Masala, Madness, Manmohan Desai Book Review

Amar Akbar Anthony  in my opinion, was an incredibly entertaining film with some of the most clever writing I've ever seen. I was clapping, hooting and hollering throughout most of it. Also, this film is a contender for having one of the best title cards ever in the history of film. I was smiling from ear to ear during it. I think it was an incredibly well made commercial blockbuster that achieves what it’s set out to do. Give you a good time. 

And reading Siddharth Bhatia’s book  Masala, Madness, Manmohan Desai

was an experience I found to be just as, if not more entertaining than the film itself. I wouldn’t call myself an avid reader, though it’s a habit I’ve slowly been working on inculcating into practice. So I was nervous about approaching this book. But to my surprise, I was able to read it swiftly and have a good time doing so. 

What fascinated me the most about this book was a look into how films were made at that time. Reading about Manmohan Desai having released four films just in the year of 1977 completely blew me away. Knowing that he would often direct scenes of different films on the very same day was nothing more than fascinating. I aspire to have a work ethic even close to that. A popular filmmaker nowadays would take years in between projects, but to be able to release four in just a year is straight up applause worthy. 

And another surprise that came my way was finding out that Shabana Azmi was in the film. Whose only work I’m unfortunately familiar with is the recent Karan Johar directed film 

Rocky aur Rani ki Prem Kahaani.  She was unrecognizable at first, but once I figured out that they were the same person, it all made sense to me. 

Around page 29-30, I found it interesting how a clear distinction was made between “art” and “mass” movies. A discussion still relevant today. I personally don’t like labeling films as such and creating such distinctions, but it makes complete sense why these conversations were had. These distinctions were made by Desai often ensuring how different he was from renowned Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray, who was known for making these so-called, “art films.” 

Desai’s films often strayed far from reality and worked towards primarily entertaining the audience. This was his homeground and his safespace; one he excelled in for the time being. His focus was never on exploring the human condition or what was happening in the real world.

Instead, his films were intent on creating a sense of escapism for the average viewer. Immersing them briefly into his bright and comical worlds and making them forget about their worries and woes that they have to deal with before entering the theater and after leaving it. 

And though these types of films are looked down upon by a certain section of the audience, I honestly have an innate respect for these filmmakers. Because making these so-called “illogical” and “leave your brains at home” films also takes a great level of skill to pull off. Because they are tasked with the heavy duty of making an audience believe in the story, no matter how ridiculous it gets. Sure, there are these types of films that are purely nonsensical and don’t engage with people on any level. But there are also filmmakers that take these big and bold swings, not knowing how it’s going to pan out. And I have nothing but respect for them. 

The suspension of disbelief required for such films needs the director to take a leap of faith in their material and their storytelling. And Desai was one such filmmaker. He’d often have this authoritarian way of making films where he wasn’t to be asked any questions regarding his creative choices. Which to me, sounds admirable but also a little problematic. But if I were to have a positive takeaway on this subject, it’s just the sheer trust everyone had in Desai and in his storytelling capabilities that I find almost inspiring. 

There were also a few fun facts I was exposed to when reading this book. Like how a lot of Hindi films back in those days were made without a script. And how the censor rules of the time disallowed the depiction of violence on the screen for more than 90 feet of film continuously. Which Desai used to his advantage when making  Amar Akbar Anthony. 

The author writes about filmmaking as if it weren’t any different from the act of cooking. Desai is referred to as a Chef and genre elements such as action, comedy and romance are referred to as ingredients that make the dish (film) as good as it is. Siddharth also writes about the timeliness of the film. How it came at a time when the trend of “the angry young man” was slowly dying out. As is reflected in Amitabh Bachchan’s comical character of Anthony.

Adding onto Desai’s films being these grand, escapist, star vehicles made for entertainment. A quote of his I found interesting. “You can have logic or emotion. But not both.” 

Though I’m not quite sure what to make of this statement, what he does say about emotion overriding logic is something I find to be true. Or rather something I agree with. If in a film, I’m swept up in the moment and emotion of the scene, then the plot holes and logical problems of the film cease to bother me. Because in the words of Roger Ebert,

“Films are machines that generate empathy.” And for me, the emotion comes first. 

I never thought the film’s apparently iconic mirror scene was a rare moment of character introspection where Bachchan’s character reflects on his honor and half broken self esteem. Tapping into his insecurities for a brief while and humanizing him further a little. I honestly initially thought about the point of the scene as the film could’ve chugged along without it. But upon reading about the scene from the book, I’m glad it made it to the final cut. 

Amar Akbar Anthony  is a film that’s often brought up when secularism in Indian cinema is talked about. It’s most certainly a film that wears its heart on its sleeve and is far from being ‘on-the-nose’ with its messaging. The sense of community between religious communities is depicted by the brotherhood between the three prominent characters that have little to no animosity between them. Even if there is any conflict, such as with Anthony and Amar, it has nothing to do with their religion. 

During the film’s iconic title card which made me fall in love with the movie, we see the three brothers who currently are unaware of the relationship they share with each other, give their blood to their mother who also isn’t aware of her relationship with them. And behind the window of each character are their respective religious shrines, which couldn’t get more blatant. But there’s a certain charm to the glaring iconography that just makes it work. 

The book also reflects on why the cinema that was made during its time was the way it was. Bachchan’s “angry young man” trend became popular due to the growing unrest amongst the nation during the Emergency and became almost tiresome towards the end of that decade, which is reflected in his role of Anthony. Focus is brought on Desai and his partner-in-crime writer Kader Khan and their rootedness to the city of Mumbai which helped them write characters as authentically as possible in terms of their local slang and relatability.

The book then slowly concludes by talking about the everlasting impact of the film as it was remade in several other languages, resonating throughout the country. And it took a surprisingly dark turn when it talked about his line-up of failures that underperformed in the box office, and eventually, Desai’s death. Allegedly by suicide.

But just like his films, the book ends on a positive note reflecting on the legacy he left behind and appreciating his tongue-and-cheek way of storytelling where no matter how outlandish it gets, his heart always stays in the right place. Emphasis is placed on the depiction of secularism in his films, while also having explored the backlash his film had faced from certain sections of religious parties. The sheer conviction he imbued in his films and bold, creative swings he took made him not just a popular, but admirable director; one who delivered several memorable and unforgettable movies in his lifetime…

Thank You for Reading

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