Hinduism, the Religion as portrayed in Bollywood Cinema - Essay Example

? HINDUISM, the religion, AS PORTRAYED IN BOLLYWOOD CINEMA – critical essay In the book, “Filming the Gods: Religion and Indian Cinema”, Rachel Dwyerhas dealt with a specific aspect of Indian films. The author has attempted to describe how Indian cinema has portrayed the Hindu religion on the big screen. India produces the largest number of feature films every year among all the countries of the world. The author has classified these feature films into four main categories: mythological films, devotional films, Islamic films and the films propagating religious and secular ideals. She has then discussed the characteristic features of each of these categories of cinema under different chapters of the book. According to Dwyer, the Hindu religion in India has always had a strong relationship with the various forms of the artistic expressions. Much before the medium of films came into existence, the traditional forms of the Indian media such as “drama, poetry, music, dance, painting etc.” have been found to be replete with depiction of Hindu religious practices. This proves that, right from the ancient times, Indian religion has had a significant influence on the different forms of the country’s art. The medium of cinema was no exception to this rule, and the all-encompassing impact of India’s religious culture paved the way for the regular portrayal of the religious practices on the large screen. That is why, Dwyer has considered it important to study the mutual relationship between the Indian religion and the medium of films. In her work she has evaluated the methods in which the medium of cinema has influenced the religious practices in India. She has also tried to determine whether Indian films have portrayed the religious rituals in their true form or have modified them while exhibiting these practices to a larger audience. (Dwyer, 2) Dwyer’s book makes significant contributions in other spheres as well. The author has studied the importance of Indian cinema in constructing various national identities related to films. Dwyer has outlined how the cinematic medium has helped to form India’s political identity, its nationalistic zeal, the religious identity and also facilitated the creation of the different religious communities. In his book, the author has further argued that Indian films have not restricted themselves by depicting only the religious rituals, the religious communities and their philosophies. Instead, Indian cinema portrays an Indian society whose customs and practices are grounded in the basic religious ideals of the country. This modern Indian society transcends the political boundaries and religious divides to register its presence amidst the larger global audience (Dwyer, 2). In 2008, Dwight Friesen (University of Edinburgh) had published a review of Rachel Dwyer’s book in The Expository Times. Friesen has identified Dwyer’s book as an unprecedented effort mainly directed towards evaluating the significance of Indian religion in their cinema. The first chapter of the book traces the origins and development of mythological films in India, while the second chapter describes the same aspects of the feature films belonging to the devotional genre. In the third chapter, the author has described how Indian films have depicted the Islamic religion, culture and their ways of life in the relevant “Islamicate films”. The fourth chapter has enumerated how Hinduism has significantly influenced the framework and the basic themes of the Indian social cinema. (Friesen, 206) Friesen declares that Dwyer’s book bears testimony to her investigations and research about the subject matter of her work. Friesen has appreciated Dwyer’s knowledge about the evolution of the Indian motion picture industry which is reflected abundantly in the book. As such, Friesen points out that the book has minimal flaws. However, the reviewer rightly identifies that Dwyer has concentrated more on the depiction of religion in Hindi films ( produced in the Bombay film industry) rather than the entire gamut of Indian films (including films in regional languages like Punjabi, Gujrati, Bengali, Marathi, Tamil, Telegu etc.) as the title of the book suggests. Till recently, authors had primarily evaluated the influence of the Christianity and its ideals on the cinematic medium of the Western world. Friesen declares that, Dwyer’s book is a commendable effort to investigate the impact of religious practices on feature films in the context of the Hindu religion (Friesen, 206). Eric Mazur in his book “Encyclopedia of Religion and Film” has dealt with religious films from all over the world. The author has considered the main film-producing countries of the world, and has evaluated the films reflecting the religious cultures and traditions of these countries. The book has a separate section where the author has exclusively described the religious and mythological trends in the films produced by the Bombay film industry (Bollywood) in India. The author has provided a comprehensive account of the religious and philosophical influences as discerned in the cinema of Bollywood. The author has started the chapter by enumerating the significance of the Bollywood film industry in the context of Indian cinema. Mazur has then embarked on tracing