$154M Hong Kong Sales Are a Runaway Success

Vol. XXXI, No. 22                                                                                                           Raj S. Rangarajan

HONG KONG—Christie’s marked its 20th anniversary in Hong Kong with a series of sales, from May 28-June 1, that scored another high for material ranging from Chinese ceramics toIndian and Southeast Asian paintings and contemporary Asian art.

Noting that the auctions took more than $154 million, Edward Dolman, CEO, Christie’s International, attributed the success to “the immense strength of Hong Kong as one of the three foremost auction centers in the global market.” Asian art sales attained a total of $110 million, setting another record.

As Theow Tow, Christie’s deputy chairman, Asia and the Americas, told ARTnewsletter, the Asian art market is “many different markets,” encompassing everything from ceramics and jewelry to classical Chinese paintings and contemporary Asian art. “And the categories keep growing,” he says. Recalling that Christie’s first sale in Hong Kong in 1986 realized $1.8 million, Tow says that in addition to U.S. and mainland Chinese buyers—who have been mainstays of this market for some time now—Christie’s has recently noted a growing number of Russian and Middle Eastern buyers participating at its sales of Asian art.

The 20th-century Chinese art category took $27.87 million and set three auction records on May 28. A work by Chu Teh-Chun (Zhu Dequn; b. 1920), Rouge, la pluie de pétales sur le village; blanc, le nuage au-dessus de la maison, No. 53, fetched $3.36 million from an Asian buyer at four times the high estimate. The painting Garden, by Liao Chi-Ch’un (Liao Jichun; 1902-76), fell for $2.19 million, also over the estimate; and Dancing of Flowers, by Wu Dayu(1903-88), was picked up by a private buyer for $801,840.

Eric Chang, senior director, modern and contemporary Asian pictures and head of Christie’s 20th-century Chinese art department, said, “International buyers ignored conventional boundaries, bidding fiercely, and bought across the board” at the first Asian contemporary artsale.

Contemporary Artists Fare Well

Asian contemporary art was a new joint category that brought together Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean and Pakistani art and fetched $11.30 million. Records were set for three Chinese artists and one Korean artist at the May 28 auction. Drawing for Man, Eagle and Eye in the Sky: Eagles Watching Man-Kite, by Cai Guo Qiang (b. 1957), went for $903,760 at more than twice the high estimate.

ROLEX, by Wang Guangyi (b. 1957), was bought by an Asian bidder for $510,640 at six times the high estimate. No. 8, by Fang Lijun (b. 1963), made $423,280 at four times the high estimate. Marilyn Monroe vs. Chairman Mao, by Korean artist Kim Dong-Yoo (b. 1965), was picked up by an Asian buyer for $335,920 at more than twice the high estimate.

The Asian contemporary art category included “works of Indian and Pakistani artists that had the packed saleroom buzzing,” says Yamini Mehta, specialist and head of Christie’s modern and contemporary Indian art department. Speaking to ARTnewsletter from Hong Kong, Mehta said, “The successful sale of 20 exceptional works from Indian and Pakistani artists marked the first time they were encompassed in the international context of an Asian contemporary art auction.” She added that while “in terms of value Indian art is more established, bidding on the telephone was fierce, with notable cross-bidding and buying from all over the world.”

Seven Indian artists and one Pakistani set world auction records. Animus, an oil and acrylic on canvas by Indian artists Jiten Thukral (b. 1976) and Sumir Tagra (b. 1979), earned $42,120 at five times the high estimate.

A record was set for another Indian artist, Hema Upadhyay (b. 1972), when her mixed-mediaBleeding Hearts sold for $20,280. Identical Views, two digital photographic prints by Pakistani artist Rashid Rana (b. 1968), together realized $14,040.

Two more auction records were set in the modern and contemporary Southeast Asian Artsale—by artists from Belgium and Indonesia. The total for this category was $6.70 million.Adrien-Jean Le Mayeur de Merpres’ painting Terrace affording a view of the sea with Pollok under an umbrella and several figures, sold for $1.76 million; and The Indestructible Desert, by Indonesian artist S. Sudjojono (1914-1986), was acquired by a private Southeast Asian bidder for $394,160 at 2.5 times the high estimate.

