Oh my God!

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.