In defence of PK

I watched the news last night.A panel discussion going on after the headlines.One fanatic whose outfit is spearheading the agitation against PK was asked,'Have you seen the movie ? " He replied "Yes,I have ."I think it is totally unfair to start demanding that a movie be banned because you have seen it already.I mean, please, show some objectivity .Or atleast a pretension of objectivity.For so many of aam junta like me,  are waiting for the movie to be screened on the idiot box soon !

No ,I am no fan of Aamir Khan.He may be a great actor or so as many take him to be.He messed up with Chetan Bhagat regarding credit for 3 Idiots .He argued with Javed Akhtar about copy right matters .Not that I like Chetan Bhagat or Javed Akhtar.And before ,this post starts sounding like the list of people I dislike,I must return to the topic.And yet to demand ban on PK is like eliminating things (dead, living ,non living ),one does not like.If I behaved like the fanatics,half of the world would cease to exist .No doubt,that would make competition cease to exist or somewhat easy but then what fun is there, if there is no rat race ?

And before I go further,there is another reason  Aamir Khan has not  endeared himself..He has spoken unfairly about Rekha,the diva.I am a woman & am inspired by Rekha .She is a stunner even at this age .She was the one who took up Yoga.She was linked up to so many men.She is an institution & does not need any man to cling to.And yet ,loathing Aamir Khan means criticisng him not asking total removal from theatres.Because then, how will I critically evaluate his acting or lack of it ?

Aamir Khan does interfere in film making.Yet with stalwarts like Vidhu Vinod Chopra ,the producer of  PK & Raju Hirani ,the director,interference by Aamir would be minimal.So to think that Hindusim is in danger by a movie like PK is just idiotic ! And to hear ,baba Ramdev speaking like ,"Nobody dares to speak or make fun of other religions.And Hinduism is always under attack " is like making Suryanamaskar out of simple padmasana !

We all Hindus know that our religion is under attack by  self styled Godmen like Aasaram,Nityananada,Rampal,to name just a few.And how ? ! They have raped & killed so many innocent followers .They have been arrested & yet ,we all know ,they will never get punished.Because ,they have henchmen who will take law into their own hands & coerce the public & Government into submission. And the same  goes for other religions as well.

And no good is going to be served by banning the film.The film has made enough money already.So banning the film is hardly going to hurt the makers of the film and Aamir Khan which is the aim of the the so called agitationists .The ban will just  send a message that  creativity which tries to point out flaws is unacceptable in a vibrant democracy.And the ban will make our democracy a mobocracy for sure !

I recall that my boss in office told once that he preferred his employees coming & telling him about the problems rather than the same being pointed out by outsiders.It is the same with religion. All Hindus have a duty to point out what is wrong with our religion & also provide solutions .Maybe take steps to make Hinduism better.It is good that such a movie has been made which holds a mirror to show us  the cracks.Perhaps,the protests are because ,Aamir plays a rank outsider ....an alien who satirises religion !

Instead of acknowledging & appreciating the efforts,all some want, is to push all under the carpet & behave as if all is well ! And that was Aamir Khan's off repeated dialogue in the last movie ," 3 Idiots " directed by Raju Hirani & produced by Vidhu Vinod Chopra !




Stopping the movie screening  will hurt aam junta like me who are awaiting the movie on television I  am completely against  monopoly .as per the tenets of the MRTP ( Monopolies & Restrictive Trade Practices ) act So I prefer  watching  movies on the television as I do not want to fill overflowing coffers of PK producers & distributors.Watching movies at home helps me to multitask like cleaning & chopping veggies,checking mobile & net, etal ! This will give more fillup to Bharatiya Sanskriti rather than a ban ! Because all Indians are always multitasking .It is ingrained in all of us..Even the Government ! And the mess is up, for all to watch !

How I wish the government would start taking interest in its primary task of governance.Rather than poke their noses into how movies should be made & not made ,what books must be allowed in schools or what disallowed ,etal.And this would help others stay employed.If the government took upon itself roles of the censor board,the school & college text book councils,etal,unemployement would rise And that would lead to more problems rather than solve .Come to think of it,all those unemployed are out there on the streets demanding bans on books,movies etc ! People voted for right wingers hoping that governmental interference will be minimal .And yet ,the actions & omissions of ministers are making left wingers & middle of centre political parties appear as capitalists as against fascist tendencies currently being on display !

 I wish on the New Year eve,the screen will light up with PK thanks to the local  cable ! And then, I can review the movie as well ! Watch this space !

Utopia

Utopia means an ideal world .This term was given by Sir Thomas More in his book Utopia.

All of us have a dream about Utopia.I would like my world, to be full of happy people.There would be no crimes like thefts,murders,rapes,frauds.etc.The kids would be always safe & never have to suffer from any bad touch.

There would plenty of food for all.Even sparkling water bodies with potable water.There would be greenery all over.There would be jungles,mountains & meadows with various forms of flora & fauna.Animals would roam freely in jungles & live in peaceful coexistence.

There would be tasks for all & shelters  for all .School,hospitals,shops & other establishments would be enough to satisfy all the needs.There would be theatres,concert halls,places of worship ,etal.Arts,crafts & games would flourish .Transport would be fast & safe.There would be no need for passports &  or visas.

Teachers & professors would be the pillars of strength.They will take lead in research & development.Corporate houses will make reasonable profit.They would take pride in  taking up social responsibility.