the origins and evolution of the religious and mythological Bollywood films. He states, that the journey of the Hindi feature film industry began in 1913, with the release of the silent film “Raja Harischandra” which was made by Dundiraj Govind Phalke, a noted Indian film personality. Incidentally, this happened to be a mythological film based on the Indian epics which depicted the trials and tribulations that the ideal king Harischandra was made to go through as a test, by the Hindu Gods (Mazur, 75-76). The author has then proceeded to narrate the development of the Bombay film industry through the succeeding decades and describes how the Indian mythological themes kept reappearing in films released in the 1920s and 1930s. After India achieved independence from the British rule in 1947, the country was focused on creating its own identity in the world scenario. Simultaneously, the Bollywood film industry came to be dominated by a new kind of cinema which reflected the social backdrop of those times. Indian society was undergoing a change and these films questioned the traditional Indian morals and values in the context of the turbulent social scenario. Author Mazur has used his imaginative powers and has compared the themes of conflict of these social films to the dramatic situations of the Indian mythological epics. In the midst of his account, the author has also explained the common Hindu religious terms for the convenience of his readers. In the later sections of the chapter, the author has stated that with the progress of the Hindi film industry through the decades of the 20th century, the depiction of the Hindu religious practices also changed on the large screen. In 1975, Vijay Sharma directed the film “Jai Santoshi Maa” which represents a landmark in the history of religious films in Bollywood. From the decade of the 1970s, the Hindi film industry began producing a majority of action films while religious and mythological themes became a rarity in Bollywood cinema. From the middle of the 1990’s decade, Bollywood was invaded by a fresh wave of cinema directed by a group of talented young directors. The film’s protagonists were portrayed as educated and progressive, yet they had respect for the traditional Indian morals and practices. Author Mazur has also considered some of these modern cinemas and has examined how these films have depicted the Hindu religious customs in a new light while retaining their fundamental values. On the whole, Mazur’s work provides an informative account of the portrayal of the Hindu religion in the cinema produced by the Bollywood film industry (Mazur, 75-80). In 2011, Jackie Parascandola published a review of Eric Mazur’s book “Encyclopedia of Religion and Film”. Mazur’s work has evaluated the different religious philosophies depicted in a variety of feature films made by the major film-producing nations of the world. The book has dedicated separate chapters for analyzing these varied religious cultures as portrayed in the cinematic medium. Reviewer Parascandola appreciates the fact that editor Mazur has taken the pains to compile the writings of eminent scholars who are well versed in religious studies, films and the cultural research pertaining to different countries of the world. Though Mazur’s book mainly focuses on the portrayal of Judaism, Islamism and the Catholic branch of Christianity in different feature films, it has also described the depiction of other religious ideals through the medium of cinema. Parascandola observes that editor Mazur has primarily evaluated the films made in the English language. However, Mazur has also dedicated some sections of his work to describe the influence of religion in non-English speaking films originating from Africa, China, Latin America and the Indian subcontinent. In the recent years, cultural specialists have shown an interest in examining the influence of the different religions on the huge variety of art forms of the world. Mazur’s compilation constitutes a comprehensive account on the relevant subject (Parascandola,118). Depiction of Mythological Epics in Hindi Cinema The Hindu mythological stories narrated in the Indian epics and other historical literature has had a far-reaching influence on the different spheres of life in the country. The basic structure of Indian social life is founded on the framework of the nation’s early society as depicted in the historical literary works (epics, puranas, etc). The different forms of art have been invented by the human race to reflect the characteristics of their own society. This has been done for the purpose of entertainment and also to identify the existing flaws in the social structure so that they may be rectified accordingly. Just like literature, music, theatre, the medium of cinema is also considered to be a reflection of the society in which it is created. As the Indian social structure is so firmly grounded in the religious and mythological traditions of the country, this is automatically reflected in the indigenous cinema. Therefore, Indian mythological tales and the Hindu religious stories have regularly been depicted on the large screen by the Indian cinematic medium. The birth of Hindi feature films can be credited to the efforts of a man named Dhundiraj Goving Phalke (1870-1944), who later became a well-known personality in the