Aghoris depiction in Telugu movies turn caricatures

With most Telugu films riding on supernatural elements, they are using Aghoris, Shaivite Sadhus' a bit too much these days. Even in the latest releases ‘Gaami’ and ‘Bhimaa’, there is an overload of Aghoris and some are shown near temples and doing a few tantric tricks and looking menacing at times. “Aghoris are truly elite devotees and we need to exercise some caution while showing them in our films,” urges famed writer Gopi Mohan, who claims that Telugu filmmakers have to deeply study about Aghoris and then etch out characters close to reality. "Few makers are creating caricatures in the name of cinematic liberty but we should refrain from it since the ‘soul’ of real Aghoris is lost in few of these depictions. ” he adds.

He claims that filmmakers have to do some homework before touching characters in Puranas as well as in depicting Shiva devotees. “We need to delve deep into Puranas and Vedas to understand the Bhakti tradition and also to realise the meaning of Tantra and Mantra because it is difficult to interpret from outside. Understanding Sadhus and their unflinched Bhakti needs some homework,” he points out. However, he was impressed a bit with the depiction of ‘Aghori’ in blockbuster film ‘Akhanda’ where Balakrishna roared as the fearless Sadhu. “His mission of talking about the relevance of temples and their protection to promote Bhakti culture among Hindus was a good effort,” he adds.

Citing the example of legendary Telugu directors Bapu-Ramana, he explains, “The famed duo made great films by using the Godly power and Bhakti in measured terms. They dished out iconic films like ‘Bhakta Kanappa’ and ‘Sampoorna Ramayanam’ and showed the way for true depiction of Hindu Gods and their noble deeds.”

He also praises young directors like Prashanth Varma and Chandoo Mondeti for depicting Hindu Gods and scriptures with utmost care and conviction. “HanuMan and 'Karthikeya 2’ have raised the bar on Telugu cinema and become well-made and appreciated socio fantasies,” he concludes.

Earlier, Chiranjeevi was seen as Aghora in 'Sri Manjunath,' Nagarjuna as Aghori in 'Damarukam' and Venkatesh in 'Nagavalli' but Balakrishna tasted success with 'Akhanda' and set for its sequel 'Akhanda 2'.