Covering Bollywood and the Hindi Cinema

Looks like many of us film-watchers, even Rakeysh Mehra finds the whole Award System in Bollywood strange (putting it mildly). Here is what he had to say to IndiaFm:

Rakeysh Mehra is more amused than exasperated by the award for best film and best director being split into two. "These things happen. I've no quibble with Lagey Raho Munnabhai getting honoured. It's a fine film."

But the 'best film' going to Lagey Raho…Munnabhai has evidently confused 'best director' Rakeysh. "All I can say is there're some strange things happening in this world. I'm more amused than anything else. But I'm baffled by some of the categories of awards. But no complaints! Kuala Lampur was fun and the hospitality was heartwarming."

The Rang De Basanti director's joy at his songs going to the Oscars knows no bounds. "Isn't it fantastic for A. R Rahman that three of his songs are going to the Oscars? And two of them are from my film. I'm pretty certain Indian popular music is destined to make an international impact, provided it's divorced from our cinema. But since the music remains wedded to the screenplay its impact is often somewhat restricted. We need to liberate our music from cinema."

In the same breath Rakeysh admits there's a certain universality to the songs in Rang De Basanti. "When Lataji sings Lukka chuppi it's every mother singing to every child. Khalbali is a song that expresses the youth's anxieties."