Catch 'em young!

Adipurush (Primordial Human, 2023)

Director: Om Raut

Growing up immersed in many devotional movies, I concluded they were all too uninspiring. I remember Dasavaratham (1976) was a bore with song after song. Then some stories were unbelievable, like Aathi Parasakthi  (1971), where a new moon day becomes full with the Goddess' divine intervention. I was not impressed. I was seeking a scientific explanation, which I have yet to find. 

As an adult, I was once called bewildered by a Christmas production by a local church. It was produced, choreographed, stage-managed, and sound-checked all by the teenage members of its church. And the musical accompaniment was theirs too. Now, I told myself, that is what draws (or keeps) members in their fold. It fulfilled their contemporary needs - staying attuned to the times and keeping them 'entertained'.

That was where it stood. Hindu narratives remained myths, and the hidden life lessons were lost in translation. Times have changed, and Hindus are returning with a bang. This film can be considered one of their tools to capture the minds of young Hindus.

The story is the one we all know. Rama, with Sita and Laxman, is exiled to the jungles. In her journeys, Raavan's sister, Shurpanaka, sighted a spunk in Rama. Her advances were rejected, and he slashed her nose when she could not accept rejection. She ran crying to her brother. She enticed him with Rama's wife. Then the kidnapping, Jentayu, Rama's meeting with the Vanaras (ape-like jungle people), the invasion of Lanka and Sita's rescue.

The above was depicted in impressive CGI against possible cinematographic depictions of what a primordial Bharat would have looked like. It piqued the young Hindus' interest, making them open their Amar Chitra comic books and watch or make Youtube presentations. Otherwise, they will still go on with life thinking that avatar is an American word created by James Cameron. 

Depending on which side of the camps one stands for, this movie was either an epic disappointment or a phenomenal collection at the box office. 

I am surprised that many states in India and even Nepal is requesting for screening ban in their vicinity. Whilst non-BJP-ruled states in India are worried about the spread of Hindutva in their states, Nepal is offended that Sita is described as India's daughter. The jokers failed to remember that in ancient Bharat, there was a vast spread of land from present-day Pakistan to Myanmar and Afghanistan to Lanka, following the teachings of Sanarta Dharma. In fact, if not for Pandit Nehru, for all his wisdom when he blockaded Nepal's entry into the Union of India, Nepal would have been part of India. 

Then many quickly point out that this film version deviates from the 'original' Ramayana. The million-dollar question is, which is referred to as the original one? There is Vyasa's Ramayana, Tulsidas' version, Kamban Ramayanam and more in India. Many interpretations are seen outside India in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Indochina and as far as Japan. Various versions of Ramayana are told in their puppet shadow play of Wayang Kulit. Is one more authentic than the other?

Politicians in the South who subscribe to the now defunct 'Aryan Invasion Theory' insist that the story of Ramayana is the tale of invasion by an army from the North to crush a prosperous Dravidan monarch is in for a surprise. Some quarters assert that Raavan originates from a kingdom in present-day Uttar Pradesh, the Northern part of India. On his visit to the view of the kingdom ruled by Kuberan, he usurped power. 

Do not believe the cyberspace ratings on the film. Google gave it a 4.4/100 rating, which is basically a dud. All those burning the box office and laughing all the way to the bank cannot be idiots!

P.S. If 'Adipurush' refers to primordial man, logically, it should be Manu, the 'Adam' of the Hindu scriptures. Interestingly, the term Adipurush also includes Siva, Vishnu and Brahma. Rama, an incarnation of Vishnu, is deemed the first human being to have embodied the qualities of righteousness, truth, and compassion in their purest form.

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Time ends all things!

Sacred Games (Season 2; 2019)
Miniseries Netflix

Just like the convoluted world that we live in and the twisted problems that we get intertwined, the storyline of this miniseries is complex. In life, there is no one truth. Things are not so black-or-white as we grew up thinking it is. Good things happen to bad people, and conversely, bad things happen to good people. An action seemingly done in good faith may actually be pure evil in another's eyes. 

There is so much hatred amongst and between all the people of the world. On one side, one group is hellbent on destroying the other. It seems destruction of the other is the way to avenge or ensure justice on Earth. On another end, another group feels that injustices have tipped the point of no return. The only way to correct it is to re-boot everything. Evil has taken over where goodness used to prevail. Annihilation and jump-starting from zero is the only option. 

Like the first season, the most exciting part of the season is the title of the episodes. If in the previous season, the titles begged of Indian folklore or mythology to be told, this season episodes refer to a broader spectrum.

Matsya is the first of the nine avatars (manifestation) of Vishnu. Avatars of Lord Vishnu has been compared to the evolution of mankind. The first step to the formation of Man started when a sea creature such as fish (Matsya) became a creature of two kingdoms (Koorma, the turtle) before they became well-grounded as like Varaha, the wild boar.

Siduri is a Babylonian female divinity of ale making. Babylonians were known to have mastered the art of beer making as early as 2500 BCE. She appeared in a poem during the reign of Emperor Gilgamesh. She tries to dissuade Gilgamesh from his quest for immortality and urges him to be happy with life's simpler pleasures. 

Apasmara is the demon seen crushed under the feet of the dancing feet of Lord Nataraja. Apasmara is the personification of ignorance. Ignorance cannot be destroyed but can be put under check and balance. 

