The grass is not greener on either side

MOVIE-MAKING can be anybody's choice..but surely not everybody's game.
This time, our valued and noted film critic Khalid Mohamed has chosen to make a movie as have many other prominent journalists before him, like Baburao Patel, Khwaja Ahmed Abbas, Chidanand Dasgupta and Jainendra Jain.

I have been asked by senior members of The Times of India to write a review of Fiza, made by my friend Khalid Mohamed. It is definitely the hottest chair I have been awarded by them - and I, like others, think of it as an honour.
I am, of course, no Tom McCarthy of Variety or Janet Maslin of The New York Times. I'm only a humble student of cinema. But now..if my review praises the movie beyond what it deserves, I may be branded as sending lollipops to promote my own interests - and if I do otherwise, I risk losing the soft corner in their hearts for me. However, I have decided to perform my duty as a true student of cinema, and I am now sitting in this hot seat as a film critic whose job it is to analyse a film from three perspectives: a) The film-maker's b) The critic's c) the audience's.

Although I hate to be judgmental about other's works, I find it exciting, like many other directors, to analyse Khalid's work - Khalid, who has been a film critic for over two decades and known as a `fright' for film-makers and a `delight' for their rivals! Khalid has been lambasting Bombay mainstream cinema since the `70s. It was only in 1995, during the Filmfare awards function, that I saw him joining the the commercial bandwagon of mainstream cinema with the showboys and showgirls of the film industry. It was a welcome sight for mainstream film-makers, including myself. I am now convinced that most film-makers who begin with a strong belief in parallel cinema finally surrender to commercial cinema, with the embarrassed pledge, "Finally, it is good cinema that matters..''

Now, for Fiza.
The most hyped film of the year, with an excellent star cast, the current Hrithik fever, hit music and brilliant marketing by The Culture Company, it may bring good news at the box-office initially, whether Fiza has the fizz or not.
Fiza is the story of a lower-middle-class Mumbai Muslim girl (Karisma Kapoor) who loses her brother Amaan (Hrithik Roshan) in the 1993 riots. Amaan leaves a young, marriageable sister and a hapless widowed mother in the lurch and goes to Rajasthan to join Murad Khan and gang, a group of young extremists (who look more like college drop-outs) and who idealise themselves as warriors against injustice and have their own commandments. However, Amaan keeps making guest appearances in Mumbai to reconfirm the belief of his sister Fiza that he is alive and traceable for the rest of the film.

Fiza is portrayed as determined, dauntless and a graduate (confirmed by our ace photographer Gautam Rajadhyaksha) who fights for people's rights like Rajni (Priya Tendulkar)..whether it is inspector Prakash Ingle, the pale, sick filmi politician, or the sex-starved employer. Fiza is definitely the pious aapa of Amaan though she looks more like a kid who's just passed out of school in front of strapping Hrithik.
The pious Fiza, who lives in a sea-blue room in a stone-walled chawl next to Haji Ali, does not mind dancing at a discotheque, wearing leather jeans, thick stagey make-up and singing in a folksy voice, Ghungroo toot gaye to kya.
Anyhow, Fiza manages to reach Rajasthan in search of her brother, where you are again exalted and excited to see Sushmita Sen beneath 35 yards of silver-grey silk fabric in a seductive music video dance show. You anticipate her participation in Amaan's life and the secret of a "seven-year missing boy'', but alas..! It was only a commercial break, like one between two awards at any film awards function.
Coming back to Fiza..she convinces her brother through flimsy dialogue to return home and he, weak as he is, agrees to return and throws his pistol into a water drum.
Fiza brings back an enervated Amaan to their mother's door, who breaks down emotionally..after a pause..and evokes your sentiments too - just like all Hindi film reunion scenes in any of those lost-and-found stories, good or bad.
Amaan does not enjoy the Welcome Home Cracker Show organised by mother; instead, he misses the sound of guns, his black hood and stylish wardrobe, especially designed for movie terrorists. Looking at Amaan, jobless and doleful, Nishat Bi cajoles Amaan into joining the course of Osho..sorry, garrulous Johnny Lever's `Laughing and Meditation Course' where Johnny brilliantly exhibits how different people and stars laugh in different ways. Amaan is embarrassed to be there on the insistence of his mother, completely oblivious to the fact that this will lead to his destruction.

