Friday 5 October 2012

OMG sligshots at Ritualism


He takes a slingshot at the idol of Krishna! That it just hits the bell and misses the idol, is incidental - making a Bollywood film that supports atheism and cynicism in a country where people will persecute you for less.

Oh My God! or OMG is a Bollywood film released a week back. I got good reviews from reliable sources so I went to watch it[1]. For popular mainstream Bollywood, I liked it a lot. The strength of the story and it’s ‘purpose’ is the plot. And that is where it scores all the points. Technically (editing, cinematography, playwriting, dance, music) it is only below average.  

The protagonist Kanji bhai Lalji bhai played by Paresh Rawal has a small shop that sells articles of faith and antique value. He is a very inquisitive (and cunning) person who does not believe in god or ritualism. He blasphemes of god on the day of the birth of Krishna (Janmashthami) and in a mild earthquake his shop is razed down to rubble. When he makes an insurance claim it turns out his policy does not cover act of god. So to repay the debts and save his house from the debtors, he challenges God and His 'collection agencies' – religious trusts and places of worship, to repay his debts. The case is admitted in the High Court and it follows an interesting debate around if god exists and what is an act of god. Who is responsible for acts of god and who should repay the damage caused by god if insurance company has a clause that they do not cover such losses?

The plot is thin but, I felt, well put.  Much to an atheist’s delight, (and my show was full of them clapping and cheering at every line) the picture makes many jabs at ritualism and the concept of an omnipotent, omniscient God. At least in the first part.

Points for making the atheist functional illiterate in first part of the movie, and making him read books and investigate religion through these in the second! A bag of brownies for the impersonation of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar by revered Mithun Chakrabarti!

How does one make jabs at ritualism of many[2] prominent religions of India and still not get booked? Solution - have a god on your side. And I am not talking about the Muhurat and other rituals that most film makers in India would carry out even if they are making OMG. Make a character of God, and make this character agree with the views of the atheist. Omg, don’t I love the power of Performance? Enter “Krishna Vasudev Yadav, from Gokul” played by Akshay Kumar - “Krishna, because you are a Hindu. If you were a Muslim – the prophet; if you were a Christian - Jesus Christ”. 

What is a befitting Bollywood Climax to such a movie? That Kanji bhai breaks down idols of gods with an iron rod; and then present a moving speech in front of a crowd - asking them to never ever visit a place of worship and/or pay any religious (or spiritual) trusts. How oh how, without getting theatres burnt?

The idols should be of a lesser known god --> How about a freshly baked God? --> How about the atheist was made into a god by people and then he breaks his own idols? Brilliant! A conniving ingenious plot for a blasphemy orgy! 

Ending in a thoughtful and sensitive manner, when Krishna V Yadav of Gokul finally departs, He leaves a token behind! Kanji bhai instinctively wants to preserve it for memory when God speaks from inside him and asks him to get rid of the token symbol. Remember what I said about 'purpose' of the plot?

Of course my favourite is still The Book of Mormon with a cameo by Jesus Christ, God, and Mormon prophet Joseph Smith, but enjoyed Oh My God! thoroughly! If you haven’t seen it yet, watch it as soon as you can, it is not going to last much longer at the cinemas. Obviously.






[1] Full disclosure I was afraid it maybe a remodelling of a movie made elsewhere, but in the credits it mentioned a Gujarati play. That relieved me. It could still be a remodelling of a story, but that is much better in my books.

[2] Jainism and Sikhism were missing, I felt bad :D. In fact Buddhism is also ritualistic and idol based in its practice in at least parts India.