Bharati Dubey (MID-DAY; December 31, 2014)

Rajkumar Hirani has broken his silence on the ongoing protests by Sangh Parivar outfits against his film, PK, which takes a hardhitting dig at organised religion, god and godmen.

Apart from vandalising theatres in different parts of the country, the protestors have registered police complaints and called for a ban on the film alleging it mocks deities and its contents are “highly provocative”.

Appealing for peace, Hirani has clarified that PK has been inspired by the ideas and lives of Saint Kabir and Mahatma Gandhi. In a statement he says, “It is a film which brings to fore the thought that all humans who inhabit this planet are the same. In fact, I have the highest respect for the concept of advait or oneness of all humans, which is central to Indian culture, thought, and religion. It saddens me to think that a film that upholds this great Hindu principle is accused of being disrespectful to Hinduism.”

In spite of the controversies, PK has managed to garner good collections at the box office.
The filmmaker, however, has pleaded to the protestors to stop disrupting shows. “I appeal to the groups protesting against our film to see the film in totality and not just isolated scenes. I believe in the great Hindu idea of vasudhaiva kutumbakam (the whole world is one family). All religions teach us brotherhood and love. The film intends to uphold such thoughts,” he adds.

Thanking the “millions of deeply religious people” for giving a thumbs up to his film, Hirani says, “The film, in fact, upholds the spirit of true religiosity and condemns only the abuse of it.”