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TV & Film - Articles |
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Articles
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By Ayers Baxter
By Ayers Baxter
Last January I wrote a challenge. Let’s start a revolution in the motion picture industry. Well they are doing it in Pakistan.
In our world where artists are increasingly unappreciated the pendulum swings back. Consider the case of unreasonable animosity between Pakistan and India, where economic sanctions, border wars and nuclear threats have found no success in yielding peace. For the first time, the political powers to be are on the verge of coming to a reasonable conclusion by using art for political leverage.
This past fall the restoration of a great movie was completed and re-released in Bombay and New Delhi. Originally, it took over 10 years to make. On the day it hit the screens in 1960, the people who came to see it that first day never suspected that it would truly make history twice in its lifetime. Nor did they think it would influence many generations of people throughout the world. Why? They had not seen many motion pictures from their part of the world made into great works of art.
Mughal-e-Azam is one of the greatest movies ever made. It is better than Ben Hur. It is as grand as any of Shakespeare’s conquering epics. One of the greatest actors in the world stars in it. Dilip Kumar is as mighty in silence as he is in deeds (read action). And Madhubala is without a doubt one of the sexiest stars in history as she burns up the screen with her controlled passion. She does it without prosthetic boobs and having to do a nude scene. Directors in Hollywood should study this movie to learn how to use majestic sets, masses of people, and high concept action in a way that accents but does not supersede a story about human beings. Producers can learn that there is absolutely nothing wrong with seeking to tell a great story full of artistry – read superb writing, character development and dialogue with poetry, song and dance included.
It is a huge movie. The technical majesty of the movie making in Mughal-e-Azam is far more compelling than most movies made in its time. In fact, this 2004 restoration of the original negative was colorized and digitalized in India and rerecorded in Hollywood. Technically, it should be considered for an Oscar. The restoration of the sound is probably the greatest achievement. It was recently redone and digitalized. Thank god for small favors. Naushad, the original composer, is still alive and was hired to supervise it. Naushad even re-orchestrated and re-recorded the music background and songs for this restoration. And the music is spectacular. Some of the most dramatic and compelling scenes in the story are songs.
Without glorifying the movie any more than I am, the power of art recorded in this movie is at this time in history playing a major role in pacifying a tense political situation between India and Pakistan and potentially changing temperaments and outdated unhelpful thinking within both countries.
India and Pakistan were once the same country. After the British withdrawal from the sub-continent and the subsequent partition into three parts - Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, in 1947 - India and Pakistan have been fighting over a small but important peace of heaven called Kashmir.
To think that men would invent reasons to fight over such a gloriously beautiful piece of land shows just how little we respect God’s gifts to us. Few, if any, of the supposedly great leaders who originally argued so magnanimously on either side of the issue, are alive today. Their words and deeds still ring of egocentric values and territorialism placing them above the simple value of human rights. Almost immediately after the 1947 partition, and after the slaughter of over 20 million Muslims in the transformation, the UN passed a resolution in 1948 to let the people, who live in Kashmir, decide their fate in open and honest elections. Gandhi agreed that this was the more human and righteous choice. However, the powers that be in India and Pakistan had a more self-righteous attitude to rule Kashmir. They would rather send their people to fight and die over this issue than come to a sensible arrangement. How can that be good for any nation? The UN has been weak and unwilling to move mountains on their behalf even though the resolution that orders free and open elections for the people of Kashmir to decide their own fate is still on record. Such is the power of an unruly mind.
A windmill draws more water when the changing winds move the dead wood. So, a movie comes along and although it has little to do with the specific debate on Kashmir borders, nuclear weapons, piracy, cross border trade and water rights it certainly has to do with art and how art can move an ego into action.
Rehmat Fazli (far left in pic) and Saeed Fazli (far right) and their assistant, Habib Fazli (center), international movie advisors who helped guide the producers Deepesh Salgia of Pallonji Shapoorji and Company who restored Mughal-e-Azam, which premiered in Bombay’s Bollywood on the 10th of November, 2004 in India, have gone to the government of Pakistan and pleaded the case that this great movie should cross borders and be allowed to be shown in Pakistan. I mean let’s get real here. The movie was made about a Muhgal Emperor. A Muslim Mughal who ruled the Indian sub-continent, which consists of what we know as Pakistan and India, today. It was written by a Muslim, produced and directed by a Muslim and starred predominantly Muslim actors and actresses. So, why are these artists banned in Pakistan and vice versa? It doesn’t make sense.
At this time, in Islamabad, top officials are debating the value of changing an old law of censorship of Indian artists and India is doing the same. If and when the laws change to allow India and Pakistan artist to cross borders, a major step towards peace and goodwill will be achieved. Soon to follow will be other business and product exchanges and cross border investments. These exchanges of goods and services will benefit both countries politically and economically. It’s a much safer neighborhood when neighbors are friends.
So, let’s cut the Hollywood bullshit… Art sells! It sells more than tickets. It sells ideas. Today, Mughal-e-Azam, is again making history. This old movie’s re-release is not only helping to ease tension in geo-political debates about who and what kind of people live, work and play in Pakistan and India; it’s also out grossing the biggest new films with the biggest young stars by the hottest directors. And a young teen audience is rushing to see it. My god what is happening here? Art. That’s what.
Copyright December 2004, Roy Ayers Baxter, Jr. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Reproduction of any kind is strictly prohibited without the permission of the copyright owner.
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