A Potpourri of Vestiges Feature
House full at Mumbai Press Club Al-Jazeera documentary Bollywood Dreams. Courtesy: Anmol Saxena Twitter Timeline |
Talking
about Bollywood dreams Anjum Rajabali, President of Screen writers’ association
said, “for every person who makes it, there are 10,000 who are looking at that
thinking that this is what I would like to be, Rajni actually is a spirit and
is rare. As far as the atmosphere of fear is concerned, let’s face it we need
to raise questions which actually challenge their status quo which perhaps go
against the perceived dominant belief in the society that’s causing anxiety…As
a result of this there’s a lot of censorship. Anything can be twisted and there
can be a case in court.”
“Don’t take anyone’s’ bullshit”
Radhika Gopal, senior manager of an artist management company Tulsea says,
Advising the young talent, “don’t feel the need to bear it, Don’t consider it
to be the dues that you have to pay.”
For those dreaming of celebrity and stardom, the
bustling metropolis of Mumbai is the destination. For those who flock here, the
dream is to make it in Bollywood. The world’s largest film industry produces
over a thousand films a year: a multi-billion-dollar business with some of the
most recognized faces in the world – but for most, reality is much
harsher. The dreams of very few ever come true…yet young and continue to
hustle for their big break.
Bollywood Dreams shines a light on the
struggle of those still trying to become big stars and those behind the
scenes who are the vital cogs keeping the industry going. Behind the glitz
and glamour, the reality for most is unforgiving. Whether it be up-and-coming
actors, background dancers or stuntmen, very few manage to eke out a
living in Bollywood, and many struggle to survive. Despite this, thousands
across India leave their homes for Mumbai, desperate for fame and success. What
begins as chasing a dream often ends in tragedy. This four-part series goes
behind the silver screen to meet some of these dreamers. Their stories reveal
what drives them – offering insight into their lives. This series explores why,
despite the challenges, they are so desperate to make it in such a cut-throat
industry.
Al Jazeera English’s talented multi-award-winning
filmmaker Gautam Singh, who himself wrote and directed a Bollywood
feature film – explores the hopes and dreams of those who are looking to
make it. In this four-part series, the lens not only focuses on a few heartfelt
individual stories but also reflects the wider India and the lives of some of
its communities and artists in the context of the big Bollywood dream.
“With a yearly revenue of
over USD 2.7 billion, Bollywood is flourishing. Yet, the majority of its
workers live and work in pitiable, highly insecure and unhygienic conditions.
Most struggle to eke out a living and are denied basic human rights and
dignity,” says Singh.
Big Dreams is the inspiring
story of Rajini a woman of very small stature who dreams of seeing her name all
over the billboards of Mumbai as Bollywood’s next big ‘little’ actor.
However, the cultural expectations of being a woman from a small, traditional
village add to an already tumultuous journey. She navigates her family’s
traditional expectations while she searches for fame and success in the world’s
biggest film industry.
Bollywood’s biggest blockbusters are often action-packed
with death-defying scenes. But behind the big screen are the stuntmen and women
who risk life and limb to give these films the ultimate thrill. With hardly any
safety measures in place on set, many of these unknown and underpaid performers
often end up injured, or worse. Daydreams and Nightmares is
the tragic yet hopeful story of Vidya Shetty. Once a stuntman in
Bollywood, an accident on the job leaves him paralyzed. Now penniless and
reliant on his family for everything, Vidya’s life is not how he dreamt it
would be. Yet despite his situation he hopes to return to
Bollywood and reprise his risky profession one day. This is also the
story of Narisha. Single and a woman in Mumbai, the cost of fame for her
mean she is vulnerable to the advances of men who promise to make her a
star.
Dare to Dream, is the story
of Vijaya – a woman who lives, eats and breaths dance; her love being a
traditional folk dance called Lavani. But her choice comes with consequences,
especially as a woman in India. We watch as she chooses her passion over her
parents and continues to dance despite traditional and cultural expectations.
The final episode, Recurring Dreams, is
the story of Sunny and Prashant; one a young man at the start of his career and
the other pushing 70. Both are struggling to realise their lifelong
dream of finding stardom in Bollywood. Yet despite neither of them getting
their big break, both maintain a façade of optimism, telling their
families that success is ‘just round the corner’. Nothing could be further from
the truth.
“One thing AJE does well is to look at some of the major
businesses and industries that are critical to a country, and delve into how
they function- and what it means to the people in and around them and the
impact it has on their hopes, dreams, and livelihoods. In this case, we look at
Bollywood as it has not been seen before,” says Farid Barsoum, Executive
Producer of the series.
“Through the series I aim to
showcase the dark underbelly of India’s film industry in a unique manner,” says
Gautam Singh. “Each film explores the painful realities of Bollywood’s
struggling artists using the wide scope of the human experience from tragic to
comedic and everything in between. The whole series offers an insight into
a complex, diverse and unequal country, through the lens of one its most famous
industries.”
Catch Bollywood Dreams on Al Jazeera
English globally from October 2022.
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