Spoilers Vs. Synopsis
You Spoilt the Story!
OK, So I know that this one did not really come through Federal Express. But, then again, better late than never! I have much on my mind and I’m simply torn between, where do I start and when do I really stop.
I’m of the opinion that movie critics should not just be prolific in that literary sense, but also in terms of their maturity while writing reviews. I believe each one of them carries a certain degree of responsibility, whilst penning down observations after watching a movie once, twice, or even thrice in some cases. After all, they (critiques) carry a tremendous potential to make or devastate somebody’s career for life. (Do they even bother watching the movie at a single stretch? I truly wonder!) Unfortunately, it’s pretty ironic that in contemporary times, writing styles are devoid of at least one of the above-mentioned attributes.
Such is the case with a very well-known movie critic, by the name of “Mayank Shekhar”. Our man is a self-proclaimed guru, who carries the flag of literary finesse with such grace, but overwhelms and destroys the entire essence of the review by adding spoilers. Case in point, there were two reviews. One for Abhinay Deo’s “Delhi Belly” and the other for RGV’s “Not a Love Story”. (Thank heavens, I never read the others before watching the movie!).
I read a newspaper because it provides a substantial chunk of information in a neat, organized layout. So I choose to read the HT every morning over a cup of cafe noir. So, while I have absolutely no qualms about that, it pains me when I read the movie review section for two main reasons. First, for a sheer lackadaisical style of writing, and second; for adding spoilers in a review. Now, that can surely leave an awfully bitter taste in one’s mouth.
For Christ’s sake, I always thought that there is a huge difference between writing a synopsis and letting the cat out of the bag. I mean thanks, but no thanks really, because this is not the first time I’ve come across something like this.
Secondly, I don’t just restrict myself to HT for reviews. There’s also DNA, TOI, The Asian Age. In this day and age of the Internet, we’re just a mouse click away with the likes of Rolling Stone, TIME, New York Times, IMDB, Rotten Tomatoes, Twitch and whole lot more to add to this gamut. FYI, a majority of printed publications if not all, were also available to the general public even before the age of the Internet.
Yes, Of course Rashid Irani continues to impress us to this day, right from the early 90’s in TOI. Unfortunately, there are very few who carry this level of not just maturity, but a fine sense of cinematic understanding. Please don’t be mistaken, as Mayank Shekhar is not being made a scapegoat for all the amount of reviews that are circulated amongst the masses. There are a countless number of clowns who fall in this category for either being stuck up or simply irresponsible.
Payola writers are another grave concern that is plaguing this industry. Such writers are in dire need of some clinical help. Well, it’s about time they did. I figure they have two options left. Get help or simply just give it up. Let somebody else do the job they truly deserve.
-Saurabh.Mistry
Black Hills Industry
