Amitabh Bachchan has joined the ranks of critics. He is welcome to the tribe. Good friend & top film maker popularly called as Bharam Vodka is delighted and mighty thrilled with the development.

An upcoming journalist Patre Prabhu (popularly known as pp) caught the maker in a jolly mood yesterday at a suburban pub where he was enjoying his ‘shots’ of vodka.

We bring to you the exclusive conversation held between BV (Bharam Vodka) and PP (Patre Prabhu)

BV: It must be a great thing to be a critic

PP: It all depends on what kind of critic you are. Like any profession, there are critics of many kinds. There are great critics, there are average critics, there are mediocre critics. And there are critics about whom the less said than better. They have been writing about films all their lives. They have attended film festivals and even then they don’t know a thing about cinema. But they continue writing and talking about films.

BV: It happens in all professions. There are filmmakers who don’t know anything about films and they go on making films, and occasionally they make hit films. There are stars who never learn a thing about acting.

PP: I wanted to say it. It is good you said it

BV: I said it. But I really want to talk about Amitabh turning critic. He says Raavan flopped due to poor editing. It’s a very original view.

PP: Being a critic is also an art. Great art is original. Great criticism has also to be original.

BV: Amitabh had the opportunity to see the uncut version of the film. In the uncut version, ten different faces of Ravan appeared to explain various acts of Abhishek. In the edited version, those faces were removed and only Abhishek’s actions were shown and the audiences could not connect.

PP: Amitabh has a point. He knows the value of editing. Amitabh’s early memorable films were made by Hrishikesh Mukherjee. He was Bimal Roy’s editor before he turned director. And he continued editing his films even after he had made his rank as a renowned filmmaker.

BV: You are right. Having worked with the great editor Hrishikesh, Amitabh knows the value of editing far better than any critic. He could see what other critics could not see. They are harping on the script and the style of narration. They could not see that the editing ruined everything. Amitabh could see it.

PP: You have a point

BV: I have another point. There is more of Raavan than Ram in critics. I’m amazed even then they did not like Raavan.

PP: Great observation

BV: I have also got my ideas about the film

PP: You have also turned critic

BV: With the proliferation of the media, critics are all around us. Now the critics with the print media and also TV critics are mere hacks. The more real critics are on the internet and mobile. Amitabh is with the time. He is exploiting the new media.

PP: You are right. What’s your take on Raavan?

BV: Mani Ratnam shows Raavan to be a better lover than Ram

PP: It is in Ramayan also. Raavan kept Sita in the romantic location of Ashok Vatika. He did his best to woo her all the time. But it did not work. Sita did not forget her Ram.

BV: Mani goes at great length ahead of Ramayan. He makes Raavan more romantic with the song ‘Ranjha Ranjha.’ Mani’s Sita also develops a bit of soft corner for Raavan. Mani goes overboard when Raavan goes so generous that he does not kill Ram when he could have, and allows both Ram and Sita to escape. This PR job for Raavan is the reason for the failure of the film.

PP: You have a very keen observation eye for a critic

BV admits: I am an excellent critic of the films made by other filmmakers, but I fail when I make my own films.

Note: Readers are requested to read this article seriously and don’t give any feed back otherwise our poor critics of today may mind your open mind. Kindly read this article as a humour and don’t give your views, raise you voice and volume kam kar..... nahin to “critic papa jag jayega”.