I first heard of Marigold- the film starring our very own Sallu in some tabloid and was instinctively apprehensive. For it irks me every time our success or failure is measured by the yardstick of Hollywood. All the same, I was non-reactive and moved on to other news items on that day.
The various Hollywood names- Williard Caroll, Ali Larter- linked to the film did not ring any bell in my averagely informed Hollywood mind. That was the first indication for me to not look forward to this film.
The second dampener came in the form of the delay that the film had to undergo. For again my ‘average’Cinema Aware mind hinted to me the basic difference between Hollywood and the Hindi Film Industry is the Discipline and Planning. Two reasons why they are prompt, On time and hence Effective. On that count too…Marigold Failed!
Then came the vital blow- the promos! I remember my first encounter with B-grade Hollywood films through the trade magazines- that have semi nude Bhojpuri Film heroines on the front cover- compared to them too our hindi film Superstars Hollywood debut looked stale, abrupt and scratchy.
I saw the film this week!! We were three of us, sitting in different corners of the 300 seater Fame Cinema. I thought I sensed sympathy when the popcorn guy came with the popcorn, had it been possible, I felt he would have handed me the popcorn and cola free, for my choice of going through the film.
As the film ended and the three of us left having learnt a very big lesson about “Hype and Reality”- there was one query that has nagged me since then- Why did Salman Khan do the film?
If this film was a result of some serious trouble to the director in executing his vision and hence turned out with: super-jump cut scenes, no character establishments, unintentional comedy in emotional scenes and of course all those who have seen the film will agree- the transition from one scene to another!!!
I wish to ask Ms Anouradha (the editor)- “Mam…. what happened?”
There were animated marigolds going round and round the 70 mm screen, once a knotted dhupatta going from bottom of the screen to the top- like a curtain raiser…. Cartoon Network would have been embarrassed with such patchwork.
Coming back to my query...and forgive me if I’m wrong but allow me to voice it all the same- Are we still in awe of our western colleagues which makes us assume they are good at their work because of the aura that their physical appearance or diction brings to their offers or approaches? Had a similar idea coming from a dusky skin and bambaiya or south India accent garnered same attention from the actors?
I hate to criticize but I’m unable to restrain my agony towards this bias that we instinctively happen to nurture somewhere within us. If KANK was thrashed- and I’m no loyalist of the KANK team- by the media then Marigold’s makers must be ripped for having given us a low end, rejected and embarrassing version of the cinema (HOLLYWOOD) from which we expect a certain quality.
You cannot just come down to our land, take in one of our best film stars and give us a bad film.
But hey!…that’s just what happened!
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