'Elizabeth' director terms right wing protest 'silly'
PTI, PANAJI | 23 November 2014 14:43 IST
Producer of Marathi film 'Elizabeth Ekadashi', which revolves around three children and a bicycle, has termed as "silly" the protest by a right wing organisation against a simile used in the film, which it had claimed as offending.
"In India, controversies will happen for anything and everything. Those who are objecting have not even seen the film," producer Nittin Keni told reporters on the sidelines of 45th International Film Festival of India in the presence of film director Paresh Mokashi.
The Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) had on November 19, the eve of beginning of IFFI, demanded withdrawal of the film saying "its title is misleading and hurting religious sentiments."
The movie poster shows an English woman posing like 'Lord Vithal', the deity of Varkari community in Maharashtra.
"These are things that one uses for any kind of representation. It has no religious significance or has anything to do with denigration of religion.I think it's very silly in today's time to take up something like this. There are other big issues that people can take up," Keni said referring to the HJS' objection to the particular pose.
Set in the holy village of Pandharpur in Maharashtra, the story is about three kids and their bicycle named 'Elizabeth'.
Director of the film, Paresh Mokashi explained that it was a habit of every child to name her possessions.
"That is why the cycle is named as Elizabeth," he said adding that cycle is "a character in the film."
Mokashi, who had won accolades for his Marathi film 'Harishchandrachi Factory' (2009) depicting the struggle of Dadasaheb Phalke in making India's first feature film 'Raja Harishchandra in 1913, said even varkaris did not have any objection to the movie.
"We organised a special screening of the movie for varkaris at Pandharpur. They were very happy and in fact they took us out in procession," he recalled.
The Indian Panorama section has seven Marathi films this year, including national award winning 'Yellow' and 'Dr Prakash Baba Amte – The Real Hero'.
एलिझाबेथ एकादशी ला विरोध करणारी सनातन संस्था आणि त्यांचे बगलबच्चे म्हणजे वारकरी संप्रदायातील काही मोजके महाभाग स्वतःला काय समजतात ते समजत नाही, इतका नितांतसुंदर चित्रपट या करंट्याना काय भावणार? त्यांनी ठरवून दिलेल्या हिंदू धर्माच्या व्याख्येप्रमाणे जो वागत नाही तो त्यांच्या मते धर्मद्रोही आणि अशा धर्मद्रोह्यांना ते त्यांच्या हिंदू राष्ट्रात कठोर साधना करण्याची शिक्षा ठोठावतील असे जाहीर करतात. याचा अर्थ साधना म्हंजे शिक्षा आणि सद्या सनातनचे सर्वच साधक त्या न्यायाने रामनाथी आणि इतर आश्रमातून शिक्षा भोगत आहेत.
सनातनला इंग्रजीचे वावडे आणि त्यांच्या मते ती असुरी भाषा, मग ज्या आपल्या सर्वेसर्वा गुरूला म्हणजे प. पु. आठवलेला कोणत्या न्यायाने डॉक्टर म्हणतात? डॉक्टर हा शब्द कोणत्या भारतीय भाषेत आहे?म्हणजे त्यांचा गुरूच खुद्द आसुरी उपाधी धारण करतो. त्यांच्या लिखाणातून मुसलमानांना नेहमीच धर्मांध असे संबोधले जाते आणि ख्रिश्चनांना वासनांध . सनातन हि समाजाला जडलेली विकृती आहे. त्यांचे ९० टक्के साधक महाराष्ट्र आणि कर्नाटक राज्यातील मागास भागातून आलेले आहेत . अशा मेंढरांच्या मनोवृत्तीच्या माणसाना पाप पुण्याची भीती दाखवून आणि स्वतःला कृष्णाचा अवतार घोषित करून आठवले हा रामपाल , आसाराम यांच्या प्रमाणेच स्वतःचे प्रस्थ वाढवत आहे. गोव्यासारख्या सुशिक्षित राज्यात असले भोंदू भरभराटीस यावे हि दुर्दैवाची आणि शरमेची बाब आहे.