Film: Secret SuperstarRelease: 18.10.2017
Producer: Aamir Khan
Director: Advait Chandan
Cast: Zaira Wasim, Meher Vij, Aamir Khan
Music: Amit Trivedi
Insiya/ Zaira Wasim lives in a lower middle class colony in Baroda with her parents, younger brother and grand aunt. She studies in a co-ed school and also attends a coaching class even though her parents cannot afford the additional expense.
When home, Insiya is either surfing music channels on television or playing guitar composing new melodies.
Insiya’s mother/ Meher Vij sells her jewelry to gift her daughter a laptop and a whole new world opens up for the 15 year old. Insiya uploads her album on the YouTube and becomes an overnight sensation praised by superstars on social media and contacted by top music director Shakti Kumar/ Aamir Khan inviting her for a recording to Mumbai.
Secret Superstar is a story of Insiya’s singing aspirations but also her rage towards a patriarchal society discriminating between men and women. In some ways the film is reminiscent of Hrishikesh Mukherjee and Basu Chatterjee’s middle of the road cinema during the 70s and 80s that focused on everyday happenings and awakened our conscience.
Insiya’s story begins with abuse and oppression at home and travels the by-lanes of religion, custom and law to question our dormant society.
What works in favor of the film is essentially the story, the emotional narrative, natural dialogues and remarkable characters. All the performances are effective. Mona Ambekar as a lawyer stands out in a cameo, Aaamir Khan as the obnoxious music director is a riot, Zaira Wasim of Dangal proves yet again that she is special and the surprise packet of the film Meher Vij cast as Insiya’s adorable Ammi.
There are sparkling moments in the film, sparkling lines, a lot of heart and pathos. Amit Trivedi’s music is refreshing and new voice Meghana Mishra excels as alter ego.
On the downslide, Insiya’s success is over simplified; the climax over exaggerated and the journey a forgone conclusion but all this can be overlooked because the narrative is emotionally powerful and addresses multiple issues ranging from marital abuse, gender discrimination, minority and show business!
Secret Superstar is devoid of big budget, big stars, lavish sets, entertaining choreography and glamorous costumes but it has a soul, it has the flight of a courageous daughter and even a more courageous mother and their precious dreams.
In the closing of the film Aamir Khan looks into the camera and states: If you approve of the film like it and if you don’t, change your taste.
I like the film and rate Secret Superstar with 4 stars.
@bhawanasomaaya
The book is a landmark in the history of art movement in India and includes the work of top 30 artists which include Akbar Padamsee, Anjoli Ela Menon, Jehangir Sabawala , Krishen Khanna, M.F.Hussain, Prabhakar Kolte, Prafulla Dahanukar, F.N.Souza, Ram Kumar, Sakti Barman, S.H. Raza, Tyeb Mehta, V.S. Gaitonde, Yusuf Arakkal and many more.
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A collector’s item of Bachchan’s 135 films over 40 years with film posters and stories behind the scenes. In his four-decade-long career, Amitabh Bachchan has been a witness to all the turning points in show business both on and off screen. He symbolizes the evolution of Indian cinema in creativity and technology. His growing stature from an actor to a superstar is evident from his altering body language reflected in the film posters over the decades. He stands testimony to the changing trends in cinema as well as the socio-political scenario in the country. Amitabh Bachchan will always remain the touchstone of the entertainment business.
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Over the decades I did several interviews with her probably the maximum any journalist has done with her, some of them reproduced in my several books.
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If the mother-in-law gives permission, the daughter-in-law is allowed her first single drink of the day (water/ coconut water/ lassi/ tea/ coffee/ juice) so all the women quickly phoned their ma-in-law and sought permission for lassi to get them going till evening.
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