Religion is under the scanner in India. The reason is that violence and terrorism are threatening the peaceful existence of people, and religion is being blamed as one of the main perpetrators of this. One or the other religion claims superiority and tensions arise. One wonders whether India on the run (Upward and downward depending on how one looks at it.) has become impatient and shuns harmonious living?
Indian cinema has been dominated by the North Indian lobby, which has adopted Mumbai (Bombay) as it’s home. In India thus, Hollywood becomes Bollywood and cinema is swamped by Hindi cinema while other languages make their mark in regional, national and international markets as well.
One of Hindi cinema’s most successful movie’s is ‘Amar, Akbar, Anthony’(10th on the list of top 100 all-time hits at the Indian box office.). It was a movie which had a simple theme (Simple in Indian terms.). Three brothers are separated during their childhood and they are brought up in different households, one as a Hindu, the other a Muslim and the third a Christian. Manmohan Desai, the director managed to weave together successfully a movie that on the one hand was absolutely unbelievable but on the other hand striked a chord somewhere in the mind of the Indian psyche.
Of course Desai managed a coup by having Amitabh Bachan, Vinod Khanna and Rishi Kapoor along with Neetu Singh, Parveen Babi and Shabana Azmi act in the movie. But the silent message was conspicuous. Three religions living side by side and eventually coming under one roof!
31 years later it would help to look back. Maybe it’s time to think of plots which bring people together and not the other way round. Watching old movies may not be something the present generation would want to do but maybe that is exactly what we should!!
3 comments:
Hey Fr, Amar, Akbar, Anthony is my favorite movie :) i believe that
if our present generation directors realise the 'power' they have in 'bringing a change in the thought processes' of all their audience, be it any color or creed..., then v could c definite shifts.
Let a Karan Johar make a movie on these lines...it will be debated n indirectly publicised n directly create a revolution chnage in the mindsets of ppl.. since we all look for guidance...
Much on the lines of 'Jaddu ki jhappi' in munnabhai... and the 'Gandhian' values in the sequel. surely, there would be a significant change.
I strongly believe that movies should have positive messages, especially in times of violence and hatred. Humans love violence but that does not mean that all industries should give it to them!!
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