The shame of Bollywood (including it's 'intellectuals') is that no one, not one person, came out to publicly support Raavan. Even if one didn't like the film overall surely there was enough here to admire or appreciate, enough here to at least support on principle. Specially when there was such hysteria surrounding it. I won't take names here, specially because there are some here whom I respect a great deal otherwise, but these very folks come out to defend what is already lionized by the media and so on. The films in question might be smaller efforts or major ones but these have important institutional support centers one way or the other.

Bombay has always had a bit of a complex about Ratnam. The establishment likes RGV (or at least did for the longest time..) who shifted shop to Bombay. Dil Se was very negatively reviewed, there was a 'what's the fuss?' response to Yuva (though Abhishek got great reviews), Guru got good reviews but Abhishek got much better ones, Raavan meanwhile was mauled on both fronts (the Tamil version got decent or better reviews in TN, both the film and the star).

From ZNMD to GoW there are always important voices supporting such films. There is some base of support somewhere. In some cases the audiences is already there to one degree or another (ZNMD, Rockstar), in other instances there is at least a 'brat-pack' establishment behind some of the smaller or even more obscure efforts. But when it's a D6 or a Raavan everyone's missing in action.

But to support the obvious we don't need the illustrious! In one sense though the fact that these films did not attract a certain critical and/or institutional support proves precisely that these were authentic efforts on a variety of levels. Either this or these were totally worthless films the way most in the media made it out to be. Fortunately I am not brain-dead enough to go for the second option! Which once again does not mean that these films cannot be critiqued or criticized. Just the the terms offered were the most idiotic and bankrupt ones (incidentally there were important voices supporting both films but these were drowned out in some of the hysteria).

Now it might seem that I keep bringing up these films because of my Ratnam and/or Abhishek partiality and though these are perfectly respectable reasons to do so (I am hardly apologetic on either score!) this hysteria was interesting because it was so singular. Otherwise films flop all the time, actors/films are criticized a lot of times without such hysteria or intense negativity being attendant on them. Why did Raavan especially disturb so many so much? This is a site for me where important questions can be raised and answered (for those who are not already part of the bankruptcy and/or complacency program).

In any case I have always loved Bala. Have regretted his estrangement from Vikram very much. Absolutely loved his Naan Kadavul but it was would have been one for the ages with him [Vikram]. His Paradesi too misses this great star. So I am consistent about the kinds of actors and/or personas and/or subjects I like.

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