The Da Vinci Cod (no, i havent forgotten the 'e')
Pardon the plagiarism (though i havent had an opportunity to read the book), but this whole furore over screening the movie in India is getting to me. I have read The Da Vinci Code though, and can say little that hasn't been said before, or dredge up enough emotion to comment on what is obviously going to be an unqualified money-grosser, for the sheer weight of the sensationalism that has propelled a mediocre book to such lofty heights.
*looks at previous sentence*
erm... so i did comment.
The movie itself is quite inconsequential in my scheme of things - i might watch it for Tom Hanks (despite that haircut) and Ron Howard. And to pass time. What does get me riled up is that now, i am probably not going to be able to choose. The movie is this close to being banned in India. It most probably will. The move will appease the more racuous activists, and there really is little loss for the government in the process.
What would be terribly amusing, if it werent terribly hypocritical is how we are getting all indignant over a movie that is based on a book that has already been a best-seller in all countries in the Christian world, and will be freely screened in most parts of it. I assume there wasnt a furore over the book simply because most of these devout Catholics who are ready to fast to death over the movie never bothered to read it. It would be too much to assume then, that any of these proponents and upholders of religion have even heard of Nikos Kazantzakis and his brilliant The Last Temptation of Christ , or the recently uncovered Gospel of Judas. And why stop here? One must also do away with the heretical works of Da Vinci and other masters and stop our children from reading fairytales (if you simply go by Brown's book.)
*looks at previous sentence*
erm... so i did comment.
The movie itself is quite inconsequential in my scheme of things - i might watch it for Tom Hanks (despite that haircut) and Ron Howard. And to pass time. What does get me riled up is that now, i am probably not going to be able to choose. The movie is this close to being banned in India. It most probably will. The move will appease the more racuous activists, and there really is little loss for the government in the process.
What would be terribly amusing, if it werent terribly hypocritical is how we are getting all indignant over a movie that is based on a book that has already been a best-seller in all countries in the Christian world, and will be freely screened in most parts of it. I assume there wasnt a furore over the book simply because most of these devout Catholics who are ready to fast to death over the movie never bothered to read it. It would be too much to assume then, that any of these proponents and upholders of religion have even heard of Nikos Kazantzakis and his brilliant The Last Temptation of Christ , or the recently uncovered Gospel of Judas. And why stop here? One must also do away with the heretical works of Da Vinci and other masters and stop our children from reading fairytales (if you simply go by Brown's book.)
The Vatican chose to merely make its disapproval for the contents of the movie clear, the Opus Dei chose to use the publicity storm as a PR-op to get its own stance clearer, but we believe we have a moral authority to tell people what they can (and that is the point really - can, as opposed to should) or cannot watch or read. So, it falls (again) on this glorious secular nation to don the mantle of protector and preserver of all faiths. After all, this insidious conspiracy to shake the foundations of Christianity and people's faith in Christ must Not Be Allowed. It will, as our Minister for Information and Broadcasting put it (oh, so succinctly), cause " confusion and instability it the country". Pardon me for believing that caste and religion based politics and state sponsored sectarian violence did all that far more effectively.
I have lived through some of the worst riots during 1992. I had friends in Gujarat. Believe me, it takes more than a book to shake ones faith in religion.
posted by Ishita at 8:22 AM
3 Comments:
hi ishita! just happened to pass through your blog. i've read the book, and believe me, it really puts the status of women,back to its dignity.that book is not just about jesus getting married , but also, about the perfect balance god has maintained , balance of any ratio in nature comes to value of phi, and the women have been looked upon to.
the book has conveyed that it is not that a man can attain salvation by shunning women, but he can attain it through the woman he loves.
as i heard, from someone, we are a nation of protestors, give us a reason, and we 'll protest.its not that we r hindus, muslims or christians, that makes us protest, but the fact that we are indians,and we think that we"ll get our demands fulfilled through protesting.
keep writing.......
Adi...
thanx for the comment, though i think u misunderstood my post. I have read The Da Vinci Code too - what i havent read is the Da Vinci 'Cod'.. a spoof on the book.
as for the central ideas expressed in the book, i do not have issues with them - everyone takes what matters most to them from what they read, and u picked on the most relevant bit, maybe. I have issues with the posturing we resolve to - and Vir Sanghvi is correct when he says that we are a nation of protestors. Sometimes, as with the reservation deal, i dont think its a bad thing to be, though... just depends on which group is politically ignited
"Caste and religion based politics and state sponsored sectarian violence did all that far more effectively."
"It takes more than a book to shake ones faith in religion."
:)
Touched, Ishita.
The Oracle has spoken. I bow to thee.
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