The man of the hour - Baba Ram Rahim, is the talk of the town, again. And this time for far more serious issues than his films. The self-proclaimed godman and head of Dera Sacha Sauda, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh 'Insan' has been charged with rape and accused of murder and castration. Just like the big Hollywood biggies accused of severe criminal and social offenses, (read Woody Allen, Johnny Depp, Michael Bay, Ben Affleck and others), Baba Ram Rahim enjoys the same privilege of dedicated followers who worship him despite all the accusations and are willing to sacrifice their lives for him.
The man is not just a figure of importance for the people in Punjab and Haryana, but also a film celebrity. He has not just one, but a total of five released movies under his banner, forming one big franchise of MSG, where he is the 'star actor', director, producer and even the costume designer. On the day when Panchkula Court will decide his verdict in a rape case, let's take a look at the Dera head's illustrious filmography:
MSG: Messenger of God
Baba Ram Rahim made his 'grand' debut in 2015 with MSG: Messenger of God. Cashing in on his image as a godman, the man thought of giving himself a glamorous touch and voila! he turned himself into a rock star sending out a message of spirituality and humanity. His website describes the film as: “a revolutionary film that’s packed with action, high drama, suspense, and stunts performed by a real-life spiritual master – Saint Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan".
The film grabbed headlines nationwide over the controversial exit of the then censor board chief Leela Samson after an appeals board approved the film despite the CBFC turning it down because it promoted superstition. The film witnessed halls packed with Singh's supporters who had come to watch their guru appear on the big screen.
MSG 2: The Messenger
As if his one outing in the year wasn't enough, the god-man appeared in the second part of his MSG franchise, titled, MSG 2: The Messenger.
The film, which claims to be based on true events, saw Singh essaying the role of a warrior who fought what are supposed to be tribals and converted them into what he called “civilised human beings". As if the storyline wasn't bizarre enough, the film saw baba in a complete sequinned outfit, dashing his way into crowds and entertaining them with his meaningful 'rock-music'. The eyes bled as much as the ears, during this one.
MSG: The Warrior - Lionheart
This film, directed by the man himself, also starred MSG’s daughter Honey Preet Insan. MSG played a top secret agent who is on a mission to fight aliens from outer space who poses a threat to the planet and womenfolk. As outlandish and juvenile the plot appeared, even more, logic-defying were the stunts, actions, and emotions in the film. The film is described on his website as a film that has “many social messages woven, the foremost about respecting women in the society". From which angle? Only Baba and his God know.
Hind Ka NaPak Ko Jawab
Well, you urban folks might find the above-mentioned films 'typically lower than even C-Grade' but the man knows his craft. Just like he tapped into the superstitions and beliefs of gullible people, he prompted his 'nationalist' followers by making a film on surgical strikes, a burning topic earlier this year.
The film featured MSG in the role of an Indian spy named ‘Sher-e-hind’, who launched surgical strikes on Pakistan as an act of revenge. And if you thought the man was all about logic-defiance action, the film explored his romantic side as well. The film was indeed 'Napak' for any individual other than his followers.
Jattu Engineer
Coming out of his MSG avatar, the god-man experimented with his genre (because of God-gifted acting chops… duh!). Singh tried his hand at a comedy playing a teacher set on reforming his village, the residents of which are addicted to drugs. (Udta Punjab makers would be so proud!)
The real skill in the film was to tire your muscles with the 100th try to get even a smile on cheap comedy. What's more fascinating was that the MSG was credited 42 times in the film. Jack of all trades indeed!
The real verdict on Ram Raheem's character and criminal charge sheet is yet to come, but can someone actually applaud his spirit to present crap in the name of entertainment? Oh, wait! He's been doing the same and worse in the name of spirituality and humanity too, right?
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