Of Truth & Religion

Long back venerable Sharanji had commented on this post

"Didn't quite get this. 'Hold great promise' as in : in terms of something to achieve - something specific that it has failed to do so far? or as in 'lot of things in yet to be discovered'?To me, i don't think a religion needs to prove anything to anyone - if it is a true religion."

I can answer it now.

Whether a religion is true is not the most appropriate line of inquiry. For the truth, if there is such a thing is not a matter of merely following doctrine, or ritual, far less a dogma.
The quest for truth is strictly personal one, a quest where one must be willing to contemplate, to reflect.This quest also demands perseverance to explore the uncharted, and to take dead ends in stride.

Most importantly it requires the willingness to confront the superstitions of others howsoever mighty they may be, and also to confront to one's own prejudices. Neither a scripture or a guru can bequeath the truth, at best they can guide, but the enlightenment can only be earned by own toil.
A religion which acknowledges that truth is realized is better than a religion which insists that truth is revealed, and the word is infallible. This condition is individual.

There is a further aspect to consider. The progress of life requires labour, physical as well as intellectual. Therefore the quest for truth that is concealed must be reconciled with fulfillment of necessities which are manifest.Spiritual must meet material. Also it acts in itself as a presence which transcends the group, attaches a significance to the social activities which is more than the sum of economic transactions. This is a condition which affects the collective.

A religion which is able to reconcile these elements is a positive force. It is my belief that Hinduism does that and hence holds promise for the future and progress of mankind.

Ramu

What have you done, you foul creature !

Melodrama aside, it is hard to fathom what Ramu wished to accomplish by this blasphemy.
His audacity has left me, a recent convert to charm of Western genre, unspeakably aggrieved.
Like all good westerns, the main reason behind Sholay's timeless appeal is spectacular landscape, which just like period dramas, take a life of its own. The desolate and barren expanse is one of the most versatile medium for cinematic expression. Emotions like grit, honour, courage, even (especially) villainy can be raw and subtle in the same real estate.

Which was why it was a surprise when he announced that the remake would have Mumbai underworld as theme. It was a surprise, because even accounting for the fact that he is one of the best directors in Hindi film industry as far as Noir genre is concerned, it was almost impossible to consider the possibility of assembling and projecting the disparate substructures as a coherent narrative in the framework of Noir. My best guess was that the remake would be drastically altered to suit the mood that the particular genre demanded. To me that was a setback.

Considering how the things turned out, that hypothetical Noir adaptation would have been a masterpiece. For instead of sticking to what he does best, Ramu managed to create a confused, discordant, and to put it simply headache inducing fare.
The opening introduction is trademark Ramu, but from there it is a long winding road to nowhere. Finding that he had taken more than he can chew, Ramu forces action, drama, slapstick into the movie without any semblance to coherence or movement. Result is a disconnected and jarring experience.

His misdirection is more than matched by miscasting. For Heeru (Veeru of original) he has the one of most over rated actor of the current bunch (right after Aamir Khan). For Raj/Jai it is someone he caught from hinterland of Punjab. Sushmita Sen is dignified but wasted, as is Mohanlal, a fine actor. Nisha Kothari is of course the lady who makes Antara Mali look competent by comparison. The most bitter disappointment has been Amitabh Bachchan himself, let down by lukewarm dialogues as well as hamming (not as much as Black though, which is a relief), this is what happens one when sells his soul to Mammon.

In conclusion, one can just weep over the desecration of our most sacred icons.

PS. If for some reason you have not been introduced to Westerns, this is the right time. Start with Man with No Name trilogy and then perhaps Once Upon a Time in The West.

Update: Ban remakes? Yes please. Do it fast. In fact make it a capital offence.

Intervention

Pratap Bhanu Meha on the topic well trodden by this blog*,

The focus on the state and economy is crucial. But they seldom on their own determine what the security or character of life and self is going to be like in any society. Despite the explosion of aspirations, and feverish activity, will we escape the charge that Muktibodh levelled against urbanising India decades ago: that it was a font of meaninglessness, disguised by divertissements [sic]? It would be premature to engage in pessimism. But the striking absence of self-reflection on emerging pathologies in society should worry us. Broken states can be fixed through collective action, economies can be energised through policy, but sick societies are harder to cure. [Indian Express]

I have a different perspective (than the article) on the churning that India is witnessing, or to be precise the churning at the moment, because since Independence India has always been churning, that it is not always too visible to commentators is a different matter altogether (one which deserves attention on its own merit). My rather woeful perspective will have to wait for another post but it is influenced by India:A million mutinies now.

* Yes this is self-plugging. Yes I have no shame, or self-esteem.

IOTD

Irony of the day (via). And this had to happen when I have just bought his complete works, at not an inconsiderable expenses, I should add.

QOTD

"Never go to a public lavatory in London," warned Professor Jackson. "I always pee in the street. You may be fined a few pounds for committing a nuisance, but in a public lavatory you risk two years in prison because a policeman in plain clothes says you smiled at him."

[Mark Steyn]

Aphorism: Truth

All great truths begin as blasphemies. [*]

George Bernard Shaw (1919)

And end up as cliches

DoubtingGaurav (2007)

Evil Asimov

believed in central planning.