Goodness
The whole crew went in to see `Lage raho Munnabhai' at the theatre y'day.
And ..what can I say?
That I am so glad that we took the kids along? That it was such a clean and well-made entertainer?
But without doubt, Gandhigiri was its USP. And very well done too. Without shoving it down our throats. I won't say more in case any of you haven't seen the movie.
But I have to say, if you haven't, you really and truly should.
I, for one, came away feeling humbled, proud, guilty and hopeful.
Humbled by the priciples the movie advocates.
Proud that I am Indian and have this wonderful heritage to pass on.
Guilty that maybe I had forgottten some of it and hadn't done enough to pass it on to the next generation
And hopeful that if someone instilled all the Gandhian values in a movie and that such a movie is a hit in India, then mera Bharat is indeed mahan. That there is still lots of hope for the the country and it is not going downhill as many I know (cynically) claim.
Forget the crap and just grab the goodness.
Maybe I am being simplistic. But hey, it feels good. So I don't care.
12 comments:
Hi L,
Not seen the movie yet, but your review is igniting a desire to see it though. And yes, its a great hit in India and it is so heartening to see that vibrant NRIs like you believe that India still has a bright future. Thats enough to make 'MERA BHARAT MAHAAN". Have a great week.
I totally agree!I saw it yesterday and LOVED it!I clapped so many times! :) I think this is the first movie I enjoyed thoroughly after Iqbal.
Yes, it was a terrific movie.. after a long time it was a movie I liked all in all. We watched it this weekend at a local theatre.. I have never seen such a crowded theater for any Hindi movie in the US.. but after watching the movie I know why.
The humor was great.. funny and entertaining. The Gandhi message was strong and thought provoking. Same with the stuff about condemning our superstitiousness - a point simply and well-put.
The movie has got rave reviews everywhere and is declared tax-free in India. Woohoo!
I've been thinking about it for sometime now, and munnabhai just gave me reason to think some more.. will ahimsa (non-violence) really work? I mean, no denying in the nobleness of the concept and Gandhiji's ideals.. but in a world where folks go to war for no reason (and still get away).. will such ideals give our country what it needs today? We are already way too passive when it comes to dealing with terror attacks..non-violence banks on the concept that the person opposite will eventually feel ashamed and change.. but have people become so thick-skinned and shameless today for this idea to work? What do you think? Even though I'm a peace lover (like most of us:)).. there are many questions that I havent been able to find answers to..this is one of them.
-Vid
Very patriotic flair to your review, a good one.. will see the movie when I get the chance. I got a chance to see the rest of your blogs as well, so what course are you doing??
cheers
Asha
Hari,
Yes, very different conceptualisation. I really enjoyed it.
Akka; Glad to see someone who agrees. I saw only bits of Iqbal, but must say, Hindi movies have some really different themes now.
Asha: Yup, I guess I did get a bit carried away, but really, was v.impressed with movie and glad I took the kids along too.
Course : writing for the web, its killing me and I've lost the ability to study any more (too old), but don't want to quit - not just yet, anyways.
Vid: Well, to be honest, the same thought struck me too.
In this day and age, everyone does tend to question the relevance of ahimsa and I am no exception. But on the other hand, I think, well, himsa isn't working either. You only just have to look at the mess the world is in now to know that.
You say we are passive, but are we entirely passive - we do respond to violence with more violence, and I have seen no evidence to say that this has stopped futher violence.
Simply for the fact that in the current scenario violence has failed, and we have no evidence about the effectiveness of non-violence (which if I am not mistaken, has not been used) I think we need to keep an open mind about it. After all, decades ago, ahimsa did dislodge the most powerful empire in the world.
Stranger things have happened and may happen again. I don't know. But I do hope for the best. So, in such a scenario, I personally prefer to keep an open mind. And it is my opinion, which most people may or may not agree with. Does that answer your question? Do you agree. Let me know. Go well.
Damn.. :( I got no way to lay my hands on Lage Raho in Malta.. And this word Gandhigiri.. My ignorance of it is making me to believe it to be a softer version of Dadagiri.
Me: Well, it so happens you are right about GAndhigiri. Good luck with your search for the movie.
You mean you don't know about it? hey not fair.. you watched the movie.. shed some light on it :p
Me: No, I do know waht it is, but I just didn't want to spoil the surprise for you, in case u see the movie....
Am waiting for your next post!
Akka: Shouldn't be too long.
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