Avoiding Movies and Cinemas: A Saintly Admonition to Sincere Sadhakas

Question: It has been said by many a mahatma that "cinema is an enemy of devotion...". If cinema is considered harmful to devotion, does that mean all forms of it? What about something like a medical drama - - - does that also fall under what should be entirely boycotted?

Answer: Yes, including devotional movies. Mata Amritanandamayi has said, "Movies, even if they are devotional, will dissipate energy. Power will be lost even if you look carefully at something. It is better for a sadhak not to see devotional movies, especially in the beginning stages. Even devotional movies are not fully devotional. There are also many scenes which are capable of creating mental agitation." (pgs. 275-276, Awaken, Children Volume 2).

So, you think that drama series like the Good Doctor, which is about medicines and medical practice, and the Suits, which is about law, are safe? 

To begin with, drama series such as The Good Doctor and Suits disguise themselves as innocuous entertainment and pass themselves off as educational.

Created by materialistic individuals whose principal concern is nought but revenue, these programmes are designed to arouse raunchiness and sensuality in us—qualities that are the chief drivers of revenue.

Let us put it to the test—would anyone watch those scenes with their teenage children, with sanyasis, mahatmas, or in the presence of their parents? If truth be told, let it be spoken raw, plain, and warts and all.  The same can be said of all our Indian devotional movies. They are raunchy, materialistic, obscene, ludicrous.

That is why Swami Sivananda has said in His Commentary, "Cinema is an ENEMY of devotion.... It should be entirely boycotted. It does immense harm to people." (pg. 116, Narada Bhakti Sutras).

Many revered Hindu saints and contemporary spiritual figures have expressed caution, even disapproval, regarding engagement with cinema—even those films that depict sacred stories, puranic episodes, or devotional themes. Their counsel is not rooted in disdain for the content per se, but in a deeper understanding of the subtle energies and psychological impressions (samskaras) that influence the mind of a spiritual aspirant.

1. The Medium Itself is a Disturbance

Saints like Swami Sivananda were particularly emphatic about guarding the senses, especially for those pursuing sadhana. Movies—regardless of genre—are inherently a sensorially stimulating medium. They engage the eyes, ears, emotions, and often arouse latent vasanas (desires or impressions), even when the content is ostensibly "spiritual." A puranic film may still contain dramatization, exaggeration, aesthetic embellishments, and the personal interpretations of the filmmakers. These can distract rather than uplift.

Swami Sivananda, in his writings such as Practice of Brahmacharya and Mind: Its Mysteries and Control, repeatedly warns that spiritual progress requires vairagya (dispassion), which is disturbed by exposure to worldly or emotionally charged sensory input—even when masked by devotional veneer. He encouraged aspirants to steep themselves in svadhyāya (study of scriptures), japa (mantra repetition), dhyana (meditation), and satsanga (holy company), rather than engage in cinema.

2. Subtle Energies of the Creators

This is a particularly important point raised by Amma and other living mahatmas. Every artistic work carries the imprint—the bhava or inner state—of its creator. This is consistent with the yogic understanding of subtle transmission. Even if the external theme is that of Rama or Kriṣhna, if the actors, directors, or producers are motivated by commercial gain, ego, or are not spiritually attuned themselves, the vibrational energy of the work may not be sattvic. In fact, it may be rajasic or tamasic.

Hence, Amma often advises that spiritual aspirants should altogether avoid films, TV serials, and digital media—even religiously-themed ones—because these media rarely arise from a pure spiritual motive. Instead, she recommends direct communion through prayer, puja, chanting, and above all, living devotion.

3. Emotional Excitation vs. Inner Stillness

Cinema works primarily through emotional excitation—drama, music, imagery—while true sadhana requires the cultivation of manonigraha (control of the mind), ekagrata (one-pointedness), and eventually nirodhaḥ (cessation of mental fluctuations). Devotional movies may excite tears or enthusiasm, but they do not necessarily deepen shraddha (faith) or still the mind for meditation. In fact, the emotion stirred by a movie may be mistaken for genuine devotion, when it is merely sentimentality.

4. Austerity and Discernment

The saints speak from a standpoint of niṣṭha (one-pointed commitment) and viveka (discrimination). For persons who are not serious about self-realisation, an occasional devotional film may provide inspiration. But for the serious sadhak aiming at mokṣa or self-realisation, every activity is weighed against its spiritual utility. Time spent watching even a noble-themed film may be better used in japa or contemplation of the Self. This is especially true for brahmacharis and renunciates, to whom even small distractions can derail their inner momentum.

Summary:

The guidance from saints like Swami Sivananda and Amma stems from the deep yogic understanding that:

• Cinema, by its nature, stirs the senses and emotions, pulling the mind outward.
• The subtle mental and energetic imprint of the creators affects the viewer.
• True spiritual progress requires inner silence, not emotional turbulence.
• Even devotional themes, if presented through a commercial or entertainment medium, are unlikely to be sattvic or spiritually elevating in a deep sense.

They do not denounce art or storytelling but advocate for purity of medium, motive, and means—especially for those who walk the razor's edge of renunciation.

Question 2: My husband comes home from work at night, ensconces himself in front of the television, and watches Netflix and cable movies—oftentimes late into the night. He claims that he needs to do this to unwind and relax his mind after a long day’s work. Is such behaviour and attitude in keeping with the Hindu scriptures?

Answer 2: Unwinding is not unspiritual, but the means of unwinding must not compromise one's mental purity (chitta-suddhi), discipline, or inner aspiration. 

1. Scriptural guidance on the mind and senses

The Bhagavad Gita (2.60–2.67) makes it very clear that an undisciplined indulgence of the senses leads to the fall of the intellect and, consequently, spiritual ruin:

"Indriyaṇāṁ hi caratāṁ yan mano’nuvidhīyate

tad asya harati prajñāṁ vāyur nāvam ivāmbhasi."

(2.67)

"When the mind follows the wandering senses, then it carries away one's understanding, as the wind carries away a boat on the waters."

Indulgence in watching television or movies—especially into the late hours, and particularly in content of questionable moral or emotional tone—can and often does agitate the mind, reinforce vasanas, and dull the spiritual impulse.

2. The illusion of ‘relaxation’

Your husband's claim that this helps him unwind is understandable—but from a spiritual lens, it is a false unwinding. As Sri Ramana Maharshi often said, "Real rest is only in the stillness of the Self." What often happens in such "unwinding" is not relaxation but the suppression of stress by external distraction, which leaves the subconscious more disturbed.

True relaxation in the Hindu understanding comes through sattvic activities: listening to namasmarana (chanting the Lord’s names), reading scriptural stories (Itihasa–Puraṇa), quiet meditation, or even simple silence. These purify the mind and gradually cultivate a state of restful alertness, not emotional sedation.

3. The householder’s dharma

The scriptures expect a sadhak, even if he is a householder, one who is serious about self-realisation,to be a model of self-restraint, discipline, and spiritual dignity. The Manusmṛti, the Mahabharata, and other texts repeatedly say that dharma is not only ritual but character: restraint in speech, thought, consumption, and habit.

Spending long hours watching serials or movies, particularly at night when the body and mind ought to be winding down for restful sleep or contemplation, weakens both body and spirit. Even if the content is not overtly harmful, the medium is never sattvic. The mind becomes dull (tamasa) and more entangled in worldly vibrations.

4. Saints on modern distractions

As noted earlier, saints like Swami Sivananda, Amma, and others have warned against the insidious effects of television and modern media, no matter how innocent it may appear. Even so-called harmless entertainment plants seeds of desire, comparison, agitation, and craving. The mind becomes restless, and spiritual progress is stalled.