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Viewpoint:
BIJON
DAS GUPTA
We’re
all in it together
The
leading art director makes a fervent plea to colleagues in
filmdom to collectively tackle attempts to victimise them ...
Of late, the news that is making headlines in the dailies
is diamond merchant Bharat Shah’s alleged links with
the underworld. He has been called "Bad"-Shah. Today,
how do we distinguish between the bad and the good? Can we
really define the word "bad" and justify being judgmental
on somebody of repute like Bharat Shah? People, who know him
from close quarters know how truly religious and generous
he has been. He has always been helpful to people in need
in whatever way he can.
A successful diamond export business had earned him honorary
citizenship in Belgium, but only his love for the country
made him stay on in India. Over a period of time he diversified
into construction and filmmaking. The latter, especially,
became a passion with him after he successfully financed and
distributed films with all the leading directors. Nothing
succeeds like success and one project followed another. He
launched several aspiring talents enabling them to prove themselves
in spheres ranging from direction and music direction to art
direction and lyric writing.
Unlike Hollywood, where mostly movies are produced by the
corporates (Steven Speilberg, for instance, has his onw company),
and the interests of every body involved in filmmaking is
taken care of, the scenario in Mumbai filmdom is rather different.
There is no job security or good enough insurance policy.
Right from the actors to the stuntmen, our filmfolk are under
tremendous pressure for survival. Most of them are paid on
a daily basis, and if production work stops, many go wageless.
And we cannot ignore the fact that proverty gives birth to
crime. In a place like Mumbai, where the cost of living is
as high as New York, people are lured into criminal activities
and flesh trade. Necessity, after all, knows no law.
After Mr Shah’s arrest, several films on the floors have
come to a standstill. This has affected the lives of a few
hundred skilled labourers who have no alternative means of
eking out a livelihood. How will they support their families
with no income and no work? In a crisis like this if people
are lured into criminal activity who, do you reckon, should
take the rap for it?
Let’s take a closer look at the evidence for Mr Shah’s
allegedly heinous crime: an allegation by a not so well-known
personality and a taped conversation... Let the law take its
course if he is found guilty. But before anything is proven,
let’s not tear him apart. Let truth prevail.
Is it a crime to be successful and rich in this country? The
anwser, apparently, is in the affirmative. If we look back,
there have been several occasions when the rich and successful
have fallen prey to political or business rivalry. Many a
times, people having close contacts with a party faces harassment
from another party. In addition, it is a known fact today
that the industrialists, businessman and even senior executives
receive threats from the crime syndicate. Sometimes many of
these people are kidnapped and harrassed, and to avoid it,
others are forced to pay protection money, where the security
of the family is purchased.
Gang wars have taken place in the open in recent times. Several
idustrialists have been gunned down in broad daylight. One
is yet to forget the murder of T-Series boss, Gulshan Kumar,
or the attempt on the life of Rakesh Roshan following the
success of Kaho Na... Pyar Hai. Rajiv Rai, director and son
of producer Gulshan Rai shifted base from India after a shoot-out
at his office. It may not be out of place to mention, that
most people in the film industry were not born rich, neither
have they inherited huge amounts of wealth. Most of them are
self-made people who had to struggle in the beginnning of
their careers. Today, one cannot gainsay the contributions
of the film industry in various spheres of our life. Sunil
Dutt, Amitabh Bachchan, Shabana Azmi, Rajesh Khanna, Vinod
Khanna... all of them have fought for social issues, raised
funds for charity, organised functions to help the AIDS-affected
and victims of natural calamities. The present heart-throb
of millions, Aishwariya Rai campaigned for an eye-donation
drive for the blind. Ex-Ms Universe, Sushhmita Sen raised
funds for several charitable causes and adopted a girl child,
thus promoting adoption among the unwed people. In recent
Kaun Banega Crorepati episodes, stars like Shahrukh Khan,
Rani Mukherji, Aamir Khan and Sonali Bendre donated their
winners’ cheques to charity.
Inspite of all these modest deeds, the film industry has been
the target of victimization from various spheres. Reputed
film director Mani Ratnam faced death threats after his controversial
film Bombay. Absolute secularism reigns in the film industry.
Some of India’s highest tax-payers are actors and stars
of repute. They are not only heroes on screen but also role
models off it.
Nobody is above the law and anybody committing a crime in
any form should be viewed and judged by the judiciary.
It is important that truth prevails. But till then, let’s
not humiliate and tear apart somebody only because he happens
to be rich and famous. Let us stand united for a better tomorrow,
make a better world. Let this industry be recognised and respected.
There are ways and means to achieve it.
It is important to rid the industry of the crime syndicate,
and consider how and why the so-called underworld virus has
infected the industry. If we can make the right diagnosis,
we can come up with the right cure. We need to set aside our
egos and differences.
>>>Padmaraj Nair
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