P.K- An alien decoded
Nearly four weeks after its release PK continues to be in the news for all the non-cinematic reasons. That by itself is a statement about the film’s height of creativity or lack of it. While it is now established that PK has broken all box office records, it has also set a record of sorts for raising the temperature across a wide swathe of the audience with its raging controversies.
From the politics of Machiavellian proportions that saw the original choice Ranbir Kapoor being replaced by Amir Khan, to Anushka Sharma’s newly acquired “Botox pout” that in the opening shots make her appear like “Donald Duck” in the side profile shots, PK controversies are aplenty. But then these were small change compared to the “real controversy”.
First things first. It is imperative to recognize a person’s “freedom of speech”. In this regard PK wins hands down. The somnambulistic members of the censor board are to be commended for this given that they turn ultra-sensitive when the subject matter is related to the Abrahamic cousins both of the Cross and Half-moon variety. They either get the film approved by the Mullahs and Bishops before release and end up banning the film if the learned people of the cloth do not approve. Case to the point are Nikah (1982) & Tawaif (1985) which were shown to the Imam of Jama Masjid, Delhi and his approval received before being rubber stamped by the censor board for the viewing pleasure of the general audience. More recently the Da Vinci Code (2003) was banned at the behest of the Archbishop of Mumbai. Doesn’t it appear blatantly biased to just release the film without first showing it to the Shankaracharya(s) and getting their blessings? Or was it that the opinion of the majority in the country didn’t matter?
PK knowingly or unknowingly is a film on many levels and with multiple sub texts. It is one of those films where what is left unsaid is as important or perhaps more important than what is said!
Lets’ begin with Sarfaraz Yousuf; where was the need for making him a “Pakistani Muslim”. An “Indian Muslim” would have sufficed for the story. Read between the lines and one will realise that the film is being financed by the Dubai based ARY Group. This company is owned by a Pakistani National Abdul Razzak Yaqoob. ARY has the dubious distinction of being kicked out of the London Bullion market and from the UK in 2006 for money laundering drug trafficking and terror financing. With a financier of such impressive credentials, what else could one expect?
The film purports to expose “God men”…Absolutely right these fraudsters must be exposed. But are god men only a Hindu preserve? The answer is an emphatic NO. Then why didn’t Amir have the guts to “expose” the likes of Billionaire Benny Hinn (Full name Toufik Bebedictus Hinn) of Benny Hinn Ministries or the self-styled “Bishop” Brian Tamaki of Destiny Church or Brian & Bobby Houston of Hill song Church all of whom have been found guilty of a host of irregularities including misleading gullible people with so called “magical cures” for incurable diseases. Now, if that’s not a “Wrong number” then pray what is?
The film pokes fun at Idol worship. It is well established in Hindu traditions that praying to the “Akaar” is literally the first stage of the journey to achieving oneness with God. The higher enlightened souls that have traversed the journey of self-discovery some more move to the “Niraakar” as they have achieved the ability to concentrate and introspect to an extent where they do not need a symbolic physical dimension of God to set their minds upon Him.
How may I ask is this different from the Muslims praying to the square black stone “Kaaba”. Is that not “Idol worship” too? If this is “Faith” then by the same logic worshiping a physical form of God with human features too is an act of faith. Visit any Church and you will find statues and pictures of Jesus, Mary, Joseph and a host of other new and old canonised saints that are consecrated at the main altar and candles and incense sticks lit for them in prayer and money offered in supplication.
PK particularly goes after Lord Shiva with hammer and tongs. Legend has it that beneath the black stone of the “Kaaba” lies a “Swyambhu” Shivling and it will be the day of “Qayamat” when the Shivling is exposed. It somehow seemed important to AK to bring down the myth of Shiva for what ulterior motive…is open to conjecture.
Take the scene where outside a university at exam time PK sets up an impromptu temple and in a matter of minutes doubles his “Investment”. Why didn’t you show the thousands of roadside “Mazaars” set up with just an investment of a rectangular stone and green cloth. If you are wondering where to find then a visit to Hyderabad, Secundrabad or any town in UP with a “bad” in it’s name will open your eyes, I am sure. “Yeh Khel darr ka hai” is what you say and rightly so, but it’s not just Hindus who are by your definition “afraid”, Muslims and Christians too are equally afraid.That Mr.Khan is yet another “Wrong Number”.
When Anushka Sharma goes to Boman Irani for permission to run the story on PK he refuses citing the Trishul that was impaled in his backside when he tried to a story on religion once before. Unlike popular belief glamorised by the “Jihadis” Violence is the resort of the weak minded. Why couldn’t you Mr. Khan have the guts to also include a dialogue condemning the bombs and violence which are perceived as common currency of the “religion of peace”? Why-oh-why didn’t you have the balls to mention the genocide and deceit by the Christian crusaders and missionaries. Or why didn’t you talk about the child abuse by the Bishops and Pastors that are falling like skeletons out of a cupboard? These are the “agents of God” as you say who used God’s name to abuse and exploit children and others for such a long time?
Last but not the least you have managed to prove what the Pakistani’s have been mouthing but have not backed up with action.“Pakistani par vishwas kiya ja sakta hai. Pakistani dhoka nahi deta ”. Nehru aur Gandhi ne Jinnah pe kiya tha, the result, Kashmir burns to this day. Vajpayee ne Nawaz Sharif pe kiya tha, natija….Kargil war.
After all this my dear PK “Hum confuzziya gaya hoon tum apna gola chood ke hamaar gola pe kahe aya”? “Hamaar salah mano toh apan remotuwa dabao aur laut jao apna khud ka gola par”. “Waise bhi hamaar gola ma pehle se bahut Pirablem hai, tum apan lul type ka phillum se uska aur mat badhao”.
Rajesh Krishnamurthy is a writer, columnist and film reviewer based in Auckland. His reviews are also available on his blog www.matineefilms.blogspot.co.nz
Source: WHN Media Network