sphere of Indian cinema, Before his time, the country had witnessed the screening of the first proper film in 1896. This movie show along with few other subsequent screenings had gained some popularity among the general people. However, it was not until the efforts of D.G Phalke, that Hindi feature films gained recognition as a separate and individualistic art form. During the interim period, between 1896 and 1913, the Indian citizens who were interested in cinema, collaborated with the non-Indians to gain knowledge about the craft of making films. Phalke himself undertook training in the other forms of visual arts except the cinematic medium. Majority of the Indian citizens, belonging to that period had been exposed to different forms of art during their formative training years. These artistic forms included “theatre, music, painting, photography, literature, dancing, storytelling and so on.” Naturally, when these people well versed in the various art forms started working in the Hindi film industry during the later years, their creative efforts reflected the various artistic expressions of Indian culture. This is the reason why Indian feature films have repeatedly showcased the different art forms of the country (Mazur, p.75; Dwyer, 12). During the years 1912-1913, D.G Phalke directed his efforts in creating a silent feature film called “Raja Harischandra”. The film was released in 1913 and came to be known as the first full-length feature film of India. The central theme of the film consisted of a mythological story contained in the two great Indian epics “Ramayana” and “Mahabharata”. It narrated the experiences of the truthful king Harischandra who was tested by the Hindu Gods and was required to pass through a series of trials and tribulations. The story of the film makes for interesting reading. The film opens by introducing king Harischandra, his wife, Queen Taramati, and their son who is the future prince of the kingdom. The king is shown to be teaching the art of archery to his son and together they embark on a hunting journey of this purpose. In the forest, Harischandra accidentally enters the area controlled by the famous sage Vishwamitra. The king discovers that Vishwamitra, by exercising his own powers has been successful in confining the three powers of the world (Trishakti) under his sole authority. The three powers appear before the king as three fairies and plead for their liberation. The king yields to their request and frees the fairies from the confinement of the sage. This action enrages sage Vishwamitra as he thinks it audacious of part of the king to overrule the action of the sage. Raja Harischandra then proceeds to pacify the sage by offering his own kingdom to Vishwamitra to rule over it. In return, Harischandra volunteers to lead a life of penance remaining in exile along with his wife and their son. During the period of exile, tragedy strikes the family of the Harischandra as his son dies. In a worse turn of events, Queen Taramati is accused of murdering the prince. Finally, it is left to Lord Shiva to salvage the situation. The Lord appears and restores the family of Raja Harischandra on the throne. In addition, the Hindu Gods assured the king and his family that this entire series of events had been formulated to test the character of Harischandra, which he has overcome diligently. D.G Phalke was very meticulous in monitoring all aspects of the film, even during that time. (Dwyer, 23). “Raja Harischandra” made by D.G Phalke is a typical example of an Indian mythological film. Films having mythological themes are usually supported by a strong narrative. Actually, Indian mythology is compiled in a variety of different stories and their depiction through the cinematic medium naturally required films with a sound storyline. The Indian “Puranas” (old texts) along with the two great Indian epics: the “Ramayana” and the “Mahabharata” serve as the storehouse of the majority of the mythological tales. The “Puranas” usually narrate the incidents associated with the life of Indian Gods and Goddesses such as the “Bhagavata Purana” describes the stories in the life of Lord Sri Krishna. Therefore, Hindi films based on the mythological tales in the “Puranas” have been found to portray the stories of the various Hindu deities, who are usually worshipped in the Hindu religion. However, research has revealed that the mythological stories contained in the two Indian epics have served as a more popular theme for the Indian films and thus have been depicted more often on the large screen. If we consider the impact of these old literary texts on Indian society, this seems to be a natural result. The “Puranas” are actually the ancient religious texts which have come down through several centuries and only people involved in serious religious practices usually refer to them for their knowledge. Therefore, these literary works have a limited impact on the Indian social structure and are sparingly depicted through the Indian feature films. On the other hand, the two epics: “Ramayana” written by sage Valmiki and the “Mahabharata” compiled by sage Ved Vyas are not strictly religious texts. Ramayana narrates the story of Lord Sri Ram, his wife Sita Devi and his three brothers: Lakshman, Bharat, and Shatrughan through various incidents in their lives, while Mahabharata