== AM MOVIE: STILL ON THE SILVER SCREEN ==
Namaskar,
The relatively new, i.e. 1 year old, AM pracara movie is still on the
silver screen and here are some thoughts about the film.
As the opening scene unfolds in this isolated, forested enclave, there is a
fake sannyasi dressed in orange-- just like one of our AM avadhutas-- and
he is looking out onto a small scenic river, with his back towards the
camera.
After a few seconds, from the opposite direction advances a young,
glamorous woman wearing dark sunglasses who is sashaying her hips, and
stroking and caressing her long shiny black hair. She is clearly looking
around for something-- for someone.
In this lonely environment, the mood is distinctly one of Hollywood love.
With the music of intrigue & romance playing in the background, the camera
reverses back to the fake sannyasi who is still facing towards the river,
tossing something out into the current.
A split second later, the focus swings back to the seductive, young starlet
who neatly sidesteps her svelte & voluptuous body closer so she can get a
better view of the fake sannyasi.
Again the camera switches to the sannyasi who is still facing towards the
river and in a flash the view reverts back to our young heroine. This time
it is a close up of her entire self.
HOW THE FEMALE IS DEPICTED UP CLOSE
Her shirt is fashionably unbuttoned down to her chest, and she is wearing
revealing business attire that highlights her every curve. The smooth,
silken skin of her visage is very carefully made-up with eye mascara,
glossy lipstick, & blush-- to give her that certain type of sensual appeal.
Her mouth is slightly open and she has a forlorn look on her face. With her
long shiny hair blowing gently in the wind, sometimes coming across her
cheek, she gazes at the fake sannyasi. Unable to refrain herself any
longer, in a tone of lustful desperation, she calls out to him and says
'Excuse me'.
The well-built, fake avadhuta then wheels around in Hollywood movie style
and directly faces towards the young, glamorous female. The fake sannyasi
responds by saying 'Yes'. And simultaneously, a romantic type of music is
played in the background, as if some special new love story is about to
unfold.
THE CRUDE FACE OF THIS FAKE AVADHUTA
This instant in the film represents the first time that the fake sannyasi
is looking into the camera, only to show that he has not the face of a
sadhu, but rather the face of a drug dealer, pimp, or robber, a daku-- if
you will. This is arguably the worst and most negative aspect of the entire
film. Because the ideal of the avadhuta in AM culture is something truly
great. But here in this film, the fake sannyasi is totally crude looking.
And although in AM we have a range of avadhutas who have various qualities
& standards etc, I have never seen such a crude and unsentient looking
Avadhuta as the fake sannyasi in this movie. The vibration of his face is
just awful and not at all becoming of a sadhaka. That is why many say that
the fake sannyasi in the movie looks just like a butcher or daku, i.e. robber.
OPENING SCENE (CONTINUED)
Here is the continued description of the opening scene...
The moment this daku-faced sannyasi turns and faces the sensual starlet,
the voluptuous, young woman's face changes drastically. She clearly
recognises the strongly-framed, fake sannyasi. As if her clouded memory
has suddenly become clear. As if all the romance of her past has suddenly,
magically reappeared before her.
The daku-faced sannyasi also looks at her with hope and recognition as if
a flame from his lustful past has rekindled in his heart. And he says,
'Ah...' and hurries himself toward her enticing body.
In such a scene, I do not know what the common people will gain by seeing such things.
The young maiden is overcome with wonder and excitement and she removes her
dark sunglasses so she can get a better look at this daku-faced actor in
fake sannyasi dress standing before her. In lustful Hollywood & Bollywood
fashion, the voluptuous young female marvels & gazes at the fake sannyasi
from head to toe. The sensual and soft features of her movie-star face
betray her familiarity with his physique and form.
And it is in this way that their secret, romantic rendez-vous unfolds, all
alone in the forest by the river bank. It is a scene painted for the ages--
full of sensual overtones and suggestive body movements. And with yes--
romance.
That is how the new AM pracara movie-- "Kiirtan Mahima"-- begins.
QUITE AN INTRODUCTION
Needless to say, the seductive and almost erotic beginning is quite a shock
to all AM sadhakas who view the film. Because as we all know, the tantra of
AM is about channelising the mind to the Supreme, yet immediately this
entire opening scene plummets in the opposite direction. And by its
suggestive nature, the film clearly undermines the sanctified place that
our AM wholetimers have on this earth. An Avadhuta has come to live a life
of sacrifice: With an elevated mind he is to serve the crying humanity--
and not fall into the lustful net of cheap romance etc. Because our entire
sannyasis order is based on only the highest ideals, yet here in this film,
our AM avadhutas are being painted as nothing more than sexually-oriented
womanizers. That is the unfortunate vibration of this movie-- that is the
message that is not so subtly given.
