Guest guest Posted February 27, 2004 Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 Okay, so it's a slow afternoon ... Here, for your pleasure, I offer a one-on-one comparison of the popular Inidan actress Madhuri Dixit, and the central Parvati figure of the Tridevi on our Group homepage: http://shaktisadhana.50megs.com/images/db_special/madhuri_parvati.jpg Any comments (other than "get a life"? *lol*) DB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 27, 2004 Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 It will not be a problem if one does not see many bollywood movies or pay much attention to IMHO. The face of Shakti like the current one on group-page can be found even in calendar pictures of Lakshmi 30-40 years back. Personally, I dont mind and am not bothered, unless one is worshipping the actress itself as Devi. As for tightly clad sarees, arent most temple sculptures like that? Rgds , "Devi Bhakta" <devi_bhakta> wrote: > Okay, so it's a slow afternoon ... > > Here, for your pleasure, I offer a one-on-one comparison of the > popular Inidan actress Madhuri Dixit, and the central Parvati figure > of the Tridevi on our Group homepage: > > http://shaktisadhana.50megs.com/images/db_special/madhuri_parvati.jpg > > Any comments (other than "get a life"? *lol*) > > DB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 27, 2004 Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 Hi Satish: You know, I think you are right on this one. I thought about your arguments, they they are simply correct. You note: *** Personally, I dont mind and am not bothered, unless one is worshipping the actress herself as Devi. *** Yes, I think Chumki's point was, are people worshiping Durga or Hema Malini? If you come right down to it, it's bad if you think of Devi as Hema Malini (or Madhuri Dixit, or whomever), but vice-versa seems perfectly okay. You also note, *** The face of Shakti like the current one on group- page can be found even in calendar pictures of Lakshmi 30-40 years back. ... As for tightly clad sarees, arent most temple sculptures like that? *** Here's what I think (for what it's worth): I think Bollywood's aesthetic is simply a modern manifestation of the same old ancient Indian aesthetic. In that sense, you could say there is really a direct line from the ancient Apsara sculptures at Sanchi to the Bollywood heroines of today. But it's not that people want their devis to look like actresses; it's that they want their actresses to look like Devi -- their cultural concept of the feminine ideal, dating back into the mists of prehistory. Point taken. It makes sense. Thank you. DB --- , "Devi Bhakta" > <devi_bhakta> wrote: > > Okay, so it's a slow afternoon ... > > > > Here, for your pleasure, I offer a one-on-one comparison of the > > popular Inidan actress Madhuri Dixit, and the central Parvati > figure > > of the Tridevi on our Group homepage: > > > > > http://shaktisadhana.50megs.com/images/db_special/madhuri_parvati.jpg > > > > Any comments (other than "get a life"? *lol*) > > > > DB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 27, 2004 Report Share Posted February 27, 2004 hello...the calender pictures that you mention ,yes I remember seeing them in "panwala and biri selling"shops.No respectable person would have those type of calenders.At least the the type of family i come from or you may say my upbringing has something to do with not hanging those types of calender.Call it snobish !! Chumki. , "Satish Arigela" <satisharigela> wrote: > It will not be a problem if one does not see many bollywood movies or > pay much attention to IMHO. > > The face of Shakti like the current one on group-page can be found > even in calendar pictures of Lakshmi 30-40 years back. > > Personally, I dont mind and am not bothered, unless one is > worshipping the actress itself as Devi. > > As for tightly clad sarees, arent most temple sculptures like that? > > Rgds > > , "Devi Bhakta" > <devi_bhakta> wrote: > > Okay, so it's a slow afternoon ... > > > > Here, for your pleasure, I offer a one-on-one comparison of the > > popular Inidan actress Madhuri Dixit, and the central Parvati > figure > > of the Tridevi on our Group homepage: > > > > > http://shaktisadhana.50megs.com/images/db_special/madhuri_parvati.jpg > > > > Any comments (other than "get a life"? *lol*) > > > > DB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 28, 2004 Report Share Posted February 28, 2004 Devi bhakta wrote : Here, for your pleasure, I offer a one-on-one comparison of the popular Inidan actress Madhuri Dixit, and the central Parvati figure of the Tridevi on our Group homepage: http://shaktisadhana.50megs.com/images/db_special/madhuri_parvati.jpg Any comments (other than "get a life"? *lol*)" There are 2 pictures right. I like the Tridevi. She look more divine. The other one is typically a bollywood actress. Maybe I am being snobbish too and bias [ hey ! ive got nothing against Bollywood Actor or Actress, thought I would prevent my daughter from watching any Bollywood movie for personal reason.] I dont think so Madhuri Dixit have that "look". It is a beautiful and glamous face, that is about all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 28, 2004 Report Share Posted February 28, 2004 , "Devi Bhakta" <devi_bhakta> wrote: > Here's what I think (for what it's worth): I think Bollywood's > aesthetic is simply a modern manifestation of the same old ancient > Indian aesthetic. In that sense, you could say there is really a > direct line from