Dear Editor,
I recently attended the movie ‘Brown Sugar Too Bitter For Me 2 (The Oil Dream)’, a film produced by local ace Director/actor Mahadeo Shivraj with wonderful songs sung by Devendra Pooran, Nadir Bacchus et al and lyrics which sounded pretty much like Bollywood music. The film featured many of our leading local actors and theatre personnel, who all performed very well and I do commend Guyanese to go and watch it while supporting our local talent. Mr. Shivraj can now be classified as a veteran in this sphere and I am reminded by the pretty good films produced locally in the past by others, such as IF Wishes Were Horses, Operation Makonaima and Aggro Seizeman etc., and it would be great if the Government can give more support to local film makers to develop this industry.
The film dealt with some important issues in local life including the hopelessness on the sugar Estates after the previous government decided to send home five thousand plus workers leading to increased suicides, alcohol consumption etc., and also looked at the nascent oil sector and possible corruption therein.
However, as a Hindu I was pretty upset, to put it mildly, at the inexplicable and unnecessary inclusion in the film of a sequence regarding a Pandit who was portrayed as corrupt, lacked morality and possibly even competence. This, I considered an exaggerated and incorrect depiction of Pandits and can lead persons to lower their respect for these individuals who play an important role in the Hindu Society. I doubt whether the producing team would risk this kind of cheap ridiculing of religious leaders of the other two main religions as it may incur the wrath of their respective adherents. In my opinion the aforementioned spoiled what was otherwise a pretty good production.
Sincerely,
Christopher Persaud
