Hare Krishna.
You’ve been commenting on several movies recently. Do you watch the movies that you comment on?
The answer depends. My purpose is to respond to the concerns that are raised by the issues in the movies.

For example, I have written two books on Bollywood satires on religion—OMG and PK—which I wrote around 2011 and 2014. The narratives of these movies brought up several questions. Some of them were logical, but many were blanket generalizations and accusations against religion. Initially, I answered some of these questions without watching the movies. However, I later realized that the questions weren’t just logical; they were also part of an emotional storyline that brought those questions together. So, I decided to watch the movies after consulting with senior devotees to see if it was relevant.

However, for movies where I am not primarily concerned with the logical issues they raise, I don’t need to watch them. For example, I’ve commented on Baahubali and RRR. In these cases, I’ve focused on how they depict themes from Indian tradition. I gather information from reviews, storylines on Wikipedia, and by asking friends and relatives who regularly watch movies to understand the emotional tenor of the films.

I wouldn’t call my comments “reviews” of those movies because a review needs to be holistic, considering factors like video quality, visual appeal, etc., which are not of immediate relevance to me. Recently, I commented on The Kashmir Files. My video on it is titled “Reflections”. I watched this movie because its impact was not just about logical questions; it also told a very human story, which was relevant to the threat to dharma in today’s world, especially considering recent attacks on devotees in Bangladesh.

The point is that it depends on the purpose. Generally, I’m more of a verbal person than a visual one. Given the choice between reading a book or watching a movie, I’d much prefer reading a book. And if I want to know what’s happening in a movie, I’d rather read the script or screenplay than watch the entire film. Even with documentaries, I prefer to watch them with two screens so that I can type my comments.

I find watching movies and the visual experience somewhat passive at times. With books, our mind, intelligence, and consciousness are engaged in creating the world based on the words we read. But in movies, the world is already created by the director, and we are simply being fed the world they’ve constructed. This can feel less engaging and, at times, distracting.

My purpose is primarily to comment on the spiritual connections or lessons that can be drawn from movies. If I feel it’s necessary, I’ll watch the movie. Otherwise, I gather the relevant information and make my comments. And, of course, as a principle, I believe we must do everything possible to spiritualize our consciousness. We can get distracted in many ways, and just because someone else is doing something, we shouldn’t take that as a license to do the same. We must evaluate the effect on our consciousness and decide accordingly.

Before I started commenting on movies, I consulted with senior devotees whom I regularly connect with and to whom I’m accountable. Based on their guidance, I decide when and how to comment. In general, Krishna consciousness is not binary; we can see Krishna everywhere.

As I mentioned in some of my talks, Prabhupada once saw a Charlie Chaplin movie at an airport and remarked that Chaplin’s humor is original, manifesting Krishna’s vibhuti, a spark of Krishna’s splendor. We can see Krishna everywhere, but do we need to see Krishna in things that are more likely to take us away from Him? The idea is that we should focus on seeing Krishna directly in the scriptures, in temples, and in the association of devotees.

At the same time, we can’t live with our eyes closed to the world. We need to be aware of where our eyes and minds are going, influenced by the general norms of society. The question is, how can we see Krishna in those contexts as well? Some pointers to this can be found through the comments I make. Ultimately, we must introspect: Do I need to do this as a service? Can I do this safely as a service? Is this service effective? It depends.

There was a time when movies weren’t as common, but in the Gaudiya journals of that time, devotees would review contemporary books from a Gaudiya perspective. This was a way to engage with society and help people see things from a spiritual perspective. This is my purpose in commenting on movies. Generally, fulfilling this purpose doesn’t require me to watch the movie. Only if necessary, I’ll do so cautiously.

Thank you.