SS Rajamouli was recently seen talking about his project Mahabharat, he calls it his lifetime goal and believes that the story is so strong that the actors won’t really matter. Hence, he wishes to cast some new faces. But amidst all these films being made around a specific religion, a lot of debates on social media have divided users. SS Rajamouli’s extreme focus to cash in on the religious value of Mahabharat was questioned by many!
Films like Brahmastra, Kalki 2898AD, Baahubali – rely heavily on religious themes. From characters to plot, a lot of it resonates with the religious sentiments of the masses and it is used to pull audiences to the theatres. On the one hand this is purely deceiving people in the name of religion, and on the other it is furthering the communal divide as minorities do not find their idols on screen. But why has storytelling and getting inspired by religious epics become so controversial? Is it the current political fervour? Or the attempt of pleasing the religious extremists? The centre of the problem lies in a maker’s intention. We know that films like Adipurush and Padmavat have also become a target of backlash for their supposed “misrepresentation”.
Touching a religious theme is an extremely sensitive matter nowadays. It curbs the creativity of filmmakers when they are put under scrutiny of the censor board and religious backlash. But films that are only being made to please the masses by appealing to their religious sentiments are also very harmful to our society. Whatever be the case, filmmaking as an art is depleting in its critical value amidst the political scenario created around it.
