tnppostwoman.com archives

Sheela Says:  Now Bollywood wants to make English films. With big stars no less.

While their actors like Aishwarya Rai are trying to crack - mostly unsuccessfully - into Hollywood, the industry wants to try another tack on the international market. Now, the future trend seems to be making English films as an alternative to their masala musicals that these English audiences don’t get.

Amitabh Bachchan’s latest film, The Last Lear, has been causing all sorts of excitement just because one of Bollywood’s biggest stars has done an art house film. It is not the first time India has made an English film. There have been a slew of Indian-made English films for the last 10 to 15 years - both good and truly horrifying - that have hit the silver screen.

But these films do not have the commercial heft of their Bollywood counterparts. There are no songs, no dances and no soap opera style plotlines that stretch three hours and deal (gasp!) with real-life themes.

While such English films may appeal to an international audience and the Indian diaspora, I believe they will not replace the standard Bollywood fare. Bollywood is about pure escapism, fantasy and leave your brains at the door entertainment. Fans would not want reality to get in the way of their fun.

Tell Us: Do you think English Bollywood films can be mainstream? Will they replace the song and dance movies that Bollywood is famous for?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg. Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

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LETTERS VIA EMAIL

Being the true-blue Bollywood fan that I am, I always look forward to all the typical masala
films that are churned out at the box-office every week. But there are some off-beat made in english films that have caught my attention in the past.

‘BLACK’ starring the legendary icon Amitabh Bachchan and pretty actress Rani Mukherjee
was one such film. With some brilliant performances and a touching story, director Sanjay
Leela Bhansali had a winner. The film was widely appreciated by the Indian audience and was declared a hit with the masses. It swept all the major honours at award functions that year and was also considered to be India’s official entry to the Oscars.

However, not all films in this genre are accepted. ‘THE NAMESAKE’, for one, failed to pull in the crowds that yearn for the normal dose of love stories and song and dance sequences. Even with a stellar cast of Tabu and Irrfan Khan, who are considered to be heavyweights in the acting field this film did not surpass its expectations. Such films will definitely try to make a mark but they will never replace the original stereotype of Bollywood movies, where its all make-belief, and there’s always a happy ending.
Amelia D’Souza

Sheela Says: What a political mess some celebrities have found themselves in this week.

Those picked to run in the Olympic Torch relay as part of the global run up to the Beijing Olympic Games probably weren’t expecting to face the barrage of criticism thrown at them by pro-Tibet and human rights supporters. Or for that matter attacked while carrying the torch on route in their respective cities.

The protesters are demonstrating against the Chinese government’s crackdown on the pro-independence movement in Tibet last month and on the country’s human rights record. Protestors tried to jump on British celebrities like television presenter Konnie Haq, Arsenal footballer Theo Walcott and violinist Vanessa Mae as they ran through London last week with the torch.

The latest to face the heat is Bollywood star Aamir Khan who has been bombarded with a storm of criticism after he decided to continue to participate in the run when the torch arrives in New Delhi next week.

While protestors have every right to demonstrate their unhappiness with the Chinese government, jumping on the relay runners in a bid to extinguish the torch is a little much. Call me an idealist but it has been proven time and again that sports and politics make awful bedfellows. The Olympic Games is about celebrating the human spirit and it shouldn’t be hijacked in the name of politics.

Tell Us: Should celebrities run in the Olympic Torch relay despite the protests? What do you think about mixing sports and politics?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg . Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

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LETTERS VIA E-MAIL

It is nice of you to ask about this ongoing human behavior regarding the relay and the participants. Celebs, athletes or anyone who cares for the welfare and good of others must voice out their concerns for the Tibetans. The olympics should not be the stage to do it. The Human Rights groups are right too cause they care and I believe most Singaporeans do not know the hardships these Tibetans are going through. Stars, they maybe
and their lifestyles are different from what the Tibetans are going through. It is easy for for them to lend their names and have raving reports to boost their popularity. They have their freedom and believe in what they are doing. Most importantly they must reflect and ask themselves if people all around the world, including leaders of certain countries are voicing out for the Tibetans than what has caused the olympic torch relay to be so messy. Let us all think again and put ourselves in the Tibetans shoes.

