“TOP GUNS : Deconstructing the Modern Hero in Indian Cinema”

Mumbai, September 20th, 2019 - Dealing with teenage depression can be taxing, but  it is  a   new societal  reality  from which  we have  no escape. Teenagers need to be heard, but  in a fast-moving world, their window for expression is shrinking.  Parents, teachers  and the  society need to be  more  supportive in  order  to  deal  with  childhood  depression.      

Two young students, Ambuj Sen Patra, 20 and Arshya Gaur, 15 have dealt with mental health problems since their pre-teens, battling depression, low self- esteem, eating disorders and even contemplating suicide, only to seek professional help and recover with the help of a strong support system. Sheilja Sen, a prominent child psychologist who has been working in the field for the past 30 years noted how parents often find It difficult to understand the hardships their parents face and that mental health problems represent a social problem. The 3 Ds she has observed are defining, dismissing and dumping. People should not label people based on one disorder, should not dismiss or dump the problems on their children. The two young students, despite being successful achievers in academics and sports, suffered from low esteem, loneliness and depression. The session highlighted the need for parents to understand the troubles their children are going through and seek professional help without worrying about the stigma attached to mental health problems

Takeaways

Parents often  find it  difficult  to understand the  hardships that  the  child  is going through.

Mental health  problems  represent  a social  problem so there needs to be more discussion in society. 

All need to educate and create awareness about mental health

QUOTES
Sheilja Sen

DO not let a single problem define you, there are multiple stories to you.

Ambuj

That success means personal fulfilment is a relic of the industrial revolution. Seeking help is necessary

Arshya

Therapy showed me that I must look at the glass that is half full rather than a glass that is half empty In a half-hour long speech, Arjun Kapoor took audiences through a history of Hindi cinema as he highlighted how heroes have evolved over seven decades, reflecting changing in the cinematics of audiences. Beginning from Guru Dutt, Raj Kapoor and Dev Anand in the 1950s and ’60s and moving to the 1970s which saw the emergence of Rajesh Khanna and Amitabh Bachchan to the 1990s which saw the emergence and rule of the three Khans – Aamir, Shah Rukh and Salman, Kapoor told of us the varying “hero types” we have seen thus far. For Kapoor they were a reflection of the changing Indian society. While the 1970s was all about the angry young man as played by Bachchan, the liberalization of Indian economy in the ’90s saw the aspirational India embrace the cool hero through films like Dilwale Dulhania Le Jaayenge and Rangeela. Particularly noteworthy for Kapoor was the versatility of Akshay Kumar and Ajay Devgn who started as action stars and then went on to do comedy, followed by romance and drama. But ultimately was bowled over most by Bachchan as the actor who has “transcended generations” delivering a hit in Badla as recent as March 2019. He appreciated hoq hia contemporaries were also changing the definition of hero by playing a diverse range of characters with examples such as Ranveer Singh as Alauddin Khilji in Padmaavat and Varun Dhawan in Badlapur.    
#Arjun Kapoor
There is no hero type anymore
That myth has been shattered, said Kapoor. The story and the narrative is the new hero.
The heroine is the hero too
Rani Mukerji, Deepika Padukone, Anushka Sharma, Kangana Ranaut and Alia Bhatt christened as “mini Meryl Streep” were celebrated as the leading ladies who can open a film on their own accord.
The best friend is no longer a sidekick
It’s hard to imagine Munnabhai without Circuit, Sanju without Kamlesh and 3 Idiots without Sharman Joshi and R Madhavan, which Kapoor believes is proof that people are watching more than just the hero.
The hero can come from anywhere
Audience empowerment means that the hero no longer necessarily has to speak in Hindi as evident by the success of Bahubali, the highest-grossing Indian film which features Telugu superstar Prabhas.
The relatability factor
Heroes no longer need to have extraordinary superpowers or six packs or know how to sing and dance. Their appeal lies in how they make their problems resonate with the audience.
Changing vocabulary of films
Words like “subtle” and “nuanced” are being used to describe a film which suggests that content has become most important.
QUOTES
He was everything that Indian wanted to be. I have the biggest crush him and still become a shy girl in front of him.
(On “Greek god” of Bollywood Hrithik Roshan)

He still looks younger than me. In fact I did a film with him where someone said he looked like my younger brother.
(Kapoor on his uncle Anil with whom he starred in Mubarakaan)
The magnetic Khans travelled the world and reach the global population
(Aamir, Shah Rukh and Salman set new benchmarks in Hindi cinema)
“A movie no longer can be time pass, it has to be time well spent”
(Kapoor on how the advent of multiplexes saw the fading away of single screens which were the temples of hero worship)

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