Comparison : The Movie 'PK' Directed by Rajkumar Hirani and the Prose Satire 'A Tale of a Tub' Written by Jonathan Swift.

Topic : Identify any one movie/web series/song/poem/novel which talks about the sensitive topic like religion. Write in brief about it and explain what kind of questions are raised through that work.

Answer : First things first, let us have a brief introduction to 'A Tale of a Tub' by a Neo-Classical satirist Jonathan Swift who composed this prose satire between 1694 and 1697 and published in 1704. It is cherished as the most difficult yet the masterpiece of Swift.

We can also find certain movies in Hindi Cinematography which sardonically criticize the prevailing dogmas and notions of several religious institution, either of any particular nation or of all across the world.

One such example we can take for comparison to the prose satire, is 'PK' movie which was released in 19th December, 2014, directed by Rajkumar Hirani in India.

First, let us observe how religion is treated in 'A Tale of a Tub.'

(1) The 'Tale' seems to criticize the core Roman Catholic Church and the later bifurcations from it - The Anglican Church, and The Protestant or Dissenters.

(2) It deals with the allegorical representation of the Bible, God the Father, and the religious and spiritual rites performed in three aforementioned churches.

(3) Hyperbole : Radically exaggerates existing situations to show innate ridiculousness or weakness. The narrator uses hyperbole throughout his tale, describing preachers so fiery that they can light their own way home at night and so full of wind that they puff up like balloons.

Now, let us go through the concise discussion of the movie we have taken to compare to the prose satire, which is 'PK.'

The fascinating thing about the film is its equal treatment to each major religious institution; be it Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity.

Another notable article deals with the topic of religion in the movie is : Issue 1 The 2015 International Conference on Religion and Film in Istanbul,

Article 9,

1-4-2016

Films and Religion: An analysis of Aamir Khan’s PK

Monisa Qadri

Islamic University of Science and Technology, Jammu and Kashmir, India, monisa.qadri@islamicuniversity.edu.in

Sabeha Mufti

MERC University of Kashmir, J & K, India, sabehamufti@yahoo.com

Religious Sensitivities in India and Controversies on Films about Religion :-

Religion forms a very sensitive issue in India as there is a low threshold for ‘religious  sensibilities being hurt’ and ‘intolerance’ as has been witnessed in the form of communal hostilities leading to deaths of hundreds of thousands during various physical realities and happenings. Consequently, media portrayals about religion and religious identities are often cautiously carried out whether that is in any genre; news, advertising or cinema. India has had a history of outrageous responses and intolerant behaviour against ‘controversial’ cinematic projections of religions, of which PK (Peekay), released in December 2014, is the latest case.

PK is probably the most discussed movie in such controversies, but it is not the only movie which faced such threats in India in the recent past.3 There are various other films, mostly Hindi that have faced hostilities from different religious organisations, groups and communities for being ‘controversial’ and ‘hurtful’ towards religions, religious symbols, rituals and practices (“Amir Khan’s PK,” Times of India, 2014).

Resource : https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1361&context=jrf

Here are some clips from the movie which ironically seems to be divulging the superfluousness of the three major modern-day religions, namely Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity :

Upon winding up the discussion, it would be apt to say that the film 'PK' and Swift's famous prose satire 'A Tale of a Tub' hold one quality in common - the ironical treatment of the massive religious institutions and debunk the superficiality of the religions taken into consideration.

Thank you!

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