What's odd about "Paanch"?

What is odd about "Paanch"? Is what it portrays so wrong that it does not warrant even a "A" certificate from the Indian Censor Board? Are its content so extreme and graphic to deem it unfit for consumption by the Indian public? Are Indian's so much averse to violence of any sort? Consider the following reason from the Censor Board (as available in the wikipedia link on "Paanch") - 

The film never got a theatrical or home-video release. It has been refused a clearance certificate by the censor board, twice. Both the refusals to release this film were made on six grounds - the film glorifies violence; it shows the modus operandi of a crime (killing of a police officer); it shows excessive use of drugs; it has double meaning dialogues (with sexual undertones); it has no positive characters; it does not carry a social message.

The object of this post is to look at the movie and counter the objection of the CBFC. Before countering each and every one of the objection, the finer aspects of the movie first.

Part One - On The Movie

Having watched the "Preview Copy" of the movie, thanks to torrent download, I can say, this movie definitely deserved a theatrical release, even if only in the multiplex theatres. It wouldn't have made any commercial sense to release it else where. It deserves a theatrical release simply because it is a fine "movie". Infact, bordering on terrific, considering the time at which it was actually taken.

Kay Kay Menon

The characterisation is brilliant. Casting is great. Acting is fab. Kay Kay Menon fits perfectly as the imperious and on the edge "Luke Morrisson". The intolerable part of his acting is that he is a "wannabe" Rock Star. He strings his guitar, sings and jumps like a rock star, and you can't stand any of them. Thankfully, those are not part of the main plot, but only a base to the main plot. He breathes fire and venom in equal measure throughout the movie. Brilliant performance. After each murder, the cold manner in which he decides his next action will rattle us a bit. And towards end when he talks very cordially to Aditya Shrivastav, he is so endearing and full of warmth. It is actors like him who compel you to watch a movie, time after time.

Vijay Maurya as "Pondi" is equally fab. Showing various aspects of his character at absolutely believable level. Be it fear, or guilt, or adulation and that silent possessiveness for Tejaswini, or the duffer like talk. I never knew Aditya Shrivastav could act so well? I simply can't what made him choose couple of Tamil Movies which had no acting scope at all for him (Ajith's Aalwar and Richard / Nattu's Naalai)? The character "Joy" was also neatly played.

Tejaswini Kolhapure, as the scheming lead lady who is "obsessed with money" and can do anything for money has also done a fine job. Nothing brilliant. Not bad either. In the world duffer lead ladies, she is a welcome reprieve. Am not sure about her acting abilities. Actually, pit her against Yasmin Ponnappa from Aaranya Kaandam, and you'll know what I am saying. Yasmin IS the benchmark for such performances, and is no where within the reach of Tejaswini.

The music by Vishal Bharadwaj is good enough (earth shattering - no; ear shattering, yes). Can't comment on the cinematography, video quality was less than average in the downloaded version I had watched. Having watched couple of other Anurag Kashyap's (as a Director or a Producer) movies (Dev D, Black Friday, Udaan, Aamir, Shaitan), I can safely conclude that, cinematography would have been excellent.

Anurag Kashyap

Direction by Anurag Kashyap is fantastic. It is obvious he has controlled the entire flow of the movie, and no where he has relented. Every frame screams his name. His appetite for sex, drugs, dark humour and darker character is huge, and his irreverence for traditional movie making is well known. And therefore it comes as no surprise to know that he was associated with Ram Gopal Varma for couple of movies (Sarkar, Sathya). But, in my view, he is better than the Controversy King, who recently said that "He is proud of his porn collection". Black Friday and Dev D convinced me of Anurag Kashyap's ability as a Director. Udaan and Aamir made me realise his great eye for a genuinely good movie. Shaitan reaffirmed his taste for drugs, darkness and gore. There is something real funny about the way his movies progress. Yet there is this undercurrent of tension right throughout. The graphic quality of the images makes his movie look like some pop fiction. On the whole, his movie making style can pretty much be branded as "Film Noir".

