Meet your pathshala…- Rang De Basanti (Colour Me Yellow).

I normally don’t go and watch or look forward to movies which have too much hulla-bulla about them. Makes me kind of irritated and pisses me off. After all, it just a movie man. Big Deal!!!. Just because you have a big star cast, have spent loads of money and done excellent research, does not qualify your movie to be worth 3 hours of my precious time and Rs.100. But I kind of wanted to still watch RDB coz I had in the past enjoyed the sensibility that is portrayed in the movies of Rakesh Mehra. Aks was a well captured movie with amazing performances by The Big B (or rather the Tall and over-hyped B), Manoj Bajpai and Nandita Das.

I am a movie buff and like watching movies on the big screen and RDB got some really crisp reviews. I wanted to see it. But office and other social commitments kept me so busy that I did not have 30 minutes to spare, forget about 3 hours. I kept on scheduling dates, time and people to go and watch it but could not. Finally, a dear friend (who was returning from London) wanted to watch it and we decided to go together. Watching a movie with him is a dream, come true. But all things planned in my life never happen at all. So could not watch the movie with him.

Then came an interesting Sunday, the mention of it makes you feel lethargic, dull, sluggish, stretchy and languid. And when you get these luxurious Sundays after a week of office work, it is all the more priceless. You just feel like sleeping, eating, drinking and watching the idiot box. I love these Sundays of mine and treasure it completely. But then a surprise factor, RDB and first outing with office colleagues helped me barter for a different and action-packed Sunday.

We decided to give a surprise movie party to an office colleague for her farewell. It was planned that one, from the four of us, would get her to the theatre and the rest would join in. And lo!!! The happy, excited, shocked, gleeful look on her face made the movie and March 19, 2006 all the more special for us.

It was quiet an eventful day too. Had gone to that particular mall for the first time (Its called 10 Acres), got a call from someone unexpected, got a fundoo job prospect and then the movie happened!! It has something that has never ever took place within me. The movie was an eye opener in all aspects and made me feel a stronger person inside. It put to ease the struggle that was going in me since a few days. There were and still are a lot of questions that need to be answered within, yet the quest for the answers or possible solutions has been more patient and less tremulous. Just as the milk boils and is ready to overflow, but goes down the minute you switch off the gas burner, the movie translated that experience for me, within. Thoughts which had made me restless and doubtful, suddenly seemed clearer and less attention-giving. The movie re-instilled in me strongly the hope that I can achieve all that I want in life and deserve the best; that even though the best of things might not happen to the best of people, the things happening will never be extremely bad.

I am a shut off and on person. An art, that I have been able to master over the years through constant efforts and a strong determination. I leave the office when I leave for home and the home when I leave for office. This is also true for movies. I leave the movie when I exit the theatre. But with RDB, things have been drastically different and very exclusive. The movie actually made me feel as if someone has put me in an electric chair and is trying to shake and shock me up. Words just left my side and all expression failed. Communication, which has always been my strongest forte’, just broke. And the only thing I could do was sense, feel, think and let silence do the talking.

I still can’t comment or make up my mind whether what culminated the movie was correct or incorrect; I guess the director should be given his creative space and logic. But what it did do me will always be immortal till I live. All four of us could not talk, say a single word when we left the theatre. It was as if every one is telling each other to just go and let them be alone. Don’t know very clearly about the others but all I wanted to do is sit alone in a corner, cry out loud and think. This feeling is very similar to the one we experience when in a temple and the aarti is happening, though there is so much noise and commotion all around, yet there is peace and stillness inside.

I would cherish this accident with my sub-conscious all my life as it has made me a more patient person and my determination all the more firm.

So people, if you have not watched RDB till now, do go and see it once. For shalvi’s sake. Plzzzzzzzzzzz. And hey do let me know your experiences if you have already seen it.My mail id is milliagarwal@yahoo.com.