Hindus want “Angels & Demons” movie rated as “R”

May 5, 2009 - PRLog -- Hindus want “Angels & Demons” movie rated as “R”

Hindus have censured Classification and Rating Administration (CARA) of USA for assigning upcoming film “Angels & Demons” a PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned) rating, which they stress deserved R (Restricted) rating.

Acclaimed Hindu statesman Rajan Zed, in a statement in Nevada (USA) today, said that this film was unnecessarily playing with the sentiments of the faithful for mercantile greed. He has urged CARA to reconsider its earlier rating decision and raise its rating to “R” (Restricted: Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian)

Zed, who is president of Universal Society of Hinduism, further said CARA should ask the makers of “Angels & Demons” to insert a disclaimer in bold letters in the beginning and towards the end of the movie explaining that it was purely the work of fiction. Same information about its fictional character should be included in all the publicity material and trailers.

Rajan Zed stressed that cinema was a powerful medium and it could create stereotypes in the minds of some audiences, especially the younger ones, who were passing through an impressionable phase. We did not want our next generation to be growing up with a distorted view of religion.

Zed argued that faith was something sacred and attempts at belittling it hurt the devotees. Filmmakers should be more sensitive and careful while handling faith related subjects. Movies like this brought more confusion and helped creating stereotypes in the minds of some audiences.

Replying to the question of why Hindus were concerned while the movie deals with Roman Catholic Church, Rajan Zed said that despite our seriously different traditions, we were all fellow seekers of the Ultimate Reality and we were all headed in the same direction. So, we should help each other on our journey towards truth and have some sort of trust and mutual loyalty.

Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) and National Association of Theater Owners operate the movie ratings system and a board of parents who comprise CARA gives ratings. Founded in 1922, the MPAA serves as the voice and advocate of the American motion picture, home video and television industries from its offices in Los Angeles and Washington DC. Its Board includes Paramount, Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Universal City Studios, Walt Disney Studios, and Warner Brothers. Dan Glickman is the Chairman.

“Angels & Demons”; a Sony-Columbia-Imagine mystery based on Dan Brown’s novel and directed by Ron Howard with Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer; is being released in most of the world on May 13-14-15 next.

Roman Catholic Church, headed by His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, is the largest of the Christian denominations. Hinduism, oldest and third largest religion of the world, has about one billion adherents and moksha (liberation) is its ultimate goal.