Cinema Marte Dum Tak Review: An ode to the stars that potrays truth, hardwork, and respect

4/5

The interesting docuseries Cinema Marte Dum Tak on Amazon Prime Video talks about the raunchy, scandalous, and titillating industry that was ultimately brought down by the internet and pornography. The series focuses on Vinod Talwar, J Neelam, Kishen Shah, and Dilip Gulati, four diverse directors. They produced films with meagre budgets in the 1990s and the first part of the 2000s, which helped dying theatres to once again thrive.

The docu-series provides an uncensored insight into the lives of the four directors who made gritty films between the mid-1990s and the mid-2000s, including J. Neelam, Dilip Gulati, Vinod Talwar, and Kishan Shah. Cinema Marte Dum Tak is a clever parody of the politics of the business that was disregarded in public but praised in private, and it is structured in such a way that at no point does it feel like a documentary. The approach taken by Vasan and his team of directors, which also includes Xulfee, Kulish Kant Thakur, and Disha Rindani, decides to keep this conversation unfiltered and uncensored and free of any form of hygiene until the very end.

The show transports viewers back to the 1990s as it follows these four directors as they pick up filmmaking again after a hiatus of more than 20 years. The four directors, their associates, and industry watchers recall how they created movies in only one week on a budget as low as Rs 2 lakh. Clips from these films are interspersed between the interviews.

From every angle, it acts as an eye-opener. What was the silent celebration of the lives of filmmakers inside of single screens? As we get to know them in their small homes and everyday lives, the exploration of the basic idea takes numerous turns. Most of them are forgotten, and no one values their contributions. These guys allegedly previously caused Subhash Ghai stress regarding the purchase of screens, according to an interview. Their earnings were 200 times greater than the movie's budget. Now, where are they? They vanished inside their bubble, where the sector they helped to create doesn't bother to call them back.

These movies needed a particular type of competence to be made. Shah refers to Sapna Sappu, who made his acting debut in Gunda (1998) at the age of 16, as the best actor he knows. The 300-film veteran Sappu is aware of the responsibilities of the position. The career of this single mother assisted in raising her son. She is unable to think of a single project that has moved her. These films carried a negative connotation. Hemant Birje, who made his acting debut in Tarzan (1985), thinks his career took a hit after he appeared in low-budget horror films.

Despite its stigma, this industry offered a chance to people who wanted to work in film but couldn't break into the fiercely competitive mainstream industry. In actuality, the industry's daily cash reward attracted many well-known names. On a per-day basis, Dharmendra appeared in a lot of movies. Govinda and Mithun both made appearances in a few of these films. Big names present increased their appeal.

The interesting facts come in the second half when they talk about the business and politics that essentially terminated the careers of these four and more people like them, as well as the sleazy movies. This ecology exists. They don't hesitate to bring up the fact that Vinod Talwar's home went into foreclosure as the time increased. Their story has heart, and as they make their way down the red carpet, the emotion in their eyes shows how much they have been waiting for this day. 

The documentary series makes a sincere effort to capture the indie film that has existed in the past. It captures the distinctive artistry and attitude that gave its audience cheap thrills and illicit pleasure. However, the show's arguments occasionally start to sound the same. Although it makes an effort to address the problem of misogyny and the objectification of women on television, it does not provide a satisfactory conclusion.

A highly personal endeavour, Cinema Marte Dum Tak is a tribute to the stars who were never given that title.