Last month, a controversy erupted over Rajkumar Hirani's film, 'PK'
about some objectionable insinuations towards Hindu religious beliefs and
sentiments. There were protests by some religious leaders and extreme right
wing organisations who denounced the film and demanded a ban on it and called for strict action
against the producer, director and superstar Aamir Khan. Did the protestors get
it all wrong? Or did the people who watched and applauded the film, compromise
on their religious beliefs for the entertainment it offered?
Well, there may not be any right or wrong answer to such and many
similar questions. But as the controversy erupted, the pseudo-secularists
quickly came forward - as expected - to preach how creative and artistic
expression should not be curbed, how Hinduism is a very tolerant religion and
will remain unaffected by such incidents, how extreme right wing politicos
stoke communal passions to divide the society, how fringe political elements
keep looking for such opportunities to emerge from oblivion and stay relevant,
how the party in power at the Centre is tacitly supporting such attempts, etc.
Not wanting to be left behind, the pseudo-intellectuals presented the
hackneyed view that a film is the depiction of a director's vision and if a section of the society does not agree with
it, they should not watch it. They also opined that our society has
considerably matured over the years and in a liberal and progressive society,
demanding a ban on films, books, etc. is just not an option. Also, it is the
Censor Board's responsibility to ensure that a film satisfies all laid down
criteria for a public release. It also decides whether a film is fit for
viewing by all audiences or only for those over the age of 18. So once a film
is released, no ban should be imposed just because of protests by some narrow
minded people. Whether a film is good or bad for the society should be judged
only by its box office performance. And the people have emphatically given their
verdict. PK is already the highest grossing Indian movie of all time and
another film on a similar subject – “Oh My God!” – which was released couple of
years ago, was a runaway hit too!
Both “Oh My God!” and “PK” dealt with a highly sensitive subject, but were
deftly handled by skilled directors using humour to drive home the point. Both
these movies exposed the religious superstitions, malpractices and the ever
growing ‘Godman’ culture in India, which educated common citizens always bear
in mind, but do not express for the fear of a severe backlash. En route to
popularity and box office success, both films had to endure minor aberrations
of right wing criticism.
The argument that a film should be judged only by how it performs at the
box office, however begs the question whether Hinduism is the only religion in
India with superstitions, incorrect beliefs, misplaced traditions and
malpractices? “Oh My God!” was a film based on the experiences of a Hindu
Gujarathi businessman and expectedly, superstitions and malpractices related to
Hinduism were critically examined, with passing references to other religions.
But in PK, the alien is in search of ‘God’ but gets confused by India's
religious diversity and multifarious traditions. While he is shown approaching
the places of worship of all religions, the major potshots were reserved for
Hinduism. Why this disparity? Why not the same prudence and restraint for
Hinduism?
All the mocking and outpour of common sense by PK e.g. religion is not
just about building temples, devotion is not proven only by rolling all the way
to temples, worship is possible even without offering gallons of milk, etc., is
directed only towards Hinduism. Like these beliefs, superstitions,
malpractices, there are bound to be a few in other religions too. Why were those not captured in detail in the movie’s narrative? Or did PK the humanoid alien
quickly learnt within few days of landing in India that Hinduism is the only
religion you can mock and yet get away scot free?
Can we name any mainstream Indian movie which deals with what is ailing
in other major religions in India? One wonders why the pseudo secularists
and pseudo intellectuals did not raise this counter view. They sit in comfy arm
chairs in their ivory towers and promptly condemn anything even remotely
against the minorities, but become tongue tied when something is said against
Hindus or even done to them. The reason is that criticising the religion
practiced by the majority gets them opportunities to be on TV debates and elaborate
their viewpoints. To my mind, they are an equal communal threat to
society.
Sadly, secularism has long ceased to mean ‘equality of all
communities and dominance of none’. In reality, secularism is the chewing gum which has become shapeless and colourless due to incessant and
mindless chewing for over 60 years by opportunistic and spineless politicians,
who have always discriminated between religions for the fear of losing carefully nurtured vote
banks. The majority is however taken for granted as they seldom unite on issues of religion and
faith. Anyone challenging the religious beliefs of the majority has been
seen as progressive, while a similar challenge in respect of other religions
has always been fraught with risks like those associated with stirring up the
proverbial hornet’s nest. And this is the very point perhaps film makers also
bear in mind. The producer does not wish to get embroiled in any controversy
which would stall the film's release. What else can he wish when his
investment of crores of rupees is at stake?
Remember the harrowing time superstar actor-director-producer Kamal
Hasan had to endure prior to the release of his 2013 spy flick ‘Vishwaroopam’?
For the record, Vishwaroopam is also ‘just a movie’, like PK. Kamal Hasan too
had a right of creative and artistic expression like Rajkumar Hirani. Just like
PK, Vishwaroopam too had also been cleared by the Censor Board for a public
release and if some sections of the society did not agree with Vishwaroopam,
they should not have watched it. But all hell broke loose when some religious
outfits in Tamil Nadu expressed ‘concern’ over the depiction of their community in the film and demanded a ban. The district collectors in Tamil Nadu
issued orders to theatre owners not to show the film, citing law and order
problems. The ban in Tamil Nadu also led to stoppage of screenings in
neighbouring states. Dreading a washout, loss of crores and even bankruptcy, an
icon like Kamal Hasan was forced to tender an apology to all and sundry,
arrange a special screening of the movie for members of that community to
soothe their frayed nerves. Heeding to their ‘requests’, certain scenes
perceived as controversial were muted or morphed, allowing the film to be
released in Tamil Nadu. In comparison, PK seems to have got the red carpet. Is
it because we, as a society have progressed and evolved by leaps and bounds in the
22 months since the release of Vishwaroopam in February 2013? Hardly! It is nothing but
a classic case of the double standards which the pseudo secularists, pseudo
intellectuals and the political class have always indulged in.
A religion cannot have flaws; but its incorrect interpretation,
propagation and following certainly creates perceptions and apprehensions in
the minds of others. Those who are uneducated or uninitiated are vulnerable to fall
prey to unscrupulous propagators as they take every spoken word as the gospel
truth. They lack the ability to think rationally and disagree with what is
hurled at them and therefore, their understanding of a particular religion is
limited ONLY to what they have heard from others. Every religion has been
misinterpreted, misused and abused; only the intensity and gravity of the
consequences may differ. So why single out one religion for severe criticism
and spoofing and leave others with just a friendly rap on the knuckles?
One simple question to end… can anyone dare to make such a film in any of the Islamic countries commenting on their religious beliefs and having made it, get
away unscathed? Think about it.
