Peepli, Change and Karma

I saw Peepli Live recently. Produced by Aamir Khan, brilliantly written and directed by Anusha Rizvi, it stars Raghubr Yadav along with other quite unknown, quite talented actors.
The film is about farmer who loses control over his mortgaged land when he fails to pay his loan installments to the bank, and then contemplates suicide to get the compensation promised by the government to families of farmers committing suicide. The whole incident blows up into a national issue, due to the media frenziedly covering it, and things at the local level turn into a mela around the farmer's house.
The authentic feel given to the village, the excellent portrayal of the media and the dry, sometimes dark, humour were commendable. Owing mostly to its former-reporter director, and her journalistic experience in villages, it was natural that all details of these aspects were well taken care of.
But this is not a movie review post. I am writing about the movie because of the reaction I had after watching it, and how uncomfortable it made me, as an Indian. Each one of us, at some point, has faced problems that we blame on the big bad world, the attitude of people, the government, or the attitude of people in general. This was another movie that made me, as an Indian, very uncomfortable. We see such movies, laugh, maybe empathize with the theme for a while, discuss them, write about them, but ultimately, what changes?
I first had this feeling after watching Rang De Basanti. Although not a big hit, Delhi 6 furthered this feeling. 3 Idiots was another one, although the message here was intended for parent, and it did hit a few. Now there's this film. (I'm definitely missing some here). My point is, although these movies reflect society, as any piece of art should (art is supposed to be educative and be pleasing to take in, as I learned in an Art and Aesthetics course at IIT), what is the long term impact these movies have? People go back to as they were. If we do not change even when the required change that is needed in us is shown in such a direct and pointed way, what will it take to change us, as a people? How can we change ourselves to become unanimously and proactively engaged in improving ourselves, our society, our nation? In an interview, the director Anusha Rizvi herself pointed out that nothing will change after Peepli Live. The movie will be taken at face value, and things will continue to be the way they are.
There are people who are actively engaged in improvement and bringing about change, doing the little they can, which is huge at the local level, but a small speck seeing India as a whole. India Today ran a special edition recently commemorating 35 such "heroes". Yes, I know boond boond se sagar bharta hai. But the drops have to keep pouring in. And I know if I really care, I should do the same. But what is it that makes us so apathetic to this? Is it because jab tak mere ghar tak problem nahi aaye, tab tak mai kuch nahi karunga attitude? Is it because we dont want to get our hands dirty?
I was also reminded of another, more philosophical, thought that I've discussed with a few people before. Is caring about the fellow human being our moral responsibility? Like taking care of the handicapped, the old and disabled. If we look at the larger picture, as the human race, does it do us any good to do so? We say animals are animals because they're wild, sometimes cannibalistic, and have little or no sentiments or emotions. But who's judging humans as a race? Who is to say that the human thing to do is to be caring and supportive of the disabled?



Rajat, my partner in crime such discussions, suggested quite a good solution to such moral and emotional crisis. Karma. Although to accept it as a way of life is purely upto the belief and faith of an individual, if we analyze it, it does make sense. If everyone starts doing good, believing in the adage that give once, and you will receive ten times that, it will actually come true, assuming, on an average, we have 10 interactions with people around us.