When two goons hit Johnny Lever because he makes people laugh, Amaan is back in action! Reactions..The police arrive to apprehend Amaan when he is dancing with his family to a song from Bobby. This leads to a shoot-out and everything is finished..But strangely the final pain is transferred to a filmi brag, Ulfat Bi, instead, who wails a long martyr song. Now, the climax.
Amaan returns to join Murad Khan. Fiza asks Amaan to stop all this. But Amaan is at the point of no return. He has killed both the phoney and the sick political filmi characters, in combinations of black-and-white and colour shots (French Cinema). Murad Khan wants to kill Amaan. The law is chasing Amaan to hang him. So, Amaan has a Hobson's Choice! He does not go into a corner and shoot himself to relieve his pain as well as his sister's agony. But you have to see it to believe it..Does it ring a bell?

Yes. Amaan is no better developed a character than Raghu in Vaastav, Satya in Satya and Saket Ram in Hey Ram. An honest and loving hero is forced to join a terrorist group to kill the evils of society, and finally you are supposed to feel sorry for them? As a film-maker, I have full sympathy for the writer-director and his intentions of making Fiza a great film. But there is a huge journey between conceiving a film and finally presenting it on screen to the audience.

I'm sure Khalid must not be very happy with the final product, since his characters, his story and his inspiration to make Fiza a good film have been lost somewhere along the way - this happens to many young, talented directors too, who surrender to market forces and keep changing their mind during the making of the film. Khalid, too, could not escape from these extraneous forces, whether it is the star cast, drum-drum music, flashy dances, sensual choreography. The film has sketchy characterisations, an incoherent script and a poor narrative with screechy background music.

I'm sure Fiza is not the film Khalid had thought of at the time of its conception. I could see the author's concept of a girl called Fiza..a) A legendary character, of Smita Patil's stature, who could pierce a national message of `green and saffron' right into your mind and heart. b) A strong mother who takes her sufferings upon herself as habit, but cannot bear the sight of her son with a gun. c) Amaan - an innocent, handsome, boy-next- door, trapped into ugly violence. d) Even Ulfat Bi (Asha Sachdev), a paradoxical character - 'Live life once, with a smile, song and dance' - finally voices her pains of life and death on her great friend's janaaza.
They were conceived brilliantly, but were not brought as such on the screen. A director's skill in guiding actors is missing, so the finer moments are lost. The screenplay keeps managing the situations conveniently and adjusting to all the market demands - whether it's Sushmita's item dance or Hrithik's tandav in the climax.
Unfortunately, Khalid has made all the mistakes which he has been decrying as a critic of run-of-the-mill Mumbai cinema for many years. So, he lags far behind in giving a soulful film in spite of support from the best talent in the country, including Gulzar, Santosh Sivan, A.R. Rahman, Jaya Bachchan, Sharmishtha Roy, Anu Malik and, above all, the brilliant support system of the producer plus moral support from eminent persons like M.F. Hussain and Karan Johar. No debut director could ask for more than this. Anu's music is melodious and he has realised that he has to be innovative and rich in music, along with giving hit numbers.

Although all the artistes have done their best to perform in spite of crafty scenes and lofty dialogue, it is Hrithik who keeps your eyes glued to him with his mannerisms, his body language, his expressions and his dance. He reconfirms your belief that he surely is an actor who will survive in Indian cinema for a long time - unless the media and his own success destroy him.

The choreography is pleasant and well designed, but you are glued to Santosh Sivan's swinging camera and brilliant cinematography. He is at ease, at every location, at every level. I wish Khalid could have made the entire film as good as the few good opening and closing shots of the film, which promise you the real elements of good cinema and experience. But you come out of the theatre in search of good cinema in spite of the deep involvement of a debutante director who undoubtedly wanted to make a good film. Fiza may appeal to a certain section of the audience...my best wishes with him.