APNE BANE BHASMASUR: GOLDEN PAST AND SUICIDAL PRESENT OF BHOJPURI CINEMA

APNE BANE BHASMASUR: GOLDEN PAST AND SUICIDAL PRESENT OF BHOJPURI CINEMA

1-JULY-ENG 8

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA-------------------------Bhojpuri cinema, which once brought the fragrance of its soil and lifestyle to the big screen, is today struggling with its own identity crisis. The Bhojpuri film industry, which has traveled from a historic beginning like “Ganga Maiya Tohe Piyaari Chadhaibo” to a blockbuster like “Sasura Bada Paisa Wala”, is now getting cut off from its roots and becoming a cheap copy of Bollywood. The hashtag #ApneBaneBhasmasur accurately describes the current situation.

Bhojpuri cinema has always had a huge audience. Bhojpuri speaking audience is present in large numbers not only in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, but also in Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and even in Mauritius, Fiji, Suriname, America, Holland, Nepal and African countries. Despite this, after “Ganga Maiya Tohe Piyaari Chadhaibo” (Producer: Kundan Kumar of Banaras), it took a long time for the second film “Bidesiya” (starring Sujeet Kumar, Padma Khanna) to come. Films like “Laagi Chhute Nahi Ram” and Nazir Hussain-directed “Balam Pardesiya” (Rakesh Pandey, Padma Khanna) gradually gave impetus to the genre.

Films like “Maai Ke Saugandh”, “Ganga Ghat” and especially “Dangal” brought recognition to Bhojpuri cinema. Dilip Bose’s 1983-84 blockbuster “Dulha Ganga Paar Ke” (Kunal, Gauri Khurana) created a buzz with its excellent music and lyrics. This was followed by “Ganga Kinare Mora Gaon” which expanded the market further. Films like Amjad Khan’s “Godna” and K.S. Bokadia’s “Gangaajal” attracted the big names of Bollywood. Directors like Mohanji Prasad (Hamar Bhauji), Sujit Kumar (Pan Khaye Saiyan Hamaar), and Kunal Singh (Hamar Dulha) brought the soul of Bhojpuri to the screen in the truest sense. Films like “Piya Rakhih Senurwa Ke Laaj”, “Bairi Kangana”, “Dagabaz Balma” presented the true picture of Bhojpuri society. In the 90s, Mohan Ji Prasad’s “Hamar Sajna” and “Sajanwa Bairi Ho Gayile Hamaar” starring Deepika (TV’s Sita) once again revived the Bhojpuri market.

Artists like Bharat Sharma, Sharda Sinha, Mahendra Mishra, Baleshwar Yadav, Munna Singh kept Bhojpuri songs alive. Artists like Manoj Tiwari, Anand Mohan, Kalpana, Devi made it more popular. Manoj Tiwari stepped into films and became a superstar with “Sasura Bada Paisa Wala”, which left many Hindi films behind in terms of earnings. Ravi Kishan, who used to do small roles in Hindi films, was made a big star by Bhojpuri cinema by giving a hit film like “Ganga Jaison Mai Hamaar”. This was the period when Bhojpuri films were creating new history and were strongly present with regional identity.

But, today’s situation is worrying. The most important thing in the production of regional films is that they should be completely connected to the emotional background of that region. Commercialism is necessary, but it should not be just economic but should be separate from professionalism. Unfortunately, this is what is lacking in today's Bhojpuri films. Blind imitation of the 'masalas' of Hindi films is hollowing out Bhojpuri cinema. A song from "Dhartiputra" starring Manoj Tiwari, which was a direct Bhojpuri translation of the song "Chhore ki aankhein sharabi hai mein nasha bhi..." from the Hindi film 'Fight Club', is a bitter example of this. When a song filmed in bikini and shorts on the beach of Goa is filmed on the actors wearing dhoti-kurta and lehenga-choli on the roof or in the fields of a village, it looks ridiculous and vulgar.

The market for Bhojpuri films has grown, the audience is also attached to it. In such a situation, there is a need to present our own 'stuff' in a new way, bring forward stories related to our own culture and environment. If Bhojpuri cinema keeps cutting itself off from its roots and keeps copying Hindi films, then the audience is bound to get disillusioned. Bhojpuri film industry will have to introspect, otherwise the day is not far when this saying of #ApneBhanesmasur will prove to be completely true, and Bhojpuri cinema will destroy itself with its own hands.