No Truly Learned Person Will Ask Followers For Money
Here's the latest update from the world of Bollywood. We bet you wouldn't want to miss this. Read on for details... MSG on spirituality and the impact of films on society
As a spiritual leader, he has millions of followers. And now, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the head of Dera Sacha Sauda, hopes to translate his immense popularity into box-office success. Ahead of the release of his second film MSG-2 The Messenger, he talks to SpotboyE about using cinema as a tool of social change and much more. Here are the excerpts...
Did you hype the box-office collections of your first film MSG The Messenger of God...
I just wanted the message conveyed through the film to reach everyone. And that did happen. For example, in Nepal, a young man married a prostitute within three days of watching my film. During our recent visit, to provide aid for those affected by the earthquake, 5,100 youngsters promised to quit taking drugs within an hour. It was surprising, considering that it was my first visit to Nepal. I could reach out to the people there only because of that movie. As far as box-office collection is concerned, the producers claim to have made a lot of money.
But the theatres were practically empty...
See, it was the first film for me and the producers, Hakikat Entertainment. So, nobody knew much about promoting and marketing it. And the moment MSG... went into post-production, I started work on the sequel. So, I was clueless about what was happening.
You say MSG-2 is inspired by true events. Please elaborate...
The story is real; we have just added action sequences to it. I once visited a village which was inhabited by over 50,000 adivasis. They used to eat raw meat and force their daughters to get married by the age of 10. Most of these girls would die delivering babies at a tender age. Also, they lived naked, killed each other and drank poisonous liquor. We worked among them for one-and-a-half years and the results were wonderful. They started leading a civilised life. Today, their children attend schools and colleges. The message of my film is simple: If these adivasis can be transformed, why can't us, the so-called civilised people, change for the better?
Why did you get into films?
Sometime ago, I had started sessions to motivate the youth to leave drugs. One day, I noticed that some youngsters, who were regulars, were missing. Later, when I asked them where they had disappeared, the boys hesitatingly replied that they had gone to watch a movie. I wanted to know why they were scared to answer me. They said their parents called movies "bad influence" and had prohibited them from watching any. That is when I decided to make films with a message.
You promote yourself as the Messenger of God. Do you think people will take you seriously?
In 2007, we called seven-eight lakh young people from across the world for a session on what guidelines to follow in life. We advocated blood donation, organ donation, planting trees, etc. In fact, there were 47 rules the kids swore they will abide by. Suddenly, some of them approached me saying, "Guruji, we are ready to obey all your rules, but you have to do something for us. We don't like this white outfit of yours; we want you to dress up in denims and T-shirts." So, it's for my young followers that I changed my look.
Your music is very different from other spiritual leaders'. Are you trying to entice the youth?
I started with classical music in my sat sangs, but very few youngsters used to attend it. The moment I started playing hip-hop, their attendance increased. At the end of the day, the genre of music does not matter. If it can motivate the youth to give up on drugs, then why not? I want to convey my messages in the language that today's world understands.
Why are you performing so many stunts in your film?
There are action sequences in most films these days and we have simply tried to follow that. At the same time, we have tried to do things differently. For example, for a stunt that needs a mallakhamba (pole) for support, we have used a man's head instead. There is also a 360-degree foot fight. I don't know if these have been attempted before, as I don't watch too many films.
You came back with the sequel very soon. Did you stop your humanitarian work?
No matter where I was shooting, I used to meet the local people and resolve their issues. Maybe the scale of work has reduced, but it has never stopped.
Godmen have come under the scanner after the Radhe Maa incident...
It is bound to happen. People will doubt everyone because of a few frauds. But it's also the public's fault as they follow fake spiritual leaders and even give them money. But why? If your guru wants to impart knowledge, why should you pay him? Also, what kind of knowledge can a woman give, who doesn't speak to her followers directly. People should realise whom to believe and not. No truly learned person will ask followers for money. I don't ask for money from anyone. I am an agricultural scientist, automobile and fashion designer all rolled into one. I don't need to take money from my followers.
Will you come up with another film after MSG-2?
People have been raving about Hollywood hit Avatar, which is based on Hanumanji. It is inspired by ancient Hindu scriptures. How earth was made and how 100-feet-tall people existed. My next film will be on that subject. I want to inform the youth that the Vedas have answers for everything in life.
