Unsettling thoughts over RNBDJ

Soumyajit Ghose
Films have a lasting impact over me especially when it essentially tries to define any particular relationship with a new perspective. As part of the popular belief, films are considered reflection of our cultures, traditions, behavioral patterns, thoughts and actions. Sometimes it also reflects the ambiguity that an individual undergoes in various real life situations. This ambiguity not only perturbs my thoughts but also intervenes into the intrinsic beliefs so as to affect a crossover of reflections.

I happened to view a movie named “Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi”, a typical Shah Rukh Khan movie. The movie was typical in the sense that Shah Rukh is famous for emotional, romantic themes in his movies.

However, the cause for my unsettled thought was the concept of the movie wherein the lead character Suri views “Rab” or God in his wife, the female lead of the movie, Tani. I was perturbed over the fact that how can someone view the Almighty in his own wife. Given the fact that God or Almighty exists in every life form in accordance with the scriptures, why is not the male lead in the film able to view the Almighty in other people also. Is he so much entranced so as to view the Almighty in only his wife and not in any other life forms? Viewing the Almighty or God in others is like attaining the highest level of thought wherein the human being is completely disillusioned to the core. Showcasing the value in the film is indeed appreciative while its narrow definition – limiting it to the wife only – is really disheartening.

The character in the movie attributes his beliefs, prayers to his love, his wife. Love has been attributed with anything and everything positive. Some of the philosophers and poets have also attributed love to the Almighty. In accordance with the Hindu Philosophy, God or Almighty is considered absolutely pure and is the major source of disillusionment. Since, the female form in this world is universally considered as representative of “Maya” or Illusion. How can Suri’s wife in the film be only identified with God or the Almighty?

The Upanishads in its writings talks about “Twat Vam Asi”. It means that ‘thou have the spark’ or in other words a spark of the divine resides in our self i.e in every life form including me. In other words the Almighty already exists in all life forms – men, women and all. It is beyond my understanding why the movie has to specifically highlight the universal truth about God or Almighty to define a simple Husband and Wife relationship in the film. It seems the concept of the movie was designed to encash upon the complete dearth of knowledge in this regard among the youngsters who are responsible in making the film super successful. Not to forget it is Shah Rukh Khan’s youth fans who make his films a Superhit.

The film is one of most successful films of the year 2008, despite the fact that the film introspects into a complex concept. Moreover, the film goes on to highlight the intricacies of husband-wife relationship through the lens of spiritualism. The conditioning of love with abstract concepts thoroughly disintegrates my rational thought and continues to be so whenever the song “Tujhme Rab Dikta Hai” (I visualize the Almighty in you) is played around my ears.