A Movie on Politics & Politics of a Movie

Madras Cafe- ban is not the answer!

The following write-up is an analytical review of the recently released controversial Bollywood movie – Madras Cafe by Arun Kaliraja. The movie revolves around the assassination of former Indian Prime Minister – Rajiv Gandhi’s by the LTTE and the Indian Army’s involvement in the Sri Lankan conflict in the 80’s. The movie initially garnered controversy with demands for banning the movie by certain sections in Tamil Nadu.

The movie is definitely a very crude representation of the entire conflict with the Indian side as usual being projected as the heroes and the Tamil Tigers as the arch villains in the whole drama. The movie is nothing more than an attempt to shore up India’s foreign policy line and sidelining the voices of dissent.

The demand for the banning for the film is a trap that the working class and Democratic organisations can not fall prey to. One can recall that, as an International we did not agree with the ban on LTTE either, even though we had many differences with their approach and methods. It is the same with the Maoist outfits who still profess Class Annihilation theory, and wander around in jungles with romantic-adventurous ideas.

While we would certainly & vigorously focus on the issue of the horrendous crimes that have been perpetuated (still continuing) on the Tamil Nationality in the Island of Sri Lanka, and in doing so we always bring it into open the treacherous role played by the Indian State, first during the IPKF period and later on in the last stages of the war with LTTE.

The Committee for a Workers’ International (CWI) along with its Sri Lanka constituent party United Socialist Party, has a proud record of standing firm and leading a heroic struggle on the issue of the Right of Self Determination, up to and including secession.

New Socialist Alternative (CWI-India) would be in the forefront to expose the machinitions of the Sri Lankan and Indian state which denies the basic Democratic, Nationality rights to the Tamils in the Island. We will struggle along with the campaigns such as Tamil Solidarity and movements such as May 17 Movement, we would fight to expose the bollywood lobby which is nothing but an ally of the the Indian State to further the exploitation.

While there is no doubt among the radical activist circles on the role played by the present Congress regime be it on the question of UNHRC resolution or its overt and covert support to the Communal right wing Mahinda’s regime, but what is concerning is the developments around BJP and Shiv Sena trying to play “friendly” card towards the Tamils.

Though not much discussed in the popular press the Sangh Parivar has spread its tentacles in the North of Sri Lanka in the Jafna-Trinco region trying to create a communal wedge between the Tamils and the Tamil Speaking Muslims. It is for certain that neither the Congress nor the BJP-Shiv Sena would support the Tamils in Sri Lanka, in fact they have systematically brainwashed the people with the “Terrorist” tag to the Tamils there.

The New Socialist Alternative would not advocate a ban on the film, but would campaign to expose the sinful nexus behind the making of the film. Except in the extreme case of not giving space to fascist & extremely right wing ideologies we take a principled position of defending the Democratic Right of Freedom of Expression. At the same time, as this article rightly points out “freedom of expression” under capitalism will only be mirage and will be exploited by the ruling classes to manipulate the public opinion in their favour.

Editors
Socialism.in

A Movie on Politics & Politics of a Movie

Towards the climax of the movie after the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi, the whole nation weeps. A woman asks her husband “what wrong did he do?? He was so young!!!”. This is what the makers of the movie want the public to think. Rajiv Gandhi, the all holy, the all pure, epitome of humanity craved for peace and political solution for the Tamils in Srilanka, while the Tigers, passionate about war and violence, hell bent on gaining more power acted as mere hit men for the corporations of the world to whom Rajiv Gandhi was a threat. This is the image this movie is trying to portray, a history of its own. The plot is added to make it a movie rather than a propaganda film.

Films like these are not very uncommon in the movie industry. While every movie industry in India, from south to north have made movies for decades on pious nationalist hero bashing a Pakistani terrorist, the Hollywood had its James bonds chasing villains from Russia and Vietnam. Movies like these play the role of molding the opinion of the public in favor of its policies on foreign relations. Rambo-3 an Hollywood movie revolved around the protagonist helping mujahedeen ‘freedom fighters’ to fight the Soviets. Now Hollywood is making movies on brave hearts fighting the mujahedeen ‘terrorists’. “Roja” was telecasted every Independence Day in India, with the hero throwing himself to prevent an Indian flag lit by a Pakistani terrorist from burning, made a good drama that would whip up sentiments.

