faith in films

This blog is written as a  part of online discussion at Department of English, MKBU.

Dilip Barad Sir:-

Do you agree with the

With the idea shared in the attached pdf article that ‘Faith is a commodity” – and film makers do not fail to encash it by exploiting religious sentiments of the people.

Thus, the hero Bajirao Singham with his villager-like-morality is shown taking deep in pond near temple and have faith in God.

Even in Hollywood movie – Gravity, Kowalsky watches the Ganges gleam in the sun from millions of miles away. He even appears to Stone probably in her imagination, probably as a spirit to guide her and help her get the Soyuz close to the Chinese space station the Tiangong. The St Christopher postcard on the Soyuz, the statue of the Budai or the Laughing Buddha, the constant references Stone makes to her dead daughter and how she finally prays.

Do you think that when in Singham Returns the hero narrates the importance of Dargah having some mystical power and police have deep faith as on several occasion when the policemen bowed down to the Dargah, the thieves were caught, the Censor Board should either cut this scene as it spreads superstition or there should be a warning line as we see while some characters smoke or drink liquor on screen that – Smoking/Drinking is harmful to the health; here it can be such blind belief and superstitions are harmful to society?

Do you agree with the last paragraph in the write-up in attached pdf document?

Here is my reply,

Respected sir,

First of all let me make it clear that I haven’t seen the movie singham return, then even I am trying to express my views on the discussion aboutFaith.

I have seen photograph and read the pdf article about it in mail. We  can discuss  this point from both the perspectives.

One way we can agree upon the point that in movies filmmakers are presenting the things which looks like as if we are living in the 16^thcentury. The hero (Singham) is deep in water in the pond and cop’s belief about the Dargah, this sort of things make us feel that if still we believe in all this things than how can we say ourself modern? Even heroes and police man presenting the things like of the uneducated rural man. They are using faith of the people as a medium, to earn more. Filmmakers playing with the faith of the people and this is in my opinion turning out to be greatest weakness of our people. If we think practically then we might laugh at them that how it is possible that you go into dargah and thief will be caught.

On the other end we can also put counter argument that they are not using faith of the people as a commodity but filmmakers are just trying to show the reality of the society. As we say that literature is the mirror of society so in one way movies are also literature and through movies they are just showing us that what is society. Films are the representations of our society. After all policemen are also humanbeing and moviemakers have presented it from their observation.

Faith is very personal thing and we can not totally denied it. we cannot prove the existence of the god , at the same time we are  also unable to prove that there is not god at all. we cannot say that Faith in the god  or its presentation in movies and literature is symbol of blindfaith Because when SUNITA WILLIAMS went in the SPACE she herself had taken an idol of LORD GANESH with her. So does it mean that Sunita Williams is uneducated, believer of blindfaith and is a village mentality person?????!!!!!!!

Even in Hollywood movies they are not free from this. There are many such movies which shows that when situation is out of control that time they put every thing upon god. They are far ahead than us in science and technology and even in thinking and imagination. Then even in their movies we find things regarding the faith.

And if we look into our own self then we find that in one or the another way we also believe in some super natural  power. At some extent in our life believe that because of faith in god i am succeed in work or failed becoz  i have no faith in god. THIS IS HUMAN PSYCHOLOGY.

Ø But it is matter of faith. I don’t think that there is any need to cut this scene or to write caution on the screen because  i think that they are just bringing out the truth of human nature. Perhaps in literary term we may say that they are making satire on us, they laugh at us. As in Anti-sentimental comedy we laugh at the character but in actually we laugh at our self, because the characters are representatives of the society. And one more thing is that in movie they are showing faith in Dargah , which is not hindu place. So we cannot say that Faith is Commodity. And the larger audience is hindu so if they wanted to earn on the name of religion andFaith then they might have used any famous hindu place. But it is not so. They  are showing as it is (JUST)  image of people.  

Respected sir,

First of all let me make it clear that I haven’t seen the movie singham return, then even I am trying to express my views on the discussion about Faith.

I have seen photograph and read the pdf article about it in mail. We  can discuss  this point from both the perspectives.

One way we can agree upon the point that in movies filmmakers are presenting the things which looks like as if we are living in the 16^thcentury. The hero (Singham) is deep in water in the pond and cop’s belief about the Dargah, this sort of things make us feel that if still we believe in all this things than how can we say ourself modern? Even heroes and police man presenting the things like of the uneducated rural man. They are using faith of the people as a medium, to earn more. Filmmakers playing with the faith of the people and this is in my opinion turning out to be greatest weakness of our people. If we think practically then we might laugh at them that how it is possible that you go into dargah and thief will be caught.

On the other end we can also put counter argument that they are not using faith of the people as a commodity but filmmakers are just trying to show the reality of the society. As we say that literature is the mirror of society so in one way movies are also literature and through movies they are just showing us that what is society. Films are the representations of our society. After all policemen are also humanbeing and moviemakers have presented it from their observation.

Faith is very personal thing and we can not totally denied it. we cannot prove the existence of the god , at the same time we are  also unable to prove that there is not god at all. we cannot say that Faith in the god  or its presentation in movies and literature is symbol of blindfaith Because when SUNITA WILLIAMS went in the SPACE she herself had taken an idol of LORD GANESH with her. So does it mean that Sunita Williams is uneducated, believer of blindfaith and is a village mentality person?????!!!!!!!

Even in Hollywood movies they are not free from this. There are many such movies which shows that when situation is out of control that time they put every thing upon god. They are far ahead than us in science and technology and even in thinking and imagination. Then even in their movies we find things regarding the faith.

And if we look into our own self then we find that in one or the another way we also believe in some super natural  power. At some extent in our life believe that because of faith in god i am succeed in work or failed becoz  i have no faith in god. THIS IS HUMAN PSYCHOLOGY.

Ø But it is matter of faith. I don’t think that there is any need to cut this scene or to write caution on the screen because  i think that they are just bringing out the truth of human nature. Perhaps in literary term we may say that they are making satire on us, they laugh at us. As in Anti-sentimental comedy we laugh at the character but in actually we laugh at our self, because the characters are representatives of the society. And one more thing is that in movie they are showing faith in Dargah , which is not hindu place. So we cannot say that Faith is Commodity. And the larger audience is hindu so if they wanted to earn on the name of religion andFaith then they might have used any famous hindu place. But it is not so. They  are showing as it is (JUST)  image of people.