The plot is also good, and would have been pretty novel around the time the movie was made. The screenplay is terrific with its twists towards end, and is beautifully scripted to bring out the worst in each character as the movie progresses. The only potential flaw was the first "death" of the lead character "Luke", and the disposal of the body. But for that, the movie was relatively free of any major flaws. The movie has uncanny similarity to Shaitan, and those who have watched "Shaitan" would be able to point this out within no time. While "Shaitan" was about spoilt brats of rich parents, "Paanch" is about strugglers. The lead characters are all impoverished who want to make it big. In a honest way. Using their abilities to sing or string guitar or play drums. Their efforts at making it big goes down the drain as somebody cheats them of their money. It is at these moments that you feel sorry for them and just wish that they somehow get their shot at stardom. But again, the life is such that it pushes them to the brink once again, and the routine of murder continues. And the overall money involved in the movie is a parltry Rs.9 Lakhs, which splits the friends and make them have a go at one another!

Production quality seems to average, partially because it was made in 2003. Anurag Kashyap was not yet the big shot he is now. And Karan Johar and Yash Chopra were still the Number One producer / director respectively, and therefore were able to pump in money more than what an average joe could. Therefore, there are no exotic locations. No great costumes. No great hairdos. No foreign shoots. No duets in the Kashmir. No car chase. No Hummer or Mercedes. The lead players often walk. Yes, you read it right. They walk. And occassionally board a taxi.

Despite everything this movie is genuine in its approach, and makes no pretensions about what it intends to do, except portraying the darker side of humans, which gets blacker as you are pushed to the wall repetitively. It is definitely worth a watch.

Part Two - Censor Board Rejection

Despite so many good things about the movie, why the heck was it denied a rating by CBFC? Lots of actors and directors who have watched this movie have showered with words of appreciation, but still it did not cross the CBFC hurdle? Why?

Reason Number One - It glorifies violence. This is a joke. What do you mean by glorifying violence? This movie does not make killing look cool. All the murders in the movie takes place out of desperation and that too when the central characters are pushed to the wall. Unlike "A Clockwork Orange", where the Central Characters, kill for fun, here they are literally pushed beyond the proverbial rubichon. And when you make a movie focusing on the evil side of humans, what else would you expect? The violence as shown in the movie is not a patch of what one comes across in "Drive", "Pudupettai", "Aaranya Kandam", or even "Omkara". If the CBFC that this was "too" violent for the Indians, all I can say is that the hard nuts in the Board are living in a world of fantasy.

Reason Number Two - It shows modus operandi of a crime: This is utter nonsense. Supposing you watch a movie. One of the lead character kills another character. Thereafter, scared, with all the blood stains and finger prints, and atleast one of his object (mostly a watch or a parking token) is left behind at the place of crime, the lead character runs and hides in his home. And in the next scene the lead character is caught. How would rate such a scene in movie? What would be your first reactions? Following would the reactions - What a convenient way to help the police trace the killer. Ridiculous script. What a duffer of a killer. Stupid movie. Etc.

When Anurag Kashyap shows that the killers are smart enough and go about cleaning the place of murder and meticulously planning the disposal of the body (that is a bit too gory, and not for the faint hearted, though nothing is shown on screen), he shows the modus operandi of a crime and therefore his movie is banned. If he portrays the lead characters as duffers and idiots, then movie would been released? Often smartness doesn't pay in this country, and this is yet another example.

Reason Number Three - It shows excessive use of drugs: What is excessive here? Number of scenes showing characters using drugs? Or Overdose of drugs? This movie has neither in abundance. Dev D had more scenes involving usage of drugs and the character losing his self in drinks and drugs. Vaaranam Aayiram had Surya getting addicted to drugs, and giving detailed model on usage of drugs, its addiction and its overdose. Every second movie has one or two scene on some of the characters using drugs. None of the central characters' action in plot crucial scene is affected by drugs. It is shown more as a tangential aspect to the lifestyle of the central characters. But why drugs alone? Why not alcohol? Devdas wouldn't have released if they had imposed such conditions. May presence of Shah Rukh Khan, "Ice"warya Rai and Madhuri Dixit on screen, and Bhansali as director helped its cause. The names Kay Kay Menon, Anurag Kashyap aren't that aweinspiring or intimidating.

