Nanak Shah Fakir: Movie Review

In One Line: "The Guru Nanak biopic is one of the most humbling experiences you’ll have."

 

After a lot of protests, the film has finally hit screens

Harinder Singh Sikka’s maiden production venture, Nanak Shah Fakir has been attracting a lot of attention, and not the good reasons. The film which is a biopic of the Sikh Guru, Nanak Ji, is said to be blasphemous and is supposedly hurtful to the religious sentiments of the Sikh community. I just caught a show of the film, and as Sikh, I want to assure anyone in doubt that I’m, by no means, hurt. 

What’s it about?

The film is the story of the founder of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev Ji. It briefly covers his birth and early years, but focuses more on the journey he took with his friend and disciple Mardana (Arif Zakaria) to various parts of India to spread the divine message. It also briefly dwells into the family and social bonds of Nanak.

What’s hot?
I have a lot to put down here, but let’s just start with the fact that it is the first ever story of a Sikh Guru to be captured on celluloid. I think that effort in itself earns a lot of brownie points. Next is the way the story is narrated by Mardana, the way he sees Nanak and things around them. The film is in tune with the religious tenets. Since idol worship is against Sikh beliefs, portraying a Guru in the human form is prohibited. Accommodating this tenet, the story does not show the face of Nanak even once at any point. Instead, with the use of high-end VFX, Nanak is either shown from behind or emerging from a ray of light as a silhouette or from behind a shear. And surprisingly that does not reduce the grandeur of the character instead makes it more mystic and heavenly. It’s not like other films where you need to see and relate to the character to like him or root for him. The story itself is so impactful that the characters merely become props. Of course, it helps to have brilliant actors like Arif Zakaria, Shraddha Kaul (Nanak’s mother), Adil Hussain and Tom Alter (Sultan) making the characters so believable. Arif and Adil, in particular have done a splendid job as Mardana and Rai Bahadur.

Coming to the music, each time a hymn would start playing I’d have goosebumps all over. The background score was every bit as soothing as it was mystical; Rabaab being the predominant instrument. Well with Oscar winner A R Rahman and Resul Pookutty, I don’t think there could be anything better than this. The best part about Nanak Shah Fakir is that it maintains the authenticity of the time it is set in. Be it the sets, the costumes or the language, everything is very fitting.

What’s not?
The major drawback of the film is that it tries to encompass a lot in a limited time. I felt like certain incidents that needed more attention weren’t done justice to, in order to incorporate more anecdotes. Like the tale of Nanak working at the government ration store where he was blamed of giving more ration to people than they paid for or the time when he first preaches. I feel these incidents required a little more elaboration. But again, for anyone who does not know the story of Nanak, will not really figure that out. Also since we are so accustomed to the 2-2.5-hour movies, this one seemed a bit longer.

What to do?
I met a Tamilian couple at the theatre who knew nothing about Guru Nanak but fell in love with his story. So I guess it’s not just a dream come true for those who’ve grown up listening to tales of Nanak but is also a story which was worth narrating and definitely worth watching. I, for one, have had an extremely humbling experience. You should definitely see it and I'm sure you will experience the same.

Source: bollywoodlife.com

Guru Granth Sahib: An Introduction To Sikh Scripture

The central text of the Sikh religion - the Guru Granth Sahib - is a different kind of scripture. A number of features mark its distinctiveness among the scriptures of the world, including its style, content, history and authority.

One unique aspect of the Guru Granth Sahib relates to its historical development. Unlike the texts of most world religions, Sikh scripture was written and compiled by the prophets of the tradition. In fact, the precedent of Sikh scriptural writing began with the founder and first Guru of the tradition - Guru Nanak (1469-1539). Nearly 1,000 of his compositions have been preserved in the Guru Granth Sahib, and to this day, some of his writings are included among the daily prayers of the Sikhs. On the basis of references within the text and other early literature, traditional Sikh interpretations consider the scriptural writings to be revealed. For instance, one of Guru Nanak's compositions translates as: "I have spoken as You have caused me to speak." Another proclaims: "I express the speech of the Divine as it comes to me."

For Sikhs, these references serve as evidence of revelation and give the Guru Granth Sahib a level of Divine authority. As the Sikh tradition developed over the 16th and 17th centuries, so did the scriptural corpus. Six of the 10 Gurus contributed to the canon, and in compiling the scriptures, the Gurus took an unprecedented step by collecting and including writings of religious thinkers from a variety of backgrounds (e.g., social, regional, professional). These diverse backgrounds highlight the tradition's inclusive worldview. For example, the Guru Granth Sahib does not just include the compositions of the Sikh Gurus; it also contains the words of Sufi Muslims and low-caste Hindus.

According to traditional interpretations, these writings share the same message, ideology and spirit expressed by the Sikh Gurus, and furthermore, their inclusion reflects the Sikh belief that anyone can experience the Divine, no matter their context or background. The Guru Granth Sahib is written in a unique script - Gurmukhi - and incorporates a number of different languages, including Persian, Punjabi, and Braj. Sikh traditions explain that these languages were purposefully selected to make the message more accessible - by using popular languages that diverse communities could understand, the Gurus created a scripture that catered to the masses.

Before he passed away in the early 18th century, the 10th Sikh Guru - Guru Gobind Singh (1666-1708) - conferred the authority of the Sikh tradition to two distinct institutions: Guru Khalsa Panth and Guru Granth Sahib.(The former [i.e., Guru Khalsa Panth], refers to the community of formally committed and initiated Sikhs, an institution to be discussed in a later essay.)

The elevation of the scripture to the status of Guru gave it a further level of authority. In addition to viewing it as Divine revelation, Sikhs also understand it as their complete, eternal, and infallible life-guide. Another unique aspect of Sikh scripture relates to its content and style. The Guru Granth Sahib is comprised of poetry and music relating to Divine experiences; some compositions provide guidance for achieving these experiences, while others offer inspiration by expressing the bliss and satisfaction that comes with these experiences. These poetic and musical expressions continue to serve as the centerpiece of Sikh public and private religiosity.

Individuals read and recite selections from the text on a daily basis, congregations gather and sing from the scripture collectively, and major life events (e.g., birth, marriage, death) are marked by ceremonies that center around the Guru Granth Sahib. The lives of Sikhs, as well as the life of the Sikh community, revolve around their central text - the Guru Granth Sahib - a unique scripture that establishes and exemplifies foundational Sikh ideologies.

Source: Huffington Post