is mainly an account of the activities and achievements of two family clans: the Pandavas and the Kauravas. Both the epics recount the political, social, economic and religious aspects of the life of its main characters and are replete with stories from their lives. Right from the olden days, the Indian people have been able to relate themselves and their lives with the incidents described in the epics. Thus, both these literary texts have had a significant influence on the Indian society and continue to be read and revered even till this day. As a natural consequence, Indian feature films have also been eager to portray these mythological tales from the Indian epics on the large screen. In fact, the stories contained in these epics have been expressed in the other forms of Indian art also. They have been enacted in theatre, sung as songs by the wandering bards, portrayed in children’s comic books, made into television serials or simply narrated as tales in the Indian households (Dwyer, 16). The depiction of mythological incidents in Indian feature films after “Raja Harischandra” (1913) can be elaborated further. In fact, after his first film, D.G Phalke produced an array of silent films portraying Hindu mythology on the Indian screen. In 1914, he made “Satyavan Savitri” based on a story narrated in the Mahabharata. The film revolves around a newly married couple: Satyvan and Savitri who form a perfect example of an ideal couple, except for one impediment. The man: Satyavan bears a curse of dying within one year of his marriage. When this actually happens, the pious wife Savitri tries her best to reclaim the life of her husband from Yama, the God of Death. The film portrays the efforts of the diligent wife in rescuing her partner from the point of no return. In the Mahabharata, when the Pandavas were spending their years of exile in the forest, Yudhisthir, the eldest Pandav had asked Markandeya whether there existed any woman who could equal his wife Draupadi in devotion. Then, Markandeya had narrated the example of Savitri to Yudhisthir through the story of Satyavan-Savitri. (Mazur, 75) In 1919, D.G Phalke directed a film called “Kaliya Mardan” which was based on an incident in the life of Lord Sri Krishna. Lord Krishna is one of the most popular Gods of the Hindu religion who is worshipped all over India. His childhood years were spent in a place called “Vrindavan” on the banks of the river Yamuna in the Uttar Pradesh State of India. Right from the time when he was a young boy, He was popular among the village folks who used to come and report their problems to him in hope of a solution. Lord Krishna, then used his supernatural powers to help the local inhabitants of Vrindavan. Once, the villagers discovered that a poisonous sepent called “Kaliya” had come and taken shelter in the rivers of the Yamuna and was contaminating its waters with his poisonous venoms. This proved to be hazardous for the villagers who used the river water for drinking and various other purposes. Once a young lad from the village accidentally drank the river water and immediately fell ill seriously. The incident was at once reported to Krishna, who was still a young boy. Wasting no time, He jumped into the water to save the life of his friend and banish Kaliya once and for all. Krishna searched out the serpant from the deep waters of the Yamuna and engaged in a terrible battle with the monster. Finally, the Lord was able to subjugate the serpant and Kaliya finally submitted to Krishna. The Lord was seen dancing on the numerous hoods of the serpant to mark his victory over his enemy. Finally, Lord Krishna commanded Kaliya, with his family to leave the waters of the Yamuna and take shelter elsewhere. Thus, the film “Kaliya Mardan” describes how the young Lord Krishna had rescued the villagers of Vrindavan from the threat of the poisonous snake (Mazur, 75). Conclusion Similar to other forms of art like literature, music, theatre, etc., cinema is also considered to be a reflection of the society where it is created. From the olden days, Indian society has been grounded in ancient religious traditions of India’s culture. The influence of the Hindu religious customs and practices can be discerned in the Hindi feature films which are a mirror of the existing social structure. The books “Filming the Gods: Religion and Indian Cinema” by Rachel Dwyer and “Encyclopedia of Religion and Film” by Eric Mazur provide a comprehensive account of the depiction of the Hindu religious practices in Hindi films. Majority of the films belonging to this genre have portrayed religious and mythological incidents from the ancient sIndian literature. While the portrayal of religious themes is restricted, the mythological stories have recurrently formed the central subject of many such films. This, undoubtedly points to the significant influence of the Indian mythological tradition on the country’s social life and its expressions of the various art forms. References 1. Dwyer, Rachel. Filming the Gods: Religion and Indian Cinema, London, Routledge, 2006 2. Friesen, Dwight. “Religion in Bollywood”, The Expository Times, (2008), 119.4, p.206 3. Mazur, Eric. Encyclopedia of Religion and Film, USA, ABC-CLIO, LLC, 2011 4. Parascandola, Jackie. Arts and Humanities, Library Journal, (2011), 136.10, p.118 Short Story The Guptas were a