Mockery of Religion in Films? DT Note: Pg10 - Page 4

Movies have always taken examples from Mythology. Edited by visrom - 11 years ago

^^^ Agreed, but I think that in India, we should use the same definition of a person's religion as is used in the West, since traditional definitions are meaningless.

Great discussion you all have going!👏

Mock none is obviously the better choice, but whenever something happens in our lives we look back at what our epics have taught us. So it's not possible to escape mentioning our mytho characters...and somewhere someone will take it as an insult.

I remember an old Telugu movie...there was a scene in which a lady used to light so much camphor everyday that all the faces of Gods in her puja room had turned black...and one day she and her husband got into an argument on a picture which the husband said was Hanuman (because he thought something looked like a tail) and the wife said it was Ganesh as she should that same 'thing' looked like a trunk. Finally they wiped the photo and found that it was Ganesh and the lady was worshipping Him as Hanuman everyday!!!

Frankly I don't feel this was 'insulting'...I still laugh when i think of their 'thondam-thoka' (trunk-tail) argument.

I don't think Lord Ganesh and Lord Hanuman would mind if the lady interchanges the mantras. 😆 The image of the pictures turning black because of the camphor can't be called 'insulting' as I have seen darkened puja room walls in many houses.

But if the same thing were done in another religion, they would take a blackened face as an insult to their religion. Hinduism tolerates these things well and forgives minor offenses... that itself is in a way good...something I feel proud about Hinduism. Edited by visrom - 11 years ago

^OMG I know that scene!!! You're talking about swarnakamalam, right?😆 Yeah, even I did not find it insulting because Hinduism was not being mocked, just the way that lady was doing her prayers, but other religions definitely have less tolerance level for such things. I used to be proud of Hindus' high tolerance level, but now I'm beginning to feel that we need to speak out more. People are being allowed to mock Hinduism because no one speaks out about it, even if they care. If media mocked Christianity or Islam, sets would be burned down and other worse things happening. I am not saying we should do that, but we do nothing, we don't even protest.🤬 I've never seen a hindu before protesting about what media shows. We're just accepting it silently and if that continues, we'll see worse in the future.

Yeah...I forgot which movie it was...I only remember Srilakshmi in a 9 yards saree in that movie. Edited by visrom - 11 years ago

Originally posted by: .Vrish.

I learnt this thing living in the US - if a person calls himself or herself a Christian, it implies that s/he is a practicing Christian.  A person who's an Atheist or Agnostic would never describe himself or herself as a Christian.  The same definition ought to be applied here, and Atheists and Agnostics ought to be listed separately, based on their own personal beliefs, rather than that of their ancestry.

Well said Vrish..!

I don't whether the same is practiced in the North.
Here in Kerala, most of the Hindus who are living as atheists, will call themselves as a Hindu (to avail all the benefits and social status) but wouldn't believe in Hindu gods, rituals and dharma. Their justification is 'Hindu can never be called a religion. It is just a culture followed'. Can we imagine a Muslim or Christian counting himself as one among the group, availing all benefits but wouldn't agree the existence of Christ/Allah??
Edited by SahasranamaM - 11 years ago

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzZus8OYhcE&feature=related

Please see this video from a Malayalam comedy skit. I am posting the translation of this skit since most of the members here does not follow Malayalam. I know that in one or the other way, it is like giving a publicity to this spoof. However, want to highlight up to what extend such works have conquered our stages.

Kanva: Daughter Shakuntala..Shaku..Isn't tehre anyone to give me a cup of Kanan Devan tea?
Shakuntala serves him. He feels unconfirmatable after the sip followed by a parody describing his discomfort.
Shakuntala:Oh father! That was not tea. It was the dye extracted after washing your new dress
Kanva's mobile rings:
Kanva: Hello..Yes..It is Kanva Maharshi Speaking..What..!! You are not getting control..?!! Which means you have shed all controls which you have gathered till now..?!! (double meaning)..Ok..ok..
Shakuntala: Who was that father?
Kanva: It was that Vishwamithra. That Menaka again came with a cinematic dance and disturbed his penance.
My god..!! What will we sages do if all girls are coming towards us with cinematic dance..!
Shakuntala:Father..I would also like to study cinematic dance..
Kanva: Shut up..!!
Shakuntala: Daddy..!!
Kanva: Podi..!! (Get lost)
Shakuntala: Father, where are you going?
Kanva: I am going to that village office. Last day when I was doing Tapas, the village officer thought that I am a crippled and has taken my details. So I may get allowance for the crippled.
Shakuntala: Ok father..