Ruoh-Ling Keong, vice president and head of Christie’s Southeast Asian pictures department was “thrilled to witness strong buying activity, encouraged by many new buyers” from Hong Kong, the U.S., and Europe with an increasing presence of mainland Chinese and Taiwanese collectors.

At the Imperial sale of Chinese ceramics and works of art on May 30, four records were set, including one for an early Ming underglaze copper-red vase, Yuhuchunping, Hongwu Period(1368-98), bought by casino mogul Steve Wynn for a museum in Macau (ANL, 6/6/06).

Fine classical Chinese paintings and calligraphy took $5.15 million with Bamboo and Rock, by Chinese painter Shi Tao (1642-1707), selling at a double-estimate $394,160.

Fine modern and contemporary Chinese paintings fetched a total of $15.97 million. An Asian bidder bought Snowy Mountains, by Chinese artist Cui Ruzhuo (b. 1944), for $1.90 million.Zhang Daqian (1899-1983) had four paintings in the top ten of this category. His painting Mist Clearing After the Rain took $743,600, while Red Peony went to an Asian trade bidder for $277,680. Ben Kong, senior vice president and head of Christie’s Chinese paintings department, commented on the “enthusiastic participation of buyers from Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China.”

Inaugural Auction in Dubai Sets Many Artists’ Records

Vol. XXXI, No. 21                                                                                                             Raj S. Rangarajan

DUBAI—Fifty-three new artists’ records were set at the first-ever international modern andcontemporary art auction organized in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates, by Christie’s last month. Totaling $8.48 million, the 113-lot international sale (87 percent sold by lot, 94 percent by value) included works by artists from 20 countries, with bidders from across the world.

Hugo Weihe, Christie’s international director of Asian art and head of the Indian andSoutheast Asian art department, told ARTnewsletter, “This is a new market, strategically well-positioned—very important for the region as well as connecting Europe and Asia, Middle East versus Far East. This is an expansion rather than competition.”

The painting Numbers, 1979, by Indian artist Rameshwar Broota (b. 1941), was bought by a private Indian buyer for $912,000, more than seven times the high estimate. This work represents a shift in Broota’s oeuvre following his discovery of a knife-blade technique that strips layers of paint to create subtle shading and texture without the benefit of preparatory works on paper.

Another Indian artist, Syed Haider Raza (b. 1922), had two paintings in the top ten—Sourya, 1979, which fetched $520,000 from a private Middle East buyer; and Ciel bleu, 1957, which realized $329,600 from an Indian buyer. A record was set for Egyptian artist Ahmed Moustafa(b. 1943) when Where the Two Oceans Meet (Variant No. 3), 2001, was acquired by a Middle East buyer for $284,800, more than twice the high estimate of $120,000.

Jussi Pylkkänen, president of Christie’s Europe and Middle East, who is based in London, told ARTnewsletter the Indian art market has matured over the past ten years. This, he says, is evidenced by the fact that of the top ten artists, nine were of Indian origin, with most of their works selling at prices above the estimates.

A Plethora of Phone Bidders

Pylkkänen, a 13 year-veteran of Christie’s Impressionist and modern art department, assumed responsibility last year for the Middle East section at Christie’s. Pylkkänen says he was “thrilled to have so many artists across the spectrum represented in Dubai. What would normally take me 90 minutes to sell—120-odd lots—took me four hours the other day in view of the active bidding and enthusiasm for the inaugural sale, which was conducted over 100 telephone lines.”

More leading works that drew attention were Spring Festival, 1987, by Lebanese artist Paul Guiragossian (1926-1993), which sold for $64,800 (estimate: $28,000/35,000); and a painting by Iraq’s Dia Azzawi (b. 1939), Oriental Taqasim in Red, 1999, that went for $45,600 (estimate: $20,000/ 30,000).

Pylkkänen terms the event “fantastic” and complimented the 650-odd collectors “for their passion and interest” in supporting contemporary art.

Andy Warhol’s Double Mona Lisa, 1978, fell for $192,000 against a high estimate of $160,000, an encouraging price for a Western artwork sold in the Middle East. Weihe noted that Western art “was very well-received and recognized, fulfilling the intention on our part to create an overreaching international umbrella right from the start.”

