Friday, January 30, 2015

‘PK’ reviews: Prejudiced Konklusions?


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.

Friday, April 11, 2014

Frankly Baking!


Mr. R. Candy, Vice President of INC (Italian Natural Cakes) in an elaborate interview on ADTV’s most popular show ‘Frankly Baking’.

Anchor:       Welcome Mr. Candy! It's great to have you on my show. I have always admired you and am really excited to be talking to you.

Mr. Candy:  (Nervous) Thank you very much for inviting me.

Anchor:       (Blushing) Before I start, I want to confess that I simply adore your dimples.

Mr. Candy: (Shocked) Who told you about Dimple?

Anchor:       (Giggling) I meant the dimples on your cheeks. Very cute!

Mr. Candy:  (Embarrassed) Ohh that? Thanks. Can we start the interview? And please ask only those questions for which I know the answers. I am extra careful after my last interview.

Anchor:       Sure! To start with, when and why did you decide to become a politician?

Mr. Candy:  When you were small, you must have said to yourself I want to do something. And then you decided to become a journalist. Why did you do that?

Anchor:       You are asking me the question.

Mr. Candy:  Yes, I am asking you a question, this is a conversation.

Anchor:       Because I enjoy being a journalist and also like to experiment a lot in the kitchen. It is a challenge. Now please tell me when and why did you decide to become a politician?

Mr. Candy:  Before I answer the question, I just want to ask you. When you were small did the thought of becoming good at journalism and also at cooking give you sleepless nights?

Anchor:       Actually, even today the thought of becoming good at cooking someday gives me sleepless nights! But let us talk about you. How did you get started?

Mr. Candy:  There you are! When I was a child, I saw my grandmother, father, mother, sister and all others always doing something worthwhile, something concrete. And I used to wonder what I can do that can be useful? I spent many years thinking about it, trying to find an answer. Finally, when I turned 35, Momma told me to stop thinking and join politics. I have taken my work very seriously and try to balance it with my passion of baking cakes.

Anchor:       I too love to bake cakes! But we will come to that later. How do you describe your USP?

Mr. Candy:  (Snaps back) You say that you admire me but you don’t even know the name of our political alliance!

Anchor:       (Confused) By USP I meant ‘Unique Selling Proposition’ and not your party.

Mr. Candy:  Ohh! But I do not sell anything.

Anchor:       I mean how do you market yourselves? Why should people vote for you?

Mr. Candy:  (Nonchalantly) Look at what we have done in the last 10 years. We want to empower people to change the system in the country. And specifically, we want to empower the women of India.

Anchor:       You are avoiding the question.

Mr. Candy:  No I am not avoiding the question.

Anchor:       So how will you change the way the system works in this country?

Mr. Candy:  Once the people are empowered, they will decide.

Anchor:       Don’t you think this is outright supercilious?

Mr. Candy:  (Pauses, looks at the anchor and is lost in deep thought for a while)

Anchor:       (Worried if she has annoyed him) Mr. Candy?

Mr. Candy:  (Sheepishly) What does ‘supercilious’ mean?

Anchor:       Never mind. Let me ask what you mean by ‘empowering women’

Mr. Candy:  Giving them more power. I have already discussed this idea with the Minister for Women’s Development and the Minister of Power.

Anchor:       (Exasperated) What have the Minister of Women’s Development and the Minister of Power got to do with women’s empowerment?

Mr. Candy:  Both are senior and experienced leaders and are jointly working on preparing a concrete proposal.

Anchor:       So we will get a white paper?

Mr. Candy:  Why do you want a white paper? You aren’t writing anything.

Anchor:       (Irritated but keeping her cool) A ‘white paper’ is a detailed proposal which helps readers to understand an issue and take a decision on it. Anyways, let us change track a bit. What do have to say about the KG Basin issue?

Mr. Candy:  Why are you interested in the wash basin of my KG school? I haven’t myself been there in more than 35 years!

Anchor:       (Trying hard not to laugh) I meant the oil discovery at the Krishna Godavari river basin.

Mr. Candy:  Ohh yes. I got confused because they both sound exactly the same!

Anchor:       How will you tackle the problem of increase in current account deficit?

Mr. Candy:  The deficit in current accounts can be tackled by empowering the people of the country to open more savings accounts.

Anchor:       The opposition always criticises you for faulty policies.

Mr. Candy:  None of my policies are faulty. I always pay the premium on time. 

