I remember an old black and white movie, ‘Dhool ka Phool’, on the subject of premarital sex and raising an illegitimate child. My mother stopped me from watching this movie because it was obscene for a school kid like me.
In those times, the Hero and Heroine would hide their face behind a tree or bush to kiss, (which they never did)
During lovemaking scenes, the camera would be either rolled onto a blank roof or floor or towards the two birds perched on a branch.
WONDER HOW THE TIMES HAVE CHANGED?
What was considered Obscenity and Porn in the sixties and seventies has now become an ‘In thing’.
Now, we openly talk about live-in relationships, Sperm donation, Impotence, Abusive language and torrid sex etc, in movies, talk shows, soaps and the web.
Have we modernised and forgotten the meaning of PORN to suit our perceptions and requirements?
This, however, is a gross cliche.
All the Rennaissance paintings in the Louvres, Orsay and all over Europe show open nudity and buxom ladies …
The marvellous Nude male statues sculpted by Michelangelo, like ‘David’…
The treatise on Sexual intercourse by Vatsyayana.The ‘Kamasutra’.
The carvings on the walls of Khajuraho, showing perverted sexuality.
The ‘Shringar ras’ poetry by famous Hindi poets. …
IS ALL this OBSCENITY?
Millions of tourists with children, visit and appreciate this stuff with awe.
How do we draw the line between PURITY AND OBSCENITY?
A couple of years back I wrote a non-fiction book, ‘That Erotic Silence’, describing a kid’s life, as he perceives sex personally and grows up, trying to understand the meaning of real lovemaking.
I’ve been facing mixed reviews.
Some called it Obscenity and some Appreciated the Boldness and Emotional purity of the subject.
This shows that it is an individual understanding and intelligence. A piece of Art or Text can be Pure and Artistic for one class while Porn to the other.
This is a debatable and questionable matter.
Wish Kushwant Singh was alive to comment on his famous book ‘Delhi’, I was intrigued and confused by the description of Bhagmati( the Eunuch) and his sexual exploits, leaving me awestruck. Was it porn?
I am still confused if my writings carry Obscenity when I pen down on the purity of emotional lovemaking. I do get mixed reactions.
Who to believe and what to believe?
Are we living in a hypocritical society that has its own scales and logics for adjudicating Art, Poetry and other creativities? Should their opinions be valued or put aside?
An Artist gifted a friend some nice semi-nude paintings. The friend appreciated the work and hung the paintings in the main living area. I then saw the painted nude figures covered in cloth. I was totally shattered to see Art’s molestation. What would you call this Hypocrisy?
The lesson is that whatever you do, write, paint or create, do with zeal and emotional purity.
Remember, you are answerable only to yourself.
A young Bollywood Diva was praised for boldly and openly giving birth and raising an illegitimate child.
Times have changed, but the human mentality needs metamorphosis. They are still living in a society of Hypocrites and False Crusaders. They adore watching live videos and female’s nude shows while placing all kinds of restrictions on girls at home.
The twenty-first century may take people to Mars but it should also expel the decaying mentality out of the doldrums.
Time to wake up.
