Online Discussion Threats to Creativity and Freedom of Expression
Instructions by Teacher
All students:
Here is attached a brief interview of Javed Akhtar.
There are some rumours about A R Rahman to give
music in an Iranian film on Mohmad Paigambar. It is not permitted under Quran
to portray Mohmad Paigambar in painting or moving picture. If A R Rahman is
involved in such film, it may hurt religious sensibilities of Indian Muslims
and so he is threatened that there may be Fatwa against him.
Secondly, there is a film being planned on the life
of Tipu Sultan - a Muslim ruler of Mysore. It is rumoured that Rajnikant will
play the role of Tipu Sultan. This has hurt religious sensibilities of Hindus.
It is also belived that Tipu was against Tamils and so no Tamil should play any
role in the biopic on Tipu.
Well, the majority exerts their likeness and
prejudices over the minorities and in the process construct a 'culture'. The
said culture is appropriate for the majority and so most of them believe it to be
moral / right / true way of living life. Later on, such way of life is
'naturalised' and justified by mythical stories of brave people belonging to
the majority.
Literary writers, by and large, are part of the
process. At times, literary writers pose a threat or protest to such process.
Such protests of past are not visible today ad history rarely takes notice of
it. But we can read them as they happen while we are living. Observing
contemporary times with spectacles of historical sense makes us aware of such
process.
Here is an example in this small interview. Javed
Akhtar writes that he would rethink several times to write a scene written in
Sholay.
What is that scene? Why would he rethink before
writing of such scenes?
What do you comprehend from the interview?

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