Renowned director Vishal Bharadwaj has always been one to explore the more sinister aspects of the human psyche. Whether it was the world of Maqbool, where the underworld of India was explored in all its gritty glory, or the political turmoil of Haider, his films have always been infused with a certain aesthetic of brutality. His latest offering, O Romeo, has just been released in cinemas during the celebration of Valentine’s Week, and the director has ignited a new debate about the increasing prevalence of graphic violence in modern cinema.
Vishal was recently interviewed about the increasing trend of graphic violence in modern blockbusters such as Animal, Marco and Dhurandhar. While other critics have expressed their concern about the “normalisation“ of violence in modern cinema, Vishal had a different take on the subject altogether.
A legacy of conflict
Vishal began by citing the epic of Mahabharata as the first example of how graphic violence has always been a part of the local culture. He said that the level of violence in the Mahabharata is "unimaginable" and has been portrayed with a certain ras or essence that cannot be separated from the story.
“We are a civilisation born out of the Mahabharata,“ Vishal explained, implying that the presence of violence is part of the collective genetic makeup. For Vishal, the present-day trend of explicit content is not something new but rather a continuation of the heritage of epic violence.
The art of the kill
Comparing himself with international giants such as Quentin Tarantino and Wong Kar-wai, Vishal justified his concept of ‘poetic violence.’ He feels that if the characters are gangsters and not managers or poets, then the presentation of their world has to be real and not seem outdated.
“There is a need to maintain aesthetics,“ Vishal further justified, talking about his own use of visual metaphors, such as blood flowing like water. He feels that as long as the violence on screen is a reality that already exists in society, then it is a valid artistic choice. With O Romeo featuring Shahid Kapoor and Triptii Dimri, Vishal is confident that today's audience has the maturity—and the context—to handle his violent dose of poetry.
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