Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Cheeni Kum

Surprising that sometimes when you have something in mind to write, you also come across a similar piece written by someone else. I wanted to write something about a few dialogues in the movie, which talked about happiness and jealousy; I read this piece by Kushwant Singh this morning. And it almost touched something parallel or atleast triggered the same kind of thoughts the movie did.

The movie unto itself was fantastic. Off the beaten path, bold theme and great acting. But the clincher was the dialogue Big B has with Paresh Rawal asking him why he doesn’t approve of him. And he zeroes in at jealousy. Jealousy at someone who wants to be an iconoclast when it comes to defined roles at defined ages. He argues that Paresh is jealous about what he can do being older than him by 6 years. Paresh is simply unable to accept the fact that Amitabh being older to him can do something that belies his age, instead of possibly retiring and watch TV.

Made me think about how shallow we are as human beings. All the while we are young, we always want to do something that is beyond our age. We easily adopt Parent ego state in our transactions. It happens even to a small kid. But when it comes to playing down the age, it is unpalatable. What’s the real difference anyway? In both cases, we just don’t want to be the age we are. How is that, it is acceptable to try things that are above your age, while the other one is not?

Many people come to me and comment on why I wear bold colors, why do I have so many footwear’s, why am I growing my hair, why am I friends with people younger to me by 10 to 15 years. Many such questions, as if when I am just 40 I am supposed to take sanyas or just be a dad of 2 daughters and turn away when an attractive woman passes by. If I do, it’s not my age!! Or audacity!! “Look what he is doing, why can’t he just be his age?” ( Buddies, if I don’t, I can’t even relate to my own daughters….)

I can only laugh at them or really feel bad for them. I believe that as we grow older, we also grow wiser, smarter, bolder, more powerful, more understanding and so many other things. If you start feeling that you are old, you are dead that day. You are not going to like yourself and if you don’t, no one would either. It is plainly a denial to stay happy. Good things create unrest with many people. They always want to be Atlas. Carry the world on their shoulders and everyone’s miseries! If God decides to give rest one day to them from this daunting task, they feel miserable. They just can’t be happy, thinking that one day there is no pressure. They will really squeeze their brain and find out one distant misery that can hit upon them probably 20 years from then.

It is these kinds of people who think that one should act their age, particularly when it comes to trying something that youngsters do. No it’s not for the oldies. Plainly because I can’t do that because that may accidentally make me happy and my vow to remain sad would not be fulfilled, so I should not. Since I won’t I also don’t approve of what you do will be their undeclared stance.

Actually, we should have retired all these jokers just after they finished their kindergarten. And just give them the Atlas job!

2 comments:

supersubra said...

Last week I attended the Satyam Interview at Banglore and got thru technical arena. But HR Guy turned down that 44 is the maximum limit where as by cert tells I am 52. I said I wont get demoralized working with youngsters. Now I wonder who is aged?

Shrikanth said...

You bet !!! But I will tell you Subbu , I guess we scare youngsters :))