CHENNAI : When did your whole ‘It’s a new year!’ bubble break? Did you have a moment when it struck you that the planet revolving around the sun one time doesn’t automatically wipe the slate clean? Well, I envy you if you’re still holding on to that January high because it it was over as soon as the movie Darbar began. I may have brought it upon myself, yes, but I sure am not going to blame myself entirely — to make better cinema was not my resolution (it was merely to watch better movies). But after the disappointment that is Darbar (and that’s putting in kindly) I really hope there are filmmakers who have in fact resolved to redeem cinema and that this film isn’t prophetic of the year’s other big releases.
The predictable question that is raised after a declaration of disappointment in a film is this: Why engage or offer space to a film a few people did not like, many did not (nor intend to) watch, and many thousands saw and loved? The answer is always the same: We need to talk about a good film because more people to watch it, and a bad film to help everyone see what’s bad about it. Now, to a die-hard fan in denial about Darbar, here are my ‘live-tweeting-like’ thoughts on why it is just not a missable movie but a questionable one. “Thalaivar is back!” isn’t on this list:
Superstars can’t go scot-free when they make one bad film after another. Actually, they should have no right to make such films because they have a responsibility to society that comes with their power, and we must milk it the way that producers do with the stardom — hold them accountable to it.
Actor Rajnikanth must stop acting in Rajnikanth films. That beaten baton has been passed on, so let’s focus on an actor in there who needs kindling, the one that deserves to be talked about as ‘Whatte man’, and takes pride in ageing in an industry that bats against it, especially for women.
In Darbar, the superstar is a stalker. I am not sure who is learning from whom, but I am sure that we must call out stalking everywhere, and hold all actors accountable to it — starting from Siva Karthikeyan all the way up to superstar. But really, when senior actors need to reminded that stalking is just as injurious as smoking, it is safe to say the star is not shining as brightly.
Question: What happens to the lady superstar when she is cast opposite the superstar? Answer: She glows but has no value
In Darbar, Nayanthara stares for an extended period of time, says little, is never shown thinking, and then has someone else speak for her. I probably spoke too soon after seeing Bigil and jinxed it for her.
In 2020, can we please have a police film in which a woman is not killed? And a person who is sensitive to transperons? Nothing is impossible!
What do these women do? I don’t see the interior designer at work at all, and the daughter was all that and nothing but. In her death Valli (Nivetha Thomas) emerges as a powerful actor, but is sadly wasted in the character’s life.
The movie did a better job of discouraging drug use than encouraging the use of the female actors. Can big stars stop making films about women and insist on better pay and more screen time for female co-stars in the film? Oops, I forget quite often that superstars are only that super on screen and off-screen, they’re usually only simple men shooting off their mouths and going about their lives.
The real villain of this film is it’s writing, and like all baddies these days, it’s a familiar face in a fresh suit.
We want no righteous don nor violent cop, We want real movies but not those that glorify encounter killings, custodial deaths, human rights violations and coercion. We want well-researched movies that understand madness in which grieving cops are not handed guns and sent to therapy instead. Can we cancel January along with Darbar and start the new year from February?