Flirting with Mallika Sherawat…

I know all of you are eager to know how one does it, flirting with the sexy Mallika Sherawat, but guys wait, lets touch bases with Mani again before touching bases and more with Mallika…patience is the word…To begin with, damn, even an article with "Mani Rathnam" in its title could elicit such response, I did not imagine! It even made me draw parallels with Film in general, so many readers saw it in so many different ways(just like the way Films are seen). Some thought it to be brilliant, some saw tremendous pain in it, some felt it made a good read, some said it was humorous. Interestingly, many who wrote back are themselves Mani wannabes. I did not know this, that there is such a huge section of people who are seriously contemplating leaving their careers for their passion, Films.

Many people approached me seeking help with their own ideas asking me to advise them on how to go about it, it was fascinating really, 'cos I am not even a feature FilmMaker yet. All I did was write an article and I did not even plan to do it. It all actually began with Jeevi(a good friend of mine) buying me many expensive sumptuous lunches for what I thought to be in exchange for the very entertaining company of my own erudite self, i.e., until he slyly asked me to write for his web site! Such slyness existed underneath such innocently bespectacled face of his, I did not know. So I protested and resisted but in vain. I did not also know that he is a cousin of Gabbar Singh i.e., until he threw at my stomach that dagger which read "jo nahin likhega, samjho woh bill pay karega". I had no option but write. I was certain of one thing though, I would not write about the technicalities of the film craft or about the films of my idols, Mani, Varma etc, my friend Srinivas Kanchibotla has been doing an admirable job of it; I rather chose my favorite topic, my own self! and the results are there to be seen.

Anyway, to all those who are hell bent on destroying their careers and plunge into Films, you are most welcome, but just one piece of advise though, do not ever try to be someone else. If I may paraphrase it, do not ever try to make a Film that is already made by someone else. Be original.

But then…Originality, where art thou? Thou are not very popular, are you?

Ah… originality, she is a sin! Well, so she seems like when one takes a hard look at the Films that are on the marquee nowadays! People avoid her like a plague and embrace plagiarism as if it is Marlyn Monroe sans clothes. Every one is assured of an orgasm there(read Hit!). And God Bless India for no copyright laws!

Beginning with the prestigious Yash Raj banner that is busy making crores Indianizing When Harry meets Sally, Fast and Furious, My Best Friend's Wedding, Nine Months etc etc etc, to the B-grade remixing like What lies underneath, Unfaithful, et cetera by the Bhatt gang…they are all copying.

And when one is not copying HollyWood, one is busy remaking old Indian greats like Devdas, Parineeta and now for God's sake, the Father of all movies(I prefer Father to Mother, you shall know why), Sholay! While we are on Gods and Fathers, they adapted God Father too, very recently, Sarkar, wasn't it? By the way, what is it doing(or how is it doing), the Sarkar? about the copyright laws, I mean! Now Varma has been a great FilmMaker(and one of my all time favorites), let there be no misgivings there, but I hope he remains as one and not touch Sholay, it is almost blasphemous, even the thought!

Comm'on give me a break, is it that difficult really to write something really original? The disease is spreading fast here, every other Film aspirant that I know of in Hyderabad in the direction field, is busy writing their own versions of all the latest and not so latest Hollywood hit Films. Actually many hopefuls are adapting the flop Films too.

The ability to adapt has rather become the norm for success here. Trivikram made a career adapting Films like Roman Holiday, Meet The Parents, What Women Want, Father of the Bride, Assasins, what else? I am told that he(when not directing) is the highest paid writer in Telugu Film Industry(I hate the word TollyWood, it reeks of plagiarism, really! Literally!) for all his brilliant adaptations, the irony being that the parts I liked most in his films are those where he was being original, Brahmaji's character in Athadu making a terrific case.

Even Anand, the surprise hit from Amigos Creations is…well almost is another version of Sravanthi's Ela Cheppanu which in itself is a remake of TumBin. One has to of-course, give the benefit of doubt to Sekhar as we are all told that he wrote the script of Anand long ago as a thesis for his Master's degree in Film. It is also quite obvious that he has a very distinct style and the film, fraught with its own very special sensibilities almost passes off for being an original. It is almost akin to Bose and Marconi inventing Radio around the same time frame. May be I am quoting a bad example here, I dont know!…because I read very recently that Marconi in fact stole Bose's Papers and then, when Bose was sleeping, he announced to the world of those inventions as his own…okay, may be Bose wasn't sleeping…probably he was busy talking to plants…or wiping their tears with paper napkins, or some such like, I guess!

Do I hear you all saying that I have gone mad and also that all but one of Shakespear's plays are inspired from others' works? Well, you are right, about the latter part, I mean! But then…it is Shakespear guys! He invented Drama…he perfected the art of dramatization…at least that is what we are all told…by the English! The English told us many other things too…

"Well, if the Bard himself did it, why can't we mortals do it?", they all seem to say. Honestly I am confused, I don't know what to say!

It is tempting guys, to copy, to adapt, I know! Satan is always just a thought away, prodding us, pleading with us, plotting us, to make us eat the apple, the red and juicy apple, the one that looks like Mallika Sherawat, irresistible and inviting, and she has legs that are never ending really, I know, but hold him right there, just a single thought away, from the original thought, that is. For it is lot more satisfying and rewarding to be ourselves, to be original in our writings, in our creations. If no two men are alike, no two works of art should be alike. It is simple association, really!

I am grateful to Ansel Adams who once famously said "Millions of men lived to fight, build palaces and boundaries, shape destinies and societies; but the compelling force of all times has been the force of originality and creation, profoundly affecting the roots of human spirit."

Nothing illuminates the human spirit as art does. Lets keep art pure, keep it original! 'Cos to be original is like, to be God. And who wouldn't like it? Being God-like!

Other Ticket to fame articles:
I am gonna be next Mani Rathnam