Dear Bollywood, Bhaijan Hits Are Not the Only Way to Celebrate Eid

Music, dance, and partying – how Bollywood movies have been celebrating Eid all wrong.

"Aaj ki party meri taraf se..."

Come Eid, and another Salman Khan big release has already made it to the theatres. Yes, Bhaijan and his annual blockbusters have become synonymous with Eid. Since 2009, every year, Salman Khan has built-up to a big Eid release.

But it is ironic that the movies have nothing to do with Eid or the holy month of Ramzan.

Bollywood and Eid

Let's take a moment to think about Bollywood and festivals. We have songs to celebrate the spirit of Holi, Diwali, Lohri and Eid... But, looks like Bollywood has gotten Eid all wrong.

Author and historian, Rana Safvi tells The Quint how the Bollywood has completely misinterpreted the meaning of Eid.

The way Bollywood shows Muslim characters is far away from reality. They are Muslim socials and we do not act, behave or dress the way they show it. It is their idea of how Muslims are and that is not true at all.

Rana Safvi

“Muslims are shown as caricatures, especially in the movies that have a central Muslim character. Bollywood tries too hard and it feels like they have totally overdone it,” she added.

What's With the Music and Dancing?

Yes, Eid is a festival of happiness and togetherness, but what is the obsession that Bollywood has with Eid songs, especially songs like Wallah Wallah and Aaj ki party meri taraf se (that don’t even show what Eid really is)?

Although, music is an integral part of the Islam culture, people do not sing and dance on chaand raat, or have a gala on Eid. It is in fact a very closed affair celebrated with friends and family with happiness.

Eid is not a festival about letting people sleazily hug you (as some songs show), it is just a festival of good food, peace and harmony.

Is it yet another example of Bollywood's habit of showing everything larger than life or have basic facts been skipped?

How Is Saajan = Chaand = Eid?

"Dekho chaand aaya... Chaand nazar aaya...”

This Eid song is not about how Eid ka chaand is finally across the horizon, but it is about how Ranbir (Kapoor) sees Sakina (Sonam Kapoor) on the eve of Eid after a long time.

However, this is not the first song that that equates the moon with lover and seeing the lover with Eid. This is in fact a very common notion to Bollywood which has totally hampered with the spirit of Eid.

The True Spirit of Islam and Eid

Eid is not just about moon, hugs, sweets and music. It is a festival of peace and acceptance; it is a festival of letting go your grudges and embracing even your enemies; it is not about Muslims or Islam, it is about humanity.

Fasting in the month of Ramzan does not mean abstaining just from food, it is about staying away from all the negativity and hard feelings. It is about not harming even a single living organism and being kind, and not the way it is shown in Bollywood.

Rana Safvi tells us how Eid is actually celebrated in opposition to how it is shown in Bollywood.

We get up early in the morning, cook sewaiyaan; the men go for the Eid ki namaaz, and when they return, we eat sewaiyaan together. All of us wear new clothes and all the youngsters of the house wish the elders and receive eidi in return. It is mostly an open house on Eid, where anyone and everyone can come in and have food.

Eid which comes after the month of Ramzan is Eid-ul-Fitr, which means that all the Muslims need to give fitra (charity) that equals to over 3kg of wheat price for the number of family members.

Why do we never get to see this aspect of Eid in Bollywood? We never even get to know if the festival is Eid-ul-Fitr or Eid-ul-Adh. Nor is it ever depicted how the prayers and rituals take place.

It is fine to be a bit over the top during a festival in a movie... But Bollywood, let's not completely ignore basic facts and practices, please!

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