When I saw the trailer of Mastizaade I knew it was going to be crass, lewd and unfunny; with sly innuendo and unsubtle suggestion being passed off for humour. I was not far wrong, it would seem. Critics said that the film is not only awful; it is unlikely Bollywood will be able to make anything more awful this year. The ‘jokes’ are “vile, brain dead and unrelenting” by all accounts. So what is wrong with adult comedy I hear you say? What is wrong with a movie that asks you to leave your thinking cap back at home?
The problem with Bollywood’s ‘sex comedies’
What passes of as sex comedy in Bollywood
Look at Bollywood’s “sex comedy” offerings: Kya Kool Hai Hum, Masti, and their assorted sequels. What passes for humour is the problem here: the characters are frequently portrayed to be misogynistic and homophobic. Physical and mental disabilities are mocked and made fun of. Not only are women objectified, they are treated as a collection of body parts without a brain and men are routinely portrayed as being unable to think beyond their crotch. This is not funny. It is sad.
Mere titillation is quite unfunny. Exaggerated facial contortions, running about like headless chicken and over-the-top-ness doesn’t make for humour. Spare us. These movies have no plots or storylines, the gags are sophomoric and slapstick at best. To call itself a adult comedy, a script should have to work hard to create situations and to write lines that surprise with their originality. Where is the originality in holding a banana suggestively or calling an ashram “Aurgasm”?
Whats even more interesting is that these movies are released without beeps, cuts or any reprimand what-so-ever, while Spectre was released with kissing scenes cut short. Maybe obscenities are acceptable if they are being done and shown by Indians.
Adult yet intelligent comedies can happen.
Before you assume that I am a puritan or an intellectual snob, let me tell you that Delhi Belly and Andaz Apna Apna are two or my favourite films. Of all time. Delhi Belly was most certainly an adult comedy, it was full of expletives and sexual references but it had a thoroughly enjoyable story, the characters were identifiable and the gags were hilarious. It surprised and delighted. It shocked in parts, but made my ribs hurt from laughing.
Andaz Apna Apna is an incredibly silly movie peopled with exceedingly dim characters, distinctly over the top acting, and did not exactly have an original plot. Yet it was enjoyable and uproariously funny. The dialogues were truly humorous, the characters likeable and the story had a beginning, a middle and an end.
When Raj Kumar Hirani makes a film we all want to watch it: we know it is funny, intelligent, compassionate and even if it is a wee bit preachy, we forgive the man utterly. We can watch Laurel and Hardy’s idiotic antics and fall out of our chairs laughing; so yes, we are willing to leave our brains behind occasionally too.
My humble appeal to filmmakers is just not to assume that their audience is stupid. Don’t give us lazy, poorly written, unfunny drivel and then try to pass it off as comedy. Work for our approval – your audience is waiting to give it to you.
Author – Reena Daruwalla