Have other filmmakers approached you?
Yes, many filmmakers -- one from London and the others from India -- have approached me with scripts.
Did you hype the box-office collections of your first film MSG The Messenger of God...
I just wanted the message conveyed through the film to reach everyone. And that did happen. For example, in Nepal, a young man married a prostitute within three days of watching my film. During our recent visit, to provide aid for those affected by the earthquake, 5,100 youngsters promised to quit taking drugs within an hour. It was surprising, considering that it was my first visit to Nepal. I could reach out to the people there only because of that movie. As far as box-office collection is concerned, the producers claim to have made a lot of money.
But the theatres were practically empty...
See, it was the first film for me and the producers, Hakikat Entertainment. So, nobody knew much about promoting and marketing it. And the moment MSG... went into post-production, I started work on the sequel. So, I was clueless about what was happening.
You say MSG-2 is inspired by true events. Please elaborate...
The story is real; we have just added action sequences to it. I once visited a village which was inhabited by over 50,000 adivasis. They used to eat raw meat and force their daughters to get married by the age of 10. Most of these girls would die delivering babies at a tender age. Also, they lived naked, killed each other and drank poisonous liquor. We worked among them for one-and-a-half years and the results were wonderful. They started leading a civilised life. Today, their children attend schools and colleges. The message of my film is simple: If these adivasis can be transformed, why can't us, the so-called civilised people, change for the better?
Why did you get into films?
Sometime ago, I had started sessions to motivate the youth to leave drugs. One day, I noticed that some youngsters, who were regulars, were missing. Later, when I asked them where they had disappeared, the boys hesitatingly replied that they had gone to watch a movie. I wanted to know why they were scared to answer me. They said their parents called movies "bad influence" and had prohibited them from watching any. That is when I decided to make films with a message.
You promote yourself as the Messenger of God. Do you think people will take you seriously?
In 2007, we called seven-eight lakh young people from across the world for a session on what guidelines to follow in life. We advocated blood donation, organ donation, planting trees, etc. In fact, there were 47 rules the kids swore they will abide by. Suddenly, some of them approached me saying, "Guruji, we are ready to obey all your rules, but you have to do something for us. We don't like this white outfit of yours; we want you to dress up in denims and T-shirts." So, it's for my young followers that I changed my look.
Your music is very different from other spiritual leaders'. Are you trying to entice the youth?
I started with classical music in my sat sangs, but very few youngsters used to attend it. The moment I started playing hip-hop, their attendance increased. At the end of the day, the genre of music does not matter. If it can motivate the youth to give up on drugs, then why not? I want to convey my messages in the language that today's world understands.
Why are you performing so many stunts in your film?
There are action sequences in most films these days and we have simply tried to follow that. At the same time, we have tried to do things differently. For example, for a stunt that needs a mallakhamba (pole) for support, we have used a man's head instead. There is also a 360-degree foot fight. I don't know if these have been attempted before, as I don't watch too many films.
You came back with the sequel very soon. Did you stop your humanitarian work?
No matter where I was shooting, I used to meet the local people and resolve their issues. Maybe the scale of work has reduced, but it has never stopped.
Godmen have come under the scanner after the Radhe Maa incident...
It is bound to happen. People will doubt everyone because of a few frauds. But it's also the public's fault as they follow fake spiritual leaders and even give them money. But why? If your guru wants to impart knowledge, why should you pay him? Also, what kind of knowledge can a woman give, who doesn't speak to her followers directly. People should realise whom to believe and not. No truly learned person will ask followers for money. I don't ask for money from anyone. I am an agricultural scientist, automobile and fashion designer all rolled into one. I don't need to take money from my followers.
Will you come up with another film after MSG-2?
People have been raving about Hollywood hit Avatar, which is based on Hanumanji. It is inspired by ancient Hindu scriptures. How earth was made and how 100-feet-tall people existed. My next film will be on that subject. I want to inform the youth that the Vedas have answers for everything in life.
Have other filmmakers approached you?
Yes, many filmmakers -- one from London and the others from India -- have approached me with scripts.
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