Prafulla Kumar Mohanty
The Tenth Muse is already atop Parnassus. The other nine muses have either merged in it or have remained content on lesser peaks. The Greeks never imagined (who could?) that a day would come when the world of men –animals – rivers –mountains and all other real and imaginary objects and even essences would be assimilated into one medium of make belief entertainment, driven by technology. This new medium is now 100+ and is the most potent in terms of impacting man everywhere in the world; it makes opinions, beguiles minds otherwise heavy with the tidbits of life. The celluloid world is so real, so engrossing and so powerful that it is almost a reality – substitute. All arts are in it – dance, music, painting and all other forms unimagined by our ancestral geniuses. The cinema absorbs all techniques, innovations. The words spoken by the actors often are potent gospels. It is recreating the visible and fantasized world to give us a sense of wonder and awe. It brings down gods from the elysium to our swimming pools. The preternatural, natural, supernatural are all captured to dance together for our entertainment. Often the best minds, voices and pens come together to create sustaining illusions. We willingly suspend our disbelief and stare at the silver screen wonderstruck. Yes this medium by consensus is the most powerful. It creates or rather popularizes new gods and goddesses. Santoshi Ma is perhaps the gift of cinema to newfangled devotees looking for something exotic. But we must admit that but for this medium preservation of the classics in all forms of arts would not have been possible.
Cinema today is an industry commercialized by its own success. Corporatization is a natural sequence in the process of its evolution. This industry employs millions all over the world. From Hollywood- Bollywood- Sandalwood to Scandalwood all woods have fairies, Dryads, gnomes, witches and kubers. The actors are not mortal beings: They are stars as long as their films are hits at the box office. The day a few films bomb at the box office panic strikes the industry and the stars fall into gutters like abandoned toys. The stars are mobbed wherever they go. They move with bodyguards. They set the fashion of the day. Their postures, figures, are imitated by millions. If they fall ill people fast, rush to the temples and pray for hours. If they die many fans put an end to their lives. A world without Marilyn Monroe is not worth living. In south India, many killed themselves when Anna, MGR,, Jayalilita died. Fans want their ideals, their gods to rule over them. The tinsel hero becomes the political hero. Even in America, Ronald Regan could become the President. Arnold Schwisznagger could become the Governor of California. And our MGR, NTR, Jayalalita, Raj Kumar and many others were the darlings at the hustings.
I have no hesitation in accepting their divinity. At least they relieve the tension of the mind for a few hours. The actor becomes the protagonist of life. Audiences identify themselves with the cause of the hero. There are many who worship their pictures bow to them and aspire to wear grease paint. If this is our reality, why defame them? Why grudge their millions, their milelong cars, Seville Row suits and I don’t know what shoes and watches? If they flash their wealth, they have earned it by entertaining you. They pay their taxes, they contribute to charity, they are as much nationalistic as you are. They have their political ideals as you have. Why then do you accuse them of nepotism, drug abuse, murder, abetment to suicide and other vices you are equally guilty of?
We accuse them of ordinary failings because we have kept them on pedestals. We have deified them unreasonably. They are no gods. They are pursuing their calling. They think and you concur in that acting is a great Art. We often forget that the actor is the script writer or author’s creation. The conception of the character or hero- Protagonist is the author’s: And the Director etches it on celluloid. The photographer creates the illusion. The actor merely mouths the words trained by the dialogue writer- trainer. His gift is a body and a face. Their ‘knowledge‘ is not even average ignorance. And if such persons perform to your excitement, be happy. But if you make them gods and think that they are beyond and above mortal ills it is your wrong perception of the simulated reality. They are ordinary people with jealousy, greed, anger, hatred and all other natural human instincts. They have their own problems: mainly to retain their deityhood before their fans. And they drink, do drugs, and other things to stimulate their own illusions to absorb their fear of nightfall. Ignore them after the show is over. If you worship them you have your illusions to blame if the gods turn out to be devils.