Anchor:       (About to collapse) You are a powerful politician who can influence decisions in the party, government and parliament. But why do you openly oppose and reverse their decisions? Don’t they consult you beforehand?

Mr. Candy:  (With a victorious smile) This time I know which incidents you are referring to! In those cases, it took me some time to understand what my party colleagues actually had in mind. But as time was short, I gave my approval. I fully understood the matter when it was covered in the media and I acted immediately. I don’t believe in wasting time.

Anchor:       Talking about wasting time, why are so many bills pending in parliament?

Mr. Candy:  Look, I do not like to keep any bill pending. I will find out whose bills are pending and why? I strongly believe that all bills must be paid in time. There is no cash crunch in the government! Why make people wait for their hard earned money? I will personally ensure all pending bills are cleared today itself.

Anchor:       (About to faint) I am talking about the various legislations which the parliament is supposed to pass.

Mr. Candy:  Ohh those bills? Again it is confusing as both are called bills! All bills need a great deal of thinking and debates. And there are 543 members of the Lok Sabha. I think so many people thinking and deliberating over bills obviously takes time.

Anchor:       (Giving up) Let us talk on a lighter topic. You said baking is your hobby. You have also appeared on a TV cookery show.

Mr. Candy:  (Relieved) Yes that show “Pappu Can’t Bake Saala” generated good TRPs on Pogo Channel. 

Anchor:       How do you deal with failures? For instance, your cooking disaster on live TV was widely reported by the media. What went wrong?

Mr. Candy:  The channel told me that I would be baking a cake, so I prepared myself well for it. I learnt by heart everything - the ingredients, proportions, process and even my dialogues. I tried the cake five times the previous day and finally got it right. But when I reached the sets there was a change of plan and I was told to make Shaahi Paneer! Obviously, I wasn’t prepared for it, yet I put up a brave face and went for it. But in hindsight, I should not have baked the Shaahi Paneer in the oven at 450 degrees F.

Anchor:       (Trying to change the mood) Which is your favourite cake?

Mr. Candy:  (Beaming) My all time favourite is a cake called ‘IPC-302’.

Anchor:       What kind of name is that? What’s this cake about and why this name?

Mr. Candy:  IPC stands for Italian Potato Cake and 302 because it is my 302nd recipe.

Anchor:       (In admiration) So you formulated over 300 cake recipes? Wow!

Mr. Candy:  No! I have downloaded over 300 types of cake recipes from the net.

Anchor:       (Confused) Aren’t you supposed to create new cake recipes of your own? Are you scared of experimenting? Is it true that you avoid difficult or tough recipes?

Mr. Candy:  (Confidently) I experiment a lot! I am not scared of experimenting. I have made cakes which looked like fat uttappams and tasted like paneer parathas. But the problem is that I can showcase only the successful experiments before the world. And yes, I like dealing with difficult recipes. After all, someone else is going to eat the dishes! And if anything goes wrong, Momma can always find someone in the INC to take the blame!

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

The Old Warhorse


Jaswant Singh has defied the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and filed his nomination from Barmer, Rajasthan as an independent candidate after BJP declined him a Lok Sabha ticket. 


He has openly accused BJP leaders of backstabbing and humiliating him, which reminds of a similar stinging criticism he heaped after the BJP expelled him on August 19, 2009 for his book “Jinnah: India-Partition-Independence” in which he praised Mohammad Ali Jinnah as secular and blamed Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel for India’s partition. In media interviews after his expulsion, he dubbed the BJP as narrow-minded and to have limited thought. 


After about 10 months i.e. in June 2010, he was readmitted to the BJP after the party top brass decided to bury the differences. A poem titled “The Old Warhorse”, composed on June 24, 2010 on his expulsion and subsequent re-admission had remained hidden somewhere, which I am posting now. Only time will tell if there will be another homecoming for Jaswant Singh after the 2014 general elections...

The Old Warhorse

Ten months ago the old warhorse was expelled from the party he had served for ages
For praising a person whom Indian history does not consider in the league of sages

No one knows why he chose a personality so controversial as the subject of his book
And coming from a sitting member of parliament, it was very difficult to overlook

Stung by the expulsion, he dubbed the party ‘narrow minded and having limited thought’
But 43 weeks in wilderness taught him what 43 years in mainstream politics could not

He then sent feelers to his friends in the party, paving the way for his welcome very hearty
And on receiving the invitation, he promptly hailed it as a Broadminded & Judicious Party!

(June 24, 2010)