Is the Vishwaroopam Anger Justified?

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.