Hindus attack Cinema

jay_m_222

Hardline Hindus hurled stones and damaged cinema halls in India Monday to stop the screening of a Bollywood film about a relationship between two women, saying it violated Indian culture.
Nearly 100 activists of the student's wing of the Shiv Sena group smashed window panes, ripped up posters and burned effigies at a hall screening the Hindi film "Girlfriend" in Bombay, capital of India's prolific movie industry, witnesses said.

The film show was stopped after the attack on the hall.

Full Article (external link)

concoran

I think they are just a bunch of Idiots who know nothing better.
As far as I know, they understand neighter Indian culture nor western culture.
I may or may not agree with the contents of the movie, but totally disagree with their actions.
Unfortunately, a lot of western press picks up such stories which end up giving a very bad impression of an otherwise peaceful country.

SHIMLA

Yet another example of misguided youth of the country going berserk !

__________________
Whoever said money can't buy happiness didn't know where to shop !

albaruni

This has become too predictable. the hardline hindus and bollywood should get married...or get a room or something.

AllanM

Why would anyone expect anything different. The Shiv Sena proved that they could make a few people into a raging mob a several years ago. Seems like the squeaky wheel is getting the grease again! Most wheels were rolling along with better things to worry about.

__________________
Me fail English? That's unpossible!--Ralph Wiggum

beach

Shiv Sena and the other extreme rightwing groups think that they are the moral police of the country. The reason is that they do not know what exactly is their job. And they don’t know what they are doing. They did the same thing during the Valentines Day. But people didn’t care.

It is wrong to say ‘Hindus’ doing this in the general sense.

I’m not sure about the content and cast of this movie, though the song videos shown on TV don’t looks offensive.

ashish0608

yes Albaruni IMO it has infact become so predictable that some directors who make such films very well knowing what the reaction would be and want to just capitalise on it, a good way of free publicity...the film in such cases really do not have any good substance.

Deepa Mehta's movies cannot be put in this category, she makes films which has a message.

Manisha Koirala's "Ek choti see love story" was another movie in the above category with no real substance.

beach

Yes I agree...

All the audience weptat the end of this movie…, that is just when they realised that they’ve lost the money.

bijapuri

didn't something similar happen with Deepa Mehta's "Fire?"

__________________
lookit me!!!: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bijapuri/

Utube fuzzy logic:
http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bijapuri&p =r

bijapuri

the protagonists/lovers in "Fire" . . .

Attached Thumbnails

 

IVAN

Hmmm... The one on the right is cute...

Seriously, what would be the reaction if the movie featured two men?

My interest is purely academic of course, and incited by the fact that with a culture where Hijras seem to exist in the frame of the traditional society (?) one would expect that homosexualism would not offend so much. But there could be an asymmetry in acceptance between the male and female variants?

Anyway, what are the predominating traditional and religious views on the subject?
In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the case is clear, there are explicit Biblical references which condemn homosexualism. Is there such thing in the frame of Hinduism or is the condemnation, if there is any, not based on explicit texts, but on more implicit traditional views?

__________________
** Humor is Freedom **
Ivan's Links -> http://www14.brinkster.com/jnana/links.htm

Bryan

Beware anyone who uses violence to take the moral high ground
beware anyone who takes the moral high ground
Beware anyone who tells you they are right and you are wrong

For a country that gave us the Kama Sutra and a free liberal temprament not so long ago it's quite sad
Simialr to the islamic extremists who have taken a philosophy of love and turned it into a philosophy of hate

Fundamentalism in any guise, wrapped in any cloak is an abohorration of the huiman spirit

Bryan

__________________
Then let us pray that come it may
(As come it will for a' that),
That Sense and Worth o'er a' the earth,
Shall bear the gree an a' that.
For a' that, an a' that,
It's coming yet for a' that,
That man to man, the world, o'er
Shall brithers be for a' that.
- Burns

IVAN

So, anybody has any insight into the real traditional views on these matters in Indian society?

AvidTrekker

Traditional views are conservative. No true traditionalist would resort to violence to ensure his viewpoint. Chaarvaak was a Bramhin who preached atheism from the steps of the temple. He was allowed to during his time, maybe 400 BCE. His "viewpoint" is officially taught in traditional Indian Vedic Schools even today.

The answer of putting up (or not) obscene posters should be regulated by the Govt. This, unfortunately; is like asking for the moon. The moon may be possible. In the absence of Govt implementation (of existing reglns), self appointed governers take over. Even then, Mumbai is far better than Laloo's Bihaar. Its a fool's consolation, but its there. This argument will matter only in the metro cities (& big towns with Western influences) cuz such movies never run in the mofussil towns. (not on moral grounds, but cuz it wont fetch adequate returns on investment)

The correct option would be to tell your children what's bad or good for them in the long run. For this the parents would have to change themselves first. (if your still smoking, what will your advise to stop smoking count for?). The parents are busy messing up their lives and the children are busy aping the West. They end up like the dhobi kaa kuttaa, na ghar kaa na ghaat kaa. (the dhobi's dog; neither here nor there) They hate Indian Culture but are not truly Western. (an avg middle class girl will NOT have sex without marriage) So who will discipline whom? The police probly enjoy these things more on the sly! Who will police the Police ?

Go inside. Introspect. Think. What is good for you in the long run ? (not Western or Indian ... your own answers) No one has time to think. I am too busy watching MTV !!

__________________
The Universe is an ellipsoid?... or a Spheroid?? If the sphere smiles... it becomes an ellipse. This IS Creation.

ashish0608

IVAN,

IMO the reaction would have been the same, good or bad, Indian society does not accept homo-sexuality. But this does not permitt anyone to use violence.

As Bryan points out no-one should have right to set-up a Moral Police or even the right to define 'Moral' or say that what he says is right and others are wrong.

But I would continue to not-like the Directors who would chose 'a touchy subject' only to generate a reaction and publicity with no real research done on the subject. Not that I am in favor of what the crowed did.

The best way to dis-like a movie is not to spend your hard earned money on it . and to discourage your friends from doing the same..and thats what I am doing by this post.

Ashish