I just watched the movie Azaad by Nagarjuna today. I couldn't help but notice an unhealthy trend of belittling Pakistan at every chance -- and that is putting it mildly.
I saw Hero and other movies which support the aformentioned observation. In a way, it got me thinking about patriotism etc.
What is this affinity to the country we have? Why do we have it? I realised that the patriotism is only a hop, skip, and a jump away from jingoism. Movies and propaganda are actually brainwashing and indoctrinating a hatred towards our neighbours. They are blurring the distinction between patriotism and jingoism.
It saddens me as a human being to see that a bloke in India can hate another person from Pakistan without even knowing him or her. Having different countries with different laws governing similar people is already a necessary evil; however, using mass media to encourage this separation and to erect a wall between different peoples is a downright atrocity.
Just wanted to share my thoughts on that :)
1 comment:
Great post! I haven't watched 'Azaad', therefore can't comment on it. I agree with you on every other I point.
This weekend I watched 'Gandhi', yet again, but every time I watch it, I find something (or same thing) very intriguing to my mind.
Gandhi in South Africa,
"...At first I was amazed, but not any more. When you are fighting in a just cause, people seem to pop up, like you, right out of the pavement. Even when it's dangerous or..."
"... You must show courage, be willing to take a blow, several blows, to show you won't strike back nor will you be turned aside. And when you do that, it calls on something in human nature, something that makes his hatred for you decrease and his respect increase..."
Unlike the movies that try to invoke your patriotism, The movie, Gandhi, touches humanity and unjust in humanity, that's why this movie is such a great classic, other movies like 'Azaad' are such horrible to watch.
Keep blogging!
Praveen.
Post a Comment