An alien-estic view on the traditions and values followed on earth, especially INDIA (I wonder what would the movie look like if PK had landed in Uganda or Beijing) is well taken and applaud the effort in giving a message loud and clear. Undoubtedly, you are giving a tough competition to the biggest showman of previous generation (RK vs PK) as you guys know how to put ahead your point convincingly and in an entertaining manner. Be it the message of medical education (in Munnabhai) or engineering education (in 3 idiots) or religious education (in PK) you have been giving a strong message to us and definitely in a blunt and sophisticated way.
But, PK has not gone through my nerves quite easily as the previous hard hitting movies. Blame it on the prodigious critic ratings or the standards you have been raising with your previous movies. I had set my mind to watch another eye opener. And, yes it did open my eyes to raise these doubts.
Firstly, I think there are a lot of messages you are conveying in your 150 minutes saga of unrealistic religious followings across all the strata’s of society. It was quite a clutter in my mind, when I try to figure out the alien-estic view of us plus the love story of a hindu with a muslim plus baba’s making money out of foolish Indians plus knowing the trademark of the almighty on humans of different caste and creed plus the terrorist attack and so on and so forth. I would have been more convinced to see one or rather two issues being addressed in such a short span, which would have been more convincing and matured.
Secondly, taking a dig on the blind beliefs is essentially a gutsy thing in today’s time (as one of your own characters in the movie says it all: play with anything in this county, but not with religions or the beliefs) but what is more essential to know is what’s the alternate available. Rather than showing the blind beliefs across all sections of society for almost 90% of the movie time, I would be more happy and encouraged to see more time being spent on to know the alternates available for the present world and not just a climax scene running for 10 to 15 minutes trying to prove the metal or providing an alternate to a mighty set of beliefs.
Thirdly and lastly, the beliefs and rituals being followed are across many sections of INDIA then why the movie portrays one particular individual, belonging to a specific caste being questioned or asked for justification ? Does it mean, only one religion has blind belief and others do not ? Does only one religion’s beliefs are not needed in the society today ? Does only one religion teaches to follow all the rituals ? And is only one specific religion responsible for all the blind faiths and customs being followed across the nation ? As it would have been more apt to question all the ones, making us follow specific rules and regulations on the name of the almighty.
I definitely understand and respect the time and sincerity put in making a movie at this scale, but as an individual I look at your movies to be an eye opener whose messages have far reaching implications to its audience. You indeed have been extremely bold and courageous to bring forth such topics in mainstream cinema, but a few need a little bit of extra care and concern before getting it in front.
Sincerely, a true fan of Hirani-Abhijat-Aamir
Disclaimer: I don’t intend to hurt the sentiments or beliefs of anybody in specific but as human being I wish to see all being labeled equally and be treated the same, as what matters at the end is we all are the creations of one force, which just has different names given by us.