Threats to Creativity and Freedom of Expression

This blog is written as a part of online discussion about following topic.

Dilip Barad sir:-

All students:

Here is attached a brief interview of Javed Akhtar.

There are some rumours about A R Rahman to give music in an Iranian film on Mohmad Paigambar. It is not permitted under Quran to portray Mohmad Paigambar in painting or moving picture. If A R Rahman is involved in such film, it may hurt religious sensibilities of Indian Muslims and so he is threatened that there may be Fatwa against him.

Secondly, there is a film being planned on the life of Tipu Sultan - a Muslim ruler of Mysore. It is rumoured that Rajnikant will play the role of Tipu Sultan. This has hurt religious sensibilities of Hindus. It is also belived that Tipu was against Tamils and so no Tamil should play any role in the biopic on Tipu.

Well, the majority exerts their likeness and prejudices over the minorities and in the process construct a 'culture'. The said culture is appropriate for the majority and so most of them believe it to be moral / right / true way of living life. Later on, such way of life is 'naturalised' and justified by mythical stories of brave people belonging to the majority.

Literary writers, by and large, are part of the process. At times, literary writers pose a threat or protest to such process. Such protests of past are not visible today ad history rarely takes notice of it. But we can read them as they happen while we are living. Observing contemporary times with spectacles of historical sense makes us aware of such process.

Here is an example in this small interview. Javed Akhtar writes that he would rethink several times to write a scene written in Sholay.

What is that scene? Why would he rethink before writing of such scenes?

What do you comprehend from the interview?

Be brief, precise and to the point in your reply.

The topic is really controversial, one should take this kind of issues sensitively.

But what I feel is that Art and artist must be free from this. We should not be stick to the fundamentals, but we have to be flexible, radical. What we have discussed while discussing movie The Reluctant Fundamentalist, that owner of multinational company and leader of terrorist group insist Changez to follow Fundamentals. We don’t have to follow word by word what is written in religious books. This is called the Reluctant Fundamentalist. Same thing can be apply here also. Don’t bind artists by such narrow concepts, because after allHUMAN BEING IS MORTAL, AND ART IS PERMANENT.

In movie, there is scene of Dharmendra speaking behind idol to Hema. The scene is rather innocent, but few people, as usual may have problem. Because it hurts religious sentiments. The same kind of scene is also in the movie GOPI- KISHSAN, where brother uses name of god to do his work. But now a days one has to be careful in doing such things.

JUST YESTERDAY PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI, WELCOMED IN DUBLIN, IRELAND BY SANSKRIT SLOCK.  AT THAT TIME HE ALSO  CRITICIZE THAT IF IT WOULD HAPPEN IN INDIA THEN THERE WILL BE LOT OF CONTROVERSY.

2.

As well as why one should not do role of Tipu Sultan? Only because of religious differences??. Religion is construction. At the same time historical knowledge about him is also problematic. In interview it is said that he was portrayed in negative way, but he was a rather good figure. And whether he is good or bad, what is wrong in just playing role of him?  In Art there should be freedom.

Ancient sculpture is fine example of free, open minded society, in which we can see many nude sculptures.

Thus, rather than protesting , we have to support art and artist.