Hmmm...... Review on Kalyug

I will have to confess that I was expecting absolutely nothing from this movie, and would not have gone for it had it not been for a lack of anything else to do for those 2-3 hours in Ahmedabad. But, the movie systematically dismantled all my preconceived notions and apprehensions that I normally harbour against movies with new actors/actresses etc. Expecting another skin-flick, I sat with a tall glass or Pepsi and popcorn to idle away time. The movie came across as a very pleasant surprise. It is certainly worth a watch and a well made one too. All this coming from a new director with new cast among other things leaves one expecting much more from them in future.

Khemu (the Hum Hai Rahi Pyar Ke kid) has certainly grown up and has shown that he can act. Emran Hashmi is finally one-up his critics as he managed to keep his smoochi-poochie image at bay for once. The actress in the lead role is the director’s own sister. Though she did not have too big a role to play, she did look very cute and did her job. A big surprise in the vamps role was Amrita Arora (Saif Khan’s ex-wife). She fits the role to the T. There are a number of other cameos in the film, Ashutosh Rana and Deepal Shaw’s for example. The music directors have done an excellent job. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan is brilliant in Jiya Dhadak Dhadak, and the adapted version of Aadat from the Pakistani band Jal sounds great too. There are only three songs in the movie, well placed and have everything nice about them.

The movie revolves around the working of the porn industry; the business of making blue films, and Khemu’s quest of ruining the people who ruined his life by planting a spy-camera inside his honeymoon suite and later on implicating him in a criminal case. This cost him his wife’s life as she committed suicide, buckling under the humiliation and pressure.

The on screen drama aside, the film does force one to think about the evil people often call as Pornography. A lot of theorizing has been done on the issue by sociologists, human rights groups and women’s organizations, we have some for reducing its menace as well, but despite all this the hard facts are that the porn industry is worth billions and billions of dollars and porn sites are the most visited web-sites on the internet. Why it is bad or when does it become bad? Does watching pornography reflect something on my character? Personally, I believe that a large chunk of pornography depicts women in bad light. A systematic abuse and violence during acts of sexual intercourse is occasionally depicted, and this is what leads to gender stereotyping in society. Offensive language is used in the videos while addressing women and they at times they are made to do acts against their will, which is very apparent. But, wouldn’t one ask that when Betty or Veronica, or for that matter any girl goes out on stage to do a Cheerleader’s job, does it not lead to gender stereotyping? So why is that we single out the porn industry while theorizing on stereotyping. Can we make such valid (invalid) classifications? Therefore, I believe that porn in the form of sexual activity between two adults, as long as it does not show either sex in a demeaning, insulting and undignified manner is fine, and there should not be any curbs on its circulation. The attraction for things kept under wraps is natural in the human psyche. Every old enough school going kid is excited about the “websites” and the “magazines” on the stalls and the fresh pump of hormones in their blood streams. Its availability should definitely be regulated as there is a certain level of maturity required for indulging into any activity. As long it is done for ones personal enjoyment, behind the privacy of a closed door, I fail to understand what is wrong with it. Also, watching porn is not so much a guy or a girl thing, as it is normally made out to be but more a matter of individual choice. Therefore, there should be no taboo associated with a woman who enjoys porn as there is none with a guy who boasts of the latest addition to his collection.

The trouble comes in the form of the many manifestations of the porn industry. So we keep hearing things like “voyeur cams”, “live candid camera” or the “spy camera”. The pursuit of those who run such websites is to make the ‘titillation’ as real as possible, for which they break all notions of privacy and human dignity. This is what happened in the movie as well. The couple were captured on tape while making love and then branded as those who were carrying on sex trade. The movie also shows how everyone in the porn industry (mostly women) are both victims and culprits, victims because most women come from broken/non-supportive homes and culprits because of their involvement in the industry.

However, it would take a lot of thinking for our law makers to actually work out the logistics and regulate the content of pornographic material. Recently, there has been some heated debate on the opening of theatres which would cater to audiences who would want to go for a blue/adult film. The response of the government was in the negative, and no surprises there. Support from parents coupled with sex-education is a must in today’s fast changing society. There should be as much openness about it as it is a taboo today.

The best part about the movie is that it forces one to think.

We need more such movies.

I definitely recommend it.

This is Kalyug for sure.