Bardo is the Buddhist purgatory, the place between heaven and hell. It is the no man's land between life and death or a transitional phase between death and rebirth. People are forever stuck in not knowing what they want in life. They do not know what they want.

Vikarna is the third Kaurava in the Mahabharata story. Even though the Kauravas are painted as the villains, Vikarna opposed to his brothers' ungentlemanly act of disrobing Draupadi, the common wife of the Pandava brothers when the Kauravas won her over in a dice game. There is goodness even in the evilest of Man.

Azrael is the Angel of Death found in Jewish and Islamic culture, responsible for transporting the souls of the deceased. Many amongst us fit the bill of Azrael for yearning for the destruction of others. What we do not realise is that as our weapons become bigger and more powerful, entropy seems like the endpoint.

Torino, another name for Turin, Italy, is known as the most haunted cities in the world. Ghosts are nothing but the haunting of my mind of our guilt and unfulfilled wishes. Our guilt of past mistakes, inactions and willful nasty acts haunt us for life.

The effect of the Radcliffe line is still felt until today. Even though they were from the same stock, an arbitrary line under the guise of religion has turned them as mortal enemies. One demarcation set a state to two countries but poles apart, and their relationships irreparable.
The show is not over...

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Life's a beach

Sacred Games (Season 1; 2018)

Life is like being at the beach. Sometimes the water is cloudy or appears unsightly with floating particles. The waves may be high and dangerous to be around. It may be too windy. The beach may be too crowded for comfort. At other times, it may just be perfect. We are only supposed to enjoy the moment whatever the circumstance. Forget the flare of the sun, the heat, the sunburn, the sticky bodies, the sand and the mess the wind and sea-water do to your hair. That is life for you and me. You are supposed to get the best out of it - the ups, downs, warts and all.  

This Netflix flick has an entirely Indian plot, setting, cast with a story written by an Indian author. With a background of gangsterism and communal violence, it traces through the story of a Brahmin boy who went through a tumultuous childhood to end up as a Don in Mumbai. It unravels the saga of crooked politicians, corrupted policemen, a web of dishonest businessmen, a trail of counterfeit, transborder deflection and a world of sex and vice.

One may say that this is the typical plot in most blockbuster Hollywood movie anyway, but the storyteller managed to keep his audience at the edge of their seat second-guessing what the event that would happen in 25 days was all about. And the first season ended with a cliffhanger. The mystery still remains to be discovered.

Another thing captivating about the series is the title of each episode. It each carries with it an Indian tale, folklore and myth waiting to be told.

Aswatthama, son of Drona, the great teacher of both sides, fighting on the side of the Kauravas, killed the last remaining heir of the Pandavas. For that, he was cursed by Krishna with immortality and festering physical appearance. In the series, the protagonist, after his death, narrates his life story and hopes that his sins would be washed by preventing further catastrophes. In modern India, there are many reported sightings of an unsightly appearance of an apparition in the death of the night in temples, trying to clean its compound. Village folks insist it is Aswatthama himself.

Halahala is the poisonous fumes culminating from the serpent head as the Asuras and Devas were using it to churn the Ocean of Milk. Shiva inhaled the fumed as turned blue in that episode. The protagonist was holding the truth and was feeding the police bit by bit.

Atapi and Vatapi are folklore demonic cannibalistic characters who entice hunger travellers for a meal. Atapi will masquerade as a Brahmin and would call for Vatapi when food is ready who would feast them (the travellers). This is a metaphorical reference to religion. Like opium, it relieves the pain but then turns you into an addict. Religions prepare your soul for the slaughter. The episode tries to expose the devious nature of religions in provoking chaos and bloodshed among brothers.

Brahmahatya is commonly referred of the killing of a Brahmin, which is a big crime in Hinduism. Pandits, however, concur that it is not the life of a Brahmin that is valuable but any life, especially of a wise one. It also goes back to the Kurukshetra wars, when Drona, the great teacher of both Pandavas and Kauravas was beheaded for a just cause, for dharma, for equilibrium. Incidentally, Drona is also the father of Aswatthama, the one with the curse of immortality. Aswatthama has a reason for his anger. An elephant was named Aswatthama just to confuse Drona and send him off-guard before the slaying. The ever-truthful eldest of the Pandava brothers told a white lie to affirm Aswatthama's death (not to the human Aswatthama)! Truth is neither black or white, it is multilayered.

Sarama means dog. All of us are just metaphorical dogs being pulled around on a leash to the whims and fancies of the self-appointed peddlers of truth. We are not interested in doing the right thing but just conforming to the majority. Even the motto of Mumbai Police is 'Protect the law, destroy evil'. It is not to protect justice or dharma; just defend the decree deemed sacrosanct by the majority or the powerful.

Pretakalpa refers to cremation ritual. Every now and then, we need to rebrand ourselves. Kill the negatives and bring out the positivities. Still, you need both to spark. 

Rudra is the personification of the most vicious form of Shiva. He is sometimes necessary to re-calibrate a broken system. 

Yayati is cursed with premature ageing but manages to swap it with his son. After his long life, he returns the boon to his son to say, "indulge in something that does not decline with age. All the sensory pleasures cannot satisfy the lust of a single man,"

The makers of the show are unapologetically pro-BJP as many of the narrations, and historical footages put Congress leaders in a horrible light.

https://asok22.wixsite.com/real-lesson 

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