|
|
|
Hand in hand
Now how is the entertainment industry going to react considering the latest events? One’s aware that Iraq’s crisis and entertainment don’t go along, but it has to be borne in mind that the very emergence of pop music in the early second half of the twentieth century and the art-house cinema movement all over the globe in more or less the same period, were primarily propelled by socio-cultural if not political reasons. That’s why the Beatles wrote songs like Octopus’s garden and Federico Fellini made films like La dolce vita and La strada. Not so long ago, conscientious Terrence Mallik came up with a hair-raising war drama, The thin red line. Now what?
In fact, the pertinent question would be, with regards to our peripheries, what has the Pakistani entertainment industry done to show its awareness of the ever-altering socio-political and cultural scenario? I’m afraid the answer would be zilch. Even the kind of films that we’ve churned out to highlight the Kashmir issue weren’t technically or contextually persuasive. As far as the realm of television is concerned, save for the incisively written Muqaddama-i-Kashmir there haven’t been many productions that could have fought the Kashmir case with conviction.
On the global front, what did Pakistani creative minds have to offer vis-à-vis Sept 11? Junoon’s song didn’t make any inroads into the common public chiefly because of its mode of communication: the English language. Besides, the video and lyrics were so run-of-the-mill that one would have taken the song as just a filler for the album.
So what are our pop musicians, video and drama directors, and film auteurs up to with respect to the current world crisis? So far, nothing tangible has been seen. Why aren’t the hip pop stars, slick video-makers, sound drama creators and gaudy filmmakers coming up with anything lamenting the situation in the Gulf? Right now, the only plausible reason that’s springing to mind, particularly with reference to the pop singers, is that they’re looking for good, healthy, wealthy and wise sponsors to give them a decent push (read: incentive). After all, war against Iraq is no Cricket World Cup. Junoon, Strings, Najam, Jawad, Hadiqa and company will soon, one is dead certain, put on display their latest songs (with a video shot on 35 mm in Singapore or Hong Kong) delineating the hazards of war.
So far as our films go, to expect anything thought provoking, cerebral or emotional of the Kashmiris, Noors, Butts and Sangeetas is out of the question. They’ve proved time and again how capable they are, especially with rain sequences. Imagine soaked-to-the-bone Nirma, Saima and Meera stomping all over paddy fields chanting songs for Iraq.
And the TV plays? Well, there’s a wee bit of hope there. On second thoughts, perhaps not! But for those creative people (in general) and musicians (in particular) who wish to contribute to the global socio-political scene, here’s a quote, “As soon as war is declared it will be impossible to hold the poets and musicians back. Rhyme is still the most effective drum.” If you know what rhyme means!
|
|
|
|
