Oh my God is
a satirical comedy, in fact one of the best I have seen in a long time. With a
pretty famous cast to boast of, consisting of Paresh Rawal, Akshay Kumar and
Mithun Chakraborty, the heart of the movie is its concept. A minor earthquake
produces just a single event- which takes away the shop of Kanjibhai (Paresh
Rawal), who is a hard core atheist! The events that follow completely dazzle
one's mind and put forward a number of questions. Akshay Kumar plays God, which
somehow does not match up to our expectation of how God should look like. I
understand that Bollywood doesn't have a Morgan Freeman to play the role. Many
were of the view that a father figure would have done better as a God but the
fact that God is shown more as a friend (as a modern day incarnation of
Krishna) might have led to Akshay being chosen for the role. A good one,
nonetheless. Over the past centuries or so, Hinduism has gone through dramatic
changes. The ancient store of literature in Vedas and Upanishads instruct people
to look beyond, 'mantras' and 'pooja'. Hinduism should not be about following
the priests and mantras blindly, but opening your eyes towards enlightenment.
This movies depicts the malpractice of money being taker in the form of
donation by priests, People are of the view that they can bribe God(s) so that
their wishes are granted. But where does the money go? A priest is supposed to
take enough for his survival, nothing more. The so-called 'Mandir Industry' is
thriving as one of the most successful business ventures in the country today.
This underground business has evolved over the years and is an open secret now.
One would find different idols in a temple and people would donate money and
some precious metals separately for each idol. But why? Will the Gods be angry
if you don't?
Hinduism teaches you that
"Om" contains the universe. It signifies the holy trinity Brahma,
Vishnu and Mahesh. They are the creator, the ruler and the destroyer of the
Universe. The true meaning of Moksha as per the Hindu religious texts like
Gita, Upanishads and Vedas is the state of mind when the soul is free from
worldly desires and takes refuge at the feet of God. Most modern day priests
seem to have attained no such 'Moksha'? If so, should they be craving and encouraging
people to give more donations? Go to any prominent religious place nowhere has
it been made a secret that the ones with money get preferential treatment.
Isn't everyone equal in the eyes of God? Why, on earth, are the poor beggars
sitting outside not allowed entry into the residence of God? The scandals that
many of the religious groups are involved in are certainly not any less serious
than the 2G and others! No one knows the beginning, and there is no way one can
know the end. The Gita tells us that one should introspect and meditate in the
name of God. That is when you become aware of the truth; not by wearing stones
and donating money blindly.
The questions that the movies
raises interest me. Although a disclaimer says that it's not meant to hurt the
sentiments of the people of any religion, the movie is highly successful in
exposing exactly what is wrong with religion today. The question whether God
exists cannot be answered. We can neither prove nor disprove the existence of
God. The movie, however sends out a clear message that we need to believe in
God rather than fear him. Treat him as a friend and not as somebody who will
punish you. Trust him and love him with all your heart.
