Usually, I never venture into the multiplexes due to prior bad experiences, preferring instead, to catch a new release when it arrives on OTT platforms. Even as I was watching this film, there was a group of people continuously chattering throughout the movie just behind us. But I put up with all this only because of one thing: to make a statement. When the filmmakers are sticking their necks out to show the truth as it is, and others are out to ban the film for the exact opposite reason, I thought I should express my solidarity with the former.
About the A rating...
This film has been rated A by the censors. Although understandable, this is unfortunate because adolescent girls, who are one of the gullible and vulnerable target groups, would be deprived of the opportunity to see radical evangelization in action in this film.
While the ticket sellers were thoroughly checking the IDs of young people at the counters, I couldn't help wondering about the futility of this exercise, because in just a few weeks, this film will make its way to the OTTs where even five-year-olds will have access to it! When it does, though, I hope adolescent girls do watch it.
Be that as it may, even as I was walking within the theatre, I saw a family with a woman holding a young sleeping child - either they had given a written undertaking to the ticket sellers that they will keep their child sleeping throughout the film, or, more likely, they snuck in the child by hiding it while buying the tickets!
Contents of the film...
I am not going to go into the technical aspects, or indeed, the performances in this film, all of which are very good. I will leave that to the cine critics of which you will find plenty on the Internet. I shall, instead, focus on the story on which the film is based. I am also assuming that given the evidence presented towards the end of the film, these stories actually happened and the reasons behind them occurred as shown in the film.
It's also important to remember, as we go into this, that one should challenge the radical ideology per se, and not hate the person with such an idea. Since Hinduism is the primary target of radical thoughts expressed in this film, I shall focus on this, and attempt to pass on the wisdom gained to the groups involved in or affected by the story of faith-based conversions and persecution.
To the radicals...
One of your kind, a 'snake-in-the-grass' female recruiter in the film talks about Hindu Gods' powerlessness to defend Hindus, while her Almighty never lets them down. Here's my counter:
Why did a crane collapse, killing hundred of 'believers' in the holiest of holy places a few years ago? Why do 'believers' suffer from hardships such as natural disasters, poverty, and diseases across the globe? You may defend and deny as much as you want, but one just needs to take a peek in our neighbouring country's yard to understand the dangers stemming from the nexus between a theocratic government, a subversive military, and nonstate extremists.
Further, a woman's clothing does not afford her any protection against a determined sexual predator as has been reported in several crime news reports. Admit it; the tent-like garb is an expression of extreme patriarchy and intended to keep the woman subdued, something that is harrowingly depicted in this film.
To the pseudoseculars...
Are you okay with the reductive division of 'believers' and 'non-believers/kafir/heathen' of the entire human population? How can these prescriptive religions proclaim that their's is the only correct path and that all others are false? As it is, these book-based religions are yet to figure out if they should interpret their scriptures literally or figuratively.
Indeed, this very confusion has resulted in the divergent, radical ideologies that the story of this film is based on. This comes to the fore during several scenes, one such being the discussion whether the use of mobile phones is blasphemous or not.
How is it that you, the paragons of scientific rigour and logic, are unable to see the stupidity inherent in such misogynistic customs as keeping women under tent-like body/head covers, female genital mutilations, and coerced marriages contingent on conversions of non-believers?
Why is it that you apply the law of free speech differentially? A case in point: you were okay when the BBC documentary on Gujarat riots was shown in the streets, but silent when the governments of two states banned this film. One loses count of the number of slurs that Bollywood has inflicted on Hinduism and its adherents over the years. You ignored all of that, but you are up in arms over this film that has dared to call a spade a spade.
If these issues and the terrorist activities that stem from their misinterpretation do not open your eyes to the clear and present danger they pose to the world and to the future of humanity, I don't know what could be afflicting you. Instead of calling out this radical ideology for what it is, you are intellectualizing and rationalizing the problem to the extent that one fine day, it will come back to bite you.
To the parents of girls...
Watch the film and wake up! As one of the characters asks her hypocrite communist father why he did not teach her about Hinduism, I ask you if you have done enough to educate your children about the beauty of Sanatana Dharma? Have you told them why it is called so - the Eternal Religion?
Have you told them about the innumerable Saints that have graced this beautiful land of ours and left behind a rich legacy of love and wisdom? Have you taught them the meaning behind our customs and rituals, which often have a logical and/or a health-related basis for their existence?
Have you taught them the basic tenets of Sanatana Dharma: sarvatmabhava (oneness of all souls), satya (truth), dharma (righteousness or right duty), karma (action and fruit of such action), and vasudhaiva kutumbakam (the world is one family)? Have you pointed out that these values are more important than superficial rituals and a narrow, divisive worldview?
To girls and young women...
Do not believe in 'love at first sight'. It only signifies the psychological phenomenon of collapse of ego-boundaries - that is, you are only temporarily identifying with your lover. When you regain your ego-boundary, the lover's shortcomings become painfully visible, or, in this case, his true colours.
Instead, place high value on character assessment before you commit to any kind of relationship. Looks are important initially, but in the long run, the harsh reality is that marriages are hard work, and require a high degree of commitment, trust and adjustment from both parties for them to work.
Understand that love, in its truest sense, is unconditional. The moment somebody says 'I shall marry you if you convert to my religion', run from such a person as fast and as far as you can. You are perfect as you are, and if someone really loves you, he/she will accept you for what you are - your entire personality with its strengths and weaknesses, as well as your faith, language and culture.
Beware that they will throw the caste brick at you. Even though the concept of caste/varna/jati is only an indication of the professional groups that traditional Indian society was divided into, no doubt, casteism is a bane in todays' world. But then, you should ask them, 'why is your own religion divided into so many sects and denominations?' If there is only one formless Almighty, why then are adherents of these groups fighting amongst themselves for supremacy of their own ideology?
Remember that not all followers of prescriptive religions are radicals, but some are - telling them apart is the problem! Be friendly with people of all faiths, but do not get so overinvolved that you fall for the indoctrination attempts of those with a proselytizing, bigoted mindset.
Finally...
The message, one hopes, the followers of book-based religions get is that they live and let live: keep your religious practices, but make sure you are not harming others by disowning radical thoughts and respecting others' faiths. As I have already said, our battle is with the ideology, not the person - it's the mind and the body that could be corrupted, not the Atman which is pure in all beings.
Evangelism and conversions are reflective of the underlying insecurity of book-based religions and exposes their patronizing efforts at homogenizing the entire world according to their own restrictive worldview.
For the reasons cited above, The Kerala Story is highly recommended viewing!
May truth prevail and justice be done in the cases covered in this film, as well as in all cases of religious conversions and persecution.
