Click to play videoNew Delhi: The anti-corruption movement centered at the Ramlila Maidan, has given the film fraternity the chance to directly interact with their audience. Many of the Hindi and regional film industry stalwarts have appeared on the stage where anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare launched his fast.
Amir Khan, Nana Patekar, Raju Hirani, Kailash Kher, Raghuvir Yadav, Vijay, Manoj Tewari, Sambhavana Seth and Om Puri are just to name a few. They set Ground Zero ablaze with fiery speeches. However, one person that emerged as the champion of theatrics was veteran actor Om Puri.
Puri launched an assault on the political class as the assembled crowd cheered and jeered. Egged on by public support Puri started to voice his opinion about politicians. TV cameras showed him slurring and speaking a language contrary to his general public image as an actor and orator of some standing.
Om Puri went on to suggest the gathered mass to take liquor and money from the aspiring legislators but to cast vote as per their choice. Further, Puri claimed to have seen the houses of politicians and hailed the media and Kiran Bedi.
Puri might have been voicing the dissents of the common man, but his act forced us to travel down the memory line. Starting from Ghashiram Kotwal, he became the raw face of the politically charged angry youth till early 80’s.
Bhumika, Aakrosh, Ardh Satya, Arohan and Mirch Masala gained him a position in offbeat films that was in a way equivalent to Amitabh Bachchan of mainstream cinema. Sometimes, as Lahanya Bhiku in Aakrosh and sometimes as gutsy Anant Velankar in Ardh Satya, Puri weaved a memorable magic net around the characters.
He made swift transitions to both sides, mainstream and offbeat films. However, the ultimate image remained in the minds of the audiences was still of a firebrand actor, who seems to be living the characters he played. Maachis achieved Puri another milestone; however his choice of films changed post Maachis. Now, it was more market friendly than issue oriented.
These films could have been commercially successful and challenging as an actor, but they were not the same as before. Slowly and steadily Om Puri became a character artist, rather than the flaming protagonist, who once stood by the issue of the film.
Puri’s choice of words and mannerism at the Ramlila ground raises one query.
Do the actors really believe in the characters and their ideologies or they are just actors with simple outlook towards the onscreen portrayals?
Bollywood actors have offered their opinion about different popular movements, and at times many stalwarts have made a complete mockery of their public image in the process. While this does not affect their popularity as actors, but after a time people generally start to perceive them as crowd pullers, when they come out on the stage to support any movement.
This widely perceived notion in a way harms the serious movement, especially those which don’t need crowd pullers anymore. Puri’s speech was something on this line. Puri took weird swinging movements and slurred undistinguished words, which toned down the momentum of a very important movement at a very crucial juncture.
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