Pylkkänen, noting the breakdown of buyers, reports that about 60 percent were Middle Eastern and 40 percent Western. He says he hopes to make the Middle Eastern component a seasonal event in the region.

Asia Week Roundup: Buying Is Strong in All Sectors

Vol. XXXI, No. 18                                                                                                             Raj S. Rangarajan

NEW YORK—All sectors of the Asian art market seemed to benefit from growing interest and enthusiasm. At Sotheby’s, on March 31, Contemporary Art Asia brought $13.22 million (see page 2); on March 30, ceramics and works of art fetched $15.7 million; on March 29, Indian and Southeast Asian art grossed $13.63 million; and, on March 28, the Jucker Collection of Himalayan paintings realized $9.05 million for a total of $51.6 million.

Across town at Rockefeller Center, Christie’s Asian sales—comprising Japanese art ($4.6 million), Korean art ($2.2 million); several sales of Chinese ceramics and works of art ($20.1 million); Indian and Southeast Asian art ($3.7 million); and modern and contemporary Indian art ($15.6 million)—totaled $46.2 million.

Along with the new record for Zhang Xiaogang at Sotheby’s, records were set for six other artists, including Chen Yifei (1946-2005), Fang Lijun (b. 1963), Liu Xiaodong (b.1963), Wang Guangyi (b.1957), Xu Bing (b.1955) and Zhang Huan (b.1965). Said Tobias Meyer, Sotheby’s head of worldwide contemporary art and the auctioneer for the sale: “The enormous energy and enthusiasm in the room today validates this collecting area on a global level.”

Abstractionist Works Fetch High Prices

Abstractionist paintings by artists of Indian origin scored high this spring at both Christie’s and Sotheby’s. An untitled 1975 work by Vasudeo S. Gaitonde (1924-2001) set an auction record for the artist at Christie’s when it fell for $1.47 million against a high estimate of $800,000. The picture was bought by a New York-based hedge fund manager of Indian origin.

The previous day at Sotheby’s, another abstractionist of Indian origin, Syed Haider Raza (b. 1922), scored a record with his Tapovan, 1972, for the same price of $1.47 million against a high estimate of $1 million.

Robin Dean, director of Sotheby’s Indian and Southeast Asian Art Department, points out that the auction total was the highest to date for that category and, moreover, established four auction records for some of India’s most senior artists. The sale, Dean says, “demonstrated the growing strength for more contemporary works by younger artists.”

Christie’s specialist head of modern and contemporary art, Yamini Mehta, concurs, citing a work by Tyeb Mehta (b. 1925), Mahisasura, 1997, which sold for nearly $1.16 million last season (ANL, 10/11/05). “This collecting area,” Mehta says, “has grown at an outstanding rate, and we saw a strong surge in both interest and price for the next generation of contemporary artists, such as Rameshwar Broota (b.1941), Subodh Gupta (b.1964) and Ravinder Reddy(b.1956).”

At the Christie’s modern and contemporary Indian art auction on March 30, Sita Hanuman, 1979, by Maqbool Fida Husain (b.1915), set another auction record, selling for $576,000 against a high estimate of $500,000; it was acquired by a collector from the U.K.

Six paintings from Indian artists sold at twice the high estimate, and Untitled (Seated Nude),1962, by Francis Newton Souza (1924-2002), doubled its high estimate for $800,000.

At the Sotheby’s Indian and Southeast Asian art sale on March 29, records were set for the artists Ram Kumar (b. 1924), Akbar Padamsee (b.1928) and Jagdish Swaminathan (1929-1994).

At the Sotheby’s sale of Chinese ceramics and works of art on March 30, an early blue and white baluster jar (Guan, Yuan dynasty, 1279-1368) went to an Asian collector for $4.72 million (estimate: $4/5 million).

At Christie’s sales of ceramics and works of art on March 29, a large, early blue and white double-gourd vase from the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368) brought an above-estimate $2.03 million from an Asian buyer. There was noticeable participation from mainland Chinese clients, and several of the sale highlights were eagerly pursued by both Eastern and Western bidders, says Theow Tow, Christie’s deputy chairman, Asia and Americas, Chinese art.

