I
love Kung Fu Panda!
BELIEVE IN YOURSELF
Sr
Patricia Michelle Mathias FSP
“What’s this
nun up to?” may be the question popping up in your mind on this mini- confession
of mine about being in love with an animated movie character. But for those of
you who have seen the cartoon (animated) movie Kung fu Panda along with your
families, I am sure it is not a surprise.
Sometimes,
unlike many of my contemporaries, I thoroughly enjoy watching some cartoon
movies. And believe me, these animated movies are real stress busters for me. I
encourage you too to indulge once in a while in watching these as they are at
times filled with beautiful messages both for children and for adults. A word
of caution that I add here is that not all animated cartoons or movies are
healthy. So, while children today devour animated cartoons non-stop, one needs
to draw a line between violent and abusive animated stuff that easily mingles
with animated movies with good messages.
To begin
with, some of the movies I have enjoyed include Kung Fu Panda, Madagascar, Ice
Age (Series), Shrek Series, Despicable me, Bolt, etc. These are complete family
entertainers with loads of messages. I wonder, how many of us in our families
help children to learn values from what they are watching! So then, What is so
special about Kung Fu Panda?
For all those
who have not seen Kung Fu Panda, the story is how a Panda, son of a ‘noodle
selling’ goose- father becomes the ‘Dragon Warrior.’ Although the greatness of
Po is envisioned by Master Ugwe, a Kung Fu Master, the teacher, ‘Shifu’ whom Po
is entrusted with, is disgusted by the appearance of Po, who is not one among his
students. The journey of ‘Po’ from a chubby, noodle -selling panda, who is
derided by his teacher ‘Shifu’ and companions initially, to his transformation
into a Kung Fu warrior is loaded with messages.
In a world
where people are running for cosmetics to cover every blemish and to gyms for
getting a curvaceous figure or a six-pack alb, Kung Fu Panda, sends across this
message, that no matter, who you are and how you are, ‘JUST BELIEVE IN
YOURSELF.’ Most of us are carried away with dream of having the perfect shapes
thrusted onto us by the media which often showcases beautiful models. People
today run for hair dyes as they are scared to grow old and showcase their grey
hair. Some run for wrinkle free creams. Fairness creams are eternal
best-sellers and pimple free creams are raking in the moolah! When we believe
we can accomplish something, we actually can. The teacher who derides Kung Fu
Panda is taught an important lesson on ‘Believing in Self’ by the great master (a
tortoise) in the movie. Our looks will never last as one day, we are all going
to grow old, no matter how much wrinkle-free cream we apply. But what will
remain in the hearts of people are the actions. People will always remember
Abdul Kalam, the dark-skinned, wrinkled, shaggy haired old man for his
accomplishments and his actions and not the beautiful actresses of today. The
life span of an actress on screen is too small. Once a bit old, there are a few
takers for most actresses.
Secondly, Fat
Po has a terrible weakness, he eats when he is stressed and angry. He eats and
eats and eats. The teacher transforms this weakness through discipline into
Po’s strength. We are all human beings with weaknesses. But we have two choices
before us. We continue to indulge in our weaknesses or make a ‘tini-mini’
effort to overcome them daily. The teacher channelizes Po’s weaknesses and helps
him to discover his strength in his weaknesses. A similar connotation could be
linked to the Bible, wherein St Paul speaks of how in and through his weakness,
God’s strength was manifested. Our weaknesses could be turned into strengths if
we carry within ourselves the determination to accept ourselves, try hard and face
life.
Po even tries
helping his enemy by trying to show him the way of truth. The whole movie is
filled with values galore. But what happens, in most cases is that our families
run short of the time to sit with kids and discuss what they have seen. My
friend’s dad would always make it a point to ask her, “Child, tell me what did
you learn today?” And having done this, he inculcated in this little girl a
growing love for values. She has blossomed into a wonderful human being today.
Another story speaks of how a mother would constantly point out the bad and
good before the child during the serials she would watch. While initially the
girl was irritated with her mother’s on and off comments. One day, the mother
heard her child speaking of the ill-effects that the tele-serial could possibly
have. The mother had a silent satisfaction that finally she had managed to
instil in her child, the difference of the good and bad that appeared on
screen.
We are aware
of how the rate of violence has increased in the present days, so are we
allowing our children to be guided by the television then? Practically, all the
tele-serials have sex, betrayal, rapes or dishonesty. Many cartoons also have
violence. Can we forbid ourselves and the children from watching everything?
Perhaps ‘No.’ But there is one possibility and that is to help the child learn
to discern the good from the bad. It is high time that parents also once in a
while sit and watch the serials and the cartoons the kids are watching and then
discuss with the children as to what they have learnt from it. I would not
encourage parents to keep criticising the entire programme. Rather, first allow
the child to speak for herself/ himself and then show the good followed by the
pointing out of the not so good elements that can harm society. The best way
would be to not make it preachy but make it sound like a new value that the
children are discovering in the serial.
Happy
viewing!
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