Dear Mr Hirani,
Congratulations on making another excellent movie and continuing your tradition of putting across a very deep point for our society. I simply loved watching PK, just as I have loved watching all your other movies. I laughed and laughed and laughed as I watched the alien PK trying to understand the different nuances of our customs, traditions, religion, faith etc. It is certainly funny to watch it from another’s perspective.
Even my 8 year old daughter, who has grown up in US and has not really been exposed to all our culture, was laughing away. She enjoyed the movie thoroughly just like she had enjoyed 3 Idiots – another one of your extremely well directed movies with a very relevant message.
I truly do not want you to stop here. Please continue making such movies. Can I suggest the subjects for your next ventures? It would be great to see such a satire on the Indian Christian culture – how the missionaries are making fools out of innocent Indians and making them give up their roots, the totally “behind the veil” sexual (mis)conduct of the so called Fathers or priests, and so on.
How about a satire on the Indian Muslim culture, after all it is the second largest followed religion in India. It would be really funny to watch how the culture of “fear” and “brain washing” and “blind following” exists in that culture. I am sure both these will make a very funny subject.
I am sure these communities are as largehearted as the Hindus and will surely laugh along.
There are flaws in every society, every culture, every religion. The strength of a society, culture and human being lies in their capacity to see these flaws, laugh at them, and perhaps see how they can be improved upon. By laughing at the flaws in my culture, traditions etc does not make me any less “Hindu” or “Indian”.
Having said that, I would like to point out that the Indian society is not made up of just one culture. A number of cultures, religions exist there. Hence, Mr Hirani, I would sincerely request that you take the lead to expose the flaws in the other cultures too. Make them the prime subject of your movie and not just make a passing reference to them, while totally degrading the culture which belongs to the majority of Indian population. In doing so you are not only down playing the faith of a majority of Indians in India and abroad, but also making them feel almost ashamed of their roots.
For any community to survive and thrive, the first step is to feel proud of their identity. They should not be made to feel like rejecting their roots. I agree that we need to face reality, which is why I already mentioned that I truly appreciate your efforts. However, we need to see that there are flaws in other cultures too, that will give us the “assurance” that it is a collective problem and not something that exists only in one religion or culture. We don’t have to reject one and embrace another because of some flaws – we have to be able to see the flaws in the other too.
Bollywood has seriously been lacking in doing this. In fact, it only makes heroes out of the other cultures.
I truly hope you can take lead on this and give us something different to chew on. Only you can make a serious subject digestible with such wonderful easy going comedy.
Your fan,
Sanjana
My Tryst With Destiny 
Well written
Very well written and I am agree with you Sanjana ..yesterday I thought of NOT jumping in the mess of PK, and I thought why the heck I’ll waste my time and energy but after reading your mature comment like an educated learned person I just can’t stop myself to comment on your post because the best thing is you are not “Loud to be Hurd ”
I like specially where you mentioned “” For any community to survive and thrive, the first step is to feel proud of their identity. They should not be made to feel like rejecting their roots. I agree that we need to face reality, which is why I already mentioned that I truly appreciate your efforts. However, we need to see that there are flaws in other cultures too, that will give us the “assurance” that it is a collective problem and not something that exists only in one religion or culture. We don’t have to reject one and embrace another because of some flaws – we have to be able to see the flaws in the other too.””
Yes you are right ,,,,these guys should understand before making such films although I haven’t watched it but I can feel that it hurt many people .
Hope your open letter will reach to such money making selfish people :-))
Asia Naqvi.
The movie PK ..
Was it intentional in script?
I don’t think so.
Could it have handled superstition / blind-faith / corrupted morals better? Sure it could have.
Was it a good entertainer ? .. Ya, in parts
Who will it benefit the most apart from the filmmaker of course ? You tell me ..
Will it detract anyone from diving into the depth of Hindu Scriptures / Vedas, etc? Ya it very well might do that the young generation who anyway have such a strong bias against anything religious, Gurus, superstition ..
If anyone can make fun of a Brahmin Choti, one cn make fun of the ridiculous practice of Circumcision — What is that? In the name of Allah almighty, I offer up the skin of my genital organ?
Religious Ideologies across the world have 3 parts
1) Religious Beliefs and a central figure around which the story evolves
2) Spiritual Values & Practices
3) Symbols, Rituals
At least all major religions have story telling and enacting as a way of preserving & passing down through generation the core beliefs and values. It is done through music, drama and festivities that mark important calendar dates.
I will call out a religion that says Music is Haram, that women are 2nd class objects to be owned .. and that non-believers are to be decimated by any means .. Hateful Free-Speech & Democracy are to be used to destroy that which has given much personal Freedom and Free-Speech in the first place ! Irony indeed.
Given today’s undercurrents in society and world around, the treatment should have attacked superstition and blind-faith in all major religions of the world .. Why was Stone-throwing at the Pillar in Mecca not addressed? Why was circumambulation of the Kaba 7 times not mentioned? Lighting candles in church?
