never a break

my favourite part of rab ne bana di jodi is the one which does not feature any of the leading actors of the movie. nothing is happening in that part. maybe no one gets excited by it. since it was a yash raj super starrer everyone was excited for obvious reasons. but what stays with me to this day is the first minute of the movie. the first minute shows the land of punjab, rural landscape, yellow mornings, sandy eyed dirty linen clad rustics. i can go on and on. the north indian rural landscape is my sweetheart. i hated it first. but back then i was a child. i had a craving for cleaner, greener and better smelling places to live. but things come around and their meaning for us changes.
i stumbled on jai arjun's review and it brought back all the memories. he makes very good observations about the movie. very fine acting by shahrukh occasionally. the film has some rare gems by shahrukh. which makes me think highly of aditya chopra. but that thought last only a while. you feel, how is it that someone who has all the financial backing of a legendary movie studio, sharp insight into the indian psyche and good movie making skills fall prey to song and dance frivolity. you need to have at least one meaningless multi starrer belly shaking, cleavage plunging, pelvis jerking dance number. we do have some good things about our movie but that wont sell the movie. the song does.
what else sells in india? religion. i was bleeding from my ear every time i heard the word "rab" in every possible context from love to vegetables. interestingly the word rab is used in different religions for god. and i believe the tendency of people of relating most aspects of life with god has been exploited. lot have criticised the movie for plot loopholes but they did enjoy it. because its amusing - songs, jokes, gags, style. our movies are focused on maintaining the size of brain of indian masses, especially the youth, at the size of a pea. that is true for more than half of bollywood. but what is interesting is this movie is non elitist, gives victory to the geek and yet is hit coz of reasons same as any other masala flick.

of death and noodle salad

i have never seen anyone die. i did lose my grandfather in 2000. i realized how much i loved him and respected him long after we lost him. in small things his memory crops up.
in 2000 he had gone to dubai and didnt return. and back then i dont remember how i was. maybe i was arrogant. i didnt love people as passionately as i do now. and i have never experienced loss. when we lost him i didnt feel any stabbing pain or loss. i am 25 years old and i feel time is volatile. the most mysterious thing. things get closer and move farther away in a swift way, like they are dancing and its meaningless.
if i were to see a dead person i knew what would i feel? i have read about people who died of no reason. millions die for no reason. millions for a higher cause, a divine cause. but what will i feel if i were to see a dead person? all the life behind is gone. love sorrow grief thrills money sins.

"Some have great stories, pretty stories that take place at lakes with boats and friends and noodle salad. Just no one in this car. But, a lot of people, that's their story. Good times, noodle salad. What makes it so hard is not that you had it bad, but that you're that pissed that so many others had it good."

We have stories of the past. boats, trees, cool breeze, sunshine and noodle salads. dark corners of our loved homes. faces of loved ones as they change, wrinkles and lumpy skin and flesh and hair ignored. surfaces, tears and edges of living things. colours shine and weights of objects. gravels and specks of dust. green grass on heavy rains. i remember. some judge them to never consider them. i have grown to love all of them. and on a dead man's face their life would all be lost.