THINKER SIDE > TRAVEL IN
Family we don’t choose.
but Friendship we choose. We use.
WE choose. WE USE.
We choose Again And we use again
Have you ever bought a Chinese product?
Living in India, we all have an addictive fascination for Chinese creations.
What makes us so attracted to the ‘made in china’ tag of course is the price tag itself. We are no more seeking features like reliability, durability or longitivity, btut a quick and cheap gratification for our greed and pride. Who wants a masterpiece that was created with great effort, research, and expertise?! Especially when one knows it will put a serious dent on wallet. After all, owning a masterpiece requires efforts. And here comes a blingy Chinese replica that one can pick for an easy buck. No bumps on pocket, flash your new love interest around for a few days and then prepare for its farewell. It’s a clear deal. Instant gratification. And then quietly be ready in your head for its dooms day. And suddenly it gives up in the middle of a situation when you needed it the most. You would not think of repairing it too coz that would be as good as investing in a new one. And so you inhale a few rhythmic breaths and quiet your thoughts by saying, oh ‘itne paise mein, itna hee milta hai’.
Now if you take a helicopter view of friendships these days. Do you see any parallel? Seems like all have been ‘Made in China’. Nobody wants to invest their ‘everything’ in them. They count and give. These friendships or relationships are planned keeping convenience in mind.
They are easily found on social media platforms, offices, social gatherings And that too with a lot of options. Ofcourse, they provide instant gratification. Just how while owning a Chinese gadget, we go for looks and convenience more than durability, reliability or deeper values like trust. We do the same with friendships. Is he going to contribute in my growth, Is he resourceful enough, how good is his status, Is she fun to be with etc. Relations these days have gone so low in standards that they come with a pre-understanding that they would be short-lived. When one is gone, the hunt starts for the next because emotions are quickly replaceable these days. This Chinese virus of quickly acquiring, without effort, without sacrifice, just to satiate a momentary desire has spread in our systems and our relationships. We easily let go. Keep moving on and hopping from one relationship to another. Each time only considering, ‘mujhe kya mil raha…’ just like we contemplate while buying a chinese product, ‘features kya hain…’
But we forget,
relations or friendships are not products and not meant to be used
Villains of
Bollywood
Movies are made to showcase Heroism.
To establish Heroism, there is a need to establish a villain too. In Bollywood,
each era has seen a new kind of villain and negative character in the society.
Here are some observations-
The ‘Landlord’ era(Late 60s)
With Sukhilala of Mother India, every landlord was shown slave
driving the people. After Mother India, many films unmasked the insensitivity
of the Landlord system. How poor were being enslaved and
taken advantage off. The movies showcased how zamindars/sahukars
were ruling the poor and the economically challenged.
The ‘Daaku’ era(70s)
This was the era of movies like ‘Mera Saya’, ‘Sholay’ etc. The list is endless.
The glorification of the Daku as a villain lasted many years.
The ‘Don’ era(80s)
Remember Shakaal and Mogambo. Villains with an empire
and an attitude both. In this era, Bollywood explored
the ugliness of the villain with an aura.
The ‘Corrupt Politian’ era(80s)
This was about showcasing how a politician was screwing the life
of an average Indian. Films like ