Tag Archives: bollywood

Lunching in Bollywood – Again!

Posted on by Standard 17

Admittedly, I really enjoy my Bollywood lunch breaks in fact, I actually find myself in conversations doing the head ‘bobble’. While it may take a week to finish a film, I have two that I must share, both produced by Aamir Kahn, both starring an endearing teen actress, Zaira Wasim.

In 2017, ‘The Secret Superstar’ casts Zaira as a talented young school girl, Insia, who sings her own songs and plays the guitar. Aamir Kahn often presents pressing social issues into story plots and here we find domestic violence and female oppression. Under her father’s rule, Insia secretly creates and performs online. I won’t tell you the rest, it is an uplifting family movie which you may want to see. “Nachdi Phira” is a beautiful love song that Insia sings. It’s hardly possible not to like this song!

The year before “Secret Superstar”, 2016, Kahn starred Zaira Wasim in his blockbuster film, ‘Dangal’. The movie dramatically portrays the real life of Mahavir Singh Phogat, an aspiring wrestler whose life lost all joy after abandoning athletics, never reaching his highest goal – the Olympics. Resigned to live a hard working life supporting his wife and two daughters, one day everything changes – determination grips his heart to train his daughters for greatness. Kahn captures the cultural beauty of family commitments, village life, and the challenges of confronting social barriers. ‘Dangal’ ranks in the top 20 of India’s highest grossing films – it is surprisingly engaging, amusing, and suspenseful. Not one boring moment! I will not tell you what happens!

dangal girls training

What really impressed me….

I was intrigued by this award winning teen Zaira Wasim and looked at her real life situation. What I found really surprised me. At the pinnacle of success in 2019, at only 18 years old, she announced a total resignation from acting and entertainment. She pleaded with fans to remove all photos and videos of her, dismantled social media accounts, and scrubbed what was not copyrighted from the internet. Zaira shared her heart and elaborated to those who loved and followed her, in part:

“5 years ago I made a decision that changed my life forever. As I stepped into Bollywood, it opened doors of massive popularity for me…though I may fit here perfectly, I do not belong here.…This field indeed brought a lot of love, support, and applaud my way, but…” Zaira describes how fame and accolades derailed her faith and devotion to Allah and added, “I silently and unconsciously transitioned out of imaan” (her inner peace).

“I continued to put myself in a vulnerable position where it was always so easy to succumb to the environment that damaged my peace, imaan and my relationship with Allah…”

“My sincere advice to everyone is that no amount of success, fame, authority or wealth is worth trading or losing your peace or the light of your ‘imaan’…Success is the accomplishment of the purpose of our creation. We have forgotten the purpose we were created for as we ignorantly continue to pass through our lives; deceiving our consciences…”

zaira pose III

“Though I may fit here perfectly, I don’t belong here…”

I immediately wondered, how many Christians would give up wealth, popularity, and notoriety for their faith? How many Christian leaders secretly covet the spotlight and accolades of their venue and beyond? Do we boast about having a ‘Grammy Award winning’ choir? Doesn’t every mega church now thrive on celebrities – on talented, famed, ‘worship performances’?

I had to search my own heart, do I turn away from everything that would interfere or diminish my relationship with my Savior? Am I willing to follow Him, away from everything in this world, to obey His call and declare to unbelievers that Jesus is worth forsaking all? How much do we care about others’ opinions and approval?

We too may “fit here perfectly” but we don’t belong here. I pray that we, as God’s people, can uproot and guard our hearts from this world. Only separated can we hope to be a beacon that lights the way for others to enter into God’s Kingdom.

I am moved by this young now former actress. Her conscience was pressed and her heart ached to be right before ‘Allah’. She guarded her faith and ‘relationship’ with ‘God’. I pray her diligence takes her further, compels her toward deep and living truths, and leads her to her only Savior, Jesus Christ, who alone is worthy to forsake all.

Lunching in Bollywood

Posted on by Standard 15

Pastor David Wilkerson often spoke of God’s move upon him to rid his home of television. He considered it the turning point of his spiritual life. Similarly, Joseph Allen Ramirez, blogger of Complicated Politics (https://complicatedpoliticsblog.wordpress.com/) recently posted on May 7th a 10 year anniversary of being TV free. I applaud and esteem such believers who choose to “guard their heart” from useless worldly programs that most often offend God.

However, as a retiree, I often schedule an hour lunch break and watch an hour of a movie while eating. A love toward India grew through years in a ministry and my travel there. The ministry has since tragically imploded. Although these films, produced by Aamir Kahn are not Christian, they stir my heart with love and prayer for India. Aamir Kahn is perhaps the most celebrated actor/producer in India today, his movies capture the culture, faith, hardships, and social ills of the Indian people. Music and dance are often woven in seamlessly within a meaty story plot.

laagan pic

Kahn’s first release as a producer was Lagaan in 2001, a highly acclaimed, widely popular film which was nominated for an Academy Award. It is set within a rural Indian village, late 1800’s, with the oppression of British rule. While the story is lodged around a high stakes Cricket game, it is surprisingly enthralling.

What impressed me….

Faith brings light and life to the despair of these villagers and, in one moving scene, they cry out to their adorned Hindu god. It is striking to see hundreds of villagers gather, tearfully bowed, with open arms to heaven singing:

“Oh god, Oh savior…We have no one but you

Ease our troubles lord, we have no one but you

you alone are our sole support, you alone are our guardian,

you have filled the moon with light, the sun shines only because of you…

Oh lord, if not you, who would preserve this life?

Oh savior, we have no one but you

If you would hear us, Oh lord we make this plea

grant the suffering courage, to the weak grant your protection so they may live in peace

you are the lord of the universe, listen to this plea, when the path is dark, give us the boon of light

Oh savior, we have no one but you…”

The solemn prayer and worshipful outpour really impressed me. Yes, Hindu temples are ominous and idolatrous. But the question to my own heart is, does my reverence and worship of the One true God exceed the worship of idols?

Jesus warned that our “righteousness must surpass that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law”. Shouldn’t our worship and reverence exceed that given to idols? Does it?

The weakest part of American Christianity is its most celebrated – worldly ‘worship’, levity and lightness, and utter familiarity with God. The lost religious world, seeing Christianity through that lens, now rejects the marketing of God and the well funded entourages that work the crowd.

Yes, this song is part of a movie, but also a believable representation. Hindu gods are revered and worshiped with sacrifices and adulation. Do they know that Christians are called to “offer your bodies as living sacrifices”? Do we ever appear to “Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling”?

Many love to sing, “I am a Friend of God!” but how often do we exalt Him as a “consuming fire” who “lives in unapproachable light”? The Apostle John, probably Jesus’ closest ‘friend’, “fell at His feet as though dead”.

Perhaps our hearts will stir to pray for our Indian brethren, that their light will cast the truth upon the hearts around them. May the Lord water every seed planted there.

Let not “the rocks cry out” nor idols receive the hearts of man. I admonish myself, knowing that “…the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God”, and pray that my worship of the one true God, our only Savior, grow in holiness worthy for a coming Judge and King.

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