Monday, May 12, 2008

"The Love Guru" not getting much Love

"If trailer is an indicator of the content of the movie... then we feel this is most likely to hurt sentiments of seekers of various spiritual paths," Bhavna Shinde, a representative of the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti and Sanatan Society for Scientific Spirituality, said in a communique.

"It will hurt the religious sentiments of millions of Hindus worldwide, who hold the 'Guru-disciple' relationship as sacred," the communique said.


Ladies and gentlemen, the great protectors of our religious sentiments are at it again. According to news reports, various Hindu organizations have petitioned the FCC in the US and the Censor Board in India to prevent the release of Mike Myer's upcoming movie, The Love Guru.

What I want to ask these so called religious zealots is, Who died and made you king? Whatever gave you the right of representing 'Hindu sentiments' worldwide? And above all, who made you the representative of God? Didja get an email? Do you have a will? A document giving you a power of attorney perhaps? Anything? No? I thought so.

What gives you the right to decide what is offensive or not? Or what is right or wrong? If you don't like something, just don't go and watch it. No one is forcing you. However, you have no right to prevent others from watching it.

And pray tell me, if your belief in your religion is so strong, why is it shaken up by a single satirical movie?

All you are trying to do is scuttle free speech in the name of religion. What makes religion so sacrosanct that people cannot question it? Or make fun of it? Nothing is so sacred that it can't be made fun off. If you don't like it, don't buy it. Let everybody else form their own opinion.

Just because someone says "Religion" he is allowed to act crazy. Every foolish decision, every foolish tradition can be forgiven in the name of religion.

And God is not so week that he needs these people to defend him. I think he's doing fine on his own.


We forget that freedom of expression implies that all opinions are allowed to co-exist together. Even those which are not of the majority. Or which do not appeal to the majority.

However, I am sure that the movie will face a slew of protests when it is released in India, assuming it is allowed to be released in India. Satanic Verses, anyone?

And if it is released, theaters would be stormed, their owners would be threatened, Paramount's office in India will be picketed and someone in Gujarat will file a case against Mike Myers.


Another one for our Xenophobic protectors. Clap Clap, ladies and gentlemen, clap clap.

4 comments:

ess said...

My sentiments exactly. And it's not just the satanic verses. Water, fire, The Passion of the Christ, that book about Shivaji

Hell, when they want to stop the Sethusamudram project, they talk about the Ramayana. Forget the fact that its economic viability is extremely doubtful, and that it will cause untold damage to the coral reefs there. We should not go ahead with it because hindu sentiments will be hurt.

Gimme a break.

Over Rated said...

ess: Well said. Banning stuff earns these people brownie points with their votebank. So that real issues can be avoided. As far as religion is concerned, it has been used for centuries to get people into a certain pecking order.

Moo said...

My sentiments exactly. STOP voicing my thoughts and hijacking a potential blog post.. :P

Seriously, as a nation, I think we're progressing backwards. We claim to be more "educated" and "civilised", but still cannot think for ourselves. I remember once, this guy with THREE PHDs, and about 13 degrees (I'm seriously not exaggerating), was a contestant on KBC. And his wife, was dressed in a black Burqa, and did not even dare raise her veil. THIS is what religion is. The staunch following of some code of conduct, and values that are as old as Arjun Singh (I know the comparison has highly appealed to you ;P).

In fact, an article by Vir Sanghvi, on vegetarianism, saw him put across a very relevant point. How many of us Indians actually refrain from eating meat, on moral / ethical grounds, apart from flimsy religious excuses about "I'm JAIN! Jains are supposed to be freakin' pale and unhealthy, without an ounce of protein in their diet. You go eat healthy and fatten yourself. Just don't touch me, in case I might be tempted!" So many people have asked me with a :O on their faces, "Fuck! How come you're eating beef? Are you not Hindu?" or in most instances, "Your MOTHER has sent you chicken in your lunch box on a TUESDAY? Is she Catholic?" Fuck off, already. Or stick your head in your underwear.

And when are we going to grow up? When we run out of dirty underwear, I suppose.

*Sorry about the mile long comment. Just that I really feel about the entire "religion" issue. I'm sure you don't mind. :P*

Over Rated said...

I think we are going back into the dark ages. For thousands of years people have used religion as a tool to settle scores or as a tool to dominate other people or as a tool to manipulate stupid innocent people to kill other stupid innocent people. And it's always been used to suppress women.

A person can be a wife beating pedophile but as long as he pays his daily respects to Shiva, it's all good. That's how hypocritical and hollow religion has become. And those self proclaimed saints who claim to know-it-all are the biggest pile of trash walking on God's green earth.

And what do I know, I'm supposedly going to hell (which does not exist by the way).

We live in a world where even the Xbox 360 is deemed as ungodly.

And about the food, I ALWAYS eat non-veg food on Tuesdays and every other Holy Day. Once one of our infinitely wise relatives remarked after finding out I ate beef "It's the convent school he goes to. They put such modern western extreme ideas in these children's heads" I was like, dude I want to eat it, what's my school got to do with it, jackass?

When I see someone who is ultra-religious, I can never trust that person's judgment.

And the next person who comes up to me and says "It was God's will" is going to get an ass whopping of a lifetime.

This comment seems to be bigger than the post. Ah! What the hell.

I think this deserves another post.

And as far as stealing ideas goes, I climb into other people's heads when they sleep and steal their ideas and write posts using those very same ideas.

Also, Moo how can you have beef? Isn't that betraying you own kind? How very Catholic of you!! :P :P

*guffaws endlessly at his own joke*

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