Thread for movies depicting Christian characters in Indian movies

[ashdoc]

This is a thread to describe in very short words some movies depicting lives of the Christian community of India . Some movies have indeed been made with many christian characters and showcasing their community .

Before starting---some of my thoughts about the christian community of India .

The Christian community of India is characterised by it's forwardness compared to other communities of India . The women have always been bolder than other Indian women , wearing exposing western clothes even when India was in the depths of socialism and backwardness in the fifties and sixties . Their lifestyle was comparatively westernised , with dancing and parties in the western style and a piano in every house . For this reason , in the era before Indian city women began to get westernised , movies always used to show a christian girl as the dancer in a club for example . Drinking and smoking was also common in the Christian community including women when other Indians used to shy away from it because of sheer backwardness and religious restrictions of conservative households . Not surprisingly , the partly christian state of Goa became the party capital of India attracting westerners in the hordes .

However with the rise of right wing political parties in India from the nineties onwards , the Christian community began to be accused of two things .
First , there were accusations that Christians are trying to convert Indians to their religion . That foreign foundations were paying the lower castes of hindus money to convert them to Christianity . These accusations peaked when India was ruled by the Congress party between 2004 to 2014---whose leader was Mrs Sonia Gandhi , who is a roman catholic of Italian origin .
The other accusation was that their real loyalty is to Christian majority countries like USA or European countries and not to India at all .

In answer to these accusations I would like to state that successive censuses of India have shown that the Christian population of India is dwindling as percentage of Indian population , and so the efforts of missionaries have been singularly failures , if those attempts are indeed large scale at all---something that is doubtful .
And Christians have never been caught doing anti India activities like terrorism or spying for any western country . In fact Christians have been among the most law abiding communities in India . Many Christians have joined the armed forces and laid their lives for the country . Communal riots have not happened in areas where Christians are in large numbers .

[sgars]

In Bollywood, Christians are portrayed as drunkards. Just like Madrasis were portrayed as Aiyaiyo and idli sambar.

[kkkk]

Originally Posted by ashdoc

That foreign foundations were paying the lower castes of hindus money to convert them to Christianity . These accusations peaked when India was ruled by the Congress party between 2004 to 2014---whose leader was Mrs Sonia Gandhi , who is a roman catholic of Italian origin .
The other accusation was that their real loyalty is to Christian majority countries like USA or European countries and not to India at all .

In answer to these accusations I would like to state that successive censuses of India have shown that the Christian population of India is dwindling as percentage of Indian population , and so the efforts of missionaries have been singularly failures , if those attempts are indeed large scale at all---something that is doubtful .
And Christians have never been caught doing anti India activities like terrorism or spying for any western country . In fact Christians have been among the most law abiding communities in India . Many Christians have joined the armed forces and laid their lives for the country . Communal riots have not happened in areas where Christians are in large numbers .

It cannot be denied that there have been active attempts at conversions. I know of instances in rural and backward areas of Maharashtra where the missionaries would set up relief camps and only help those who converted. I have seen people brainwashed so much that they would also kneel in hindu temples and pray exactly how they do in churches.

Having said that, I agree terrorism and overt communal tensions were not involved.

[kkkk]

Most famous christian bollywood character then - Anthony Gonsalves!

[sgars]

Originally Posted by ashdoc

This is a thread to describe in very short words some movies depicting lives of the Christian community of India . Some movies have indeed been made with many christian characters and showcasing their community .

Before starting---some of my thoughts about the christian community of India .

The Christian community of India is characterised by it's forwardness compared to other communities of India . The women have always been bolder than other Indian women , wearing exposing western clothes even when India was in the depths of socialism and backwardness in the fifties and sixties . Their lifestyle was comparatively westernised , with dancing and parties in the western style and a piano in every house . For this reason , in the era before Indian city women began to get westernised , movies always used to show a christian girl as the dancer in a club for example . Drinking and smoking was also common in the Christian community including women when other Indians used to shy away from it because of sheer backwardness and religious restrictions of conservative households . Not surprisingly , the partly christian state of Goa became the party capital of India attracting westerners in the hordes .

However with the rise of right wing political parties in India from the nineties onwards , the Christian community began to be accused of two things .
First , there were accusations that Christians are trying to convert Indians to their religion . That foreign foundations were paying the lower castes of hindus money to convert them to Christianity . These accusations peaked when India was ruled by the Congress party between 2004 to 2014---whose leader was Mrs Sonia Gandhi , who is a roman catholic of Italian origin .
The other accusation was that their real loyalty is to Christian majority countries like USA or European countries and not to India at all .

In answer to these accusations I would like to state that successive censuses of India have shown that the Christian population of India is dwindling as percentage of Indian population , and so the efforts of missionaries have been singularly failures , if those attempts are indeed large scale at all---something that is doubtful .
And Christians have never been caught doing anti India activities like terrorism or spying for any western country . In fact Christians have been among the most law abiding communities in India . Many Christians have joined the armed forces and laid their lives for the country . Communal riots have not happened in areas where Christians are in large numbers .

The Christians across India are probably more diverse than Hindus. The forward ness or westernization you have mentioned apply more to Anglo Indians and somewhat lesser to Goans. And Goans and Parsis were westernized by being in close contact with British in Mumbai. Else, Christians in Kerala have practices almost like Hindus.

