Popular lyricist-screenwriter Prasoon Joshi, best known for the films Taare Zameen Par and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, who will be joining the digital bandwagon was part of the recently concluded Jaipur Literary Festival in the pink city and put forth his points about the youth, poetry and truth rather passionately during his sessions and in the closing debate.
Prasoon Joshi
Speaking to THE WEEK, he explained his metaphorical statement about 'banning loudspeakers' so that 'whispers' could be heard. “Anything which does not allow a murmur to be heard must be switched off. A murmur can not be changed, but loudspeakers can be tuned,” he says. “I come from Uttarakhand known for its wind-based instruments. Now one is being subjected to loud dhols, trumpets that you can not hear anything else. This point goes down to people, languages, cultures which are on the brink of getting extinct. This is not about the survival of the fittest because that will lead to jungle raj.”
It's the responsibility of the stronger to take the weaker along, he explained. “We never teach our kids to be sensitive to the weaker sections. Let's not call ourselves civilised society if we behave like animals. When I refer to loudspeakers I mean the cultural bullies that want a dominant culture to prevail...”
How does he look at the role of poetry as a protest tool? “It's a powerful function. To write and read poetry one needs patience. But we are deeply impatient today, living in a headline era not a body copy or long text one. Poetry tries to examine the truth. It must go beyond the elites...”
A better time for poetry was in history he says. “It's purest form has been cut off from people and converged into Bollywood. It is the responsibility of popular culture to not be charitable towards songs that are demeaning in any way.”
Joshi mentioned that children must be made to choose role models carefully. Who are some of the people he admires? “Poets such as Nirala, philosophers Plato, Nietzsche, Swami Vivekanand, Ghalib, Mir, Dushyant...”
He also made a point about men and women being equal because we need mental strength today over physical. So, where does a film like Dangal that celebrates female physical fortitude figure? “Women must be celebrated for certain inherent qualities. They should be free to live the life they want. I feel they are getting reversely imprisoned if they have to prove themselves by doing what men do to be taken seriously. Why should someone get defensive about wanting to take care of a home if that is her choice? You do not have to ask women to be like men in order to gain respect. Choice is important.”