Madras Cafe is coming in a time when India is facing in a crisis in shaping its foreign policies towards Srilanka particularly after its role in the final stages of Eelam war are exposed and questioned and there is pressure mounting on it from the progressive forces in Tamil Nadu. The various Tamil organizations have attempted to create a opinion outside Tamil Nadu on the Eelam issue as a whole through visual media in the form of documentary films on the history of struggle and the brutalities in the last stages of war.

India’s stand on the 13th amendment is vigorously under attack by the critics as it brings no solution to the ethnic crisis. Madras cafe echoes the states policies amidst the rebelling voices which in the words of the protagonist is “we lost our P.M and the Eelam Tamils their future” (Note: Rajiv Gandhi was not the Prime minister when he was assassinated). The movie passes a judgment that had the Eelam Tamils accepted the Indian solution to the problem a river of honey and milk would have filled their lives! But it refused to talk about the atrocities of the IPKF committed in Srilanka. Even the fact that RAW tried to create a split in the organizations and tried to pit them one against the other has been shown very lightly that makes the viewer think “If that is good for our Nation, India then we shall have to do it”.

The entropy of ban politics

As soon as the trailer of the movie got released concerns were raised on the theme of the movie following which the movie was screened to selected few, who later called for banning of the movie. This is the slippery road which is taken in issues like these. The state may accept the demand if it finds its interests collides, or it may evoke the “right to freedom of speech and expression” and deny the ban.

Further the state may deny a certification or introduce cuts through censor board on films which explicitly question them. “Kutra Pathirikai” a movie on the same subject of Rajiv Gandhi murder which was directed by R.K Selvamani was denied certification and never hit the theatres. “Nellu” a movie based on the massacre in Keezhvenmani was denied clearance from censor board. “Uchuidhanai Mugarndhaal” which also revolves around Eezham was denied censor clearance first and once the director decided to go for a fast unto death it was allowed to be screened. The “right to freedom of speech and expression” do not matter to the state then. Between equal rights, as Marx said force decides.

But to make a movie a debatable topic in this system it happens only when there are rigorous protests by organizations who call for ban. Otherwise it becomes a joy ride for the movie makers. Further the existing media do not create any space for such a meaningful debate with any proper outcomes. The reality that mainstream media is working on the same capitalistic model and explicitly owe allegiance to a particular party denies space for such a debate that can reach the masses. For instance, in the case of Tamil Nadu were the television channels are themselves owned by the major political parties.

Further asking for ban denies the public the opinion of their own which puts the risk of top down opinion formation on issues. But what do movies mean for the public? Do they create opinions based on movies?

Entertainment in the era of extreme exploitation

The movie has fared well in official reviews. That brings us to the question of what a movie means to the ordinary people. Is it viewed as a artistic expression or an escape route after a week long of tiring work from reality? This is not to say that there are movies that attempt to portray problems of society in a genuine manner. But they don’t fare well compared to the grand Indian ‘masala’ movies in terms the profit, after all the producers of the movies are capitalists who favor the stories that give more profit. So what do the viewers take from movies like these? Do they accept what is said in face value or do they go back and check the factual correctness of what is portrayed in the movie or do they forget as soon as they are back to the reality?

The political content does have an impact on the viewers. A couple of movies which take the same line will definitely have an impact. We may have failed this time to create a mass opinion against the movie. And let’s not be optimistic, there will be more movies on the same theme echoing the states policies in the future as well. The situation demands a change in the overall system for as long as there is hate to spread there will be hate movies. One of the immediate task is to fight for a genuinely free media that is neither under big business control nor state control, publicly owned under democratic workers’ control, decentralised & opened up to all the communities, inclusive and impartial to views of every section of the society, that puts the working class perspective, a media that don’t just fill its space with “Hail thee” but which critically approaches and aims at putting forward the right perspectives, the task which falls on the progressive forces both inside and outside Tamil Nadu.

Arun Kaliraja
(Member of the May 17 Movement-Tamil Nadu and also a member of the New Socialist Alternative in Bangalore)