Bhakti Films and Government: A True Love Story
It was the summer of 2008. The everlasting summer vacation and the intense city heat were taking turns in having a toll upon me. The unfinished projects from school were beginning to create an extra burden on my brain cells. The same old boring school curriculum had started to give me some serious existential crisis. This never ending life cycle made me question the actual purpose of human life.
Upon all this dilemma, I still remember the day I bumped into a 'Bhakti Film'. I felt like Rakesh Roshan bumping onto Jadoo and his spaceship's signals, minus the 'Om Om Om Om'! That was the day when I had to reset everything within the periphery of my brain and wonder 'Okay, so that's how we do it!'. Damn! The enlightenment came a bit late in my life as I considered bhakti to be a sin, just like our present government. Sigh! As sex education in India is a myth, the revelation came as the second biggest shocker in my life. The first was 'Gangaadhar Hi Shaktimaan Hai'. As a 16 year old teenager, my egghead froze through the entire action sequence of the 15-minute clip. Even Archimedes wouldn't have been as excited when he ran through the streets naked, shouting 'Eureka Eureka'. Old is Gold, indeed.
Back in the day, 'Bhakti Films' weren't as abundantly as available nowadays. People had to physically move from one place to another in search of a steamy dose of even a half an hour clip. Today. thanks additionally to our own Motaa bhaai's Jio, an unlimited amount of bhakti content from the net can be worshiped without burning a hole in your wallet. In our school days, smuggling these CDs and DVDs was done right in the classrooms. The import and export was done with such swiftness and ease that even Pablo Escobar would've abolished his Medellin Cartel and renamed it as 'Bhakti Cartel'. Personally, the first genuine 'Bhakti Film' that I got hold onto was when I was in class 11. The contents of that innocent looking DVD, which was marked 'FIFA 2005' is still fresh in my mind. It liberated me to such an extent that I had to stop playing the actual FIFA game for a week to digest the anatomy of the two players in 'FIFA 2005'. Pun very much intended.
Upon all this dilemma, I still remember the day I bumped into a 'Bhakti Film'. I felt like Rakesh Roshan bumping onto Jadoo and his spaceship's signals, minus the 'Om Om Om Om'! That was the day when I had to reset everything within the periphery of my brain and wonder 'Okay, so that's how we do it!'. Damn! The enlightenment came a bit late in my life as I considered bhakti to be a sin, just like our present government. Sigh! As sex education in India is a myth, the revelation came as the second biggest shocker in my life. The first was 'Gangaadhar Hi Shaktimaan Hai'. As a 16 year old teenager, my egghead froze through the entire action sequence of the 15-minute clip. Even Archimedes wouldn't have been as excited when he ran through the streets naked, shouting 'Eureka Eureka'. Old is Gold, indeed.
Back in the day, 'Bhakti Films' weren't as abundantly as available nowadays. People had to physically move from one place to another in search of a steamy dose of even a half an hour clip. Today. thanks additionally to our own Motaa bhaai's Jio, an unlimited amount of bhakti content from the net can be worshiped without burning a hole in your wallet. In our school days, smuggling these CDs and DVDs was done right in the classrooms. The import and export was done with such swiftness and ease that even Pablo Escobar would've abolished his Medellin Cartel and renamed it as 'Bhakti Cartel'. Personally, the first genuine 'Bhakti Film' that I got hold onto was when I was in class 11. The contents of that innocent looking DVD, which was marked 'FIFA 2005' is still fresh in my mind. It liberated me to such an extent that I had to stop playing the actual FIFA game for a week to digest the anatomy of the two players in 'FIFA 2005'. Pun very much intended.
Recently the Government decided to ban all the 'Bhakti' sites to introduce some amount of 'Sanskaar' among Indians. Alok Nath, anyone? For obvious reasons, most people were not happy with it, including me. This decision comes as a slap to net neutrality for which we Indians had to waive off Facebook's plan to introduce 'Free Basics' in our country a couple of years ago. Remember? For a decision that has been influenced by the notion that perpetrators are influenced by the bhakti within these films before committing a crime is insane! There are so many things that the government can do to ensure women's safety rather than feasting on this easy target. 'Bhakti Films' hardly pose a threat. In fact, 'Bhakti Films' are a greater boon to sex education than our old educational books. Our bhakti is our bhakti, none of their bhakti!
To deny the personal choice of citizens of a country and make them dance in the government's way, I suppose this is what they meant by 'Mandir Wahi Banayenge'.
Tammam 👌👌
ReplyDeleteMast likha hai bhai, bhakti cartel 😂😂🤣
ReplyDelete