Yes its one of biggie and you never get this laught if u watchd it n hindi
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Thanks for the link.
I don't think I know enough about Indian Marxist viewpoints to respond - either here or there.
The crux of the article is his quote about M.N.Roy (whom he quotes as example of the Indian Marxist stance) viewing Hinduism as under-developed and Abrahamic religions as advanced.
I am not sure if AN is representing Indian Marxists appropriately. The likening of Marx to the messiah akin to Abrahamic traditions is a very critical reduction that opponents (eg. Hindutva-vadis give). They like to see Marx as a 'mere' continuation of the Abrahamic tradition - rather than a radical upstager.
DD Kosambi a famous Marxist historian (by whom I should admit I have read only one book) talks about the syncretic nature of Hinduism. While Hindutvavadis hate this, I don't think there is any suggestion that a Abrahamic messiah tradition is viewed as 'progress'. In fact I feel they're more likely to liken it to one of the several simplistic strands that got integrated into the inchoate whole of Hinduism over the centuries.
Given AN's whole criticism is anchored on countering this view - to counter it, it needs someone a wide knowledge of the Indian Marxist intellectual tradition.
That apart, there is little novel in his criticism.
btw what Hindu mendicants in Orissa is he talking about? The only one I recall is the guy taking care of Yuhi Sethu's stolen suitcases in Andhra.
Reading the film as Christian missionaries alone do good - is highly limited. But in his bid to counter he does mention things which are useful to the reader regardless of context.
Like the sadhus' role in the NCM (Nehru records in his autobiography how he feels ambivalent about Gandhi's approach). Nearly no-one mentions Swami Sahajanandha's work in Dalit welfare - so to that extent it is good.
Regarding the RSS' work in the emergency -AN repeatedly mentions this in many of his essays. It is possibly true that the organization contributes like that. But I am reluctant to give it a lot of credit coming from him, because I feel there is a surreptitious attempt to rescue RSS and its eventual agenda - which we all know.
To the extent that he says the disproportionate(?) bad-light in which Kamal portrays Hinduism is reflecting of his personal political point of view - I don't have anything to say at all, except 'ok, so?'. But attributing it the same to Marxist tradition itself and suggesting Kamal is interested in promoting Abrahamic religions is basely.
btw ange pOyi comment pOda solreengaLE naan nallA irukkuRadhu ungaLukku pudikkalaiyA? - comment section pAththeengaLA. Virat Hindus van van-a vandhu irangi irukkAnga :lol2:
Lastly - it is a VERY ordinary film.
My hub pravEsam was in a thread titled Anbe sivam > Mahanadhi. I came in to counter that abachaaram of a claim some 8+ years back :-)
I resent the fact that Anbe Sivam is being analyzed so much. It smacks of superficiality.
I am now beginning to think it is an ominous sign I did not read. A sign of Kamal's waning writing/filmmaking talents. Barring VirumAndi - which too is lesser than his 90s films - he has routinely made films well below his par in the last decade. Anbe Sivam was the first film where he seemed to believe he had given a very good shot and it came out to be what it was.
I don't believe something like that happened earlier.
I look forward to AN's post on Hey Ram.
enna solRaarnu pArppOm :-)