The NETHERWORLD is in controversy for displaying its true color.
“ऊपर सिर पर कनक छत्र, भीतर काले के काले,
शरमाते नहीं हैं जगत में, जाति के नाम पे लड़ने और लड़ाने वाले”
(an excerpt from Ramdhari Singh Dinkar’s ‘Rashmirathi’; purposely changed the last line for its relevance with the article)
Decades ago, one of India’s literary genius penned the above quote, which still reflects the perennial scourge of caste-ism and social inequality in India. Ironically, the country that boasts about its diverse demography is also yearning to find adversaries in the same diversity.
What is even more disturbing is that people in power, who are well-aware of these racial stratifications and its implication on the country’s stability, instead of stopping such menace, are festering it to fulfill their political agendas. Such opportunists do not leave any chance to proliferate their propaganda. And the latest felon in their list is the Creative Industry. Any movie or series that sparks discussion around an ideology are accused of tampering the young minds, instead of finding a positive aspect.
Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, ‘Paatal Lok’ is facing a similar situation whereby some unscrupulous flagbearers of “nationalism’’ want to ban the series for showing the glimpse of hell in our society.
For those who have not seen or read about the series, ‘Paatal Lok’ is among very few that illustrate the current state of rape, race-hate, and bigotry in India. Every frame of the series is inspired by the true-life events, which I am sure many of us may have witnessed in our day to day life.
While the series is garnering a lot of praise from critiques, it has attracted a lot of criticism (or rather say “selective criticism”), especially from the caste conglomerates and political parties. Many community representatives and political figures have filed lawsuits against the maker of the series for hurting their religious sentiments and maligning their image.
The audience, too, is divided into two — some are praising it for its accurate portrayal of the society we live in today, while others are criticizing it for offending their beliefs. I, too, had my share of disagreement with the series, but from a creative perspective. I was expecting a heroic ending, but I appreciate the writer’s approach to keep it subtle and realistic.
As shown in the series, most will agree that the Northeast Indians have always been the subject of racial stereotyping. But I find it rather unfair to create unnecessary controversy for the use of a ‘foul word’ and ignore the makers’ intention to create a character as innocent and vulnerable as ‘Cheeni’, who we sympathize with and want out of the hell she has been dragged.
Similarly, ‘Kabir and his family’ story is so real and depicts how Muslims are viewed around the world. I do not want to touch the terrorism associated with Islam, but anti-Muslimism is not new in India. I was stunned to see the train scene because I, myself, had seen the same thing where a co-passenger actually puked when a Muslim man opened his tiffin box to eat his lunch. Isn’t it unfair to judge a person for their eating preferences and choice of clothing?
The most hypocritical statement came from a representative of a Sikh committee, who charged the makers for degrading their religion by showing a Sikh man raping an elderly Sikh woman but very conveniently ignored the scene of a young child’s sexual assault by an adult in the same series. Both crimes are similar, yet one is labeled as derogatory while the other is assumed fictional by default. I wonder if the nature of the crime should now be viewed in the light of religion.
“Rape is not prominent in any one religion or community; neither rapists belong to a particular group, so please rise above and beyond your religious belief and be a human first.”
While it is a serious offense to use one’s picture without their permission, taking this as an opportunity to call the makers anti-nationals and anti-Hindus, is even more disgraceful. Though these “selective criticisms” are coming from people of different communities, they are the members of the same political party.
Among all these controversies around creative content, I do agree sometimes even the makers use their artistry to portray their biased beliefs on the name of realism. Nevertheless, one must not forget that no matter how pious a community or religion is, there is always some evil among us and within ourselves. The series ‘Paatal Lok’ merely tries to display a mirror image of the world around us, and I believe their intention is not to demean or degrade any fraction of the society.
To sum up, hell is supposed to be hell, and any expectation of decency in the hell is irrational. So, watch it if you have not! If you have already, then watch it again, not with the replaced words or modified scenes, but with a changed mindset.