As part of the Jucker Collection of Himalayan paintings (120 of them Tibetan and Nepalese) at Sotheby’s, a portrait of a Tibetan religious master, Nyö Drupapal, painted circa 1200—athanka—set a record for a Tibetan work of art at $1.13 million, well above the high estimate of $600,000.

Christie’s sale of Japanese art—including property from New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art—took in $4.56 million. A Hasegawa school (early-17th-century) Tagasode, pair of six-panel screens, made $968,000 (estimate: $800,000/1 million) from an American buyer.

Katsura Yamaguchi, head of Christie’s Japanese and Korean art department, called this the highest price achieved for a work of Japanese art since the 1980s, adding that “bidding kept a brisk and energetic rhythm all during the sale.”

Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World

Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World








Reviewed by
Raj S. Rangarajan

NEW YORK: A tongue-in-cheek breezy short film that has spoof written all over it from the title to the content to the final scene. Whether one is American or Canadian, Indian or Pakistani, if you have a sense of humor and can laugh at yourself, you will enjoy the movie.

Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World is the story of what happens when the U.S. Government sends stand-up comic and actor Albert Brooks (Lost in America, Taxi Driver, 1976) to India and Pakistan to find out what makes the over 300 million Muslims laugh. Fred Thompson, former senator from Tennessee who now plays a judge on NBC’s one-hour television show Law & Order, who plays himself, suggests that Brooks should help in a diplomatic effort for the State Department. The carrot for Brooks: possibility of a Medal of Freedom from the President though the downside is, he has to produce a 500-page report for the U.S. government. The film is a comedic view of America’s approach toward other cultures.

Accompanied by two state department employees Stuart (John Carroll Lynch – Dinner with Friends, The Drew Carey Show) and Mark (Jon Tenney – Crime & Punishment, Buying The Cow), Brooks lands in Delhi and after some preliminary interviews, appoints Maya (Sheetal Sheth – ABCD, American Chai) as his assistant for the project. Brooks launches his quest by asking people on the street, “What makes you laugh?” With responses that hover between pathetic and lukewarm (one Indian woman tells Brooks, “Don’t touch me!”), and since he does not find any comedy clubs in India the comedian decides to hold a show – the Big Show – in Delhi.

Brooks later drives into what is supposed to be Pakistan in a clandestine, nocturnal meeting arranged by Stuart and Mark where he continues his quest. It’s all very spooky and hilarious when brawny Pakistanis wait for the punch lines. The audience waits with trepidation if Brooks is likely to be assaulted. To add to the intrigue Brooks has a meeting with the newspaper Al Jazeera. Scenes at the newspaper office and at the Immigration Department in Delhi are authentic through it is tough to believe that so many people in the Big Show audience put up straight faces when Brooks tried to make people laugh. The Pakistan border crossing resembled a temporary fence in your backyard. Some throwaway lines identify Brooks as the “Kissinger of comedy” while someone clarifies, Muslim is not a fabric.

Whether you are Muslim, Jewish or Hindu or whatever your faith, it doesn’t matter as long as you do not take the movie seriously. Where satire does not hesitate to touch on religion or politics and where contemporary events can be approached with a tinge of humour, director, writer and actor Albert Brooks has done a fairly good job.

To a question on how difficult it was to get permission to shoot a movie in India, Brooks responded, “I met with government officials, told them the story, gave them a 45-page outline” but “what they don’t like is when films make fun of their traditions or religions.” To shoot in a mosque in Delhi, Brooks had to meet with the Imam. The crew shot at the Taj Mahal too. “It was a great challenge having 800 people a foot away from your lens staring into the camera,” says Brooks. In India there were no street closures or block lock-ups to help secure a location. Producer Herb Nanas (Rocky III, Eye of the Tiger) says, “You can’t stop life in India, and whether it is people – or in some extreme cases, cows, elephants or monkeys – moving through your shot, we had to incorporate them into the scene and embrace the uniquely crowded environment.”

While some Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans and others that constitute the South Asian diaspora may not be on the same wavelength as Americans when it comes to America-based humor, an English-knowing moviegoer is likely to enjoy the farce. It depends on how many of us do laugh at ourselves? Shorts such as Looking for Comedy in the Muslim World would definitely help – specially after 9/11 – if we have open minds and as long as religion does not obsessively sway the equation.

