Binoche of Bengal and Bergman’s ‘Nudity’!!

‘Juliette Binoche’ of Bengal is now enlightening our pride by walking on the carpet of Cannes Film Festival.

It may confuse our readers as an eminent French actress like Juliette Binoche has never come to Bengal to take part in a film. Neither are we talking about Binoche herself. This article aspires to discuss about a well-known (internationally) Bengali actress, who compares herself with the worldwide acclaimed superstar. Well, if she thinks, she is the ‘Binoche of Bengal’, we, the people of Bengal should not have any problem with that. But, her meaningless blabbering went beyond that, which made us more confused. Paoli Dam, the actress we are talking about, has recently joined the list of Indian actresses who walked on the honourary Cannes carpet. Her latest film, ‘Chhatrak (Mushroom)’, directed by Srilankan filmmaker Vimukthi Jayasundara, has made its debut in Cannes. The film, on its first appearance, has stormed the media worldwide because of its widespread usage of sexual intercourse. Nice marketing strategy, no doubt! And, of course, in a country like India, it was firmly criticized.

Usage of nudity in art is a worldwide accepted concept nowadays.  Nobody makes objection, if a sexual activity is properly dealt with. This concept has drawn its origin from the artists like Michelangelo, Da Vinci. Nudity in Greek art is worldwide famous. Later, nudity has made its appearance in cinema. Worldwide acclaimed filmmakers like Godard, Truffaut, Passolini, Tarkovsky, Bunuel and Kieslowski widely used nudity as an art form. But, those films never intended to arouse sexual pleasure like pornography. That was never ‘nudity for the sake of nudity’. That was a form of art, which has inspired the film makers worldwide. Godard used nudity to create distraction towards sex. Passolini used excessive perversion, but that was also a different art form. Traffuat’s use of nudity attached another meaning to his creation. Later makers like Giuseppe Tornatore, Bernardo Bertolucci, Nagisa Osima, Michael Haneke, Amos Gitai, and Lars Von Trier used nudity in a different form. The nudity used by Haneke or Von Trier cannot attract anybody. Rather, this kind of creation is meant for creating distraction towards sexual perversion, sometimes beyond tolerance.

Vimukthi’s latest creation is yet to release. But, it has already made its debut in Cannes. The video they have posted on various online video sites like Youtube, created storm all over India. Actress Paoli Dam, who has compared herself with Binoche, has been interviewed by national and regional media for her prolonged nude performance. Her reply to this question was satisfactory. Nudity as a form of art is an acceptable concept worldwide and has been in use since the days of French New Wave. Then why she would not be able to do that? Just because she is an Indian? Right she is.

But after that what she started saying was completely beyond understanding and also humiliating for Indians. Paoli was more than confident and firmly answered to the questions asked by the journalists. (I am talking about an exclusive interview in a Bengali daily). But some things went wrong afterwards. In an answer, she mentioned that ‘Indian audience does not tend to watch international movies’! (Then who goes to watch Kolkata or Goa Film Festivals, Almighty knows!) Her contemptuous reaction towards the audience of her own country has startled the film buffs. This is the point, when her attitude has begun to be in question.
Well, if she would have stopped there, it was better. But, she did not.

Paoli thereafter began to explain, she has been born and raised in a liberal family and is watching international movies. This is very good attitude, no doubt. But, when she was asked to mention 2 or 3 of her favourite international directors who has used nudity as an art form, she confidently mentioned 2 names who had never used or very slightly used (not in a purpose to serve aesthetics) nudity instead of Godard or Passolini. Alfred Hitchcock has once used a partially nude scene (Frenzy) for one or two minutes perhaps for the purpose to describe a rape scene. Bergman has never vividly used any nude scene to serve his purpose. But, Paoli has confidently mentioned these two names where there were plenty of options! Godard or Passolini are old buffs. If she tends to watch international cinema intently, she should have at least mentioned today’s Amos Gitai or Bernardo Bertolucci. They are worldwide acclaimed film directors who use nudity as an art form. Lars Von Trier or Michael Haneke is comparatively new in the genre. Paoli’s answer has clearly startled the Bengal film buffs. Instead of that, Alfred Hitchcock and Ingmar Bergman? Well, this was clearly not expected from an international movie watcher!

 Anyway, best wishes to ‘Chhatrak’ (Mushroom).

Published on International Movie Network (October, 2011)