Pratibimb is the Hindi word for mirror image.
It also happens to be the name of the films society me and my friends failed to run in our city Indore in the year 2002.
I am fortunate to refine my understanding of cinema in my tenure as a student in Film & TV Institute of India, Pune. Coming from Indore I was exposed to Hindi commercial films mostly. There were few instances of experiencing the other types of films of world and India only in good old days of Doordarshan.
But in the FTII, I got to see the wide range of world cinema. It included films from India as well. Those films which never get an opportunity to reach the wider audience because either they were made in languages other than Hindi or they didn't have bollywood stars in them. After watching those films I realise the real meaning of the world cinema and the real impact of it.
I wondered why these films cant reach to my friends in Indore and other places. After enquiring with many people I found that everyone thinks that these films are for classes and not for the masses.
I don't agree to this opinion, because I never think my friends who are businessman, teacher, an electrician and even a chemist are no less intelligent than any film student like me. Its just that they are never exposed to the other cinema. Even if they are willing to see the other cinema they are being prevented by so called film mafias to see these films.
The reason for this is very obvious. As they say the one who has always eaten a regular meal can never appreciate the finesses of an exotic gourmet dish. To make them appreciate the gourmet dish, they have to be exposed and taught nuances of the gourmet dish. That is my sole reason for starting a film society in Indore.
But in spite of this noble intention, our day to day realities did not permit my friends in Indore to run the film society in a regular manner. Also it was a time when DVDs were beginning to get popular and to organise for prints of the films was not an easy job. And I was also away In FTII for my studies and was unable to oversee the running of the society. So we were left with no other choice but to close the society.
But it did not kill my desire to share the beauty and pleasure of good cinema with my friends. So I decided to share my experiences of watching various films with all my friends. The way I've been benefited by reading the reviews of various films in the FTII, I believe all my friends who will read my opinion on various films will get an alternate point of view to ponder on and decide for themselves how good or bad a film they watched actually is.
These reviews are not regular critique of a film. I'd rather say that it is an appreciation. For me it is an effort to analise and understand as a filmmaker the efforts of fellow filmmaker to make a film. I firmly believe that at the onset nobody starts to make a bad film. But the entire film making process is so organic that anyone can go wrong at anytime. And during the making of the film, the filmmaker is often so engrossed in the process that certain errors just go unnoticed. Although in my postings, my language mostly will be of a critic, but I try my best to understand the situations in which the creative decision was taken and why is it working or not working in the film.
With this intention, I have been writing such reviews since last couple of years, but its easily thought than done. Due to various professional and personal commitments, it was really difficult to write. Also the number of films I watch is so high that it really becomes difficult to write on all the films. Also for my readers, it will be difficult the judge my comments if they've not watched the film themselves. So I'm restricting myself to mostly those films which are released normally in theaters.
Now with this blog I hope that this venture will be a regular affair. This blog is also an effort to understand how a normal viewer watches a film. So its my sincere request to all the visitors to this blog to bless me with all the bouquets and brickbats. They all are really welcome. Ultimately they will only add another dimension to our Pratibimb.
It also happens to be the name of the films society me and my friends failed to run in our city Indore in the year 2002.
I am fortunate to refine my understanding of cinema in my tenure as a student in Film & TV Institute of India, Pune. Coming from Indore I was exposed to Hindi commercial films mostly. There were few instances of experiencing the other types of films of world and India only in good old days of Doordarshan.
But in the FTII, I got to see the wide range of world cinema. It included films from India as well. Those films which never get an opportunity to reach the wider audience because either they were made in languages other than Hindi or they didn't have bollywood stars in them. After watching those films I realise the real meaning of the world cinema and the real impact of it.
I wondered why these films cant reach to my friends in Indore and other places. After enquiring with many people I found that everyone thinks that these films are for classes and not for the masses.
I don't agree to this opinion, because I never think my friends who are businessman, teacher, an electrician and even a chemist are no less intelligent than any film student like me. Its just that they are never exposed to the other cinema. Even if they are willing to see the other cinema they are being prevented by so called film mafias to see these films.
The reason for this is very obvious. As they say the one who has always eaten a regular meal can never appreciate the finesses of an exotic gourmet dish. To make them appreciate the gourmet dish, they have to be exposed and taught nuances of the gourmet dish. That is my sole reason for starting a film society in Indore.
But in spite of this noble intention, our day to day realities did not permit my friends in Indore to run the film society in a regular manner. Also it was a time when DVDs were beginning to get popular and to organise for prints of the films was not an easy job. And I was also away In FTII for my studies and was unable to oversee the running of the society. So we were left with no other choice but to close the society.
But it did not kill my desire to share the beauty and pleasure of good cinema with my friends. So I decided to share my experiences of watching various films with all my friends. The way I've been benefited by reading the reviews of various films in the FTII, I believe all my friends who will read my opinion on various films will get an alternate point of view to ponder on and decide for themselves how good or bad a film they watched actually is.
These reviews are not regular critique of a film. I'd rather say that it is an appreciation. For me it is an effort to analise and understand as a filmmaker the efforts of fellow filmmaker to make a film. I firmly believe that at the onset nobody starts to make a bad film. But the entire film making process is so organic that anyone can go wrong at anytime. And during the making of the film, the filmmaker is often so engrossed in the process that certain errors just go unnoticed. Although in my postings, my language mostly will be of a critic, but I try my best to understand the situations in which the creative decision was taken and why is it working or not working in the film.
With this intention, I have been writing such reviews since last couple of years, but its easily thought than done. Due to various professional and personal commitments, it was really difficult to write. Also the number of films I watch is so high that it really becomes difficult to write on all the films. Also for my readers, it will be difficult the judge my comments if they've not watched the film themselves. So I'm restricting myself to mostly those films which are released normally in theaters.
Now with this blog I hope that this venture will be a regular affair. This blog is also an effort to understand how a normal viewer watches a film. So its my sincere request to all the visitors to this blog to bless me with all the bouquets and brickbats. They all are really welcome. Ultimately they will only add another dimension to our Pratibimb.
6 comments:
Stop sleeping with films please, there are better option available to sleep with !!
BTW PRATIBIMB is a nice name selected, i appriciate !!
hey imust say anexhaustive effort
meri English aur Hinglish Donoo his kamzore hain parr aapko badhaai deta hun ek kaamyaab koshis ki.
It would be great if you adopt topics outside of films. Your friends would know more of you as a person rather than only a filmmaker.We don't expect another review blog from another person of the film fraternity!!!.
Nice work . I had written a fair comment , but lost it cause forgot the password . Anyways , good to see u as a film buff . i am an avid film watcher , especially the classical , ones . My best pic among the lot are " Metro" " Page 3" " Bhul Bhulaiya " " Welcome " and all
keep writing , thats interesting reading
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