Hollywood <>+=-?<>Bollywood and then to Drukpawood

Bhutanese take pride in three names - religion, culture and traditional -- and these often come to the rescue of our identity and nationalism when any intellectual debate outside occur.

Being a proud and real Bhutanese, I wanted my youth to absorb as much of Bhutanese in them, but as luck would have it, none of the youth now show much interest in religion, culture, and tradition.

However, I myself being a subservient son of Bhutan have its own perils. When I was a thirteen-year-old kid, I watched GasaLamay SenGi with my friends. It was Bhutan’s first movie. To be or not, it was not about religion, culture or tradition, but human bonds- love triangle. There were little fights, dishoom-dishoom and some songs. The movie moved some of us to be like heroes and it entered inside our juvenile brains. It was no traditional-cultural film, I remember.

Today, when I look back at those days, a sense of nostalgia takes over. I can reflect the flicks of that movie. It was in fact, the emerging of movie-making in the country. I am not a Bhutanese movie buff. I watched GasaLamay SenGi as there was no TV at those times. Now, I am a type of ‘Wood;’ Hollywood and Bollywood. I have watched about seven Bhutanese movies so far. Therefore, I find Bhutanese movies a little un-Bhutanese, a little tactless, amateurish, sluggish, and predictable. All copycat. Bollywood from Hollywood, Hollywood from Bollywood, and others ‘woods’ and then to Drukpawood. Our Drukpawood is the mixture Masala of all Woods. And thinking it would become delicious Emadatshi. And thinking because of these testy Emadatshi, that our ‘Drukpawood’ could also match the international level, we copy. But otherwise, it’s the commonly tasted ones. Our Dzongkha is becoming Dzonglish. Anyway, let’s think over this; Fiji, a smaller country than Bhutan produces the world’s best movies.

Most of our Bhutanese movies do not depict the story of the rich history of our country- its rich historical background and traditions. We had so many Penlops, Deps, legends, myths, and folktales that could be made into very good films. For example, the legend of Ling Gesar Ghyap, Zhabdrung, and his Dzongs, etc could be made into beautiful movies. But nowadays, yes, nowadays, we live in the floating world, so we see in the movies some flashy cars, immaculate houses, decked up ladies in tatters, fancy mood lighting, all these flesh and bones, and difficult to understand what and why are they portrayed.

Some film directors look like rocky rock. See Tshering Wangyel’s girly hairs and the blackest spec. whatever he may be, people love his directions and his films.

Photo credit: Facebook (TW)

Bhutanese movies are very much threaded in misery and weepy kind of life with little sparkling moments of joy that brings a smile to the viewer's face. The scene in which Phurba Thinley tries to behave like a woman gives little guffaws or the westernized musical party where the kids gather, dance, and sing an Nga Chelu Ga, Che NgaLu Ga or ting-a-ling-ling-song. Otherwise, there is no striking moment in the movie. The scene in where Singlam and Galam go to see their old ruined house and breaks apart, or cruel mother-in-law, Aum Lamo crouches the head of a hero’s girlfriend and thrashes on the wall, or the scene of heroes running through sometimes in poverty and dejections (and it usually happens because of the lady he loves... gripping lives... and then, they understand each other-their heart, they become together and start a new life, which will be a success within a minute flicks). The films, most of the time tighten the knots showing brutal and faithless life, making audiences, especially Bhutanese women considering their life like film.

Films must excite, startle, thrill, and shake viewers. Its effects cannot be produced by a play that is lacking in conflict. The conflict in the movie may be between human beings pulling in different directions, between a character and the environment in which he finds himself or the society in which he is a member. Movies must generally represent human sufferings, which raises pity and fear among audiences and make audiences decide that the film is a great one in its tragic appeal. The misfortune of the film should be simple and straight- forward, but sublime and universal in its penetrative appeal.

The good film as per my judgment should represent human suffering, have fear and pity, embellished language, and have emotional/cathartic appeal, and of all, it should educate, entertain and inform. There are two views on the tragic vision of life. One is that man is the plaything of inscrutable power called fate and another is that character is responsible for the tragic end. In Greek tragedies, tragic fate for the heroes is predetermined. Oedipus and Antigone become obstinate and tyrannical. Their tragedy is due to their overconfidence in their respective attitudes.

Films though portrayed antinomies of our lives, a majority our viewers take it as reality. Because of this, the films should touch various themes and issues, and, not only love failures that dominate most of our Bhutanese films, the films must represent history, contemporary Bhutanese society, roles, changing relationship,s and educate about the morals of faith and believing.