There comes Dushyant with a machine gun
Shakuntala: Oh..! Please don't shoot me..please don't shoot me..
Dushyant: Please don't misunderstand me. I only have the gun in my hand. But the real shooting is always done by my servants..!
Shakuntala: Excuse me..Could you please introduce?
Dushyant: I am King Dushyant..And who are you young lady?
Shakuntala: I am Shakuntala, daughter of sage Kanva..beloved ones call me Shaku..
Dushyant: Oh my Shakooo...

Shakuntala: Aaah..!
Dushyant: What happened?Is it the darbha grass?
Shakuntala: No..some boys spitted bubble gum over here.
Dushyanth: Let me see..
Shakuntala: Thank you Dushyettaa..
Dushyant: Shakoo..
Shakuntala:Yes Dushyettaa..
Dushyant: Love at first sight..What is your opinion about me? (followed by a parody song insulting Dushyant)
Shakuntala: Help..help..A bee is attacking me..
Dushyant: I will save you..(sprays an insecticide)
Shakuntala: Ok..what is your opinion about me? (again followed by low class parody song)

Followed by full double meaning songs, 3rd rate dialouges..

In comes Durvasa..You can see his torture in video..!

Shakuntala: Oh lord.! When did you come? I didn't see you uncle..!
Durvasa curses: If I curse you 1 time, it is like 1000 curses (spoof of famous Rajnikanth dialogue)

Then follows the story, Shakuntala and Kanva at kingdom of Dushyanth, he refuses..
Shakuntala: Father. let us go .We can write gossips against him in crime magazine..
Dushyanth: OK..I agree..If what she says is true, I will give my kingdom to her and her child.But if she is not pregnant, I will imprison you both..
Kanva: Is it true? Will you give all your belongings to my daughter if she is pregnant?
Dushyanth: Yes..and if not..
Kanva: Oh lord...please give her one more chance to become pregnant..
Dushyanth..OK..!!
And all three are happy..!



Edited by SahasranamaM - 11 years ago

To be honest (and people may disagree), I think the new Ramayan by Sagar Pictures is a mockery of religion. It started off fine, but the show has gone totally off tune and the way they are writing Shri Ram's story is plain insulting! Viewers are not ignorant. They will not accept whatever lies are shown in the name of God. I personally was highly offended by the way the characters were portrayed in last week's episode. And juding from the promo for Sunday's episode, they've ruined the noble character of Bharat too.😔

 

 

Here are the worst points of the show in my opinion:

 

1. Kaikeyi humiliating and taunting Sita right upon her entrance to Ayodhya as a bride.

 

2. Lakshman telling Parashuram that he'll kill him during Sita's Swayamvar (seriously, a Raghuvanshi threatening to kill a Brahmin!)

 

3. Kaushalya, Sumitra, Kaikeyi, and Dashrath forcing Ram to remarry the morning after his return to Ayodhya as a married man, right in front of Sita who is being portrayed as the typical weepy bahu.

 

4. Ram and Bharat competing for the throne of Ayodhya and Bharat coming out as the winner (WTH!).

 

5. Kaikeyi being portrayed as the cruel Sasuma while Sita is the typical damsel in distress bahu of indian television.

 

 

Edited by JanakiRaghunath - 11 years ago

Again, I don't mean to offend or hurt any fan and if I have done so, then forgive me. But I wrote everything as Ram bhakt, not a fan of any actor or show. I am not criticizing the actors of this Ramayan since who we like or dislike is very subjective, but the show as a whole has disappointed me and convinced me never to watch anything produced by Sagar Pictures again, unless it's a saas-bahu soap since they're very good at incorporating those into mythos. I am tired of getting disappointed with every SP show I watch.