small Indian family residing in Mumbai city, in the State of Maharashtra in India. Rajesh and Sarika Gupta were a happy middle-aged couple who worked hard for their family. Rajesh, aged 38 years was employed as a manager in a private corporate firm, while Sarika worked as a school teacher in one of the neighborhood schools. The couple had two sons: Arun, aged 7 years and Aditya who was a mere 3 years old. The family lived with Rajesh’s parents in a rented flat in the Andheri locality of Mumbai. The two young boys had just embarked on their school life. Arun studied in the second standard while Aditya attended a playschool in the vicinity. Their parents Rajesh and Sarika were dynamic individuals who had worked hard to attain a respectable position in the society. However, in comparison the sons seemed to be too innocent and timid. They did not appear to be children of the modern generation who were supposed to be smart and enthusiastic in all spheres of life. In fact, their parents were quite concerned about the shy behavior of the two boys. The present world required its inhabitants to be strong and responsible to endure the trials of the modern society. The couple encouraged their sons to socialize with the other children in their apartment and participate in different games hoping that would help the boys to gain confidence and improve their social interactions. Arun and Aditya did all of these activities, however, the result was not as their parents would have liked to see. They boys remained hesitant and withdrawn in their everyday behavior. However, Indians firmly believe that the Allmighty grants the wishes of those who request earnestly of Him. Similarly, Rajesh and Sarika’s prayers were finally answered one day. On Arun’s eighth birthday, one of Sarika’s colleagues in school gifted him with a DVD (Digital Video Disc) of the Indian animation film “Hanuman”. Hanuman was actually a Hindu religious God who himself was an earnest devotee of Lord Shri Ram. In the Indian epic “Ramayana” Hanuman plays a significant role in helping Lord Ram to reclaim his wife Sita Devi from the clutches of the Rakshas (demon) king Ravan, by defeating the latter in a fierce battle. The animated film depicted the incidents in the life of Hanuman starting from the time of his birth. He was born to the couple Kesari and Anjana and was endowed with the special blessings of the Hindu Wind God: Vayu Dev. In addition, the other Hindu Gods also blessed the baby and gifted him with an immortal life. As a result, Hanuman was very strong, extremely intelligent and was gifted with supernatural powers which became evident from his childhood days. In fact, Hanuman was very naughty as a child and the film portrayed a number of instances of his mischief. He became a menace to the hermits residing in the neighboring forest as he used to regularly upset their regular schedules of prayer. Hanuman grew into a strong and powerful being. In the course of his life, he met Lord Sri Ram and his brother Lakshman in the forest. Hanuman became as ardent follower of Lord Ram and promised to help him to reclaim his wife Sita Devi from the demon king Ravan who had kidnapped her. Hanuman flew over the Indian Ocean, reached Ravan’s territory and set fire to his capital city of Lanka. He managed to meet Sita, when she was still in confinement and assured her that she would be rescued by her husband. Finally, Hanuman helped Lord Ram and Lakshman to defeat Ravan in a fierce battle and rescued Sita Devi from Lanka. He accompanied the trio back to their kingdom of Ayodhya and served Lord Ram and his wife Sita for many years. The film had an engaging storyline and was adorned with world-class animation effects which immediately caught the attention of Arun and Aditya. They developed a special liking for baby Hanuman and started imitating his mischevious acts in real life. Once, as a child when Hanuman was hungry he mistook the Sun for a huge fruit and leapt up in the sky to get hold of it. This was a favorite sequence of both the young boys and they put all their efforts in jumping up and reaching the sun whenever they were out in the open space. Hanuman was also shown to possess the ability of expanding and contracting his body as per his wish. He could grow into an enormous size as well as shrink to form the tiniest creature as the situation demanded. Arun and Aditya imagined that they were also endowed with this special power. Sometimes the boys used to lord around the house trying to take giant steps behaving as if they were some huge beings while at other times they used to behave timidly like tiny creatures. Their parents were not able to fathom their strange behavior till they themselves watched the film. Such was the effect of the movie that it brought about a change in the nature of the two brothers. Considering Hanuman as their role model, they overcame their shyness and made an effort to mix more openly with their companions. Now, they did not seem to be afraid of anything. They imagined themselves as strong human beings and started facing life with renewed vigor. Though, their parents used to get disturbed by their mischevious acts, overall they were relieved that their sons were finally able to overcome their shyness. A simple film achieved what years of effort by the parents had not been able to accomplish. Read More