In the finale Brooks is dressed in a typically Indian silk crème coloured tunic with gold sequined trim over matching pants and beaded Indian slippers. His return to his roots in stand-up comedy was perhaps a historic moment for him personally, specially with his dummy Danny also ranting in sartorial unison.

Albert Brooks wrote, directed and stars in Looking for Comedy in a Muslim World, a Warner Independent Pictures release.

[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based freelance writer. He covers trend stories on art, travel and lifestyles and reviews books, films and plays for media based in New York, California, Toronto, and India.]

Asian Art Totals Soar At Christie’s Hong Kong

by Raj S. Rangarajan


NEW YORK—Asian art auctions set another round of records at Christie’s Hong Kong in late November. Auctions held Nov. 27-30 included Chinese ceramics, classical Chinese paintings, calligraphy, works of art and 20th century Chinese art. An overall sales record of $US139 million (HK$1.08 billion) was set for lots that included Asian art, jewelry and watches.
Asserting the strength of the market in Asia and specifically Hong Kong, Edward Dolman, CEO, Christie’s International, said, “We have surpassed the HK$1 billion mark—the first time any auction house in Asia has achieved this for a series of sales.” Of the total, $100.6 million pertained to Asian art.
Chinese ceramics made $31.79 million, with three pieces setting records: An Imperial embellished cloisonné enamel butter-tea jar, cover and stand, Qianlong period (1736-1795), went to Littleton & Hennessy, New York, for $1.39 million.
Sales of 20th-century Chinese art totaled $22.51 million and registered three artists’ records at auction, including: Four Nudes (from the collection of the Yageo Foundation in Taiwan), by Sanyu (Chang Yu, 1901-66), which sold for $2.12 million at twice the high estimate; Artist Self Portrait, by Pan Yuliang (1895-1977), which brought $1.25 million, more than twice the high estimate; and Autumn, by Chu Teh-Chun (Zhu Dequn, b. 1920), which took $962,000. All three works were bought by private Asian collectors.
Eric Chang, senior director, modern and contemporary Asian pictures, and head of 20th-century Chinese art, said the sale “demonstrates the growing confidence in this exciting market and is a testament to Hong Kong’s role as a leading sale center for Chinese contemporary art.”
Modern and contemporary Chinese paintings earned $21.41 million. A picture by Zhang Daqian (1899-1983), Water Bamboo Village, was the top seller at $612,560, slightly above the high estimate of $516,000.
Modern and contemporary Southeast Asian art totaled $5.58 million. The top artist in this category was Indonesian Lee Man Fong (1913-1988), for his Rojak seller, which fell for $510,640, above the high estimate. A record was set for Filipino artist Carlos V. Francisco (1913-1969) when his Magpupukot (Pulling in the Net) was acquired for $187,200.

Three Hilarious Comics At Intense, New York

(L-R) Nishi Nagpal (organizer), performers Jim Dailakis, Larry Thompson, Sugar Sammy
and Ravi Siddharth, an up-and-coming comic who emceed the event and Aash Shravah, CEO, Intense

Entertainment

Raj S. Rangarajan

NEW YORK: Whether you are plain bored or slightly under the weather or just need a pick-me-up made famous by Wodehouse character Jeeves, to revive your spirits, a stand-up comic’s creative outpourings could help. For several decades, the art of the stand-up has been berated or celebrated, depending on who’s talking. Hollywood and Broadway have always provided juicy fodder for the likes of Jack Benny and Jackie Mason to Johnny Carson and Jay Leno who have provided comedy routines as staple entertainment.

A recent event hosted by Aash Shravah, CEO of Intense Comedy in Manhattan, New York featured three comics – Sugar Sammy, Canadian of Indian origin, Larry Thomson, African-American and Jim Dailakis, an Australian of Greek origin. Older men, the Brits, the Sikhs, teenagers, and other stereotypes were targets.

Today, the younger generation of Indian-Americans and other ethnic groups are exposed to localized ethnic and stereotyped humour that is capable of laughing at themselves without feeling offended – something the 50-pluses could never do. Names such as Russell Peters, an Indian based in Canada, Vijai, a lady comic whose parents are originally from South India and Daniel Nainan whose is half-Malayalee and half- Japanese, have been performing to standing-room-only audiences.

