Here's what one doesn't get to see everyday — a Hanuman temple priest who helps eloped or LGBT couple get married. Now, a film titled 'Welcome Valentine' by 26-year-old Dhruv Satija, a video design student of the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad showcases the priest and explores the ideas of love, politics and Hinduism in a contemporary Ahmedabad. It was screened during the ongoing film-festival 'Alpavirama 2018'.
Dhruv, pursuing a Masters programme, was on a quest to understand the concept of marriage as an institution, which led him to a temple in Meghaninagar whose walls were adorned with posters of Valentine's Day.
Fascinated by the priest's unconventional look, Dhruv delved deeper. "The priest, Hirabhai Juguji, was dressed unconventionally, unlike other Hindu priests and I realised that it would make for an interesting film. When I started speaking to him, I realised he is very knowledgeable and believes in what he is doing. He had a different understanding of our religious scriptures," said Dhruv.
"The priest said that while people have an understanding of Lord Hanuman as a celibate, he sees him to be the one who is faithful to any one: God, self or individual. It was a profound idea. I shot there for about six days where I was even able to shoot a couple that had eloped and he helped them get married."
Interestingly, according to Dhruv, the priest has an arrangement of registering marriages inside the temple. The film also explores the journey of a transgender couple, who were married in the temple last year. Dhruv adds, "Juguji says that if a person wants to be with someone, he is no one to stop them. And if by doing a small ceremony they feel complete, he doesn't mind. He receives a lot of flak from the society, but his determination works for him."
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