Shaurya: What's that???

A Few Good Men is one of my favorite movies, so obviously a movie which a rip-off or an "inspired" movie would make me highly critical.

At the same time, I expected a lot from this movie. It had a great & intelligent cast, and I finally thought we would see a movie which would highlight one of our country's top national institutions -- the Indian Army. Needless to say, I was very very disappointed with the end result. I would not like to discuss the movie but would rather point out the two issues I felt strongly about.

The first and foremost issue I had was the inability of the movie to showcase the Indian Army and its internal workings properly. If one follows most of the Hollywood movies, one would realise that even with movies dealing with negatives implications concerning certain practices in the defence services, what emerges is that the institution is supreme, and it is the processes, rules and regulation of the institution which come out as supreme. Truth prevails, but not at the cost of an institution. These movies highlight not only their defense services, but all Institutions, like those of their President, Universities, and the likes as being supreme and as the bearers of the best ideals. Somehow this is what a lot of our movies have lacked in showing over the years.

Many would argue that artistic expression does reflect the reality around us. But can our creative expression also not express the ideals that could and in fact should exist within our society? Can we not have our movies reflecting not only the reality but also try to create an aspiration for the viewer, an aspiration to be a part of the best institutions, the best practices to look up to? Instead, we have slipped into this mentality of making fun of our institutions. Ridicule them, lampoon them, but never make them seem to be bearers of the right values. Fault, it is, which we must find everywhere. Reflection of modern times?? Or, a feeling of pessimism. Maybe, an Elsworth Toohey would be at his best here.

One could look upon my suggestions as too idealistic; But if we do not showcase these institutions to our people, never will they respect it; more so, never will people come forward and volunteer to be a part of our national institutions. Coming back to the movie, what infuriated me was that the subject of the film was dealt with such immaturity. The movie had the unique opportunity of showcasing our defence services to the young people, as an institution where you had varying responsibilities; just not shooting and killing the enemy, but also other career opportunities ,like law. But that fact was conveniently forgotten. Technically inefficient in handling of the main premise of the movie, which was the court case ( did I mention A Few Good Men anywhere!), we again lost an opportunity of showcasing how our Army was equipped to weed out the fanatics within the system. Instead, we are subjected to useless plots, and a court case which is won more by a "tamasha" rather an logical thinking.

The second issue with the movie is an issue which almost every post 9/11 movie likes dealing in. Delving once again into the perception of Muslims being terrorists, the feeling of innovative and creative thinking seems to have gone away from our "artistes". Give me a break guys, but has this issue not been done to death already. I mean, why do we need to keep reminding ourselves that we have to combat the above said perception? I think a lot of people have realised that the perception is false, so lets just move on with our lives. Why do we need to get religion into everything? Is it only religion which can make one so passionate that one borders on fanaticism? We,as a society, need to honestly evaluate this belief, which somehow gets perpetuated in every movie these days.

Hence, simply put, lets build the reputation of our national institutions, for at the end of the day that is our identity, and for god's sake, lets move out of the irrelevant posturing which we as a society have come to believe expresses our inner self.

And finally, let us have some original work, and not "inspired" work, which even manages a 3 star rating in The Times of India. HA HA HA!!!