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Film

Let’s sex it up. Not.

M wonders how, despite rampant sexual harassment within it, Bollywood will address the subject in this Friday’s big film release.

Bollywood never ceases to amaze me. The Friday release this week is Inkaar (starring Arjun Rampal and Chitrangada Singh) and it delves into the subject of sexual harassment at the workplace, and how a man deals with allegations of abuse from a female colleague. I am keen to see how the film explores this issue, coming as it is from the horse’s mouth. Okay, I’ll come straight to the point.

When the Hindi film industry releases a film on sexual harassment, I want to see a disclaimer at the start of the film stating: ‘This film is not a piece of fiction and is based on real life instances from the producer/director/executive producer, etcetera’s lives. Due to the brief duration of the film, all the victims and their stories could not be covered. Viewers’ discretion is advised.’

The following is a true story.

An executive producer (EP) of a major film broadcasting house was fired and immediately hired by another broadcasting company. Like they say, one man’s dirt is another man’s treasure. Well, this guy did have loads of dirt on him. To begin with, he was fired or to put it politely, “asked to leave” because of the constant complains of sexual harassment he meted out to his female colleagues. In fact, tales of his behaviour were known to all and sundry in the industry. This didn’t stop him from doing the same at his new workplace. He believed that when you work at a film production company, you are expected to flirt a little to keep the atmosphere ‘light’.

He also believed that wearing a skirt to work makes the female colleague ‘available’ and that she’s ‘looking for some action’. So, he thought he did the right thing by constantly passing nasty remarks about their appearance and their clothes at the workplace. He even told stories about how he was popular amongst starlets, and how they sent him titillating pictures of themselves on his Blackberry Messenger.

Sometimes, he would even tell his males colleague to “go for it” and ask the superiors if they were “screwing” their subordinates (of course, the subordinates were women). He would narrate numerous stories about how, at his previous organisation, he would conduct ‘screen tests’ at hotel rooms and put the tab on the production budget. Stories about him luring young, struggling actresses and taking advantage of them were aplenty. He would drool at new faces and purposely set up meetings at the office to prove he was the alpha-male of the pack; the other men in office would wonder what they had to do to be as charming with the ladies as he was.

Of course, he also had stories of the industry to tell. The most disturbing incident he narrated was of an industry head honcho. He didn’t name the Person, but said that he was once present at a party at this Person’s house. After the guests left at around 4 am, this Person, intoxicated, walked straight into the domestic help’s room and locked the door from the inside. He stepped out of the room a few minutes later and crashed on the couch in the living room. The Person’s wife, who had watched him step in and out of the help’s room, got up, walked into her bedroom, came out with a bundle of rupee notes and when to the help’s room. She walked out again without uttering a word to anyone.

Coming back to Mr EP; he didn’t stay in the new organisation for long either. The women in the new organisation also complained to the bosses. The reason for his exit is still unclear, with most reports hinting at ‘under-performance’. In one year, Mr EP had walked all over the production house’s already non-existent work culture; he was insensitive and loathsome and everybody knew about it and tolerated it. This is exactly what perplexes me; when Bollywood turns around and makes a movie on sexual harassment. The industry that sells dreams is also known for its debauchery and immorality, and men like Mr EP reinforce the cynical view one already holds against the entire fraternity.

I am very keen to know what the filmmakers have depicted in Inkaar and how far-off or close it is to the ground realities of  filmy battlegrounds. I’ll watch this one to gauge Bollywood’s point of view on the subject.

Sharp as a tack and sitting on more hot scoops than she knows what to do with, M is a media professional with an eye on entertainment.

(Picture courtesy sabhot.com)

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Watch

VIDEO: Activist Sulaiman Bhimani attacked

RTI activist Sulaiman Bhimani’s office was attacked by a group of men two days ago, but they fled within seconds. Bhimani himself sustained a minor injury.
by Krishnaraj Rao

On the afternoon of January 12, at about 3 pm, eight unknown men entered Mumbai-based RTI activist Sulaiman Bhimani’s office located at Goregaon with sticks and swords, and smashed a laptop, a printer-scanner and a computer keyboard.

The attack ended within 10 seconds as Bhimani’s neighbours raised an alarm. While retreating hastily, they slashed wildly at the nameplate with their swords, and kicked at the wooden door frame, smashing it. Bhimani escaped with only an injury on his finger.

Fortunately, this entire episode was captured on two CCTV cameras installed inside and outside Bhimani’s office. (The man seen on the right in the pink shirt is not Bhimani, he is a visitor. Bhimani, being directly seated under the CCTV camera, is not visible in the footage below.)

A man wearing a T-shirt is seen entering from the main door into the office of Sulaiman Bhimani, and abruptly smashing a laptop, before dropping his stick and fleeing. The other assailants are seen through the glass, swinging wildly to damage the office equipment before they retreat. The attack ended within 10 seconds. Bhimani, who suffered only an injury on his finger, is not seen in the footage as he was seated directly under the CCTV camera.

