North East snubbed at in Phir Mile Sur
By: Subhadeep Bhattacharjee
It has been more than two decades that Indians first heard a song 'Mile Sur Mera Tumhara.' Few would have realised that this song would be something next just to the National Anthem. 
In the single channel Doordarshan era it was one of the most sought after programmes. The song which represented India and had Bollywood stars, musicians, cultural icons, sportsman and ordinary people. Cut to 26th January 2010 and we get a remixed version of the original song which mesmerised us for more than two decades.
To spread the message of 'unity and diversity' once again in a rising and fast globalising India 'Phir Mile Sur' was conceived. But the question is where was North-East in the entire video? The original one at least featured a dance sequence which had all the major tribes from North East. The only representation of the entire region was through an immobile Bhupen Hazarika and Mary Kom packing a few punches.
Was that all about North-East? Although it is easy to blame the mentality of the people in the mainland behidn this, but the truth lies elsewhere. The entire 16 minutes video seemed to be a representation of Bollywood stars more than anything else. Where were our cricketers? Doesn't Sachin Tendulkar stand a place among Abhinav Bindra and Vijender Singh? Cricket has always been blamed for our failure in other sports but the fact remains it is the most popular sport in India.
Coming to the issue of North East, the region not missed out on the video but has surely lost percentage in the footage compared to the original song. The reason for this is very simple, the region doesn't have any major stars in Bollywood and it slipped out of the mind of video director whose only claim to fame has been directing Kailash Surendranath a Bollywood pot-boiler Love You Humesha. If lack of awareness and creativity needs any example Phir Mile Sur would be in the lead.
What was the director's though process behind the entire video? NE wasn't represented not because the director had some bias but because he wasn't even aware enough have a bias in his mind. Why on earth did the make the video in the first place? If it was to represent unity in diversity why is the end product to poor? The makers of the video should think back and reflect upon their idea, it this what they feel will unite India?
In the single channel Doordarshan era it was one of the most sought after programmes. The song which represented India and had Bollywood stars, musicians, cultural icons, sportsman and ordinary people. Cut to 26th January 2010 and we get a remixed version of the original song which mesmerised us for more than two decades.To spread the message of 'unity and diversity' once again in a rising and fast globalising India 'Phir Mile Sur' was conceived. But the question is where was North-East in the entire video? The original one at least featured a dance sequence which had all the major tribes from North East. The only representation of the entire region was through an immobile Bhupen Hazarika and Mary Kom packing a few punches.
Was that all about North-East? Although it is easy to blame the mentality of the people in the mainland behidn this, but the truth lies elsewhere. The entire 16 minutes video seemed to be a representation of Bollywood stars more than anything else. Where were our cricketers? Doesn't Sachin Tendulkar stand a place among Abhinav Bindra and Vijender Singh? Cricket has always been blamed for our failure in other sports but the fact remains it is the most popular sport in India.
Coming to the issue of North East, the region not missed out on the video but has surely lost percentage in the footage compared to the original song. The reason for this is very simple, the region doesn't have any major stars in Bollywood and it slipped out of the mind of video director whose only claim to fame has been directing Kailash Surendranath a Bollywood pot-boiler Love You Humesha. If lack of awareness and creativity needs any example Phir Mile Sur would be in the lead.
What was the director's though process behind the entire video? NE wasn't represented not because the director had some bias but because he wasn't even aware enough have a bias in his mind. Why on earth did the make the video in the first place? If it was to represent unity in diversity why is the end product to poor? The makers of the video should think back and reflect upon their idea, it this what they feel will unite India?
2 comments:
Buck that.....were was Sachin??He deserved to be there...moreover the common India wanted him there...but loh we get a gala orgy comprisin the dick-snappy Karan Johar,gud fr nthin bachchan jr....fckin disgrace.We din see a tad of Indian politics or business...cud hav thrown in some birla or ambani...nor did we have the common man...the mahouts n the boatmen,the farmers n the fisheren....nd yes,our true heroes:the armed forces sublimated from their minds,alongwith ppl like sandip unnikrishnan,the NSG and the countless others...e.g the ppl who died to protect the parliament,police officer's from 26/11...deserved to be documented in india's history, this was the best way to pay them a tribute...but the BOLLYWOOD bomd is fckin more India then nethin now...
bhupen hazarika was in the first one and in the 2nd one too.. thats it.. full of bollywood crap stars...
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