Some ten days ago I went to see the Urdu film "Janaan" at PVR Diamond Plaza.
A film watching experience cannot be regarded as a boxed in experience no matter how much we get irritated at others talking besides us in the hall.The conversations around us affect us even if we don't always talk about it.We also carry with us remnants of our previous experiences,namely the commuting, before we sit down to watch(I have never watched a film standing although I tried doing that at KIFF some years ago).
I was flustered when I got to Diamond Plaza.I was twenty minutes late.I had taken an Uber to go there. The driver was inexperienced and did not know his way around Cal.Coupled with my horrible sense of direction I was glad to haave finally reached although my heart was pounding at the prospect of being late.
I was worried that the film had been well on its way.I had booked an e ticket for the film.I fumbled and required help in getting the printout of the ticket.I sense that I can very well start a blog about my travails with technology at this point in time.
Anyhoo I did get to the hall where I found that the film had started and there was no one else in the hall.This wasn't that much of a surprise.One reason for my booking an e ticket was that I couldn't be refused a ticket at the physical ticket counter in case of a low turnout.I was a bit stunned nonetheless at nobody else showing up.I had always fantasized about seeing a film alone in a hall.Looks like that was about to come true.
I got down to see Janaan. I had missed the opening credits.But the story so to speak seemed clear enough.Thematically speaking it was about the clash of old and new sensibilities in today's Pakistan.Modern day catchwords were liberally sprinkled throughout the film.It seemed superficial after a certain point despite the glossy look of it all.Characters representing the lower class were made to undergo abuse and death while the rich argued over them.There is a perpetual market for seeing financially well off people have moral crises.The film when it is not being humbug like kept a consistently light air.Talking of catchwords the scene where one character quotes popular Hollywood film sayings such as "You had me at hello", "Love means never having to say you're sorry","You make me want to be a better man" was funny if only because it laid bare my surprise at people in the Swat Valley talking about such stuff.It made me realise for a second that there are yuppies like me across the border.
What decidedly got my goat though was the female protagonist, who is based in Canada, deciding to give up her prospective job there to be in Pakistan to be with her newly found lover.Apparently that is reason enough for her to stay back.It isn't as if the West is above this.I still can't believe that in Friends Rachel quit a job at Paris to be with Ross. Handling one's affairs in all fronts is a fine balance.Films and television shows are about unleashing the sentimental side inside us.But the popular choice ,seemingly, to show continuous preponderance of love at the behest of everything else is irksome.
Truth be told it wasn't a completely solitary watching experience.There were a couple of hall officials coming in and out.A friend of mine said it might have been so to ensure that there was no piracy.But the look of the man who was sitting across from me made me feel the spectre of the dark for the lack of a better expression. Certain early film audiences were said to have felt scared at the prospect of seeing the screen alight in a dark room.I knew what they were about at that moment.
A film watching experience cannot be regarded as a boxed in experience no matter how much we get irritated at others talking besides us in the hall.The conversations around us affect us even if we don't always talk about it.We also carry with us remnants of our previous experiences,namely the commuting, before we sit down to watch(I have never watched a film standing although I tried doing that at KIFF some years ago).
I was flustered when I got to Diamond Plaza.I was twenty minutes late.I had taken an Uber to go there. The driver was inexperienced and did not know his way around Cal.Coupled with my horrible sense of direction I was glad to haave finally reached although my heart was pounding at the prospect of being late.
I was worried that the film had been well on its way.I had booked an e ticket for the film.I fumbled and required help in getting the printout of the ticket.I sense that I can very well start a blog about my travails with technology at this point in time.
Anyhoo I did get to the hall where I found that the film had started and there was no one else in the hall.This wasn't that much of a surprise.One reason for my booking an e ticket was that I couldn't be refused a ticket at the physical ticket counter in case of a low turnout.I was a bit stunned nonetheless at nobody else showing up.I had always fantasized about seeing a film alone in a hall.Looks like that was about to come true.
I got down to see Janaan. I had missed the opening credits.But the story so to speak seemed clear enough.Thematically speaking it was about the clash of old and new sensibilities in today's Pakistan.Modern day catchwords were liberally sprinkled throughout the film.It seemed superficial after a certain point despite the glossy look of it all.Characters representing the lower class were made to undergo abuse and death while the rich argued over them.There is a perpetual market for seeing financially well off people have moral crises.The film when it is not being humbug like kept a consistently light air.Talking of catchwords the scene where one character quotes popular Hollywood film sayings such as "You had me at hello", "Love means never having to say you're sorry","You make me want to be a better man" was funny if only because it laid bare my surprise at people in the Swat Valley talking about such stuff.It made me realise for a second that there are yuppies like me across the border.
What decidedly got my goat though was the female protagonist, who is based in Canada, deciding to give up her prospective job there to be in Pakistan to be with her newly found lover.Apparently that is reason enough for her to stay back.It isn't as if the West is above this.I still can't believe that in Friends Rachel quit a job at Paris to be with Ross. Handling one's affairs in all fronts is a fine balance.Films and television shows are about unleashing the sentimental side inside us.But the popular choice ,seemingly, to show continuous preponderance of love at the behest of everything else is irksome.
Truth be told it wasn't a completely solitary watching experience.There were a couple of hall officials coming in and out.A friend of mine said it might have been so to ensure that there was no piracy.But the look of the man who was sitting across from me made me feel the spectre of the dark for the lack of a better expression. Certain early film audiences were said to have felt scared at the prospect of seeing the screen alight in a dark room.I knew what they were about at that moment.