In such a scene, I do not know what the common people will gain by seeing such things.
SEXUAL OVERTONES ARE NOT THE ONLY PROBLEM
I do not want to point out all the problems and ruin the film for
everyone-- all should see it with their own eyes to believe it. And while
you watch, there are a whole slew of dogmas that are unleashed throughout
this new AM film. Such as:
(a) Wrong way of doing Guru Sakash;
(b) Improper namaskar and incorrect explanation;
(c) Mispronunciation of Guru Puja;
(d) Wrong selection of song for Paincajanya which goes
against the sanctity of Ista;
(e) Misleading & dogmatic idea of how Baba's grace works;
(f) And there are so many other ideological errors.
So these are all things to watch for. Because really this film should be
set aside in the dustbin and all such errors should never repeated again as
they give a false and improper teaching of AM ideas and values. That is
what many are telling about the film.
Those non-margiis involved in making the film should be taught and those
margiis and wts involved in the film should take atonement. They should return $$ to AM.
They are enemies of the Marga. Tis is neg plan to destroy AM philosophy and way of life,
just like communists and Hindu Fundamentalists did in the past.
And tragically enough, this lengthy AM movie (47 min 45 sec) is aimed at
pracara, i.e. to be shown to the general public. So the common people will
get a totally mistaken view of Ananda Marga. All because of the poor and
improper way the movie was made-- from its sensual overtones to its
misinformation about AM adarsha.
MARGII FAMILY: WRONGLY DEPICTED
Here is yet another example how the film goes astray. One aspect of the
film focuses on a 'typical margii family'. Only this version is hardly
typical as it is wrought with pseudo-culture and Hollywood values.
For instance, in the so-called margii family the father is approximately 45
years of age. And there are three children: two sons and a daughter whose
age, more or less is around 18. Thus far it is reasonable.
However, the outrage is that the mother looks to be half the age of the
husband, around 22 yrs of age. Then how can there be prama, when the
mother is 22 and the children are 18.
To make the mother look alluring and attractive they casted a young
sensual female to play the role of mother. So the seductive mother is
actually only a couple years older than the children.
That is why all the whole prama of this so-called margii family is totally
lost-- gone. Because who can believe this is a real family when the
so-called mother has teenage children yet the mother herself appears to be
not much older than a teenager.
Hence, rather than depicting an endearing and wholesome margii family, the
film totally undermines our AM tradition by resorting to a Hollywood,
pseudo-culture approach that shows women for their sexual value only.
In AM females are respected as a mother but in the movie, that actress
is not a mother, just a just sex symbol.
To top it all off, in one notorious scene, throughout the time that this
so-called margii family is doing kiirtan, the camera is primarily focusing
on the mother's face and breasts.
So the whole thing is a complete embarrassment to AM values and directly
contravenes Baba's mandate of 'dignity of women'.
ALL SHOULD GIVE THEIR OPINION
While there are countless points and objectionable scenes in this film
which has been done in the name or RAWA, here I do not want to say more.
Instead others should come forward and express their viewpoint.
BABA'S WARNING ABOUT THE FILM INDUSTRY
At the same time we should recall and remind ourselves of Baba's stern
warnings about the movie industry. Because although the potential of
film-making is very great and can be an asset to the society, all too often
today's film plunge into the horrid depths of sexual innuendos and lustful
displays. That is Baba's stern warning.
Baba says, "Many people complain that a major part of modern literature is
full only of the whimperings of cheap erotic love. I cannot but agree with
their complaint. Such allegations can be brought not only in the sphere of
literature but in every sphere of art. After seeing Bombay-made films it
seems as though juvenile society has, indeed, no other job than busying
itself with so-called love - as though every college girl of any
respectable community is engaged in amorous escapades, throwing all decency
and decorum overboard. In fact, the mentality of those artists and
litterateurs who depict only this type of situation is nothing but
impotent." (PNS-10, 'Art and Literature')
So Baba harshly condemns those films which fall into the depths of
depravity by resorting to sexual overtones etc. Yet tragically, that is
exactly what the makers of this new AM film-- "Kiirtan Mahima"-- have done.
They have filled it with grossly sensual scenes.
Here again is another of Baba's warnings about the modern-day film industry.
Baba says, "Cunning exploiters, by encouraging animality, are able to bring
people under their sway. The cinema industry suffers from this malady. This
industry is controlled by a handful of business persons who make films
according to popular taste and demand. While ordinary people naturally run
after those films which in their ideas, language or visual images cater to
their base propensities, such ideas, language or images instantly distort
the ideals of the idealist beyond recognition. It is quite in character for
purely commercial film producers to exploit these human weaknesses to their
own advantage, and this is exactly what is happening." (HS-1, 'Education')
So Baba chastises and condemns those film producers who 'sell out' to lowly
imagery and depraved themes in order to capture the public and make a buck.