The man in the blue shirt talking on the phone is a visitor, and he completely fails to react as the people wearing handkerchiefs and carrying sticks and swords walk into the cabin. (This man is the “rounder” of a well known security agency.) While retreating hastily, the assailants slashed wildly at the nameplate with the swords, and kicked at the wooden door frame, smashing it.

Bhimani feels that the men were sent by a local builder due to his expose that involved a builder, MMRDA and a plot of land at Gilbert Hill. (Read details of the case here). The builder and unlawful elements mentioned in this report suffered losses of several crores when MMRDA cracked down on them recently, evicted 50 tenants with police action, and served eviction notices on 102 others. They have criminal records, and have allegedly threatened Bhimani in the recent past.

An FIR was registered under IPC sections 452, 427, 323, 143, 144, 147, 148, 149 in the matter. The case has been made against eight men for rioting, criminal intimidation and unlawful assembly.

Krishnaraj Rao is an RTI activist.

(Picture and videos courtesy Krishnaraj Rao)

 

Categories
Event

A round table on inclusive development

Mumbai University hosted a discussion on inclusive development for Indians recently. One of the invitees gives us this pitch report.
by The Association of Muslim Professionals

The Association of Muslim Professionals (AMP) was one of the exclusive invitees from the social sector participating in a round table brainstorming on ‘Indian Inclusive Development at the turn of the 21st century at JP Naik Bhavan, ICSSR, Mumbai University. The discussion was jointly organised by the Center for Research and Debates in Development Policy (CRDDP), New Delhi and the US-India Policy Institute, Washington DC, and was coordinated by Dr Abdul Shaban of the Tata Institute of Social Science (TISS), Mumbai and presided over by Professor BL Mungekar, Rajya Sabha MP.

This round table was for brainstorming to provide a framework and highlight key facts in the most simplified manner possible, so as to facilitate a debate for strategising policy engagement. A case was also made during the discussion regarding the need to have independent debating platforms in major States of India where regional issues can be articulated and policy papers prepared. Syed Najeeb, Head PR and Communications (AMP) represented the organisation at this significant event which also had high-ranking bureaucrats, political dignitaries and other members from the social sector in attendance.

Sharing his views during the discussion Najeeb said, “We need to have a two-pronged approach to tackle the current issues in the community. We need to work not just on the policies and schemes at the macro level but also ensure its proper implementation at the micro-level. Apart from that, we also need to do some self-introspection and there is a need to bring an attitudinal change within ourselves and then only can the communities prosper. Also, we need to take proper measures to put to rest the apprehensions of certain communities in the country.”

Some luminaries who shared their views at the event included renowned social activist Asghar Ali Engineer, NCP MLA Nawab Malik and Congress MLA Amin Patel.

(Picture courtesy bizforum.org. Picture used for representational purpose only)

Categories
Film

Follow me, Like me, please…

M writes on how films use Social Media to create a (mostly false) hype about how good their product is.

We are socially connected with our friends, colleagues, acquaintance and many strangers. These strangers could be anyone: a stalker, an innocent bystander, a brand prowling on your activities and at times, it could be Bollywood. Social Media has been actively used to promote films and ‘engage’ audiences more than ever. This fad started almost two years ago, when filmmakers decided to jump on the Stay Connected bandwagon that picked up momentum almost overnight in our country.

This created opportunities for small mom-and-pop shops to mushroom under the title of Social Media Experts and make quick bucks. Many of them managed to swindle the brands first, and then the filmmakers.  Here’s how this works:  once the agency is hired, the objective is defined – ‘X’ number of fans on Social Media  Portals must be achieved. Then the agency, which works with a vendor, goes all out to ensure that the fan base amplifies daily. The release date of the film arrives and the agency gets paid if they keep its promise.

But how does the agency keep its promise? The vendor hires people to create fake profiles and accounts to ‘Like’ or ‘Follow’ the film page. Of course, there are also some real people who interact with these accounts, but fake profiles are required to fulfil the commitment. This method of ‘engaging’ with the audience is widely used across the fraternity, and constantly enhanced.

Agency services are not limited to merely increasing the fan base. Some agencies, at an additional cost, provide the option of ‘deleting’ negative interactions from Social Media and Video Streaming Sites. When the film fails to please a user, which happens a lot these days, he or she is most likely to leave a negative comment on the film’s page. Now, in a democracy, with Freedom of Speech and all that jazz, this is quite understandable. But it is not acceptable to the filmmaker. So all negative comments are summarily executed the moment they are out.

Sometimes, I feel that filmmakers have their delicate brains wrapped in bubble wrap, to protect themselves from harsh realities. It’s actually quite simple. If you work hard on your product, you should release it with confidence and let the feedback flow. If people hate it, take the hate and make a better film next time. The more you try to protect your film, the more irate your audience becomes.