Reason Number Four - it has double meaning dialogues (with sexual undertones): This is seriously a joke. No Entry, Heyy Baby, Delhi Belly etc. have far more direct references. Delhi Belly especially has among the most explicit dialogues I have ever come across in an Indian movie. Especially the imaginary scene of stopping a marriage. 

When the content of a movie is such that it is suitable only for adults, why blame the double meaning dialogues? Remember, even 3 Idiots had it. It was ofcourse comical. So is the case in this movie as well. The dark undertone of the movie can make it look bad, but it is still only a humour.

Reason Number Five - it has no positive characters: This movie is not a fable. Neither is it of the "Self Help" genre, like some self help books. And funnily, there are positive characters, for instance, both the cops shown in the movie are good. They are not shown to be corrupt, and are portrayed to be pretty straight forward and duty bound. 

There are instances where the positive side of every character is shown. Then how come the Censor Board did not see them? May be they chose not to. Like Duryodhana of Mahabharatha, the reviewers at CBFC saw only bad things in this movie. If you want to see only positive character, you have no choice but to watch only Vikraman movies. No villains. No bad feelings. Happy Family in the beginning. Happy family in the middle. Happy family in the end. And Happy Ever After. No story. No movie. Pure monkey piss. Drink and attain nirvana.

Reason Number Six - it does not carry a social message: What message you want? For the information of the people who have not seen it, this movie does have a social message. If you do wrong and try to cover it up, you keep on making mistakes and at some point your past deeds will catch you. A bit of karma theory no doubt. You'll realize this as you watch the movie. Even if you had missed the theme, the Director has a 10 second long screen message saying "Crime Never Pays". And if you are still searching for a social message, to quote a crude 18+ joke 'You can't find a pussy in a whorehouse'.

But more particularly, why this obsession with "Message"? What was the message in Dev Das? What was the message in Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham? Were the Indian public enlightened by watching DDLJ and Dabangg? I have seriously no idea as to why Om Shanti Om became such a huge hit. No story. No message. No acting. No good song. A skinny heroine, a stammering actor and a wooden villain. Did it become a massive hit because of its "message", which was as easy to find as a Pakistani team that did not drop a single catch in a match.

Reason number Five and Six were also highlighted by Actress / Reviewer Suhasini Maniratnam on "Aaranya Kaandam". She asks "Why make such movies? Whats their use?" That too around the time "Raavanan" was released. What a joke! Consider this. "Raavanan" had a scheming Prithvi Raj, maoist Vikram and an almost adulterous "Ice"warya Rai. Now if I say that Suhasini's husband's movie had only negative characters, would I be wrong? Some reviewers and the CBFC at times, try to play the holy cow drop their judgement on creative and innovative attempts to kill them forever. The case to  this point is "Paanch". If the SPB Charan, the producer of Aaranya Kaandam could take up the issue and fight it out and get it released, why didn't the producer of Paanch do the same? This despite the fact that SPB Charan, by his own admission, knew that the movie might never be a commercial success.

On a whole, this movie is a definite watch. Sadly, you won't get copies of the same in any shop or mall. You gotta download through torrents or other technologies. Bear with the video quality, and see for yourself what I have tried to communicate through this post. The movie may not be the best of all times, but surely it was rank different from the mindless movies being churned out at all the "Wood"en factories. If only it was released then, potentially, lot more directors would have tried something different in the intervening period, and we would have had more of people like Irrfan, Kay Kay Menon, Boman Irani etc..

Just wish that atleast there is an official Director's Edition being released for sale through DVDs.

Note: Most of the movie comparatives that I have taken were released much later than 2003. The point is Indian has not evolved culturally over the past 8 years to make such a huge difference in the mindset of the movie goers or the people certifying movies at CBFC.