Although the study of religion and film as an academic discipline is still in its infancy, it has developed rapidly since its inception in the 1970s. The study heavily borrows from its parent disciplines, religious studies and film studies, specifically cultural studies, literary analysis, anthropology, psychology, philosophy, comparative religion, theology, and biblical studies (Lyden n.d., 1). Religion and film involve the influence of religion on the film industry and how the industry has incorporated religion in its films. This symbiotic relationship between the two is what drives their development. During this course, I learned a lot about the influence of Indian religion, Hinduism, on film. Since its inception, the Indian film industry has fully incorporated religion with devotional films to their gods and goddesses and Hindu mythology dominating the airwaves (Lyden n.d., 1). The Indian film industry, or Bollywood, as it is more commonly known, churns out one thousand films on average every year, making it by far the largest film producer in the world (Shedde 2006, 25). Several of these films have portrayed the Hindu religion, with a notable one being Farah Khan's 2007 classic "Om Shanti Om." Consequently, Indian religion has become a major influence in film cinemas across the world. The movies “The Matrix” directed by the Wachowski Family in 1999, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" directed by Ang Lee in 2000, perfectly portray the influence of Indian religion in cinemas across the world.
The film “Om Shanti Om” explores one of the key pillars of the Indian religion: Reincarnation. Omi, played by the actor Shah Rukh Khan, is reincarnated 30 years after his death to avenge the famous actress Shanti Priya, played by Deepika Padukone, who he was in love with (Shastri 2011, 32). Reincarnation is a staple of Indian religion; therefore, incorporating that theme into the film was a masterstroke by the director since the film was well received in India. Such films also help portray Indian religion to the rest of the world. With global film distributors such as Netflix picking up such films, it is an opportunity for the rest of the world to glimpse Indian religion. Not only has Indian religion been incorporated into Bollywood films, but Hollywood films have also begun incorporating Indian religion as well.
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“The Matrix Trilogy” by the Wachowskis is one of the most popular sci-fi movies. The film has several religious symbols in it, showing the growing influence religion has had on film. However, most people usually focus on the Christian symbolism present. The rebels in the movie are hidden in the city of “Zion, awaiting a foretold messiah who will conquer the Matrix and restore human control to the world.” (Ford 2000, 2). We are then introduced to the hero of the film, Neo (which is an anagram for “One”), portrayed by Keanu Reeves. The leader of the rebels, Morpheus, believes that Neo is the messiah who will save the world. Toward the end, Neo dies and is resurrected. It is no wonder anyone would connect the film to Christianity. However, when you broaden your thought, you can see hints of Indian religion influencing the film.
The Matrix resonates with an old Buddhism philosophical school known as Yogacara, also referred to as the "Consciousness Only School (Vijñavada). According to this school of thought, the objective world that we think to be real is eventually a product of our minds (Ford 2000, 5). This is the whole Matrix plot in a nutshell. The fundamental principle is that we are not living in a real world, but a "computer simulation" known as "The Matrix," which has been wired into our minds by a species of machines. Morpheus tells Neo, “What is real. How do you define real? If you’re talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain…You've been living in a dream world, Neo.” (Wachowski & Wachowski 2021 [1999], 48;11). This quote might as well be taken out of one of Yogacara's teachings due to the striking similarities.
In addition to Hollywood, Indian religion has drawn parallels with some Chinese films. In particular, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," directed by Ang Lee in the year 2000, has some similar principles to "The Matrix," which can all be related to Indian religion. Buddhism teaches that what we hold on to as reality may be empty and impermanent and only psychological (Baker 2006, 2). Right of the bat, the titles of the two films allude to these teachings, showing the direct influence of Buddhism on the films. According to Ang Lee, the title "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” is a common saying that teaches people never to underestimate what is mysterious since they do not know what lies beneath them.
Similarly, "Matrix" implies a situation where someone or something is enclosed (Baker 2006, 2). Surely, watching the two films, the central theme is the existence of and the pursuit of concealed realities. In Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”, the idea that Jen’s “faithful heart” might have saved her life by exceeding the physical world and allowing her to change 'reality agrees with some forms of Buddhist teachings, whereby recognizing that the objective world is unreal, Jen could manipulate and alter it, just like Buddha.
Conclusively, the influence of Indian religion on the film industry cannot be understated because it has been huge. Aspects of Indian religion can be seen in films from Bollywood and even Hollywood. From Indian beliefs such as Reincarnation to Buddhist teachings about reality, there has been a lot that has been borrowed from the Indian religion. Consequently, the film has propelled Indian religion globally, which goes to show the symbiotic relationship that exists between the two. This was a very interesting learning experience for me, and I enjoyed learning about the relationship between the Indian religion and the film industry.
References
Baker, Geoff (2016) "Portraying the Quest for Buddhist Wisdom? A Comparative Study of The Matrix and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon," Journal of Religion & Film: Vol. 10: Iss. 1, Article 3. Available at: https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/jrf/vol10/iss1/3
Ford, James L. (2016) "Buddhism, Christianity, and The Matrix: The Dialectic of Myth-Making in Contemporary Cinema," Journal of Religion & Film: Vol. 4: Iss. 2, Article 1. Available at: https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/jrf/vol4/iss2/1
Khan, F. (2007). om shanti om [Film]. Belgium; Bollywood.
Lee, A. (2000). Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon [Video]. China; Asia Union Film & Entertainment Ltd.
Lyden, J. Religion and Film. The University Of Nebraska Omaha , 1-10. Retrieved June 14, 2021.
Shedde, M. (2006). Bollywood Cinema: Making Elephants Fly. Cinéaste, 31 (3), 24-29. Retrieved June 14, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/41690002
Wachowski, L., & Wachowski, L. (1999). The Matrix [Film]. Hollywood; Warner Bros Pictures.
