A nagging, overly critical and analytical voice resides in my head. It is the one that makes me go through your favourite films and TV shows with a fine-toothed comb, find every small mistake, and then trash them on this blog. Sometimes, it also speaks about relevant social issues, and right now, that is everything surrounding All India Bakchod's Knockout, the roast of Ranveer Singh and Arjun Kapoor. After this event was released on YouTube on the 28th of January, it was the talking point on social media. While I was watching it, I thought that it was funny in parts, but repetitive. The overly critical and analytical nagging voice said, dude, it's just riding on the shock value of mainstream Bollywood celebrities swearing their pants off. I can't believe KJo took his mom to this thing.
It came as absolutely no surprise that some group had decided that AIB Knockout was "obscene" and had declared that it would file a complaint against it. But when AIB decided to take the video down, the nagging voice said, why give in? Doesn't that give credence to these "concerns"? Does it not send out a message that fear and intimidation works?
AIB's response to all of this, while very well crafted, failed to really provide a concrete reason for taking the video down, even though it claimed that it was not because of "a phone call at 3 A.M" or "a morcha outside their houses." Hmm. I don't buy it, said the nagging voice. In fact, I'm still left wondering, does that not make these extremist groups smell fear, which is the bedrock of their existence?
The nagging voice's questions made me think about the freedom of speech. You're barking up the wrong tree, bruh, it said. There is no freedom of speech in this country for the likes of AIB. The number of buffoons who have actually been conditioned to believe that "being offended" by someone's words should be a justified cause for legal action is always on the rise. Freedom of speech ends when the Right gets pissed off.
So, what? They piss us off all the time when they come up with pearls like "girls should be married off at the age of 16 so that they don't get raped." Are you an idiot? That's because they rule this country, mofo. Jeez, there's no need for swearing, man. STFU, it said. Are you trying to censor me? Think about what I said two paragraphs ago. What happens when people give in to extremist demands?
The answer came the next day. FIRs were filed. Not only against AIB, Ranveer Singh, Arjun Kapoor, and Karan Johar (those who were on stage), but against audience members Deepika Padukone and Sonakshi Sinha. The nagging voice's concerns turned to outrage. Are you f@*king kidding me? This, is what happens in a "free" country? Apparently, it does. But what about the 4000 other people who attended the event, just like Deepika and Sonakshi? They're not famous, so they don't matter.
So, this is all a publicity thing? Nothing is really going to happen to these guys, right? Is that the point? They got what they wanted, didn't they? The video was taken down. Oldest trick in the book - threaten something so bad that you get what you want. But why waste time on something like this? Aren't there more important issues to deal with? What about the Rohtak rape case? That's old news, dude. We've been over that with the 16th December case. Mainstream media has moved on. An issue is only important if it's trending. Don't ask stupid questions. Get with it, bruv.
Then came a response to AIB's roast by none other than Aamir Khan, probably the smartest and most articulate superstar in the industry. Which honestly isn't saying much, considering the competition. He said, "creative persons have a responsibility," and he spoke quite responsibly, making it crystal clear that he was expressing his personal opinion, and that he believed that creative responsibility and freedom of speech are two very different issues. Well done. I was quite impressed.
But then the voice started on me again. Wait a second. Who is Aamir Khan? Whatever do you mean, nagging voice? Doesn't he, more than anyone else, represent that very Bollywood, (the one that takes itself too seriously) that AIB spoke about? Well, that's true, but he did not really lash out at anyone, and was quite articulate.
No, dude, think about who he really is. Okay, enlighten me. Is he a "true artist"? Well, not really. Only when you compare him to his competition. You mean the guy who cannot finish a sentence and has to resort to crude hand gestures to communicate, and the guy who contradicts himself virtually every two minutes. Right. But let's give him some credit.
Okay, but consider this. For all his posturing about trying to improve standards of mainstream cinema, did he not make Dhoom 3, which apart from being insufferable, was also a ripoff? You're forgetting Ghajini. Exactly. A film that glorified violence against violence, and was also a blatant ripoff. But come now, ripoffs are hardly news in Bollywood.
Yeah, but this isn't Sajid Khan doing it. If someone who claims to have moral integrity, and thinks of himself as a responsible artist, makes atrocious ripoffs of Hollywood films, and then uses the faith that the public has in his word to sell it those films as good, is that person really all that responsible, and does he have a lot of moral integrity?
Interesting point, nagging voice. Now that I think about it, while it is true that he is a better actor than his two rivals, the fact remains that he is in the industry only because of who he's related to. Yes, he may have re-branded himself in the new millennium and backed some wonderful films, but he is not all good. Exactly. He is someone who takes himself too seriously, which is not as harmless as it sounds.
Ahan. Explain. Well, it is no secret that the Bombay film fraternity is a close-knit group that rules with an iron fist, deriding anyone who criticises it, labelling them as jealous. There is an unspoken understanding of mutual back slapping, and hardly any serious internal criticism is heard. If things like AIB's roast were to become commonplace, that world would come crashing down around those who depend on it for survival.
You're right, nagging voice. But what about freedom of speech? What about it? What do you think it should look like? You remember when that whole thing with TOI and Deepika happened? Yeah. So, imagine, instead of saying that TOI should retract what it said, how about people just use the same freedom of speech that it used, and make as much fun of that horrendous publication (I couldn't bring myself to call it a newspaper) as they want.
Also, if anyone wants to point out that it's hilarious that Deepika, a non-actress who has gained stardom using the old Bollywood formula of becoming the object of male desire in her many item songs, suddenly has a problem with being objectified, they should be able to do so. If Deepika wants to respond to this viewpoint, she should also be allowed to say whatever she wants. That, my friend, is freedom of speech.
Thanks, nagging voice. You are very articulate, and I think I would be lost without you. I wish everyone had a voice like you in their heads.
No, bro, if I were in someone else's head, they wouldn't be so open-minded and would probably have shut me out a long time ago. So, really, I wouldn't even exist without you.
That's true. We're a great team. Like Raja and Rancho.
Word.
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