HOLI: Has it lost its context in the mode

GLAMSHAM.COM

When was the last time when a Holi song was picturised in the new Hindi Movies during the last three years or so, which has been able to replace the evergreen Holi songs that still continue to enthrall us every year on the eve of Holi? Was it in BAGHBAAN or was it in Vipul Shah's WAQT? Why has Holi lost its relevance from the Hindi films and has dropped out of the horizon and gets to appear in the films in which the heroes of yester years are acting like that in BAGHBAAN or in WAQT? Between both of these cases, however the song which featured Big B became an instant hit, while that picturised on Akshay Kumar and Priyanka Chopra has dropped out from the radar, and nobody would be able to even recollect those lyrics.

Does the present breed of actors have a Holi song to their repertoire as a Rajesh Khanna, or an Amitabh Bachchan, or a Dilip Kumar or a Dharmendra had to their repertoire? In fact Holi songs during the earlier times, in conformity with the tradition of the country, where used as a platform for interaction between the Hero and the heroine. Is it owing to the fact that as the platform for interaction between the youth of today is not restricted by the occasion of Holi to embark on a path of development of relationship that Holi also seems to have dropped out of the Hindi cinema as an integral part of the Hind film construct.


Whole of SHOLAY was in fact constructed around Holi as one of the famous dialogues of the movie," Holi Kab hai", was the occasion which provided interesting turning points through out the movie, and SHOLAY could be one of the few movies where in the festival of Holi was used as various points of departure of the movie.Who can forget the use of Holi as an occasion to comment on the issue of widow remarriage as Shakti Samanta did it in KATI PATANG? Or for that matter the Holi of MUGHAL-E-AAZAM or MOTHER INDIA, which where used as a turning point by the directors in their respective films. The occasion of Holi used to provide the leverage toll for the director to give a new direction to the movie, and Yash Chopra did the same in SILSILA and in BAGHBAAN once again.

While we have made Valentine's Day, Christmas etc., as a festival of pan-Indian expression by there progressive usage in the films in the recent past, and for which one has no grudge, but one should not forget the culture and the tradition which have made country famous all over the world.

May be a Jawed Akhtar, a Gulzar, and a Prasoon Joshi would have to take up this challenge to come up with a song of Holi which should be at least at par what has been written about Holi by the acclaimed writers earlier. After all, when the industry celebrates Holi with such a energy and comes out with songs and anthems for all the occasions, it is high time the industry comes up with a new anthem on Holi which should become a swan song for the whole generation who could identify with it as being there own.