Ten reasons to not boycott "PK"
Every time someone wants to ban anything, my hackles rise. Dinanath Batra decided Wendy Doniger was not respectful enough to Hinduism - scholarship doesn't require respect, it requires a spirit of inquiry. A group of people earlier this year decided to boycott Haider because they believed it was not mindful of the suffering of Kashmiri Pandits. I am a Kashmiri Hindu but I see no reason why a work of art has to always find an equivalence, a balance - if you get it, as in Mirza Waheed's remarkable The Book of Gold Leaves, it is a bonus, but that is not art's prime concern.
Its concern is to remain true to its cause, whatever it be; to move us, entertain us, transport us, show us an alternative universe, expand our imagination and spark our creativity.
Now there are some people who believe PK is an attack on Hinduism. Ridiculous, because Rajkumar Hirani has left nothing to chance in his attack on what he calls the managers of all faith. He makes films for the masses, so he makes sure every nuance is underlined, highlighted in yellow, and lit up in neon.
And yet, and yet, there are people who don't get it.
So in the interests of public service, here are ten reasons why you should not boycott PK:
#1. Your other option for a film on religion is Messenger of God, starring the head of the Dera Sacha Sauda, Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan. The film starring the ''braveheart saint of India'' is releasing on January 16 and is exactly the kind of thing PK warns us about. Blind faith can lead to men like Ram Rahim becoming very rich, launching films starring themselves and tormenting us with full page ads in newspapers.
#2. It is scrupulously even handed in its attack on all blind faith. It attacks conversions by Christian missionaries, and fatwas against education of girls by Islamic fundamentalists.
#3. It promotes Pakistan as a nation where all women are forced to wear a burqa and read the namaaz. That should fit right in with every right winger's image of our unfortunate neighbour.
#4. It attacks godmen, not God. Do we really need men like Rampal showing us the path or Asaram Bapu amassing wealth by feeding off our fears? As Javed Akhtar said so memorably once of a giggling guru, do we need a guru to get rich by telling us how to breathe? Sorry, no prizes for guessing who the guru is.
#5. It will make Narendra Modi happy. It has done as much for the radio as the prime minister's Mann ki Baat. Not only does it protect Aamir's modesty when his remote control is stolen by a thief but it also allows him to listen to the voice of his love. Not to give too much away, but at the end of the movie PK takes it with him where he goes, to a land far far away, so think of the many more people who will listen to the prime minister next time he addresses us.
#6. It shows a desperate Aamir Khan questioning every religion. What should he espouse he asks? A shloka from The Gita, an ayat from the Quran or a verse from The Bible. It's a question that has been asked before, quite legitimately, without anyone calling for a ban.
#7. It's a family film, something you can be proud of showing your children. or, er, would you rather show them a movie with gay jokes and toilet humour like Housefull and Grand Masti?
#8. It has a delightful performance by Aamir Khan, who scampers about like a mini Forrest Gump and speaks in a Bhojpuri accent that would do Lalu Yadav proud. And I'll have whatever he's having - he does look awfully young in the film.
#9. It is equally an attack on news television, everyone's favourite whipping boy, which is obsessed with dogs who are depressed and want to commit suicide.
#10. It has immense educational value. It shows anyone who may entertain ideas of plastic surgery or artificial enhancement of one's natural features just what the side effects can be. Anushka Sharma tries so hard in an unforgiving role, but all one can focus on is her lips. Pity.