Paul Reubens Ki Zindagi Ka Andekha Safar
HBO par aane wali do-hissay ki documentary “Pee-wee as Himself” ek paheli ki tarah hai — ya shayad ek chaalaak sa jhoot. Naam se lagta hai jaise yeh Paul Reubens ki kahani hai, lekin asal mein yeh us khud-gharz duniya ka darpan hai jahan ek kalakaar apne hi banaye hue persona mein kho jaata hai.
Paul Reubens, jinhone 2023 mein is duniya ko alvida keh diya, Pee-wee Herman ke roop mein duniya bhar mein mashhoor hue — woh rangeen suit, woh childish awaaz, aur woh niraala attitude sabke dil mein ghar kar gaya. Lekin Pee-wee ke peechhe jo asli Paul Reubens tha, uski asliyat kabhi kisi ne poori tarah nahi dekhi.
Director Matt Wolf ne iss documentary ko banaya Reubens ke saath milkar — lekin yeh cooperation sirf naam ka tha. Reubens har waqt shak mein dikhte hain, camera ke saamne bolte hue bhi jaise kisi andruni jang se guzar rahe ho. “Main khud bhi yeh documentary direct kar sakta tha,” woh kehte hain, lekin turant daant kar jod dete hain, “mujhe bola gaya ke mere paas woh nazariya nahi hoga.” Matlab? Reubens chahte toh hain ke log unki kahani jaanen, lekin woh yeh bhi chahte hain ke yeh kahani sirf unki zabaan mein ho — bina kisi filter ke.
Documentary teen ghante se zyada lambi hai, aur yeh sirf ek star ke rise-and-fall ka kissa nahi. Yeh ek dilchasp safar hai ek aise aadmi ka jo kalakari, pehchaan aur poori duniya ke saamne ek aur chehra pehn kar jeene ke beech jujhta raha. Ek taraf Pee-wee ka rangin jahan hai — ek aisi duniya jahan children’s TV aur underground comedy ka dhamakedaar milan hota hai. Dusri taraf hai ek tanha, lekin jazbaati Paul Reubens, jiska sach aksar chhup jaata hai uske khud ke banaye hue mask ke neeche.
Matt Wolf ne documentary ke pehle hissa mein Reubens ka ek naya roop dikhaya — ek chanchal ladka jo TV aur theatre ka deewana tha, ek handsome acting student CalArts mein, aur ek artist jo drag ka sahara leke naye rangon mein ghul gaya. Pee-wee ka concept bhi unhone kisi aur ke sense of humor se churaya — apne long-term boyfriend Guy se, jiske saath woh Los Angeles aaye the. Reubens khul kar kehte hain: “Main jitna out ho sakta tha, tha… lekin phir career ke liye wapas closet mein chala gaya.”
Yeh tha unka deal with the devil. Ek aisa samjhauta jismein unhone Pee-wee ko duniya ka star bana diya, lekin khud ko peechhe chhod diya.
Dusra hissa zyada mainstream hai — “Pee-wee’s Playhouse” ka banana, uss psychedelic, zindagi se bhare set ka jadoo, aur us creation mein shaamil log: Laurence Fishburne, Natasha Lyonne, aur punk artist Gary Panter. Lekin documentary mein sabse dilchasp twist woh hai jab Reubens khud director ke decisions pe sawaal uthate hain. Kabhi khud interview le rahe hain, kabhi Wolf ko taana maar rahe hain. Yeh Reubens ka andaaz hai — charming, cheeky, lekin control freak.
Aur is control ke khone ka nateeja kya tha? 1991 mein ek indecent exposure case ne unki image ko jhatka diya. CBS ne show hata diya, media ne mazaak banaya. 2002 mein aur bhi gehra zakhm mila — vintage erotica ki collection par child pornography ke ilzaam lag gaye. Charges drop ho gaye, lekin daag reh gaya — aur woh bhi ek aise aadmi ke upar jo bachchon ke liye show karta tha.
Wolf ne documentary ko scandal-centric banana se bachaaya, lekin un incidents ka saaya har scene mein mehsoos hota hai. Reubens ka dard tab aur gehra lagta hai jab documentary ke end mein, apni maut se ek din pehle, woh record karte hain: “Main chahta tha log mujhe samjhein, dekhein ke kitna takleef deh tha kisi aur ke label ke neeche jeena.”
Yeh documentary ek tribute hai — lekin ek khurdure sach ke saath. Paul Reubens sirf ek character nahi the. Woh ek jaddo-jehad the. Ek mask ke peechhe chhupi cheekh. Aur “Pee-wee as Himself” usi cheekh ko, thoda muskaraate hue, duniya ke saamne laata hai.