Anurag Kashyap has once again made headlines with his candid remarks, this time addressing the recent inauguration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Speaking at an event in Kolkata, the renowned filmmaker didn’t hold back, describing the ceremony as nothing more than a political “advertisement” strategically placed amidst the news cycle.
In his characteristic blunt manner, Kashyap likened the grand event to a 24-hour commercial break, emphasizing his firsthand experience of the commercialization of religion while growing up in Varanasi. He argued that the Ram temple, often portrayed as a symbol of faith, has been exploited for political gains rather than genuine spiritual significance.
He said,
“What happened on January 22 was an advertisement. That’s how I see it. Like the kind of advertisements that play between the news, this was a 24-hour ad. One of the key reasons why I am an atheist is because I was born in Varanasi. I was born in the city of religion, I’ve seen the business of religion very closely. You call it the Ram Mandir, but it was never a Ram Mandir. It was Ram Lalla’s temple, and the entire country can’t tell the difference.”
Reflecting on the state of contemporary society, Anurag Kashyap expressed concerns about the erosion of democracy, warning against the manipulation of information through algorithmic control.
He continued and said,
“Someone one said, ‘Religion is the last resort of the scoundrel’. When you have nothing left to give, you turn towards religion. I’ve always called myself an atheist because I saw growing up, hopeless people would go to temples to ask for salvation like there’s some kind of button that they could push and erase all their problems… What is the reason why there are no movements? People are scared to be seen…”
He criticized the tendency for people to turn to religion in times of despair, highlighting his own atheistic stance and his observation of individuals seeking solace in temples as a misguided form of salvation.
Furthermore, Anurag Kashyap lamented the lack of meaningful collective action, attributing it to a culture of fear and complacency. He urged for a shift in focus from futile intellectual debates to constructive action, emphasizing the need to channel energy into productive endeavors rather than engaging in fruitless conflicts perpetuated by those in power. He concluded by stating that,
“And while your energy is going into tearing down posters, they have thousands of other methods to do what they want to. We’re wasting our time by starting intellectual arguments. I tell them, ‘You’re right, now let me do my work’. All our energy is going into these meaningless fights, and that’s how they’re keeping us engaged. We think we’re fighting, but we’re doing nothing. We’ve been tricked into their trap.”
Kashyap cautioned against falling into the trap of distractions orchestrated by authorities, urging individuals to remain vigilant and focused on meaningful pursuits rather than being ensnared in trivial disputes.