the ancient Apsara sculptures at Sanchi to the > Bollywood heroines of today. Namaste, Thank you for the comments. I am sure that it isnt a modern manifestation of the ancient aesthetic. The mindset of ancient Indians is different. Bollywood doesnt have that mindset. Whatever bollywood promotes or apes, they do it because they think it is bad or modern. Not because they think it is natural or sacred. Hence toeing bollywood's line in matters spiritual, can be dangerous. > > But it's not that people want their devis to look like actresses; > it's that they want their actresses to look like Devi -- their > cultural concept of the feminine ideal, dating back into the mists of > prehistory. I should disagree. That the ppl want actresses to look like Devi is never the intention. Infact an average Indian will not like that idea. The intention behind bollywood doing whatever it does, is for the simple reason that it comes from west. Bollywood is driven by western standards and hollywood.Religion has zero influence on whatever bollywood does. Regards Satish. > > --- , "Devi Bhakta" > > <devi_bhakta> wrote: > > > Okay, so it's a slow afternoon ... > > > > > > Here, for your pleasure, I offer a one-on-one comparison of the > > > popular Inidan actress Madhuri Dixit, and the central Parvati > > figure > > > of the Tridevi on our Group homepage: > > > > > > > > > http://shaktisadhana.50megs.com/images/db_special/madhuri_parvati.jpg > > > > > > Any comments (other than "get a life"? *lol*) > > > > > > DB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted March 1, 2004 Report Share Posted March 1, 2004 Namaste, I really like this thread. My first thoughts followed essentially what I later read DB to say, that is...which came first the chicken or the egg. Although the motives of the entertainment industry maybe quite secular and profit oriented, still they would be smart enough to present what the paying public concieves of as beauty, and do we not ascribe the highest levels of beauty to our vision of the Goddess, or Goddesses? It seems to me that it is natural to select, out of all of the willing actresses, the women who most look like the ideal presented by our ideas of the Goddess. And in reverse, how do we come to our spiritual vision of female divinity? I would think that our minds would record what our eyes were seeing when our hearts were deeply moved or filled to bursting. So we would likely be influenced by the look of our own earthly mothers and the women that filled our hearts with love. Or perhaps also we would be influenced by women we came to know who were incredibly courageous or deeply spiritual. Their faces might seem to reflect to us what a true Goddess might look like in human form. An artist of religious icons, working from the descriptions in scripture and needing to fill in details from her/his heart and imagination would have to be influenced by some earthly experiences. And anyway, the statues and pictures are meant, I thought, to be symbolic only, to serve as a tool to connect us with our love of the divine. Perhaps that's why there are so many of them and in so many different styles. But back to that director, selecting an actress for a prominent role, why would he not pick a woman who would remind the audience of an image of Devi? Would that not serve to increase his profits, ensure success? As Satish says, the motivation would not likely be religious devotion in almost all cases, but yet the connection would be there. Just my thoughts. prainbow , "Satish Arigela" <satisharigela> wrote: > , "Devi Bhakta" > <devi_bhakta> wrote: > > Here's what I think (for what it's worth): I think Bollywood's > > aesthetic is simply a modern manifestation of the same old ancient > > Indian aesthetic. In that sense, you could say there is really a > > direct line from the ancient Apsara sculptures at Sanchi to the > > Bollywood heroines of today. > > Namaste, > > Thank you for the comments. > > I am sure that it isnt a modern manifestation of the ancient > aesthetic. The mindset of ancient Indians is different. Bollywood > doesnt have that mindset. Whatever bollywood promotes or apes, they > do it because they think it is bad or modern. Not because they think > it is natural or sacred. Hence toeing bollywood's line in matters > spiritual, can be dangerous. > > > > > > But it's not that people want their devis to look like actresses; > > it's that they want their actresses to look like Devi -- their > > cultural concept of the feminine ideal, dating back into the mists > of > > prehistory. > > > I should disagree. That the ppl want actresses to look like Devi > is never the intention. Infact an average Indian will not like that > idea. The intention behind bollywood doing whatever it does, is for > the simple reason that it comes from west. > > Bollywood is driven by western standards and hollywood.Religion has > zero influence on whatever bollywood does. > > Regards > Satish. > > > > > --- , "Devi Bhakta" > > > <devi_bhakta> wrote: > > > > Okay, so it's a slow afternoon ... > > > > > > > > Here, for your pleasure, I offer a one-on-one comparison of the > > > > popular Inidan actress Madhuri Dixit, and the central Parvati > > > figure > > > > of the Tridevi on our Group homepage: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > http://shaktisadhana.50megs.com/images/db_special/madhuri_parvati.jpg > > > > > > > > Any comments (other than "get a life"? *lol*) > > > > > > > > DB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.