Everybody is looking for the monkey out there…

The moment these days somebody utters the words bandar or monkey, and specifically kala bandar… there is only one connection… Delhi 6. Have you seen that movie? No, then see… and if you have seen, you either like it or hate it… there is no grey here. It seems there are more who hate (based on the opinion of my friends on facebook), but I liked it. I thinks the movie is deep, with lot of message conveyed using metaphors. But it seems not many go to a theatre expecting that they might have to use their brains. Actually, not much fault of theirs as most of the movies don’t have that requirement. Anyways, I enjoyed the movie, the message it conveyed, and the way it was represented. Maybe the representation could have been different, may be more simpler, more direct, less metaphorical, and the movie could have been a little more romantic to ensure many more Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra fans like this movie. Anyways, doesn’t matter to me… I liked the movie.

However, before I talk more about the movie, I am not sure how much you know about this kala bandar thing. If you are not aware then you might be surprised to know that this kala bandar phenomenon is a fact and the capital city of Delhi was griped by this mass hysteria in 2001. Here are few links that you can visit to know more about it:

• Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kala_Bandar
• CNN: http://edition.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/south/05/16/india.monkeyman/
• BBC: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/1331940.stm
• Time: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,127298,00.html

This kala bandar or monkey man is an abstract creation of peoples weird imagination and insecurities that is what is used as a metaphor in Delhi 6. It is important to understand this historical occurrence to appreciate the movie.

The movie tries to project how people use this hypothetical character to do what they want to do. Some use it to avoid getting caught red handed having extra-marital fun, others use it to cook their religious and political rotis, and then there are some who use it as a business opportunity to maybe start selling kala bandar merchandise. The movie conveys this message repeatedly, highlighting the fact that we humans use many happenings and things around us as excuses. And, we can make up anything, just to save our ass or get some benefit out of a situation. So, the fact is that there is no kala bandar anywhere outside, it is sitting inside us that makes us do these things. It is our insecurities, incapability, or opportunistic behavior which is the kala bandar that can impact our mind and thoughts in such a way that we can even go to the extent of creating these hypothetical creatures, which become such a phenomenon when more than one person joins in and believes the same. Hear the ‘Kala Bandar’ song closely, and it talks about the same thing and actually spells out the crux of the movie.

I think this whole thing also highlights the power of a human brain and what it an do, on which oneself has not control. Its like that scenario where we fear that there might be a time powerful computers and robots might take us over. Check any sci-fi movie and you will see a character similar to that. Thats what our brain is. It is the most powerful computer, which is ours, which we should control, and use it to do what we want to do, but most of the times it is the other way around. It is so damn powerful that it just makes us do what it wants to do. We are bloody so helpless. Dont you feel that at times? Maybe it is just me. There might be some around who don’t, then those are the folks who we call gurus, or at least they pretend to be ones. These gurus are growing like wild grass, just trying to give us that elusive formula to control our brains and the thoughts that it produces. Such a basic thing but an amazingly lucrative business idea, anyways…

You might be glad to know that there was one very positive outcome of this monkey man incidents of Delhi. There was so much hysteria around this that it kept police and government on its toes. During those times, there was more police on the roads and electricity never went off at night, just to ensure that people feel more safe and the monkey man doesn’t attack again. But what a shame… it needed a hypothetical character to help our agencies perform to their optimum levels. This is what they should be doing every day.

So, just remember that we have a few weak characteristics within ourselves (collectively call it a ‘kala bandar’) that we should work to over come, before they become a hysteria, and never, never give an opportunity to others to exploit it. Also, ensure that even you do not use them for your benefit. Live in peace!

 

NOTE: Please see the movie to find for yourself what Abhishek, Sonam, and others have done. I think they were good, so go and watch it. Just ensure you take your heart and brain along. Also, enjoy the music. A. R. Rahman has done a great job.