Share this!

Share |

December 25, 2007

I have a hangover

I thought of this title the moment I came out of the theatre. Several distinct thoughts came across my mind as I watched the movie. I wondered, for an instance, if I would be able to paint all the shades of emotions I encountered on a single canvas, and if it would make a clear picture.

Phew. As I sit down to type these words, I pray lest words betray me in the next half an hour. I kept mum as I walked out of the theatre lest my spoken words take me out of the hangover.

What an experience! It was not just a movie; it was a three-hour experience. That tear in the corner of my eye, that comfort, that sense of identification, that moment of realization indicated that I was going through not moving pictures on the screen, but something much bigger than that. I started the experience as a critic, thinking of evaluating the concept, the direction, and the performances. For the first few minutes, I was engrossed in the visual and mental relief the pictures promised to provide. I was wrong. The pictures would in some time torment me mentally; they would invoke thoughts and conscience, and shatter my peace, albeit in style. In the next few minutes, I marvelled at the performances, to an extent that a couple of lines of a song made my eyes shine with moisture. Then came the interval and I realized I was left wanting for more. It wasn’t time yet to declare the interval. During the interval, I found myself praising the guts that man has. After all, he wasn’t the hero.

As I saw Ram Shankar Nikumbh feel for his student and ascertain the reason for his silence, I remembered my own guide and teacher, who once upon a time, had this great influence on me. I missed Rajuda and wished I could be a kid again and relive those moments – moments of endless discussions on now trivial matters, moments of cutting and fixing cardboard and glass to make a kaleidoscope or a periscope, moments of tutoring on balancing a cycle on two wheels. Well, I have digressed, away from the main concept. This movie brought out thoughts in me so much so that I am forced to type out these words in the dead of the night.

As I saw the children in Tulips perform with fervour, I remembered the day when a nervous-wreck, I was on my way to the examination centre during college and a mentally challenged kid, my co-passenger, cheered me up with unspoken words.

As I saw Ishaan come to terms with reality and yet create a masterpiece, I thought I too can overcome the current uncertainty and reach my zenith.

I painted a canvas with varied colours as I watched Taare Zameen Par. I hope it brings out a canvas and a plethora of colours in front of you too as you enjoy it.

P.S.: Words have defintely betrayed me. I felt much more than I have painted here. Let me close my eyes and see if I experience utopia again.

Afterthought: Aamir is a superb director. Darsheel is good actor. Hats off to the writer. Technically brilliant and emotionally fulfilling, Taare Zameen Par moved me. Ram wept at almost all instances and I did not. It made me feel stronger than Ram. Yet, I know I am not. Someday, someday…

5 comments:

Gops said...

iam yet to see the movie anu..but u know what ...i got a feel that this movie will rock my eyes after listening to the songs and seeing the trailer..2 years back i wrote a short story abt "every child is special"..i wrote it for my cousins kid..he was born with down'syndrome..some day i shud make it :) btw amazing writing anu..i jus loved reading it :)

Anuradha Exwaized said...

Thanks, Gops! I am glad you liked it. I am looking forward to seeing your story on the big screen. Call me for dialogues! ;)

Pinaki Chakladar said...

Happened to watch TZP as well.. couldn't agree more with the thoughts you evinced.. It felt a tad stretched out, though, juxtaposing imagery against narrative .. Amir tried weaving in a candifloss-like tapestry of imagery and effects to set off the trauma the kid experienced .. at times, it felt overdone, but thankfully, without wrecking the coursing narrative..but what the heck, it's imaginative cinema anyways.... worth a watch anyday as opposed to a ragtag bunch of gags being passed off these days as breakthroug cinema..

Darshil is truly the epitome of suppressed childhood..dyslexia or no dyslexia, childhood for Gen Z is a nightmare unleashed on kids by parents and wellwishers alike.. take any kid today - he/she's pushed through a rigmarole of never-ending talent grooming sessions - from a music class to a karate session to a painting sitting - a kid bears the burden of their parents' wild dreams on their tender shoulders..

It's basically a scathing broadside fired at the entire educational system we've been brought up on, which perpetuates stony, mechanical, rote procedures rather than fostering imaginative thought processes and nurturing talent...

A few years back, I happened to stumble upon a breakthrough schooling system in Delhi called 'Mirambika' (Run by the Aurobindo Schools trust) which aimed at nurturing and strengthening kids' cognitive abilities...the sad part is it could never attract parents who felt this system would never be able to prepares kids to take on the competitive world...

Unknown said...

hey Anu!!

Impressive writing!! Saw the movie last Sunday and as you aptly said, "what an experience". Aamir Khan's debut as director was sensational........that man has some talent....what say!!
But so do you! Cheers and kep writing.

Anuradha Exwaized said...

The movie did bring out the thoughts you mentioned, Pinaki.

Hey Pally, thanks.

Post a Comment