The Indian government is considering banning the film “Da Vinci Code”; the movie and book claiming that Jesus married Mary Magdalene and then had kids. The I&B Ministry has said that clearance will not be given to the movie till it is screened before the Catholic Churches' Association of India (CCAI).
For once I find myself agreeing with the Catholic Church because I too agree that the screening of the Da Vinci Code should be banned in India and all across. Because, once released, it’s sure to hurt my and a few other’s sentiments and beliefs, quite significantly. Because the movie and the book seem to propagate the theory that there was actually some person in blood called Jesus Christ. I, like a few other skeptics, hold on to the view that he was more a product of myth and propaganda. For those interested, please read this. So this is my sincere plea to the Indian government and the censor board to ban screening of the movie.
One thing I am perplexed with is why all the sentiments are getting hurt now, while the book has been around for years? By the way, the book and the movie have offered an unique opportunity: I for one will be one of the very few literate people in the world to have escaped “Da Vinci Code” either in print or on the screen.
4 comments:
Shivaji,
I am afraid that I disagree with I&B Ministry's this decision. An author with such a stature as Dan Brown's won't intend to generate irrelevant controversy through his writing. I read the novel last July a week before I was going to Rome and The Vatican City. In my overzeal I also read a follow-up book named Cracking Da Vinci Code by some other authors. Here is why I think the book and movie should be approved.
As said, geniuses need not be perfect but they make people think differently. I think Dan Brown's creativity was not in bashing Catholic Church. He nicely blended several facts with fiction. Did common readers even know what relationship could there be between Da Vinci and Monalisa ? Did they even notice that Mary Magdalena could be in the painting, Last Supper. Even nice little things about human anatomy were highlighted.
He appropriately quoted references to his claims. He was not the first one to claim something about The Holy Grail and similarly on any other controvertial parts. I want to give him credit that he bothered to do literature survey and talk to so many religious leaders. Not only is his book but many theological information he used have been there for long time.
Dan Brown had the right to express his opinions and readers have right not to read his novel. I was expecting a tolerance to writers' opinions at least in India. Amarya Sen makes a good case in his recent book,Argumentative Indian, why we should encourage criticism as well as tolerance to others opinions in our society.
Dhiman
I agree with Dhiman. I must say, it's a novel well written and personally I like Dan Brown’s work. His novels are very griping. His novels create a sort of an addiction which virtually forces you to complete it. I won’t comment on the controversy thing but I am also waiting for the Movie “Da Vinci Code” eagerly.
I dont't understand why you guys are protesting against the release of the movie..
The book has been out in the country for a pretty long time and I did not even hear a single protest then....What difference does the movie make????
BTW I ve been reading your blog for quite sometime now and I it's pretty good :))
@Navin
Thanks Navin.. I was never against the release of the movie. Only thing is that if there was a case for the movie being banned based on the Catholic demand, there was a case for banning it for my demand too
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