Saturday, January 3, 2015

PK "A Movie On Blind Faith By Blind Film Makers"

What is truth? What is reality? Does truth change with time? Does it change definitions with perspective? Is it possible to have multiple versions of truth?
What is god? How people find it? Are there multiple ways to find it? Are these ways are conflicting?
Well why these questions are coming to my mind. Recently I am watching controversies regarding PK. Certainly the makers does not deserves the attentions they are getting.  The makers proved that they are excellent in making strategy regarding earning money.
Film making is a business and nobody should expect them to do anything else then that.  There are reformers, social activists, businessman, politicians, film makers etc. and their roles overlaps, social activist try to make money, businessman try to do social service and film makers think that they because they have reach to millions they have responsibility of social reforms. But because they are not activists they lack two most important aspects to do reform, first deep knowledge of subject and second the courage to raise issues which are controversial (hence adopt the path of least resistance or choose soft target).
Hirani is one of them.  He has delivered  many hits in past, though all previous movies were dealing with subjects touching small sections of society hence no wide protest was seen against ignorance on subjects he have chosen.  I am not saying that other film makers are good, but as he acquired an extra responsibility of social activist and obviously trying to reach millions of Indians with Ignorant story telling idea, I thought I should present my views as well. So would like to first analyze his prior works as well to understand his approach on serious subjects.
Munna Bhai MBBS:  I liked the movie for entertainment just like I like any other  comedy show, you can enjoy it but do not try to get message from it, though the maker thinks he has delivered some message. Though what was the message of the movie?  If doctors starts getting attached to patients then what will happen. Do Hirani know the doctor to patient ratio in India? How much time a doctor can give to patient and if he give all time to one patient then what will happen to line of 100s standing outside the clinic? Did he ever go to Government Hospital for treatment? What problem he was trying to point out? If there is a problem then what is the solution he tried to propose? Though as a movie it was a good entertainer all above questions for soft reformist in Hirani not the film maker.
Lage raho Munna bhai: Well one of the best movie by him, neither give any serious resolution of problem nor raise an issue. The movie has shown alcohol consumptions and violence, why? The movie was the lost opportunity for Hirani the reformist.
3 Idiots: Again the perspective was different, targeted to college going students. But what was the concrete solution proposed? The country has so many good engineering colleges so is he proposing an alternative definition of machine? How does he propose to teach complex subjects like thermodynamics or Advance Physics and Maths?  The story telling was just to tap the frustration of students to gain popularity to benefit movie.
PK: The least responsible movie in series. The alien neither see new channel across the world nor he reads newspaper his solo motto is to reform Hinduism. Do hirani go to temple? Does he go to Jyotish for kundali? Why Saraswati idols were being used in startup of the movie? If he does that then what is wrong when other do that? God men are thugs, OK. But the reformist Hirani should know that the world is facing its biggest crisis due to misuse of Islam by the hands of criminal elements and any reformist try to preach on blind faith on god man and keep mum on Islamic reforms is either afraid or not serious. I would say it’s a lost opportunity once again. Hinduism is a dynamic thought and not bound to any person or book hence have enormous opportunities to change itself. The success of movie shows the tolerance of our society as well. Many Babas are in Jail before PK. One of the scenes about a tough journey to temple, does Hirani want to dis regard all great philosophers who achieved greatness after tough journey. Can Horani’s alien ask the same question regarding Vivekananda , Gautam Buddha, Prophet Mohammada and Christ who all attend the truth after tough journey? Though the god man may be wrong to ask somebody to do such thing but does Hirani for sure know that that’s wrong?  Two categories of people can be conclusive in answering such complex question first who know something second who does not know anything.  If I came out of a cave and claim that there is lion in the cave then how a person who never entered the cave says there is no lion? To be conclusive he either has to go and check inside the cave or lie.
Consider the future may be 100 years down the road when people   will be liberated from religious bondage and will analyze the past as we do. How will they analyze these soft pseudo reformists? Does he understand the concept of religion? And once again the same questions, what real issue he was trying to raise? What is proposed solution? Why was he evasive on other religions or alien only believed in Hinduism?
We have to understand the kind of education they got during their childhood. Are they real understanding of the faith they belong to. For instance everybody in film industry (including Hirani) makes fun of astrology, and they ask Jyotish to give date for release and every important aspects of life.   
Mr Hirani is a good film maker and story teller and may not have any intentions to heart anybody’s feelings. Protester must realize.  My objection is about shallow treatment of subject rather than hearting feelings.  But he is not alone to blame it’s the heritage of our cultural declination. We are half literate, graduated with baked historical facts hence unaware of truth. So actually a blind is preaching on blind faith.  I was not sad after watching the movie but after following the debate after that. The journalists seem to be graduated from same school and the politicians and other so called intellectuals as well.



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