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NOT A REVIEW – Just joining the curiosity bandwagon.. (Adult rated article)

Like them or not, Dibakar Banerjee films are something many of us look forward to. I am one of the “Didn’t like Khosla Ka Ghosla and Oye Lucky, Lucky Oye” (Ye, you art-house cinema lovers, bring those bricks on.) And yet, I look forward to Love Sex aur Dhokha. No point beating around the bush, of course, it’s because of the three-letter ‘S’ word in the title. Because it takes courage to do that. There are so many of us who love watching and I doubt we gave the title even a first thought. But “haaaw…a Hindi film…with the ’sex’ word in it? How dare he?” This is the taboo he’s taking on, in a way.

Let’s talk about sex, he says. And why not? The population of this country is a testament to the fact that we have a lot of sex. But, then there is a lot more to the film from what I read and see. For example, the director’s article on Passion For Cinema sounds like this is an experiment with the new-age modes of recording life that we have in hand. Be it mobile videos or CCTV.

The digitized, fuzzy faces, the strobing, jerky movements, the furtive glances, the nervous camera, the clumsy, choppy edit, the scratchy sound, the repetitive slo mo rewind and forward – to me all this is a new grammar of cinema. A language that is evolving as we speak, a toolset that is all our generation’s own – no one had this before. We ignore it, look down upon it, go and see films about uplifting themes featuring good looking people in well shot backlight fighting incredible odds to sing the climax song in GLORIOUS backlight. And yet millions of downloads tell another story about what people want to see.

He wants it to be uncinematic and turn film grammar on its head. He actually call’s it

A film that isn’t one.

So, we are certainly in for a different ride. So much so that, looks like the producer doesn’t know what she’s gotten herself into!.

Shhhh… let me see the film. Why’s the camera focusing on his paunch?

Which by the way, they have intentionally kept at a very low budget of Rs. 1 crore, which is petty in this day and age of 100-crore films. Since the cast is almost unheard of, there is a good chance that a lot of thought has gone into the story. *fingers crossed*

They seem to have spent enough gray cells, if not money, on the marketing and publicity. They are pretty active on the net at least, which might be the target audience, anyway. Other than non-traditional type of questions for contests, they seem to be trying different ways to publicize the cynicism that starts with the title -

“Instead of expressing love like every year, Dibakar thought it’s time for those people who got fooled by love to express themselves. For as many people feel love, there is a counter number who abuse love too,” Balaji Telefilms joint managing director Ekta Kapoor told IANS by a text message.
A radio network would localise and compliment the activity with a contest where lucky winners would have the opportunity to send their “not so dear ones” an “Un-Valentine” gift hamper comprising of a LSD “Dhokha” card and a cactus plant.

One of the promos actually ends with a character saying -

Aisi story se samaaj ko bigaadte ho tum log

(you spoil the values of society by stories like these)

Dibakar asks the same question of other films that have violence and murder as their core -

“Have you had sex? There is very good probability that your answer would be yes! So why shy away from seeing a film around this theme? Why hide it? Why not talk about it? After all this is the most natural thing between a man and a woman. On the other hand the most unnatural thing between two humans would be one taking another’s life. When something like that is so much available for even ‘family audiences’ in the age group of 7-70, why have problems with a film like LOVE SEX AUR DHOKHA”, continues Dibakar.

All well and good. My main apprehension is that I might not like the film if it banks too heavily on shock value. Like they have this song

” we have a song with that title playing during a particular scene. It’s an integral and important part of the movie. We have a character that downloads the song on his computer and then plays it over and over. It’s a song that has been banned from being played in public and hence, gets sort of a cult following.”

In the same interview though, he promises that it will shock and provoke us in the first five minutes and then we will be absorbed in the film

Amen.