The Messenger of God has been in the news since the first trailer, making its hero (who goes by the name Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan) an instant viral sensation despite the series of criminal cases against him (involving charges of castration of cult members, sexual abuse and murder).
The censors objected to the godman with a questionable past playing a eulogised version of himself in his biopic and refused certification. But the makers moved court and got the film cleared by the Film Certification Appellate Tribunal in an unprecedented 24 hours, forcing the Chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification and nine other members to resign.
Interestingly, the pop-Godman and head of the Dera Sacha Sauda has rarely showed up in court, citing health reasons, (testifying mostly through video-conferences) but has performed 107 rock concerts and even shot for over 60 days for the movie, performing all the stunts himself.
Not just this, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh is credited as co-director, producer, director of photography as well as designer of all the fancy cars, motorcycles and jewel-studded clothes that you see in the film. Or so we are told at press conferences.
I meet his co-director Jeetu Arora Insan, the man entrusted with the bulk of the filmmaking duties. Since all the Guru’s followers attach ‘insan’ at the end of their names, I am tempted to ask Jeetu Arora how long he’s been an ‘insan’. “Six months,” he says. He was called to do the film in June 2014 and by virtue of being involved in the film, automatically became a part of the cult. Does this mean he does not drink anymore? “That’s what I hear,” he says with a wink.
Jeetu Arora has directed over 55 shows on TV over the last 20 years before he got this break which he says has made him “more popular than Karan Johar in Sirsa (Haryana)”.
He still can’t get over the 13 lakh extras cast in the film, all of whom showed up voluntarily — and there are several scenes with over 1.5 lakh extras.
Isn’t he worried that people who don’t know about the Dera chief will perceive the excessive theatrics and action as spoof or comedy? “I have seen saints doing all this. How do you describe the Mahabharata on TV where one arrow becomes 1000 arrows? We are in the entertainment business. If this was a documentary, nobody would have cared,” he tells me.
And the 47-year-old Baba did his own stunts?
“Yes. He said: I will do it myself. If somebody else is doing, they would be risking their lives anyway,” says Arora.
Isn’t reputation and image of paramount importance for a saint? Isn’t he afraid that the godman will be reduced to a joke, I ask.
At this point, Aditya Insan, the Baba’s official spokesperson, taps me on my shoulder and says: “Let’s talk about this later.” (I am promised an interview with the Baba when he’s back in Mumbai).
“It’s a normal entertainment movie,” Jeetu Arora says, sensing the cult’s discomfort at the line of questioning. “There’s nothing controversial in the film,” he adds emphatically.
I am reminded of last year’s Tamil cult hit Jigarthanda by Karthik Subbaraj, a film where a gangster plays himself in a biopic about him. The Messenger of God is expected to release mid-February. If cinema has the power to transform, will The Messenger of God have the Jigarthanda effect? Would be interesting to see if Jeetu Arora has turned ‘Assault’ Sethu into ‘Azhukuni’ Kumar.
