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Thought About BoycottPK

Aamir Khan's PK is threatening would have made Rs 100 crores by the time you finish reading this. This sweet film has headed to calls for boycott from "Internet Hindus". They think it is an attack on their faith. It is time to clear the fog and throw some light on firm facts.

PK as a film is clearly anti-religion, not just Hinduism. It attacks Hinduism more directly than other religions because the story is based in India, 80% of population in India is Hindu. The story of PK is about an alien who trying to get help from God. I would say this is a smart move by Rajkumar Hirani. Aamir Khan has done it again and this time with PK. his innocent smile but curious eyes and intrinsic questions.

The boycott call is behind the support call both on box office cash register and on Twitter trends. Because on a meter of taking offence and ignoring to taking offence and killing people, Hindus are at Level Two. That's Boycott level. To demand a ban is Level Three. To impose shutdowns is Level Four and going totally mental is Level Five. You can show a afraid Shiva character running helter-skelter and get away with it. Showing the Prophet is a sure-shot suicidal move only the Scandinavian have attempted till now.

So, full marks to Rajkumar Hirani for keeping it sane. Hirani thought Hindus could take a joke or two. He has been quite there if not spots on. He hasn't been stuck yet. Lunatics, from all religions, have no sense of humour. But there is a greater chance of getting killed in ridiculing Islam than ridiculing Hindus or Christians. Hindus have too many Gods and god men for everyone to get offended by one film. Hindus are also really old and settled being Hindus. Christianity, over 2,000 years old, is more settled than Islam, which is in its darkest period right now and is perceived to be at war, within and without. The golden rule of rubbing salt is you don't rub it on a fresh wound.

The film comes at a time when there is a fierce debate going on about conversion. As the Hindu Right wants converts to revert to Hinduism. Christians and Muslims believe conversion is a fundamental human right and a one-way street. The government wants the pitch to rise to a point where it can thrust a ban on conversion down everyone's throat.

Arousing lines like ‘Jo Dar Gaya Wo Mandir Gaya and if humans can communicate with God directly then why then do you make idols?" PK does some brainstorming to those who keep fantasies over facts.

No doubt, PK has been touted as the biggest entertainer of the year. One moment PK is entertaining, other moment it is thought provoking.

The movie is based on a storyline in which Aamir Khan plays an alien who landed on earth for doing study but ends up exposing the insincerity and lies that a Hindu Godman named ‘Tapasvi Ji’ and shows all the wrong works done on the name of god.

The film’s storyline was also compared with that of ‘Oh My God’.

Have a look at how people responded to the film —

Why #BoycottPK makes no sense at all

So why exactly is there an online campaign to boycottPK? What are the #BoycottPK campaigners saying to justify themselves? 

Their claim is that the movie attacks Hinduism and its practices. But Rajkumar Hirani's main point is that all entities that claim to be mediators between God and humans are scandalous. PK doesn't just attack the practices of Hinduism. Aamir Khan's character in the movie hasn't spared fatwas against girls' education, or conversions by Christian missionaries, either. 

Think about it. PK is not the first time the existence of middle-men in religion is questioned. In fact, Umesh Shukla's Akshay Kumar-Paresh Rawal-starrer OMG! raised the same questions in a far more serious manner. 

Some BoycottPK supporters on Twitter even claim that the film promotes 'Love Jihad'! How? Because Anushka's character falls in love with Sushant who plays a Pakistani boy. Now, this is as ridiculous a claim as it can get. 

PK may not be a great movie, but it is a good, entertaining one. It talks about an issue that has been holding us to ransom for ages now, and is only turning worse with all the so-called godmen trying to cash in on our misplaced priorities. It questions practices that we would be better off without. And it is not just Hindu practices that it questions. 

Let me start by saying this. PK is a good film. Its a funny film. It has a breezy pace without being too preachy or pedantic. Somehow, Aamir and Raju Hirani have mastered the art of handling difficult subjects with disarming humour and charming characters. Religion is an extremely difficult subject in any country, and doubly so in India. They deserve congratulations for their attempt. 

I was a little angry as I walked out of the theatre. Some aspects of the movie definitely irked me. The scene where PK 'installs' a rock near an examination center, smears it with paan and places some money in front of it, to demonstrate to Jaggu's (Anushka) father that this would now become a small make-shift temple where all the exam-goers would prostrate, owing to fear of the exam. Albeit true in many circumstances, I felt irritated at this scene. Of course the infamous "Jo darta hain, woh mandir jaata hain" is a dialogue, in my opinion loaded with some very specific negative references. 

My irritation only increased as I saw #BoycottPK all over Twitter. Many of my fellow Hindus were offended, hurt and downright insulted by some of the aspects of this film. My feelings were only aggravated and incensed by the fact that so many people were up-in-arms against this film, FIRs, Posters, et al. However, after some thought, my perceptions stand as follows: 

To be fair, PK has identified negative practices of many religions, but Hinduism is the clear reference point. However, in my opinion, If PK had used Islam or Christianity as a reference point (as opposed to Hinduism) to showcase some of the unfortunate aspects of religion and religious godmen/women, it would have been banned in India and several other countries. Such an affront (even the slightest) would have been seen as an agenda to quash said religions and their religious beliefs. There would have been several minorities groups that would have taken serious offence and would have had this filmed banned with political clout, or worse. 

I feel that the filmmakers have taken a calculated risk to use Hinduism as a reference point because it does not evoke such strong responses. I am sure that they have considered the fact that its one of the few religions in the world that tolerates even a potential affront on its practices and its constituents. That precisely, is why I am proud to be a Hindu. Confused? Let me explain. 

My Dharma is one of tolerance and mutual respect. I would rather be part of a Dharma that respects and tolerates questions and even accepts criticisms from its own constituents and others, rather than suffer from the problems that associate with zealotry. Hinduism as a concept is a diverse, broad and highly effective religious framework that allows for the existence of chaos, karma and diversity without causing the deaths of countless lives, to religious fanaticism. Evidenced by the millions of deities we pay homage to. Hinduism has survived through centuries of invasions, from the Muslim rule to the British, only because of this acceptance of diversity, chaos and imperfections. No religious order is perfect, but Hinduism takes that in its stride, unlike no other. 

Also, I find it strange when we feel the need to defend ourselves against filmmakers and entertainers. If thousands of years of foreign invasions, temple desecrations, forced conversions, predatory tax practices and 'secular' interventions have not destroyed the Hindu Dharma, its laughable to think that an insignificant Bollywood Comedy, from an industry that produces fare like "Humshakals", can bring doom upon our culture and faith. 

I am left with two choices. One - I rail against PK for its insult to my culture. Or Two - I watch the movie. Accept that no religion is perfect. Take what's good. Leave out the innuendo and go about my day.