I ve watched this film for the first time in 1984 or 85 in Kavitha theatre, Kannur with my parents.I was only 1 or 2 years old then.....I didnt understand anything becoz I was a kid but loved the adventures sequence in the film....I watched this film again when I was studying for final year visual communication.I enjoyed it and told my freinds that Its a good adventure movie......Again I watched the movie when I was doing my post graduation in mass communication....this time I felt the difference....Because I ve used to the terms "Cultural Imperialism" , Cultural Invasion and Propaganda in movies.
Let me explain the meaning of these terms, i strongly believe you all knew it.I am explaining it for the sake of the freinds who never heard about these words.
Well, Cultural Imperialism happens when one Economically superior nation injects its culture in the veins of an other country which is poor economically, through media sources.The result of this process is that the natives of the poor country will begin to feel that their own culture is second-rate and will start to assimilate to the new culture fed by the media.If cultural Imperialism happens regularly, it leads to ’Cultural Invasion’ which means that the people of the poor country forget their own culture completely and get their selves assimilated to the new culture like puppets on strings.
I will write the plot line as precise as possible.Story happens in British India where a villain named Mola ram kills people in a ritual in order to make him selves the powerful man in the world.He has an army called "Sepoys[ yes, white guys Spielbetg and Lucas connects it straightly to the 1857 revolutionaries]....Indiana jones comes to india and kills him and saves the village... Mola raam fights for sankara stones....What’s Sankara stones...?...there is no such a thing in the whole indian philosophy and culture......did he know who s sankara....i dont know..how can I know all these bull shits.....after indie coming to india , villagers think indie is "shiva"...hhmmmm...arre........Indies and his girlfreind get an invitation to visit a rajasthaani style palace....there indie’s girlfreind get infatuated in indian culture and waits for "MAharaaja’ to come.[Again a symbolic representation of the era of swami vivekananda whom inspired many western people, especially women to indian culture like Yoga and philosophy..]
..and finally maharaja is a kid.."A egoist kid..!!!"....and Indie asks the indian administrator of the palace about Molaraam..he denies that by saying there is no such man...when..when the british officer in india about to tell that....then atlast Molaaraam cries for help to his soldiers as.."Meri sipaayiyom, mere bachaao[this sepoys wear british army uniform which was 1857 revolutionaries dress code}..at last indie wins the match...and his girlfreind comes back to him, to the western culture..she throws her bharthiya dress...and indie gives the peace to the land and villagers gives them a grand send off...and in One scene, Indie and others are dining on the table...indians give them their food..you know what kind of food..frog fry, snake soup, spider curry and all the dirty things in the world...Indian kings of that times are kshatriyas and Lucas and his friend dont know that those kings are vegetarians..and hello, who are mixing those venomous creatures in spirit to make those rich brand whiskies and all...hmmm....The film was banned in India first for its anti India stuff but took that ban back and the movie got released.