The voice of the few Muslims that
rippled across the nation, gigantic enough to influence the no-nonsense Chief
Minister of Tamil Nadu, Mrs Jayalalitha to ban the screening of the movie
Vishwaroopam/Vishwaroop is to be duly recorded.
I would call it the moment of
Double Standards. One cliché I can never find to let go.
The movie franchise in India,
South India to be more precise is more than just a market. The impact of the
three hour product does not stop there. They deliver such an impact, that they
are registered sub-consciously in the minds of those who watch it. This is why
you find giants such as Rajesh Khanna and Rajinikanth only in India. People go
on to ape what they see in movies. They are sponges.
Entertainment is education in
India. My vocabulary and knowledge of things in general would be half of what
is now, if I weren’t a movie addict.
Kamal Haasan isn’t simply any
other actor who is trying to etch his name in Indian cinema. He is a national
figure. A giant in the film industry, so much so that his words are considered
gospel for film buffs. Also his movies are never the usual type. They always
carry a message. That comes across either a slap on the face or hidden in his highly
“indecipherable” choice of words. He is, simply put, a brand.
Therefore, if Kamal Haasan, the brand,
can show Muslims in a darker light, it becomes obligatory on him to show the
other side of the story or else it doesn’t stay as a work of fiction. It
becomes an extended opinion.
It is the same breath that I
believe that what he puts in a film, transforms as a general opinion of masses,
gathering a cult following. And it is thereby, scrutiny is very necessary.
I am dying to watch the movie,
simply because of all the hype around it.
I would love reviews to actually
focus on what was being alleged as inducing social disharmony to what was being
shown on screen. Most of them rather skim away after touching on the topic.
My friend Sindha states,
“The protest is only for the dialogues and scenes which portray Quran as
the guide book to terrorism, and all Muslims as terrorists. Mosques are shown
as safe houses, Imams (people who head daily prayers) are shown as terrorists,
Adhan (call to prayer) is shown as signals to plant a bomb and every time
someone decides to blow himself up, a prayer is performed.”
These scenes are in fact
sensitive. They drive home the idea that all things Islamic is terrorism
oriented. And I empathize with TMMK in this regard.
But if indeed Kamal Haasan is an
undercover MUSLIM Indian RAW fighting the Talibans, I am proud. But do they
show a link between Kamal Haasan’s mettle and Islamic teachings? Or simply
brand it as patriotism, yet again failing to exert the fact that Islam is not
parallel with Terrorism.
It matters. What Kamal does in
real life as well as in his works of fiction are more inspirational than
entertaining. It thereby becomes his duty to watch where to tread.
It was expected of the social
media that movie freaks would rise to the occasion and go about slandering the
protest as did the political party TMMK that spearheaded the protest against
Vishwaroopam.
The ban was battled out heatedly
in twitter and facebook. People did come up with absurd lines to support either
side.
A few statuses and tweets to
note: -
- As Raj Sardeep Desai says, if
you do not like a movie do not watch it. I am surely baffled by the statement. It
sounds more of a “Screw you, we do not care” attitude.
If India was so open minded, why
was there a huge noise heard when Asadudin Owaisi made his attacking and
offensive remark. Why didn't they choose not to hear?
Why were the two girls in Mumbai
arrested for putting up a post that allegedly ‘disrupted’ social harmony among
the RSS? Why didnt they choose not to see?
When people choose to be
sentimental, event specific, secularism vanishes from the law.
In the same context, Please Mr
Ajith Kumar, India is a soup of religions, so hard to count. Each split across
diverse languages. Secularism always lies on a thin line between silence and
noise with the ends being held by politicians. No country is secular. Only the
citizens can work to remain secular. It is never equipoise. It leans towards
the majority. It is always hard work on the minority, to constantly remind the
others of the sensitivity in the relationship.
And honestly it is double the hard
work for us Muslims to smile and bend in a society that never looks at us
without the Terrorist tag hovering around our heads. The usual sneer and
remarks a Muslim gathers from his colleagues and others, tests more than his
patience.
Also secularism doesn’t impose a
non religious, non sect or non caste oriented outlook alone. It also
encompasses prohibition of discrimination based on similar lines.
When MF Husain had his
controversy with his derogatory paintings, there wasn’t any Muslim group backing
him up. We shared the platform with you people. We expect the same respect from
our brothers here. If the allegations are true, will you people take our side?
I sincerely doubt that.
- It was also surprising to see a
majority of Non Muslims finally agreeing with the fact that All Muslims are not
Terrorists. Every comment stream has one person quoting the same. This was the
positive side of the whole issue. They would continue to ask us to watch the
movie ignoring our sentiments. But they have come on terms desperately put out
by Muslims.
Indians are true chameleons
But then, somehow, the T- word
always finds its alliance with Muslims. As the TMMK started their protest, the
minute later they were branded “Cultural Terrorists”. I have no freaking idea
why people fall short of words. Or why Kamal Haasan did not attempt to use his
infinite vocabulary to choose any word other than Terror.
Samuthrakani from Neerparavai, a
tamil film rightly states “Naanga summa irundha thappu, Kootama iruntha
theeviravatham.” That roughly translates to “If we sit idle, it isn’t right,
and if we speak for ourselves, it is branded terrorism.”
-And for those who protested
saying No Muslim country has banned the movie, I think it is time for you to
retract your statements. Malaysia has ordered a ban on the movie.
-And a huge face-palm moment when
people go around in social media asking not to download the pirated version.
Again double standards. Where was this voice for the many other movies that you
guys have already torrent-ed or will, in the future.
At the rate the movies are being centered on
terrorism, I think it is necessary that a title card be introduced that
mentions the difference between terrorism and Islam and that the latter is not
a container of the former. Just like they have one for smoking.
To paraphrase, I am happy there
is a voice growing to the needs of muslims, politically. Jayalalitha secured
her vote bank for the next round of elections. I am rather pissed though at the
fact that it irritates people if Muslims use our right to question. We did not
hurt anyone, physically.
If at all, the scenes do little
or no “disruptions” to social harmony, I kindly suggest TMMK to focus on
matters more pressing and not wait for the next movie to ban.
If we do not tell you people what
hurts, us, when will you ever learn.