Robertson Fernandez

Celebs wanting to make their political statements , should not use the Olympics as it is not the platform to do so. Instead they should not make money from China and condemn their own government for recognising China’s sovereignty over Tibet.

Peter Liu Soon Ching

Sheela Says: Pakistan has one. Now India too.

Transgender cable television talk show hosts Begum Nawazish Ali and Rose Venkatesan - aka Ali Saleem and Ramesh Venkatesan - have become media personalities in their countries. Rose is making waves on Star TV’s Tamil-language cable station, Vijay TV and has been touted as India’s transgender Oprah Winfrey. And Begum is the host of a provocative current affairs show on Pakistan’s Aaj TV channel.

But is Singapore ready for a transgender media personality? My answer for the moment will have to be a no. Sure, we are a multi-racial, multi-lingual, cosmopolitan society. But I’m not sure the local television-watching population is ready for a personality like Rose.

Take, for example Kumar, who made a name for himself with his drag shows. While you can catch his act on the local stage or at a comedy club, you won’t find it on local television cable or free-to-air. Sexual minorities are always depicted - unfairly in my opinion - stereotypically in mainstream television and film as deviants, clowns or lip-synching performers.

But as society evolves, the boundaries of tolerance and acceptance are always changing. Who knows maybe sometime in the distant future, a Singapore Rose will be able to come out of closet and on to our television screens. Until then, don’t hold your breath.

Tell Us: What do you think of having a local transgender media personality? Is Singapore too conservative to have a transsexual media star?

You can leave a comment here or e-mail us at tnpshow@sph.com.sg Don’t forget to leave us your contact details: name, age, occupation and e-mail address or telephone number.

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LETTERS VIA E-MAIL

Media personalities display themselves in the eyes of the public in one of two ways. They are performing artistes and their performance on stage may be a pure persona or facade. Our very own television station Channel Eight’s renowned drama character ‘Liang PoPo’ aka Grand Mother Liang is well depicted by famous comedian Jack Neo. Everyone knows that it’s just an act and his performance had garnered a massive fan base while that series was in full spin. On the flip side of the spectrum , some stars are just being themselves.Transgender cable television talk show hosts Begum Nawazish Ali and Rose Venkatesan are not acting, they are actually making themselves comfortable in a
demeanor they deem appropriate. They should be duly applauded because they are not afraid to stand up against stigma and public narrow mindedness.They willing show the world who they perceive themselves to be. If they feel more comfortable in a sari than a suit, by all means.

Innovation and resolution on their parts can only help towards their eventual integration into the hearts and minds of the man in the streets.It’s akin to public relation in a personal scope.

Singapore is proving herself to be one of the world powers in terms of financial poweress,sensible governmentation,sound
infrastructure,advanced airport and is quickly advancing to be a world class sports host. With the likes of Esplanade Theater and a fast maturing media industry, the last thing we need is to be culturally backward. Singaporeans may be truly a salad blend of migrants from India, China and Malaysia, that does not mean that we need to stick to traditional school of thoughts. If Singaporean schools are always advocating self expression and being true to ourselves, people who drift away from the norm should not be castigated as outcasts or weirdos. With the society’s cosmopolitan outlook ,even the young should be able to differ between right and wrong. Self expression as Transgenderism is neither right nor wrong. It’s a personal decision, a grey area so to speak. If students are trained to write argumentative essays to illustrate grey areas, they should also be able to embrace different definitions of sexualities and orientations. Singaporeans must be exposed to different facets of the entertainment diamond to be truly well rounded. Bring it on , Kumar!

Peng Tie Lun