Demon

I watched the Lord of the Rings movies before I ever picked up the books. The movies blew me away so much that I ended up buying the entire series. After reading, I realized how much the movies left out, altered and what nuance was missed. If I never watched those movies, I never would have read JRR Tolkien. Which brings me to the release of the Ramayana movie. There is a certain irony within our Hindu community. We criticize those "Hindu In Name Only" types for not preserving their traditions, while doing very little to meet them where they are. We spend so much time preaching to the choir, reaching people who are already invested in their Hindu identity, that we often overlook those who aren't. I was guilty of this until I started teaching teenagers and young adults. You then realize the uphill battle you face in capturing mind share. The upcoming Ramayana movie illustrates this perfectly. Regardless of its artistic merits, or whatever criticism you might have of its portrayal, this film has the potential to introduce Sri Ram's story to an audience that might never attend a mandir, listen to a lecture, or watch Hindu educational content. This movie might spark curiosity or inspire some to go back to the original sources. As a community, we cannot complain that people are disconnected from their traditions while dismissing the very things that might inspire them to reconnect. I have my tickets and will be going to see it next week. My kids know the story of the Ramayana, have enacted it on their own and are eager to see its portrayal. That level of excitement alone is worth the price of the tickets. Afterwards we will critique as a family, discuss where the movie went wrong and what can be improved. But lets not miss the forest for the trees. Perhaps the greatest threat to preserving Hindu traditions isn't simply how they're portrayed, but whether the next generation cares enough to preserve them in the first place.