You say Barfi is copied.So what?

Last week has been full of criticism about Barfi being inspired/copied from a lot of Hollywood/European/Korean Cinema.When I first saw it I was mesmerized by the sheer charm of the protagonist, powerful performances by the leading ladies, amazing screen-play and soothing music. Then started the hullabaloo about the movie taking some serious "inspiration" from a lot of movies. I was confused. Did I watch great cinema or was it just plain rip-off? People started sharing videos on Facebook, making it clear which scene was copied from where.So, started feeling a bit cheated.

Why the hell did I use my 'precious' Facebook status to shower praise on a movie whose Director did nothing, but just borrowed from here and there.The background score which added to the beauty of the movie was also inspired from some Spanish/French tune People started bashing the movie all over the Internet, the lack of creativity among Indian Directors etc. The announcement of the movie as India's official entry to the Oscars added all the more fuel to the fire.Oh We'll get embarrassed by sending such movie at world-stage.

Since I liked the movie the first time I saw it, I some-how started feeling a bit cheated.So, I watched it again last night, just to see if, after knowing all bad things about the movie, whether I would like it or not.

And now I feel even better about the movie. It is good cinema, indeed. Why?...because I cannot disassociate myself from a good movie, just because some-one sitting out there had no other work to do, than to make a video/write a blog about which scene was stolen from which European/Hollywood movie.Yes, the scenes are same are similar, but isn't the whole movie more than just that? The Director has continuously maintained that the movie is a homage to all the Chaplinesque  movies of old times as well as similar movies falling in this 'happy-go-lucky' genre.And what about the music? What's the problem if someone like Pritam, whom I consider amongst the best of our times, just takes a bit of some completely unheard songs/theme and makes something extremely good out of it. How many of us actually gave our ears to the nuances of the theme music of Amelie when we were watching it.? We just felt good didn't we? Similar is the case with the theme music of Barfi, we just feel over-whelmed. Simple. Even if Pritam got inspired, he surely made it much-much better."Phir le aaya dil" how do you forget the soul in it?( and the originality of it, also. Till someone idle finds another source of it). Also, such beautiful lyrics in all songs.


One statement that I got to read was- "Only one kind of viewer would like Barfi!: "Those who don't watch European cinema." I have been an avid fan of European films. Two movies, from which Barfi is alleged to have taken references Amelie and Life is Beautiful, are among my favorite movies (which I have mentioned in one of my earlier blog too).(See here).And I also did note The Notebook scene when I first saw the movie (the only complain I have with the Director of Barfi, Anurag Basu). Still, I feel that Barfi is way more than just the some of its parts. If you watch the movie again, you would probably realize that those scene weren't actually the best of the film. Though they generate laugh among other things, the impact that you feel is more because of the portrayal of characters, over-whelming background score and the beautiful setting than just those "inspired" scenes.

To those who feel that Barfi should not have been sent to the Oscars. You are dead right. But, that too, not because of the allegations of inspirations, but because may be there were other good films which fulfill the Oscar criterion more.Paan Singh Tomar would probably have fetched an Oscar for us.Even Kahaani, for its originality.Yet, even though it would be good to have international recognition, why are we Indians so obsessed with Foreign approval of our work. If they don't give it an award, the movie is not good? Isn't it a colonial mindset that we live with?

To cut the long story short, if something good comes out of India, why the hell are we so bent, ourselves, to pull it down, by comparing it against foreign standards. Why not just appreciate the beauty of it? Yes it would have been great if there was no scope of allegations, yet please don't take back the credit from the Director/Actors/Musician who came together and gave us an emotionally enriching experience through  a two and a half hour joy ride.

Originality would always score higher, but what's the harm if an inspiration leads to something even better?

After all, as the saying goes, Nothing is said that has not been said before.