Sammy rocked the 200-odd crowd with his provocative wit and cultural comebacks. Larry had his audience in stitches when he spoke of black women from South America and Jim carried the day with his imitation of a kangaroo hop. Each of them derived his energy and enthusiasm from the participatory and appreciative audience. Sammy said, “When the audience is participating I love it. I love ad-libbing and improvising on the spot. However, I also write a lot of material.”

Sugar Sammy acquired his nickname from a sorority at McGill University in Montreal. Of Punjabi origin, when asked his real name, Sammy said, “I’d rather not say because I get a lot of death threats from the people via telephone e-mails and in person.”

An actor and full-time comic, Sammy says, “I think its something I naturally knew that I had but I think what triggered it was watching Eddie Murphy’s “Delirious” when I was nine years old.”

Sammy, who is fluent in French as well, said, he will be performing in Quebec, and also plans to tour France, Belgium and Switzerland soon. To a question if he ever makes fun of politicians such as American President Bush or Canadian Prime Minister Martin, Sammy said, “I think when you write material it has to come from the heart. I’m not really interested in politics right now but I’m sure it’ll come in a few years.”





To a question if he preferred a particular ethnic group as a target at his performances, Sammy responded, “I grew up in an environment where everybody got along and understood each other. Montreal is very cool like that. Indians are just the same as all the other ethnicities. Once you start believing that they are not that way you fool yourself into censoring your material to fit them. Be yourself and Indians will respond just as well as anyone else.”

Larry Thompson majored in psychology with a minor in theatre at San Francisco State University and has been doing stand-up since 1999. His inspiration for stand-up comedy actually started when “I was eight years old and I saw how my grandmother used to laugh at the Three Stooges on television. One day our television broke, so I started doing comedy to amuse my grandmother and my three younger brothers.”

Larry feels, he constantly learns from each ethnic groups and says, he has a weakness for Indian spicy foods. He is happy that “in my years of doing stand-up, I have never met an audience that I didn't like. I find the Indian people, both as an audience and as individuals, to be fascinating. When I'm on stage, my goal is to have fun. So I have subjects that I do draw from, such as talking about marriage, dating and the like.” His favorite comedians are Robin Williams and Jonathan Winters from whom, he learned the art of ad-libbing while on stage.”

Jim Dailakis, born to Greek parents in Australia, currently lives in New York and has been doing stand-up full-time for nine years now. Being an Aussie in America is a significant part of his act like the imitation of a kangaroo hop on stage. He talks about relationships, love, and mimics movie stars just as readily as he switches from American to Australian accent.

He also does radio voiceovers and prank calls. Jim who considers myself an actor first and a comedian second, went to school in Australia. He studied at the Lee Strasberg Theater Institute in New York City and writes screenplays. “I've written four screenplays and one of them now has a distributor, a director who's worked with Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe.”

Confesses Jim, “I'm not really sure what inspired me to become a standup comedian but I'm sure brain damage had a lot to do with it! It really was by accident but the adrenaline rush and the overwhelmingly incredible feeling I get making people laugh is a fix I definitely got used to and love.”

Jim calls Indian audiences “fantastic.” I'm not just saying that but I found that they are extremely responsive and have a very similar feel to Greek audiences. I think it's the strong family bond that our cultures are known for. Having said that, I think it's also quite funny that if a joke is really good they'll respond magnificently but if it's not that great the silence can be deafening!”

Adds Jim, “I grew up with so many Asians in Australia who are still friends so I feel like I have somewhat of a beat to the culture. He says, Australians are also a great audience, specially those who live in cities. They are very attentive and most patient. They will wait forever if they have to wait for you to get to the punch line.

Jim says, “I really love doing this. Sometimes, I don't think an audience realizes that they are doing just as much for me as I'm doing for them. Seeing a whole room full of people smiling and laughing is an unbelievable feeling. It's an incredible high.”

Jim’s site: www.comedianjim.com

Rahul Siddharth, an up-and-coming stand-up who warmed up the crowd at the recent Intense show, started by declaring, “Punjabis could be considered the Irish of Asia.”