And the horrible part is that the new AM film, "Kiirtan Mahima", falls into
this same category. That is the irony of it all.
Because ultimately our AM aims to wipe out pseudoculture yet this same
black cloud of pseudo-culture is enveloping our own existence, as evidenced
by the release of this newly made AM film.
All I ask is, how can we tolerate this negative display as this film runs
amuck in the river of pseudo-culture and depravity.
BABA'S BLESSING
By Baba's grace we are to lead the humanity toward the divine Goal. So our
films should adhere to the devotional cult and be made by those whose minds
are ensconced in sadhana-- not pseudo-culture. By this way we will be able
to goad one and all unto the path of bliss. Baba Krpa Hi Kevalam-- Baba's
grace is all.
Baba says, "This search for beauty, this effort to attain perfection,
gave birth to dharma, because when human beings did not get happiness from
crude objects, they started moving towards the subtle one. Human beings
today are not satisfied to watch silent movies. They want to see
audiovisual films, because these are more subtle; they give more pleasure
to the mind."
"Therefore, it is the duty of every person to perform dharma sa'dhana'.
Human beings are marching along the path of aesthetic science. Parama
Purus'a is described as 'Truth, Consciousness and Beauty' (Satyam Shivam
Sundaram). Human beings are fascinated by His grandeur, His non-attachment,
and by His beauty too."
Sisterly yours,
Jayashrii
Note 1: WHY THE RN GANG MADE THE FILM
Seeing the movie it is clear the Rudrananda faction made this film for the
sole motive of making money. Just like B group did by making those
degenerated Prabhat Samgiita cassettes with Bollywood heroines on the
cover. All told that margiis are feeling sad and disgusted after purchasing
these things like the newly made AM film.
Note 2: BLIND PRAISE
In a recent email, one blind fellow is praising this movie. Actually in all
likelihood he never even saw the film but since he is just a puppet of the
Rudrananda regime-- or any regime that will give him his fake family
acaryaship-- he speaks glowingly about this crude and unfortunate AM film.
So he is praising it just to please his masters, nothing more. Such is the
predicament of Narada of Suva Sector.
Note 3: MORE ABOUT THE DAKU-FACED FAKE AVADHUTA
Really the most awful and detestable aspect of the film is the very
depraved and ugly face of the actor who was the fake avadhuta. It was
intolerable to look at him. It was like walking into some seedy part of the
city where drugs and prostitution run rampant. He looks just like one
robber or criminal roaming the streets. And on the top his whole beard and
mustache are just fake. Rather than looking like a real sadhu, he looks
like some type of terrorist-minded Muslim with the way his mustache is very
short and hardly covers his face. It looks like this lowly fellow dreams of
being a movie star or a true avadhuta, but his standard and approach drifts
drastically in the opposite direction. If he ever does sadhana in his life,
then he will quickly be embarrassed by what he has done. That will be the
best way for him to recitfy himself. When through sadhana, he himself
recognises his dirty ways and refuses for the film to be distributed. I do
not know who this so-called actor is, but hopefully such a day will soon
come, lest he fall deeper into the depths of depravity & egoism.
Note 4: INSULT TO INJURY
One last point about the sensual mother of the fake margii family in the
film. Believe it or not, in the film, she continually wears the dress of an
avadhutika as if an avadhutika is someone's wife. I think no more need be
said than that.
Note 5: THIS FILM IS BAD COMPANY
All in all, from top to bottom, according to Baba's viewpoint, this new AM
film-- "Kiirtan Mahima"-- is nothing but bad company.
Baba says, "In the modern world there is a wide variety of films which
excite the passions and have a degrading influence on boys and girls,
adolescents and young men and women. Such films create in cinema-goers the
desire to emulate in their individual lives the criminal activities, the
vulgar expressions of love, or the adventurous behaviour that they see
enacted on the screen. This is another example of how keeping bad company
causes depravity." (PNS-2, 'Justice')
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To Become Family Acarya
Baba says, "Only those persons who are sincere, spirited and endowed with
sharp intellect; and who understand and can make others understand the
philosophy will be considered eligible to become acaryas." (CC-1, '95 Edn,
p.12)
Note: In the current times, Baba's above golden guideline is being used
"for show only". Unfortunately, the reality is that family acaryas are made
on the basis of (a) approaching Centre with one's hands and arms raised
above one's head in surrender; and (b) going on filling Centre's pockets
one after another. If these two qualifications are fulfilled, that is
enough. No other qualification is necessary.
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