No Spoofs Please... We're Hindus
You either get it or you don't. Devendra Banhart's solitary claim to fame, at least in pop culture, so far, has been that he's Natalie Portman's ex-boyfriend. On his own, he comes across as a psychedelic rebel looking to affront. He ain't no Allen Ginsberg when it comes to the standard of psychedelic rebels but I thought he was amusing to read at least in this article that he wrote after his break up with Natalie Portman. He's also a songwriter, singer and a musician whose career, well at least I haven't been following.
His new music video for the song Carmensita, from his album Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon, is a spoof of Ramayana and has gotten Hindu Religious scholars all riled up.
The video is actually a spoof of Ramanand Sagar's cheap kitsch from his hugely popular TV program Ramayan which itself was a selective glorification of the original book by Valmiki. The popularity of the TV series was so huge that the entire nation of India "came to a virtual stop as nearly everyone who could gain access to a television stopped what they were doing to watch the televised adventures of Rama". Limca book of Records named it the "world's most viewed mythological serial". So I think its great to spoof it using the same cheap tactics that made people like Arun Govil and Deepika into mini-deities in India. If Hindu Religious scholars find this music video offensive, they need to perhaps look at how kitsch contemporary Indian mainstream entertainment is.
Funny in parts, the spoof isn't as cool as it could be. One of the coolest spoofs of Hindu mythological stories was done by Kundan Shah in his masterpiece film Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro (Who Pays the Piper). He mixes up India's history and mythologies as Draupadi is about to be publicly disrobed after her five husbands have lost her in a game of dice. In the way this twisted plot unfolds, Draupadi is basically a dead body and should not be disrobed. But this secret is only known to those actors who are supposed to take off her sari! In the most comedic reversal of roles, soon the five husbands are demanding that their wife's sari be removed to continue the plot of the Mahabharta as expected. Mayhem ensues as none of the actors are following their intended "roles" and eventually Jalaluddin Akbar, the 16th century king shows up inside the Mahabharta demanding order be restored as Salim and Anarkali play out their own love story.
I know how much this spoof from Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro is loved by many fans of the film so I'm kind of surprised that Hindu Religious scholars are taking offense to Banhart's video. After watching the music video, I'm obviously thinking who are these Hindu Religious scholars that are all riled up? The name that crops up is "Acclaimed Hindu and Indo-American statesman" Rajan Zed. He proclaims:
The images used in the video are revered in Hinduism and are not to be thrown around loosely for dramatic effects. We invite Hollywood to immerse itself in Hinduism, but we ask that actors and actresses, directors and producers take our religion seriously and respectfully. Hindus would gladly provide genuine Hollywood seekers the resources they needed for their study and research. Casual flirting sometimes results in pillaging serious spiritual doctrines and revered symbols and hurting the devotees.
Although the apology (by Portman) might not completely undo the hurt sentiments of the community, but it might help heal somewhat the pain of Hindu populace of the world. Forgiveness is one of the main virtues of Hindu ethics. If Natalie Portman offers a sincere public apology, Hindus would not only absolve her but might also pray for her success in future ventures.
What a load of crap! The first part sounds like Zed is making a bad marketing pitch for Hinduism to Hollywood along with clear instructions on how to do it... seriously and respectfully. He follows that with advice, not to Banhart but to Portman, to apologize (since Portman is more famous than Banhart). His claim that "Forgiveness is one of the main virtues of Hindu ethics" seems to come completely out his own fabrication. Ram didn't forgive Sita and banished her instead. Krishna didn't advice forgiveness to Arjun but egged him to wage war instead. I wonder where he gets that understanding of Hindu ethic. Besides, forgiveness for what? For throwing around these images loosely for dramatic effects? We've been doing that in India for ages and continue to do so.
If twenty five years ago, we could spoof Hindu mythologies in a film sponsored by National Film Development Corporation of India (NFDC) and have a cult film loved by so many, it is worth asking how the political narrative has shifted towards conservatism and stifled our capacity for tolerance since that time. So much for liberty on the march.
In the hands of artists, spoofs can give us masterpieces like Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro or mediocrities like Carmensita. But in the hands of zealots it always eventually results in fundamentalism and violence. Chaplain Zed, we pagans and infidels are happy to spoof and re-interpret our cultural heritage. You either get it or you don't.