Government would be elected & govern as per rule of law. Courts would dispense justice fast with due fairness.Rulers & opposition would behave & be an ideal to look up to.

Marriage would be optional.Family planning would be compulsory so that the resources can last & last.Religion would be a matter of choice.

Here's hoping that even if one or a few of the aforesaid ideals comes through,this world would be a much better place to live in !

This is the blog post for "U " for the A to Z Blogging Challenge.

Sharing blog posts of fellow bloggers :

Michelle Liew

Shail Mohan

Encounter.

This happened whilst I was in my first year of college.I was studying at Pune & had come home to Narora,as it was Deepavali vacation.Narora is a small village in Uttar Pradesh.My dad was posted there at the Atomic Energy power plant.

All my school friends were also in college but they were not yet home for Deepavali. I was getting bored with no friends around.One day ,my dad announced, that, a vehicle was leaving for Delhi on some official work on the next day.One of school friend's dad would also be going in the vehicle,he said.I was delighted.I thought,why not travel with my friend's dad & go & meet her at Delhi.She was studying in a women's college in Delhi.So all was set.

We left the next day - it was a Matador.I was seated in the row behind the driver with Uncle,my friend's dad.There were one more person seated in the front besides the driver.He was travelling to make some purchases for the Grocery stores.We were all from the colony, set up, to house the people, who were working at the Atomic Energy unit.So,we were all known to each other.

We reached Delhi.The vehicle dropped me & Uncle at the college campus.I was thrilled to meet my ex-classmate & we gossiped non-stop.Uncle meanwhile, attended to his errands.He returned in the evening by about five.The vehicle had also come back with the driver & the other occupant.We were told that we have to pick up an executive from the airport at around ten.My uncle suggested that we all should stay back in Delhi & proceed home early next morning.We requested the College authorities to let me stay for that night but they refused.So,it was decided, that we will depart after the executive joins us at the airport.

After the arrival of the executive,we started on our home journey.It was quite late in the night & not recommended as there had been reports of looting en route.We kept praying as we travelled.Most of us had dozed off.Suddenly,the vehicle came to a halt.I woke up & tried to make sense of what had caused the driver to hit such a strong brake.I saw that we were on a road & just parked ahead was a small goods carrier -a tempo.It was standing in such a way that our vehicle could not get a way.The road was too narrow.On one side,was a valley not too deep but quite wide & another side was a tree .So our vehicle was struck.The driver got down .At that moment ,four to five persons sprang up from the shadows.We were aghast ! They had pistols & choppers.They prevented the driver from getting into the vehicle.They surrounded the vehicle & demanded that we hand over all the valuables.

We hardly had any money with us.We told them so, but, they refused to listen.We pleaded with them to let us go .We informed them that this was a sarkari gaadi( government vehicle ).This was because it was Friday midnight then. On Fridays,it is customary in that area for businessmen & traders to travel on business. But our pleas fell on deaf ears.The executive was carrying a suitcase & the robbers had seen it.They demanded that he hand it over.He refused ,"I can't give-all documents are there,"he screamed.They got angry & started firing.I was just staring & my Uncle just shoved my head down on the seat before ducking himself.I could hear some more shots.Uncle saved me from the pellets which were being fired. We now pleaded with the executive to hand over the suitcase.This was when the robbers were reloading their country made pistols. The executive had got hurt & blood was oozing from his injury.He was unable to protest as we handed over the suitcase.The robbers broke open the suitcase & finding the contents useless threw it back at us exclaiming,"When nothing was there,why so much fuss !?"Next,one of them demanded, that, I hand over my earrings-Uncle replied,"She is studying in college away from home .So she wears fake gold earrings."They seemed satisfied.The executive was crying as he was in great pain.We requested the robbers to let us proceed.They agreed but said that we turn back & go.We had no choice .The driver got into the vehicle & drove it at breaking speed.

All were talking at once as we were too excited by shock.The Grocery store assistant was thanking his stars that the money he had carried for the purchases was safe.He had not been able to buy all things & hence a balance was still there.I informed Uncle that I was wearing real gold earrings- though they were a tiny pair.We were thanking God that we escaped without any major mishap.We concluded that the robbers were small time thieves out to earn a small amount of pocket money.

Actually,we had the encounter very near to our colony & so the robbers wanted us to turn & go back.They were sure that if we were to go ahead ,then very soon,they would be behind bars as they won't get time to escape. We reached the district headquarters after an hour.We landed at the Government hospital.The executive was taken in & attended.The police arrived.They said that we should not have travelled so late in the night.All formalities were over .It was early morning now.The news about the encounter had reached the colony.But my dad was kept in the dark.A vehicle had started from there to pick us up.The executive was to stay in the Government hospital for a day because of his injuries.He had escaped almost unhurt.

The vehicle came & we all started homewards.I asked for my parents & was told that they had not been informed .Maybe,nobody wanted my parents to be alarmed.Or it was not known that I had also travelled in the said vehicle. We all reached home.My parents were anxious as they had also heard about the incident by then. We had to keep repeating the saga umpteen times to avid listeners.All were of the opinion that the executive had asked for trouble by refusing to hand over his suitcase.Anyway,we were all glad that we were all safe & sound.The executive was discharged the next day & he went around the colony telling that he had saved the day for all of us !