Coming to Hindutva rise leading to anti Christian sentiment, it is more a tool to counter Sonia G. Before 93, there was hardly any anti Christian statement from Hindutva forces. In 93, there were widespread reports of atrocities against Christians in Pakistan. There were protests by Christian organizations in n India outside Pakistan embassy. Strangely first reports of Hindutva forces targeting Christians started then. Face if this was Dilip Singh Judeo in MP ( now Chhatisgarh). Did ISI infiltrate VHP and provoke such activity?

More conspiracy theories later.

[sarv_shaktimaan]

Originally Posted by sgars

More conspiracy theories later.

a handful of drunkards pelt stones on a church in New Delhi .. and Right Wing Hindutva forces are against Christians .. one reckless immature senile christian who was ex-chief of Mumbai Police started crying on national TV .. their ass burnt so bad when BJP won in 2014. Intolerance level jumped exponentially by 2-3 stray "non-communal" incidents.

it's like .. a mallu christian named Jose Jacob (darker than P.T. Usha) visiting Hariwdwar was knifed by pickpockets when he tried to resist being mugged.. Delhi's English media wrote national headlines.. "Christian man attacked in Hindu Holy city"

Their Convent school syndicate won't even allow a couple days off on Hindu festival of Diwali.. no holiday on rakhi either. But what to say Hindus are the biggest hypocrites.. we still long for convent education.

[Sane Less]

Thought this thread was for movies depicting christians... not social inconveniences

Some movies that come to mind,

Julie... of course
Ankhiyon ke Jharokhon se
Majboor... for the famous phir na kehna Michael daru pee ke dhanga karta hai
Baaton Baaton Mein... who else but Pearl Padamsee and Amol Palekar
Bobby... Prem Nath in a handkerchief

[kalidas]

Originally Posted by Sane Less

Thought this thread was for movies depicting christians... not social inconveniences

f

It is my belief that Ashdoc started this thread with one thought and ended it with another. His brain drifted from movies to culture to social injustices ... and a bit about terrorism for added effect.

Rating: 2 1/2 stars out of 5.

[ashdoc]

Originally Posted by Sane Less

Thought this thread was for movies depicting christians... not social inconveniences

Some movies that come to mind,

Julie... of course
Ankhiyon ke Jharokhon se
Majboor... for the famous phir na kehna Michael daru pee ke dhanga karta hai
Baaton Baaton Mein... who else but Pearl Padamsee and Amol Palekar
Bobby... Prem Nath in a handkerchief

you forgot 'kabhi haan kabhi naa'

[sgars]

Originally Posted by Sane Less

Thought this thread was for movies depicting christians... not social inconveniences

Some movies that come to mind,

Julie... of course
Ankhiyon ke Jharokhon se
Majboor... for the famous phir na kehna Michael daru pee ke dhanga karta hai
Baaton Baaton Mein... who else but Pearl Padamsee and Amol Palekar
Bobby... Prem Nath in a handkerchief

So Premnath is what you remember from Bobby. oh:

It had dimple kapadia in a bikini.

[sarv_shaktimaan]

Oh Maria Oh Maria.. Johnny jab bola tha tum se.. shaadi karegi mujh se... blah blah

All Christians in Bollywood movies talk like .. Man tum ko kya mangta.

[sarv_shaktimaan]

Quirky Parsis And Drunk Christians

for once I agree with Outlook..

Hindi movies over the decades have offered many hoary old stereotypes of minority communities. There are the Parsis, who used to be offered as comic relief, arriving in a grand old car packed with kids and piloted by a bespectacled little man in a black conical hat. There are the Christians, often embodied in plump, stern nurses, saintly priests, or well*meaning but perpetually liquor*soaked uncles. These quick* and* dirty shorthands range from merely shallow to downright offensive, but for better or worse they are part of the filmic vocabulary, frequently pressed into service.

At the same time, there are some films with more to say about members of minority communities, films that delve deeper than stereotypes, films that shed light on some aspects of a community's life and culture, films in which the characters' membership in one group or another may inform their interaction with the universe, but is only one element in the telling of a universal narrative.

read more here: Outlook India article

[ashdoc]

i once had a christian compounder , seventeen years of age . used to wear sexy clothes by indian standards at least . miniskirts shorts etc . she had a boyfriend ( a UPiite hindu ) and they used to smooch in my clinic before i came . many times i used to enter my clinic to the sight of them smooching , and then they would hastily separate with the boy making a quick exit .

i never opposed this because i have the heart of a liberal . in fact i was quite happy at the sight of young couple making out together . but alas...the world around was not so liberal---this is india i am talking about , mired in backwardness . the people from neighbouring shops began to complain to me that she was bringing my clinic in disrepute by her acts and she must be kicked out from her job . threatened to bring up the matter to the secretary of the building that my clinic is situated in ; secretary is the guy who collects the maintainance charge of the properties in the building .

with a heavy heart i had to say goodbye to my christian compounder . like john lennon i wonder why people oppose when couples make love but do nothing when violence occurs ; for example , a man beating his wife . why ? why ?

[sarv_shaktimaan]

That was not backwardness .. that was just plain improper to use your clinic , a place of work for a compounder.. to make love. Christian or not, that BS should not be encouraged. Go do whatever you like where you live or a hotel, but not in my clinic.

Next thing you know the clinic becomes a love joint and allegations of giving place for sexual activities.

[sarv_shaktimaan]

Originally Posted by ashdoc

and then they would hastily separate with the boy making a quick exit

You know how this sounds right ..

If indeed you meant they were having sex in your clinic and you were fine with that.. i donno what to say to you.