'Girlfriend' fails to raise passions

Prasanna Raghav / TNN / Jun 20, 2004, 02:27 IST

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PATNA: The "fire" caused by the movie "Girlfriend" may have turned into a conflagration in other parts of the country but it is not so in Patna.

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">PATNA: The "fire" caused by the movie "Girlfriend" may have turned into a conflagration in other parts of the country but it is not so in Patna. However, the movie, dealing with a serious issue of same sex relationship, has failed to catch the imagination of movie buffs in the capital.Though it is currently being screened in two cinema halls of the city, the attendance of viewers has remained thin throughout the last two weeks of the release of the movie. And what is interesting is that very few women have gathered courage to watch this movie. "It''s impossible for women to watch a sensitive movie in Patna as the crowd has a very parochial mindset here," said a student, who had braved her way to the Regent theatre to watch the film. Another girl student, who preferred anonymity, said, "It''s an irony that a film dealing with a feminist issue is being sacrificed at the altar of conservatism." With very few women daring to tide against the rigid norms of society, patriarchy was out in full force to make its presence felt both at Veena and Regent theatres. "I have come here to watch the Khallas girl," said Satish Kumar, an undergraduate student, referring to Isha Koppikar, the main protagonist of the film. "I have heard a lot about the content of the film but there is no evidence of vulgarity. Vested interests are unnecessarily raking up the issue," said Sandeep Anand, a 23-year-old BIT student. However, Awdhesh seemed to be amused by the film. "I could not make head or tail of the movie. Its message remains a mystery to me," he said. Besides young men, people from low income groups, who form a major chunk of the viewers, were also not enthused. "Hum to soche ki cinema mein achchha achchha ''scene'' hoga lekin hum to thaga gaye," said a disappointed rickshaw-puller, who had come to the cinema hall for "cheap entertainment". Unlike in other parts of the country, including Maharashtra and Varanasi, where cinema halls screening the movie were vandalised by self-proclaimed culture police (owing allegiance to the right wing groups), the state capital has not witnessed any violence on this count as yet. "We certainly have problems with the theme of the film but we will not resort to undemocratic means to lodge our protest," said Devendra, an office-bearer of the RSS. So, how does one measure the city''s response to the movie? Though there is no violent protest, womenfolk are still hesitant to come out in large number to see such a movie. The principal of Art and Craft College, Anunay Chaubey, said, "Movies like ''Girlfriend'' will help create an environment of tolerance by forcing many cloistered ideas to be debated openly." He cited embarrassment as the sole reason responsible for women and families not showing enthusiasm for watching such films. </div> </div>

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