DEBINA BOSE
Initially it was all about Amir Khan and his nude poster to announce the arrival of PK. But since then much water has flown over the Ganges and now the film has turned controversial with a strata of the society getting agitated at how religion is portrayed
Just when the country was eagerly waiting for one of the most awaited films of 2014, the controversy surrounding the movie PK seemed to have grabbed more eyeballs post its release. The Amir Khan and Anushka Sharma starrer which released December 19 seems to be the current controversial talking point right from B-town to religious communities.
The film features Amir as an alien who comes to Earth on a research mission and is robbed of his communication device. When he tries to locate it, he is told only God can help him, and he sets out on a mission to locate God. However, the different religion methodologies confuse him, and he ultimately discovers that a ‘Godman’ has his device. He befriends Anushka, a television journalist and together they unravel the hellish world of religious hegemony.
The Rajkumar Hirani film which has crossed a whooping Rs 300 crore in the box-office has been accused of discriminating against Hindus and has earned the wrath of several religious groups in India. There have been violent protests at cinema halls in places like Agra, Bhopal and even in Orissa where it the demand has been to censor certain scenes or ban the film outright. While BJP leader Subramanian Swamy questioned the financing of the film many claimed that the film dishonoured the Hindu religion and ridiculed gods and goddesses. PK has also led to a Twitter battle with hashtags like #BoycottPK and #WeSupportPK trending on the micro-blogging site.
The very message of the movie is provoking criticism and polarising public opinion. OP questioned some of the youths of the city and gathered their opinion on the issue.
“I feel all the controversy surrounding PK is over hyped. It is after all a movie aimed at entertaining the masses. I loved the humor angle and the fact that through a subtle manner the movie reflected some of the harsh realities of the society. Burning down posters and raising allegations of hurting the Hindu sentiments is basically useless and unnecessary. There have never been protests against movies with baseless topics but just because this is an Amir Khan starrer, controversy is mandatory.” said Tanaya, a H.R professional
“I watched PK thrice and loved every bit of it. When movies starring half naked heroines and steamy scenes are acceptable then why such a fuss surrounding PK. Earlier movies like Oh My God also depicted the same message. Yes there are certain scenes which may hurt religious sentiments but the main aim of the movie is to show how society is dependent on religion. From gay marriage to live in relationships movies always bring up quirky messages. The accusation that Amir Khan should go back to Pakistan reflects the narrow-mindedness of the religious leaders. I even joined the twitter battle and have rightfully extended my support,” said Sharmistha, a college student
“The controversy surrounding PK started with the release of its poster itself. I feel Amir Khan shouldn’t have opted for such bold poses just to promote his movie. We have a guruji whom our family worships as he has always shown us the right path, so spreading the message that all Godmen are tricksters and religion is solely based on money is not acceptable in my opinion. It is bound to stir reactions from religious groups though the actions opted by them have been overblown,” said Sounak Chowdhury, an IT professional
“I feel religious and political leaders just want to be in the limelight by developing unnecessary controversies. A movie that has crossed Rs 200 crore in the first week does have something in it or else viewers are not fools to waste their money over a baseless film. What people are not noticing is that there were scenes where Amir Khan stated that God is always there to help his children and the poor. Moreover the movie has focused on all the religions — Hindu, Muslim, Sikhism and Christianity – so where does it hurt only Hindu sentiments. We are living in a culturally diverse country where we respect all religions. The film doesn’t depict anything that hurts any religion” said Priyanka, a home- maker.