If you watch Hollywood movies and have some knowledge about Hinduism, you might have wondered at some point whether some Hollywood movies/scenes are based on the Hindu scripture. I have noticed that there are many movies and/or scenes from the movies that are inspired or might have been copied from the Hindu scriptures.
1. Avatar (2009).
Plot Summary:
In this movie, it is shown that humans plan to invade a planet named Pandora because of the energy crisis on Earth. Pandora is inhabited by a species called Na’vi, who are blue-skinned. The protagonist incarnates as a Pandora citizen and saves them from the human invasion.
To explore Pandora’s biosphere, scientists use Na’vi-human hybrids called “avatars”, operated by genetically matched humans. Jake Sully, a paraplegic former Marine, replaces his deceased identical twin brother as an operator of one. Initially, he is unaware of the intentions of his seniors. But when he comes to know about their plan, he saves the Na’vi people by defeating humans.
Similarities with Hinduism:
1. The word Avatar itself is a Sanskrit word and means incarnation. Per the Bhagavad Gita, Puranas, and other scriptures, Lord Vishnu incarnates on the Earth in humans or other forms to free the Earth from evils. Similarly, the protagonist in this movie assumes the form of a Na’vi and saves the people.
2. Many Hindu gods are believed to have a bluish skin color. Therefore, the blue people that live on Pandora resemble Hindu gods.
3. In the Bhagavata Purana, there is a story that humans in association with Asuras invaded a planet in the previous Yugas.
2. Matrix (1999).
The central concept of the Matrix movie series is that humans are living in a simulated reality. They are unaware of it and think the world around them is real. But actually, intelligent machines are using them as energy sources. Some humans become aware of it and rebel against the machines. Now the machines are searching for them and killing them.
They believe that there would be the Chosen One who would free them from the slavery of machines.
Similarity with the concept of Maya:
This concept is similar to the Maya philosophy of Hinduism. Per Hinduism, Maya is a delusion that keeps us attached to the mundane world through our senses. In the movie, Morpheus tells Neo the same thing in a scene.
3. Species (1995).
There are some scenes in this movie that are very similar to some incidences in the Mahabharata.
In this movie, Sil is a female produced by combing human DNA with that of an alien. She gives birth to a son immediately after mating with a male. Her son grows into an approximately 5-year-old boy a few hours after his birth.
Similarities with a story in the Mahabharata:
There is a story of the birth of Sage Vyasa in the Mahabharata, who is also the author of the epic. His mother’s name was Satyavati who was a daughter of a celestial nymph Adrika. She gave him birth immediately after conceiving. Also, Sage Vyasa grew up into an adult a few moments after his birth. He also had knowledge of the Vedas when he was born.
4. Interstellar (2014).
In a scene, the protagonist and his team traveling in space looking for a new habitable planet, go to visit a planet to see if the conditions are habitable there. They leave one of their crewmembers behind in the spaceship and spend just a few hours on the planet. But when they come back to the spaceship they find that their colleague has become an old man because a few hours they spent on the planet were equivalent to 23 years on the spaceship.
The Story of Revati in the Bhagavata Purana:
Once there was a king named Kakudmi who had a very beautiful daughter named Revati. When she attained marriageable age, the king started looking for an eligible man to be her husband. But he could not find anyone of her caliber. So he went to Brahmaloka (the planet of Lord Brahma) to meet Lord Brahma for advice about a suitable husband for her daughter. When they reached there, Lord Brahma was listening to a musical performance, so had to wait for some time. Then he told Lord Brahma about the reason for his coming to see him. Lord Brahma laughed loudly and explained to them that 27 Chatur-Yugas (116,640,000 years) had passed on the Earth while they were waiting for him to appear. And they were told that all the people who were qualified had been dead by that time. (SB 9.3)
There are many more stories in many Hollywood movies that have significant similarities with the stories in the Hindu scriptures. If you know of such movies, please mention them in the Comments section.
(Also Read: Science in Hinduism)
Image Source: IMDB