Dear Wendell, The issue is not so much about the *film*, as about the way history gets depicted in our parts of the world (and I guess elsewhere too). These myths go beyond films and are consistently celebrated in daily life too. Aakar Patel might have done a good job by questioning it in a rather articulated way.
Feature films and fictionalised films have every right to create myths; but history doesn't. Questionable versions can be challenged, and should be. In today's Goa, Shivaji is treated as a hero. Wonder what he meant to villagers of another era living along the then 'international border' in places like your Colvale, Tivim, Siolim or Aldona. That reality our ancestors of another generation might have a story about; but do they have the voice to do so? If we portray him as someone out to save a religion, then we're setting misleading terms of discourse. Your justification about history being "tweaked" doesn't seem to hold much water, given that this is promoted by a supposedly secular state, and it has serious implications for current day religious infighting. If politicians want to ascend power based on religious infighting, we might not be able to stop them... but at least we should not justify them. Happy Good Governance day! FN On 24 December 2015 at 19:11, Wendell Rodricks <wendellrodri...@gmail.com> wrote: > It is a sumptuous film. > And the director has every right to create his version as he has many > factors to consider from investors to the public making the movies hit. > Those that want to portray another Bajirao are free to do so. Not that I am > carrying a candle for the film nor Hindi cinema staying truthful to > history. The end was a sob drama for janta consumption, who doesn't like > lovers who die or killed off at the end?, It has been done ad nauseum in > poetry, literature, film > As for a great Hindu nationalist, history is written and tweaked depending > who is writing it. > In my research for Moda Goa, it was as if. history writers were writing > about different events depending on the victorious or loosing sides > At this time of Hindu pride,it is natural for some to push the cause for > Hindu Nationalism > W > -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-. Goanet annual year-end meet in Goa: if you're reading this, you're eligible to join us! Dec 28, 2015 @ 11 am Fundacao Oriente, Panjim Confirm your participation with a short email to goa...@goanet.org -.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