[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based freelance writer. He covers trend stories on art, travel and lifestyles and reviews books, films and plays for media based in New York, California, Toronto, India and Australia.]

Warrior – Perhaps Not for the Masses -- Film Review

Raj S. Rangarajan



Sunita Sharma & Irfan Khan (Photo courtesy of Miramax Films)






Irfan Khan (Photo courtesy of Miramax Films)





You have perhaps seen it all: the macabre, the bizarre, violent beheadings and other cruel acts in the name of drama and cinematic effect. Directors offering brutality and revenge, horror and suspense – as themes, have perhaps also enthralled you. Today, even children, who are constantly exposed to so many violent scenes on the home television screen or on cinema, seem blasé.

Somehow Warrior is different and powerful. Part of the reason is the male lead’s personality portrayed superbly by Irfan Khan (Maqbool, Charas) and secondly, thanks are due to writer-director Asif Kapadia’s directorial brilliance blended with Roman Osin’s creative genius behind the camera. Osin treats Rajasthan’s vast desert expanse with scorpions, anacondas – the undulating dunes and ancient forts at 120 degrees temperature – like his backyard and manages to make the viewer feel reassured when admiring the lush greens of himalayan Himachal Pradesh.

Lafcadia (Khan), a skilled Rajput is ruthless, capable and efficient. A local chieftan (Anupam Shyam) uses Lafcadia to carry out savage punishments, beheadings and raids of villages: scenes reminiscent of the 19th century when such killings were commonplace. One day, while being involved in a bloody massacre, Lafcadia decides to give up his violent ways. In a sudden meeting with a young girl (Sunita Sharma) who has been friendly with his son (Puru Chhibber), Lafcadia decides to change. He prays at a local shrine, drops his sword and decides never to kill again. While he vows to change, the warlord was not about to let Lafcadia go.

If you like grit, manliness, strength and leadership in your films you will like this Warrior. Khan follows his sense of duty before becoming a dissident, and soon his conscience takes over. The movie depicts one man trying to change his own life beyond vengeance and Lafcadia, who lives in a harsh world, is keen on becoming a better person – a better father. It caters to a certain kind of genre – and as co-screenwriters Tim Miller and Kapadia say, the source for the story came from a Japanese folk tale wherein a young man training to be a samurai, is shown a severed head and its significance. Warrior probes a similar query as to why this warrior decides to give up the life of killings.

Kapadia has preferred to pick non-actors for some roles “because they’re more likely to have stronger faces and looks…non-professional actors can get across so much information without saying a word.” One such non-professional he picked was Annuddin who, in playing the role of Biswas, has to hunt down Lafcadia and bring back his head. Another novice that the British director selected was Noor Mani, picked up from an Indian shelter for homeless kids who play a street-smart thief.

With his own son being killed at the behest of the warlord, Lafcadia takes on Mani as a friend who accompanies him on his flight for peace and freedom. In a soft scene, Lafcadia shows his human touch when he mischievously moves the eating plate away from Mani.

Osin won the Technical Achievement Award for cinematography at the British Independence Film Awards. Kapadia, raised in Hackney in East London, who reportedly took up directing quite by chance, has managed to turn ordinary villagers into actors and it is particularly creditable since its his directorial debut. His graduate film – The Sheep Thief, when he was studying at The Royal College of Art in London, won the Jury Prize at Cannes and the Grand Prix at the European Short Film Festival in Brest.

Irfan Khan, who has appeared in the Bollywood erotic mystery Rog, received a fellowship to study at the National School of Drama, and is slated to appear in Mira Nair’s The Namesake based on a bestseller by Jhumpa Lahiri.

In the final analysis, one is tempted to ask: Did the movie have a purpose? Was it entertainment? Was it history? Was it anger? Was it duty? Or, was it a combination of all of the above? The violence and angst of the portrayals are so intense that a viewer will either tolerate the movie or reject it completely.

But, then aren’t so many films these days polarizing?

[Raj S. Rangarajan is a New York based freelance writer. He covers trend stories on art, travel and lifestyles and reviews books, films and plays for media based in New York, California, Toronto, India and Australia.]