Analysis of the Film Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge - Essay Example

Report- DDLJ This report provides an analysis of the film d “Dilwale dulhaniya le jayenge” in order to determine how it is distinct from the general trend of similar films. The analysis specifically includes the importance of rasa and the cultural element in explaining the success sof the film. Synopsis of storyline: The heroine of this film belongs to an Indian family that has settled in the UK, with a strict father . The young hero of the film meets her while on a college trip abroad and the two young people fall in love. The father however, does not approve of his daughter’s choice and prefers the son of one of his old friends. The mother who is well aware that the father is set in his views and is unlikely to change his mind, encourages the young lovers to elope. This is the stage where the story deviates from the general trend, because the young man is determined that he will only marry the girl he loves with the approval of both her parents, irrespective of the cost and irrespective of how long the process takes. He then embarks on a persistent campaign to win the father’s approval and at the end of a period of sustained suffering, he is able to finally achieve the desired objective. Analysis: One of the important aspects to be considered in film analysis is the historical context within which the film story is set. For instance, as Hogan states, an essay that examines a film like Mildred Pierce should of necessity, analyse the changing sociological position of women which occurred during the post world war period, because the historical events of the war resulted in women being forced to participate more actively in jobs that were formerly restricted to men only but were falling vacant because they were being drafted into the armed forced to fight the war (Corrigan,88). Similarly, DDLJ is a significant film when assessed using a historical perspective. This film can be compared to another Hindi film titled Bobby that was produced and marketed in the 70s. In this film, the spoilt young son of a rich man falls in love with a poor girl belonging to a different religion. i.e., Christianity. The young lovers solve the problems arising from the rich-poor chasm existing in Indian society by eloping. This film reflects the prevailing mood in Indian society during that period, when a love marriage was viewed as a near impossibility since arranged marriages were the norm and viewed as the ideal condition for marriage and one which was also socially acceptable. The storyline of DDLJ however appears to represent the ideal amalgam of a love marriage and an arranged marriage, because the young actors are in love with each other, yet at the end of the film this love marriage is also approved by the parents, an essential characteristic of an arranged marriage. This is also one of the reasons for the film’s popularity because it appears to suggest that it may be possible to achieve the impossible, i.e., a love marriage that is also approved by the parents and thereby enjoys all the benefits of an arranged marriage. Moreover, the protagonists of this film are both non resident Indians living in the U.K., and the film’s message supporting an arranged marriage supports and upholds traditional Indian values in a strange land. The enormous popularity of the film suggests that the prevailing mood in Indian society during this period has moved away from that which existed when “Bobby” was made. While the young lovers in Bobby run away and elope when they face parental opposition, the young lovers in DDLJ decide to fight for their parents’ approval and support of their relationship and love rather than running away and eloping as a means to achieve the impossible ideal of falling in love and actually turning it into a reality. The societal and historical context therefore appears to have changed in the interim period of two decades between the making of Bobby and DDLJ. The message of rebellion and revolt was popular when the earlier film was made and successful love marriages executed with parental approval were uncommon. By the time DDLJ was made however, there were many more Indians moving abroad, love marriages were not frowned upon as severely as they were in earlier years. While living in a foreign country, adherence to precious traditional Indian values became even more important and rebellion was not as attractive to young Indians. Such an attitude in society could serve to explain the resounding success of the film, thereby suggesting that the historical context has a significant role to play in the prevailing attitudes in society and its re[presentation through the film medium. Hogan (2008) argues that rasa is one of the most important concepts in Indian aesthetic theory. The term rasa means sentiment and refers to the emotional impact that a film is likely to have upon its viewers. Rasa is significant in the context of Indian film making, because emotions occupy a central role in Indian cinema. Hogan points out that while emotions are generally considered to be equivalent to irrational feelings, in reality they may not necessarily always be simple and irrational. Rather, an episode involving emotion is likely to be the result of an incident or event in the environment which functions as a catalyst or provocation that spurs the generation and release of certain emotions, such as fear, anger, joy, and other emotions. Internal conditions could also generate the display of emotions; for instance innate sensitivities that trigger the release of those emotions and one of the most potent factors provoking those sensitivities is the emotions of other people. The expression of rasa is also evident in the film DDLJ, with the young hero’s emotions building to a climax towards the end of the film, resulting in an eruption of anger followed by the pain of separation from his beloved and then an eruption of happiness as he finally achieves the goal he had been seeking so ardently throughout the course of the film – parental approval. The intensity of the young couple’s emotions are triggered by the emotions of other people, i.e., the strict and traditional parents of the heroine. The outburst of anger from the hero towards the end of the film which erupts in violence against a gang of young men including the man his beloved is engaged to marry, also arises because of the negative emotions expressed towards him. The approval and goodwill that the hero is able to attain among the members of the young heroine’s family also develops because their innate sensitivities leading to the display of such emotions develops as a result of the emotions of the young hero who sets out to assiduously woo them on to his side. Hogan(2008:102) also points out the importance of cultural factors in understanding rasa which is such an integral part of Indian films. In the context of the film DDLJ, foreign viewers would find it difficult to comprehend the extent to which the hero of the film is prepared to suffer in order to gain the approval of his beloved’s parents, because parental approval is not that important for young people there. But when this aspect and the attendant emotion is analysed in the context of cultural elements of Indian society which is culturally group oriented rather than individualistic like American society, the importance of parental approval is suddenly clear. According to Hogan, “one function of cultural analysis is to provide information that will help viewers to contextualize events or situations (e.g. in a film) that are otherwise culturally opaque. (Hogan 2008:102). The kind of extreme and protracted display of emotion that occurs in DDLJ would also be somewhat incomprehensible for a foreign viewer from a society where rasa is not as important and society dictates that emotions be kept in check. Conclusions: DDLJ was undoubtedly one of the most successful Bollywood films, producing big profits at the box office. It is a significant film mostly because of the differing message it provided, which bucked the existing trend in these films to portray young love rebelling against the traditional norms of society. The storyline revolved instead around the efforts of the protagonists to secure parental approval for their love relationship, thus implying that love and an arranged marriage could c-exist; a notion that was strange to Bollywood films. The film is also a depiction of rasa, because the story of the young lovers is geared towards triggering the emotional sensitivities of the viewer and thereby provoking the outburst of a variety of emotions throughout the film. The excessive emotion displayed in the film is also understandable when applied within the cultural context of Indian society that is traditional and restricted, requiring individuals to submit to an arranged marriage or risk facing the disapproval of their parents by opting for a love marriage instead. Within the cultural context of Indian society, the expressions of emotions such as loyalty to family and the willingness to bear suffering in support of such loyalty is an acceptable demonstration of emotion and demonstrates the rasa that is woven through the fabric of most Indian artistic works. References: Corrigan, Timothy, 2008, “A short guide to writing about film”, Pearson Education. Hogan, Patrick Colm, 2008. “Understanding Indian movies: Culture, cognition and cinematic imagination”, , Read More