Wrong number

I am no fan of Indian cinema. Simply put, one doesn’t find in oneself the patience to sit through a never-ending formulaic film. But that is not to say I am oblivious to the profundity of a good message. The sub-continental parallel cinema was once known for its good quality. In our immediate neighbourhood, this trait has shifted to the ancient land of Persia. So beautiful are some of the stories told by Iranian movies that they make you reflect on the deeper meaning of life and death every now and then.

Iran’s film industry often reminds me of the golden age of our very own PTV dramas. Given that the best plays were made during the times of dictators makes me wonder if the people of this region actually produce their best work in the time of repression. Today’s Pakistan is considerably freer but, boy, hardly is this reflected in our entertainment industry. Recently, I was forced to watch a few episodes of a rather successful television series whose name reminds one of a local brand of contraceptive. Amazing as it may seem, the producers put a real effort in salvaging a toxic relationship. See the formula again, and a sad one, too.

Back to Indian cinema. I was telling you I don’t have much of an appetite for Bollywood. But for a few years, I have developed a liking for Rajkumar Hirani’s movies. A Chinese friend asked me to watch one of his movies and I am ever so grateful for this recommendation. It is very close to my own observation and experience that the love for knowledge always pays.



Mr Hirani, who has a striking resemblance to our own Tauqir Nasir, has recently made another film, which has easily become the most successful film at the Indian box office. It is called PK. When I initially heard that it is about an alien life form’s arrival on planet earth, I was reluctant to watch it. We South Asians have the eerie belief that whatever comes from above has to reinforce our faith in religion. However, I am glad that I did manage to overcome my reluctance to watch PK. The message in it is of moderation and the alien in it is shown not to have hailed from any distant city of gods.

PK’s role in the story, played by the brilliant Amir Khan, is of an alien who lands on our blue-green planet and is robbed of a device that would have helped him return to his planet. In a very interesting quest to return to his planet, he has to confront the movers and shakers of all major religions in India. Seeing the high claims of being in touch with God himself by a Hindu god-man, PK accuses him of calling a wrong number. This, perhaps, is the strongest metaphor for our times. How many religious scholars of every faith claim to have access to God every day? How can all these claims be true?

The message in the film is important not only for India whose recent developments like the homecoming (ghar wapsi) ceremonies are giving India watchers a headache after the rise and rise of Narendra Modi’s closest allies in the Vishva Hindu Parishad and the Sangh Pariwar. The film’s commercial success in India is proof of the redeeming quality of ordinary Indians and South Asians, who reject radicalism every day. But the message is also vital for societies like Pakistan and Afghanistan that have paid an arm and a leg for having placated extremists at some juncture in their history. Imagine how many wrong numbers are dialled every single day in both these countries. After thanking the maker of the film, I think I will use the metaphor of the wrong number at every chance I get.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 31^st, 2015.

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