by watching five in the last five days of Dec. I can recall every movie and even the date I saw it, which was often the first day. The point I am trying to prove is I am a true ‘Citizen’ of TN alias Tinselnadu.
I have said it once and will repeat 100 times that cinema is a genetic obsession in this State. I swear on the sacred silver screen TN is the primal pioneer of cinemania and heralded the hysteria that we witness today all over India. We were there first; we remain at the crest.
The credit for cultivating this ‘culture’ and cults goes to Dravidian politicos. Post-Independence, Anna, K, MGR, etc smartly and in godspeed — no, make that anti-god speed — spotted cinema as a very powerful and potent propaganda vehicle. Vulnerable voters bit the irresistible bait and generations since then have been irrevocably hooked.
The DMK reaped a hefty harvest from the seeds it sowed. Its fortunes, which followed the fate of its famed script-writers and stars, grew exponentially, eventually landing it in power. The rest is the history of histrionics. That hollow rhetoric and haloed heroes could hold so much sway over us is a matter of pain or pride, take your pick.
The politics-cinema marriage has been both rocky and romantic. Filmdom has naturally been affected by the bi-polar nature of TN Dravidian politics. Party fault-lines frequently stretch into the studios. Political shadows have sullied the screens and often torn tinsel town to tatters. Post MGR, many stars have seen cinema as a certain path into homes and hearts for a political career. TN ranks as the top State sending film folk to Legislature, since fifties. It is almost a birthright, endorsed by masses themselves with nary a qualm or question. And yes, an entitlement to a choice prefix title comes with the deal.
Having come to power through cinema, Dravidian politicos and their co-borns, friends and families are now prolific producers, exhibitors, distributors, financiers etc, ‘jazz’ing up the symbiotic bond even more securely and seamlessly. Stars, or superstars, deemed as threats years ago are now sound investments, a lucrative lure. And stars don’t mind if political patronage helps them shine. In short, it is now cinema’s turn to eclipse politics what with even governments celebrating 100 days in office!
The impact of cinema on people defies description. Celluloid is drilled deep into our psyche. Fans outnumber voters here. Intelligent individuals turn into mad mobs once it is ‘start camera, action’. In this pious State, reel is the real religion. Theatres are temples. Release dates are ritual-ridden festivals. Peppy numbers and punch dialogues pass for prayers and pujas! Attaining a ticket to the movie hall on the auspicious Friday first day is akin to moksha.
Matinee idols are round-the- clock, nay, calendar, gods, revered and worshipped. Their ‘voice’ is veda to the ardent ‘devotee’. The hero’s future or his film is paramount; the fan and his family are expendable. An ‘idol’ in the dumps or with his movie in a limbo, can evoke instant and infinitely more sympathy in his follower even if the latter could not manage a morsel for himself. More than a director or distributor a fan appears to have a bigger stake in his favourite star’s flick. Fights over fanhood can make fierce foes of fond friends.
Cinema’s effect on daily life is, well, a fact of life. We fall back on lyrics and and lines from it to rationalise, philosophise and even to discover lofty doctrines. Cine scenes are the most handy benchmarks or yardsticks for routine situations. Even an one-off occurance creates a sense of deja vu because of the presence of a parallel on screen. Vivek and Vadivelu have long replaced Bertrand Russel and Bernard Shah for quotable and unquotable quotes even in colleges and courts.
Celluloid chronicles our evolution from cradle to every corner to coroner. It lends chronology and context to reality and relationships. The screen-deep dream world is where we scratch our secret itches and satisfy our voyeuristic cravings. This fantasy factory can easily make us believe in an alternate existence where we can play out experiences that elude us presently.
The distance between the hero and his fan is gone; today’s impressionable film-going youth, lumpen and learned alike, fancy themselves as the one on the screen, thanks to the likes of, well, let’s leave VIPs alone! Suffice to say that the reigning dictum is stalkers have a divine right to land the lass they long or lust for.
The jury is still out on cinema’s role in crime vis-a-vis such a vulnerable audience. Of course, Judges are busy adjudicating in precious judicial time over tinsel disputes. That’s fine because we can’t wait. We can go without a meal but not without reel, dot on time! As a film buff, I understand. And I am understandably aghast that I do so unabashed. Jeans, pardon, genes.
Kabali is a magnified manifestation of our manic mindset. Many more movies may come and go. But in TN theatre the show never stops. Cinemada!
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