About Art

Here is the most critically aclaimed moments of bollywood.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0TW6xMl9l0&feature=related
Film directed by Gurudatt, Pyaasa (1957), meaning thirsty. These are the moments where an artist reject the society, even when society is worshipping him (under the illusion that he is a dead poet) The lyrics says
'this world it is consisting of the enmeies of men.
It is the society of throne, palaces, crowns. it is the society hungry for rituals of wealth
even if I get this world, how does it matter.
Each body is wounded, each soul is thirsty.
There is dilemma in eyes and sorrow in heart
Is it this world or the humans gone mad.
Even if I get this world, how does it matter
Here, existence of a man is a toy,
this settlement is the settlement of dead worshippers,
here death is cheaper than life,
even if I get this world, how would it matter.
Youth is strayed,
young bodies are decorated like shops
love happens as the trade
even if i get this world how does it matter
this world, where man is nothing
loyalty is nothing and nothing is friendship,
where there is no value of love,
even if I get this world, how does it matter.
Burn this world, Incinearate this world,'remove it from my sight,
It is yours, and you only arrange for this,
Even if I get this world, how does it matter.."
Gurudatt's three movies Pyaasa, Kagaj ke Phool and Sahib Bibi aur Ghulam, all directed and and acted by him between I think 1950-1960 were placed among top ten bollywood movies by India today magzine. And those who admire Gurudatt consider these moments (of this song) as most emphatic expression of Gurudatt. And they are true- Gurudatt committed suicide. How tragically true these words would have been for him too. After all, after the material success of Mr. and Mrs. 55 he was also considered cash churning director ot the day.
Many will consider it as an art- and quantify it- top 10 bollyoood or top 100 or top 1000. I was not surprised when I saw a programme conducted on an american channel as top -100 quotes from the movies.
What I consider as art is something which can make even somewhat vaguely- even represent the truth of the matter. And the truth never brings depair, it might bring laughter, it brings the lightness of the existence in the forefront.
Compare this with Gurudatt's or Sahir's (whom I think is the lyricist), it is from Namdeo, a sixteenth century poet from Maharashtra. Gurudatt is talking only in terms of how poor and down trodden are screwed by rich humans- there is no love and so on- this world is not worth living-the protagonists goes away- as we;; as Gurudatt who committed suicide eventually.

Now Namdev, as he prepared some chapatis, for offering to God and subsequently his own consumption, a dog broke into his hut and ran away, taking all the chapatis in his mouth.
Now Namdev is running behind the dog, with the container of ghee in his hand, "please don't eat these chapatis as such, let me apply ghee on them. They won't taste good without ghee".
I don't know why, I find that there is art in Namdev's, not only because it is religious, but his psyche has travelled much more freely into the experiences he was having rather than one, where whole "world" is not worth living just because some humans treat others humans like shit.