Monday, June 30, 2008

A respectable connotation

Someone says something sensible about aesthetics, which is worth noting:

"The word 'entertainment' does not always have a respectable connotation. We often tend to think that entertainment is titillation and those with superior command over their baser instincts are supposed to remain immune to entertainment...

"Let us take Prakash Mehra's example to highlight the importance of pure 'entertainers.' He announced Hera Pheri on the sets of Zanjeer. These are drastically different films--in one the hero is sombre and doleful, in the other he is chirpy and outgoing. Zanjeer is an expressed concern on how to restore law while Hera Pheri is a series of attempts to duck the law. Yet in the mind of the director, the latter followed naturally followed from the former. A probable explanation for this lies in the ancient Sanskrit text Natyashastra, which explains such a phenomenon through the metaphor of the human taste buds....A strong bitter taste is best followed by a spicy, salty platter, and the stronger the latter the more pronounced is our need for sweets. The human mind, like the human tongue, seeks a balance."

From Amitabh: The Making of a Superstar by Susmita Dasgupta (p. 79)

1 comment:

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.