I take objection to the statement — “Jo Dar Gaya Woh Mandirva Gaya” .. if it is not accompanied by “Jisne Bomb Phoda Woh Kahaan Gaya?” or more importantly .. “Kahaan Se Aaya Tha?, Kaunsi Kaum Ka Tha?”
I’d have liked for Mr. Hirani to say something against the likes of Dr. Zakir Naik and Asaduddin Owaisi / Akbarudding Owaisi / Guy who recently went on to rant that he’ll butcher Modi should conversionist RSS come to his town .. Has history been forgotten about how much conversion has happened the other way?
Hirani’s movie is likely inspired by the fall from grace of Swami Nithyananad , Asaram Bapu, etc. But then by the same token why ignore what is happening in churches – raping of Nuns, sodomy of young boys, what’s happening in Madarasas ,, brainwashing of kids to become jihadists, spewing hatred against Hindus non-muslims and denigrating their belief / faith system ..
It was a very one-sided attack. That is objectionable.
A Sikh Guru was boiled to death in Oil.
We have been very tolerant. Too tolerant for far too long. Just as an example – Don’t forget Babri Masjid Ayodhya Temple issue. Inch by Inch, someone is gaining ground … We are too soft for too long. Too accepting. We do not promote ourselves. Our Gurus need protection as they protect us. Our children need the right kind of doctrination. We need to inculcate pride in our culture in our children. And our perceived “others” also need to do that.
We have had great Gurus as well who have given the Gyaneshwari .. Geeta, that contain Highest knowledge of the Self. The more I think about it, I find Hirani’s movie to be irresponsible even if unintentional and meant to be a light entertainer & supposedly insightful from an Alien-perspective.
Neanderthals simply got breeded out by the homo-sapiens.
You are right. We are NOT united. Now lets use this movie and become so among ourselves first.
Jai HIND !
Jai Bharat !
Jai Veda Bhoomi !
Har’ Har’ Gange !
You sound like a moron….looks like your comments are meant to spoil the essence of this letter!
A very well written letter!! I wish this is spread as much as possible..
Mr Hirani Sir, Congratulations on making another excellent movie. Please continue making such movies.
I would like to add here: Pointing out flaws or showing some fraud cases is good but why don’t you show the good & scientific side of it as well. Why cant Bollywood be fair enough in criticizing and appreciating the whole tradition & culture? Who gave them moral right to criticize and put the faith & beliefs of thousands people pervading from thousands years old down?
It is not a new concept if there are sweets, there will be ants or flies around. Honey comes out of one such creature of this world. Lotus is born out of a mud. Why Bollywood is so pessimistic in focusing their camera in only negative side of it and that too (most importantly) in only Hinduism?
Few Examples: Giving water to the rising Sun through the palm of a hand is so scientific as it helps a person’s eyesight to be maintained & in some cases, to be better. Why? – Figure it out. 🙂 It is so simple to comprehend with any logical brain.
Doing ‘Yagya’ with cow dung cakes & ghee purifies the environment, mind etc with the fire/smoke coming out of it.
Chanting like ‘Gayantri Mantra’ , ‘Om Namah Shivaye’, etc is so powerful and even scientist has come out of some evidence of its impact on humans’ nervous system, etc.
‘OM’ is the universal sound; which was also mentioned by one of the american doctor in his book which he experienced during his coma period.
Has Bollywood being totally left out with the right source of the facts & research documents?
Ok, let us say, they would have ignored these facts; cant they see, world is getting tortured through terrorism and so many other serious social abuses in the name of a religion?
We all know, terrorism has no religion. But how about people doing it claiming that it is mentioned in their religious scriptures? Why Bollywood are not taking responsibility of bringing such a strong & clear message to the world showcasing that any sort of inhuman act is no way to any God, whatsoever form it is worshiped to and whatsoever religion it belongs to?
Please be fair enough in showing ‘Raavan’ & ‘Raam’ in your movies [P.S. They both were born as HIndu Brahamin & Scholar. 🙂 ]
Jai Gurudev!
Shyam Alok
Also, please be noted of the points, Bollywood makers locks the profit of crores; and crores are spent in their shows/events/ theaters, etc. Crores are the paid off amount for the main star cast in the movie. There is no questions on these income/expenses and they share hardly anything of their part to help eradicate poor with education, food, cloth, homes, etc. And they are questioning to temples about it?
Why pick Hinduism only to criticize?
The answer is simple and obvious. The movie will not even release if it was any other community, or at-least half the movie will be cut and will lose the entire story-line when released.
Congratulation Hirani. Well, Every one uses there knowledge to gain benefits from less knowledge person in any field. As per my understanding business in the name of “God” should be fine to some extent. Because this is only place where, new birth will take place for Hope, when the their is no hope actually technically.
Bravo!!!