|
|
|
|
|
| HOME | NEWS | DEAR REDIFF | |||
|
COLUMNISTS
|
|
|
'This is atrocious, outrageous and totally unacceptable'
E-mail from readers the world over
Date:
Mon, 26 Jul 1999 13:46:37 +0800 I was shocked to read the article. It is disappointing that people do not differentiate between freedom of expression and good taste. I searched the web under www.warnerbros.com and used the address alliance@wbr.com to register my protest. Is that the correct e-mail id? You may want to let your readers know the email address where they can directly send letters. I am sure Hindus from all over the world would like to give Warner Bros a piece of their mind.
R S Kannan
Date:
Mon, 26 Jul 1999 09:50:20 +0530 I think articles relating to organisations or institutions, which publicly portray the offence caused to Hindus, must be given importance. I praise Rediff for highlighting this article. Jayanthi
Date:
Mon, 26 Jul 1999 00:15:11 GMT Hollywood must have inserted the Gita instead of Kamasutra. It shows the level of intelligence of Hollywood. Further, as an Indologist, I feel that the shloka is for establishing dharma (righteousness) and not for what they have shown. It should be deleted as it has no relevance to the scene. Cinema at present is handled by morons and imbeciles. Ian
Date:
Sun, 25 Jul 1999 14:51:32 -0700 I agree with your report. I saw the movie and felt really offended with this part and would like to see this erased. I've lost all respect for the director after seeing this movie. Not only does he reflect his utter disrespect for Hindu culture, he's totally ignorant of what a shloka really means.
Date:
Sun, 25 Jul 1999 15:07:38 -0500 I have not seen the movie, but think it is extremely inappropriate to use the Bhagvad Gita and this phrase in the movie. What was missing from the article was the e-mail address/web site where people who think similarly could lodge their protests. The Hindu faith has been taken for granted by people of other faiths because Hindus do not believe in protesting. Freedom of speech aside, offensive portrayal of any religion in any form is obnoxious and should be condemned. Priya
Date:
Sun, 25 Jul 1999 10:41:12 +0000 After reading about the controversy caused by the verses of the Gita in Eyes Wide Shut, I would strongly like to make the point that our history and culture are not so weak as to change the views of millions who read the Gita daily because of the misinterpretation of a theory/concept in one movie. Some educated Indians making a fuss about what someone has used in an improper manner will convey the impression that Indian culture is vulnerable. The allegations will also give unwanted publicity to the movie. If the sales of the soundtrack are high just because of the verses of the Gita, we should feel happy that the Western people are getting used to listen to Sanskrit and at least some of them will try to learn the language and then realise their mistake. This ultimately should lead to the spread of our culture. This is just what I think of the report, and I don't intend to hurt anyone who believes that the use of the shloka is a sin. Sricharan
Date:
Sun, 25 Jul 1999 11:28:32 +0530 I feel that the chant from the Bhagvad Gita should be removed from the scene in view of the sentiments of many protesting against it.
Date:
Sat, 24 Jul 1999 19:35:54 -0700 Two years ago, when Aerosmith disfigured Lord Krishna's face on their CD cover, there was a web site exclusively for registering protests from Hindus who found it inappropriate. I believe a similar web site now will help the cause. This article helped me realise that a holy hymn in the Gita has been misused. Thanks for letting me know this. In protest, I will not watch this movie and will not buy the soundtrack. Raghu
Date:
Sat, 24 Jul 1999 15:14:06 -0700 I happened to see the movie and was enraged. I wanted to protest somewhere and send an e-mail to bring to light the director's folly. Am glad that you brought this topic up. If Rediff hosts (or will host) on its site a link that will send these protests to the people concerned, I am sure many of us (in the USA at least) will be happy. I am sure there are a lot of other Hindus here who share my thought. Ajay
Date:
Sat, 24 Jul 1999 14:23:10 EDT It sure is offensive that sacred Indian chants are used to accompany an orgy scene in the latest Kubrick movie. The implications are even more revealing. In my point of view, it is a manifestation of the Western perception of Indian religiosity. In the magic-realist scene where naked fantasies are let loose, god knows if Kubrick is attempting a journey through the hermetic human unconscious of an American doctor deeply disturbed by his wife's attraction to a naval officer. If it is so, then those parts that play Indian chants to bring alive an outlandish sex scene also represent the kind of imagery "Indianess" provokes in the subconscious of the director. Probably a sense of strangeness and bewildering shamanism. The archetype of Indian religiousness, "sambhavami yuge yuge" has been played and transposed on a visual that seems to involve sortilege, crime, secrecy and deceit. What Kubrick has done, if knowingly or not, is make a larger statement on Indian culture and sexuality itself, projecting it as if it were a tantric odyssey shocking the positive sensibilities of a committed American doctor, who is in it only to quash the haunting images of his wife making love to another man. If this is a conscious act of Stanley Kubrick, then it is rather ironic that he thinks nobody should notice. If he was willing yet another controversy, then it is time for an Indian protest and retaliation, at least to question the selling of misconstrued stereotypes of Indian faith to audiences by Hollywood and the media.
Date:
Sat, 24 Jul 1999 13:20:38 -0700 My instant reaction -- anger and disbelief. Thinking more about it, I realised the truth. Ignorance is not a virtue and to gloss on it does not help. If Kubrick is to be blamed for using the verses of the Gita, Rajneesh is to be blamed for mixing Hinduism and sex. Also, Hinduism can and has been stereotyped in the past. A true follower has knowledge about the significance of the various rituals and chants whereas the ignorant can only ridicule it. The final question -- if a mentally retarded person was to abuse you, would you care to respond?? Leave Warner Bros alone and next time try to avoid the movie instead of making a lot of noise. The habit of protesting about everything will end up reducing our tolerance and move us towards the fundamentalists we fight in Kashmir and Afghanistan. So practice the teachings of the Gita if you REALLY CARE instead of badmouthing someone for abusing the religion (which despite its numerous flaws, like casteism, has withstood centuries of abuse and oppression owing to the timeless nature of what it attempts to teach). Arun
Date:
Sat, 24 Jul 1999 08:54:06 -0700 I had gone to the movie without realising that this offensive segment was part of the movie. Had I known, I would never have gone. Please let me know where I can send my protest to Warner Bros. Ravi
Date:
Sat, 24 Jul 1999 19:44:51 +0400 This is atrocious, outrageous and totally unacceptable. This happens because traditionally Hindus are very tolerant and people tend to regard it as a weakness. I request Rediff to post a poll and start a letter campaign to see that the movie is edited. I would appreciate it if Rediff could give us the e-mail id to lodge a protest. R Ramanathan
|
||
|
HOME |
NEWS |
BUSINESS |
SPORTS |
MOVIES |
CHAT |
INFOTECH |
TRAVEL |
SINGLES BOOK SHOP | MUSIC SHOP | GIFT SHOP | HOTEL RESERVATIONS | WORLD CUP 99 EDUCATION | PERSONAL HOMEPAGES | FREE EMAIL | FEEDBACK |
||