STOP NOTICE NOTE: AN OPEN LETTER TO THE BOLLYWOOD INDUSTRY

This morning, I had an interesting conversation with my son. It was about Stop, Notice, and Note, an interesting reading guidepost that they were discussing at his school. The guidepost states that while reading a book if the reader notices a word, an event, or something else happening over and over again, the reader needs to stop, notice and note the event. It might give them a clue about something important that is happening in the story. It might also tell them more about a character and his personality trait.

I explained to my son that today this is a valuable signpost for various events in our personal lives too. It is always a good idea to stop and think about something that is happening in our lives. If some event specifically is repeating itself, then we certainly need to take notice of that. There is a valuable lesson in that event hiding somewhere amidst all the apparent mess. It is so much easier to make excuses for the event. And it is definitely harder to think about it without getting swayed by the emotion. But that is the need of the hour!

Every action that we take in our lives has a consequence. It first starts out small. It only affects us directly in the beginning. But it would be foolish to think that it is only affecting us. It starts with us and then slowly transports itself to the immediate neighborhood. And before we know it, it is out there in this enormous world. It happens so quickly that we can’t see it happen. And because we can’t see it happen, we think it didn’t happen. So, we set ourselves free. We think, “This is my life! I get to make the choices as it only affects me!”

And that’s when we need to stop and think if it is truly only affecting me? This leads me to the members of our Bollywood industry. The media circus that has been revolving around them for the past few years is an example of an event happening over and over again. I’m not here to judge them. I don’t know who is into what in the industry. I have nothing to say about who is nepotistic or who is into drugs or who is not. I get that human beings reside in the Bollywood industry, pretty much like every other industry. I believe that these humans are just as flawed as any other human on this planet. I get that!

And yet, an event is occurring over and over again. People from the Bollywood industry are getting accused of various things. A pattern is repeating itself and the world is witnessing it. Another thing that is being repeated is that any time someone from the industry is being accused of something, someone from the industry rises in their defence. It seems like a positive thing that someone in trouble has an army of supporters standing up for them.

But, I have a question for those supporters. Are you absolutely one hundred percent sure that they are innocent? Are you telling the world that the entire world is just out to get the Bollywood industry? Are you confident that every single person accused is squeaky clean and has no part in what they have been accused of? And then there are those supporters who feel that it is no big deal. Some have even claimed that other major countries in the world have not been successful in curbing this degrading event. Everybody does it, so if people from the industry do it, what is the big deal?

The big deal is that people from the industry are in the limelight. They are in a position of power. They can sway the public in any direction that they want. And when those people pick this path, they sway an entire generation to move towards that path. We do not live in isolation. We are all a collective entity. And those in the movie industry have the most power to move this crowd. You are not doing anyone any favor by supporting them, especially if you are not absolutely one hundred percent sure that they are innocent.

I do not know what is happening to the Bollywood industry. I have no right to judge anyone, whether they are from the industry or not. But, I do know this …what goes around comes around. I may not have great faith in the human justice system, as it is after all made by humans and can be flawed. But I have full faith in the justice of Karma. I believe that you only get what you have sent out into this world. It may even be that you were not even aware of what you were sending out. But the laws of Karma have a very clear view of it. And no one can escape it.

Today, I send out my thoughts of prayer for humanity in general, and more specifically to the people from the Bollywood industry. May you stay sane through this turmoil.

May you Stop, Notice, and Note. An important life lesson is being played out in front of you. Wake up and pay attention! Learn your lessons and grow or ignore it and perish … the choice is yours!!