One particular film star, an A-lister who hasn’t tasted success in a while, was completely anal about the reviews of his film. His film was released during Diwali and the marketing teams, after delegating work to the Social Media Agency with strict instructions to remove every negative comment the moment it was published, were on a long break.  The film was touted as a big ticket release owing especially to its special effects.

Bas, the film released and the floodgates opened. The flow of negative reviews was something beyond anybody’s control. The film star was pissed off and a special meeting was called, despite everyone’s holiday. After an hour of futile brainstorming on how to control the damage, a very creative idea was touted: “Team, use your BBM/WhatsApp and personal Social Media accounts to promote the film.” Of course, 20 positive remarks were easily outnumbered by the thousands of highly negative ones, and the final verdict was a ton of unhappiness all around.

The latest innovation in seeding positivity amongst filmgoers takes deviousness to the next level. Agencies ‘gratify’ users who already have a large following to promote a film. These users then regularly talk about the film and how entertaining it is. The followers give credit to their reviews and fall prey to the hype. So the next time you see a first-rate review of a crappy film in your newsfeed, don’t be fooled. It’s time you review who you follow.

Sharp as a tack and sitting on more hot scoops than she knows what to do with, M is a media professional with an eye on entertainment.

(Picture courtesy blog.iwearyourshirt.com)

Categories
Watch

Some Friday comedy

M digs out some unintentionally funny videos that are guaranteed to make you laugh harder than today’s big ticket release.

Sometimes one needs a few chuckles to be relieved from the monotony of one’s daily chores. And most of the time we expect this from the most traditional source of entertainment – films. But, in vain, as recent films’ level of ‘humour’ has left us nonplussed.

The degrading quality of humour in our movies these days has ceased to astonish me any more. The  latest addition to the lack of comedy is Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola for lines like, ‘Raja dil saand ho na, toh har ladki bhains dikhaye deti hai, meri jaan.’ HAHAHAHAHA. Not.

The essence of comedy as an art is all but lost. And so our urge to laugh is dying.

But worry not, there is some hope left in the world of films to evoke a gurgle or two. I’ve found a few such examples for your viewing pleasure – ironically, these scenes were not intended to be funny. The point is, watch these videos and don’t feel too bad if you haven’t got a ticket, yet, to watch Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola and her pink buffalo.

Comedy #1) This guy is probably under the influence of a very powerful drug, which could explain the killer dance steps. Do watch the whole song, you don’t want to miss these moves.

 

Comedy #2) You’ve never seen anything like this before. Viewers’ discretion is advised. Scenes are gory and hilarious.


Comedy #3) For the days you’re missing a good Superman flick.

 

Comedy #4) The Indian Matrix, starring Vijayakanth from down under…

 

Comedy #5) Vijayakanth does it again. This time with Windows Media Player. I’m going to sue Windows for prejudice – why doesn’t my version do the same?

 

M is a media professional with an eye on entertainment.

(Picture courtesy filmaffinity.com)

Categories
Event

Slum dwellers’ struggle reaches Day 8

Ghar Bachao Ghar Banao struggle continues, Anna Hazare support brings media to Azad Maidan in large numbers for first time.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

The Medha Patkar-led agitation of Mumbai’s slum dwellers and those affected by scams in the Slum Rehabilitaion Authority continued yesterday, with a major shot in the arm: activist Anna Hazare landed at Azad Maidan to pledge his support to the protest and the relay fasts being undertaken therein.

With Anna’s presence at Azad Maidan at 2 pm, media personnel descended at the venue in large numbers, probably for the first time since the agitation began.

As per a press note issued by the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM), “The continuing struggle of Mumbai’s slum dwellers entered a new phase today…Shri Anna Hazare visited Azad Maidan and expressed his support to the struggle for right to shelter. In a democratic republic with the Constitution written in the name of the people, no Government has any right to evict people in a brutal manner and make them homeless, he said, calling a halt to the atrocities.”

Earlier, Mankhurd MLA and Samajwadi Party honcho Abu Azmi visited Azad Maidan to express solidarity with the protesters; he was initially heckled and questioned about his absence from the start of the Andolan. Eventually, he agreed to support the protest and join the delegation that meets the Chief Minister at Mantralaya today.

“The GBGB Andolan received the minutes with decision by the CM and the Mantralaya, yesterday night. We, from Azad Maidan, sent a reply demanding certain clarifications and suggestions,” Patkar said. The Andolankars have, however, forwarded a set of demands, some of which are: the Government must provide a written assurance of no further evictions till enquiry reports into the first group of SRA projects are out, a GBGB representative should be part of the enquiry process, and that slums must be declared within a month and provided with all basic amenities, among others.

(Picture courtesy pardaphash.com. Image is a file pic) 

 

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