Traffic Signal.

Well this isn’t a movie review. If you are looking for the review you can go to Mr. Scribbler’s site in a couple of days.

Ok! So we got lucky (?) with the movie tickets. Eureka Eureka… Surekha Surekha! We drove for at least about 40 minutes to get to this blessed (blasted?) little theatre called Innovative Multiplex on Sarjapura Road. There was nothing innovative about it, though. The seats were sure comfortable, but that’s not innovation! We reached about some 5 minutes late for the movie Traffic Signal. Thank god!

We parked in this deserted-looking place next to the theatre and as we wondered who and where the attendant was, we were surprised to find a dog there with the parking tickets in his mouth and a bag of money around his neck. Ok so I made that up. But the dog was there. Seriously! And so was an attendant who appeared out of nowhere.

As Mr. Scribbler and I were coming up with our own versions of how the dog must be trained to give out parking tickets and tickled ourselves pink. Finally, we got our parking ticket and we sprinted to the movie hall.

Traffic Signal… Well the only thing I bought back with me after watching the movie were some questions. The network of beggars, eunuchs, gajrawallis, old men and a sorry looking gentleman (Ranvir Sheorey, an amazing actor) fleecing passer-byes to lend them some money posing as a software engineer in the movie, who had lost his wallet and had no money to go back home and the prostitutes did expose the dark underbelly of Bombay, but it’s nothing unknown. Everyone knows that this is an industry and while the size estimates about it vary, there’s no doubt that this is organized and well-run.

I have come across many of the people mentioned above when in Bombay. And some of my questions are answered after watching this movie. I used to travel a lot in Bombay (My darling city) by trains, auto rickshaws and taxis (never did the bus route… would be petrified… most of you will know why!). I saw women strapped with a child on their back begging, urchins on the roads selling newspapers, books and flowers. Some sold with dignity some sold their merchandise through pure emotional blackmailing.

To really believe how well they can blackmail you emotionally, one must listen to some of these children; the way they are trained is super and it won’t take you too long to fish out some change or a straight ten rupee note. The eunuchs are really scary, though, as they can get very aggressive when they want to be. That is, if they are genuine eunuchs!

I remember once when I was coming back from school after my exams and the auto rickshaw halted at the signal and I saw a eunuch coming towards me (Mind you they are very sharp face readers. They easily notice a prey!) and started begging in her case demanding for money and I had exact money to reach home. I tried telling her that I don’t have any money to give. Finally she said pulling my school bag that if I dint give any she will take away my schoolbag. Finally I gave her whatever every money I had including an éclair which was there in my school uniform pocket along with extra emergency pocket change. It’s funny when I think of it but incidentally the auto rickshaw driver did not even interfere or tried shooing away the eunuch. Networking, bhai!

I heard of a funny incident a while back. Mr. Scribbler and his colleagues (now good friends) were traveling back home from work. They came to a signal junction where one of the urchin girl came up to them asking for money and ranted out some well taught words in Hindi. “Acchi didi, pyaari didi, gori didi”… one of his colleagues who was sitting behind, who already irritable with an aching head, lowered down the window and very curtly retorted, “Acche se dekho! Hum gore nahi hai!” living the poor girl speechless. Living in Bombay long enough can teach you that too!

What I am trying to say here that the movie was definitely an eye-opener but slightly over-the-top if you ignore the wedding song and the end of the movie. The movie does make sense in some way with several incidents I have faced living in the city. And this also makes one realize that the underbelly of Bombay is extremely dark and scary.

As they say, poverty is a curse but the survivors of this curse can best tell you their story in the truest sense. I feel strongly for these people but I have also come to realize that they don’t want to help themselves nor do they want to come out of this situation. They are happy being where they are and the power of quick money will never make them want to do anything for the betterment of their lives even though generous amounts are donated by the citizens of Bombay and charity workers and social organizations.

Survival of the fittest is ‘the’ thumb rule if you gotta be in my city. A lot has been written about this and about the increasing poverty in Bombay and the poor state of the city. But I don’t see any change. It’s the same even as of today when I make a trip to Bombay.

My question to you Mr. Bhandhakar, is: What’s the outcome of your movie? Would you be doing something about it? Is it about just about “quick money” and instant fame by making these art-style movies?

I think it’s just another movie that you have made?

Technorati tags: traffic signal movie, madhur bhandarkar, mumbai, bombay

Advertisement