- Director K P Sasi
Recently, I had an occasion to screen our documentary film called `Voices from the Ruins’ in a church in Pune. The film was on the largest attack on the Christian community during the last few centuries. I did not have much space to talk. That was fine. The pastor who organised the screening spent more than one hour shouting `Hallelujah’ on top of his voice. And I was sitting behind the crowd wondering why the hell did I make this film. The film was on the persecution of Christians in India. But I was a total failure in communicating. This idiot was not interested in discussing the real issue. And when I came out, a couple of youngsters came to discuss with me. At that time, the same pastor came and piled on to me. His problem was that I was an atheist. He was very keen to impress me with his knowledge of his God. I told him: `Look, sir. I am only a human rights activist in this situation. I genuinely care for this issue. I can respect your faith. But please respect my convictions also.’ The youngsters got the message. But the older one was only bothered about the fact that I was smelling some beer. He could only smell from outside appearance of me. Not from inside. Sometimes, with all good intentions, we waste our energies. Because, the mainstream world is only bothered about your `appearance’ and not the `essence’. Some people talk to me about `strategies’ of not smelling in such situations. But sorry. I can only be what I am. There is no need to pretend what I am not.
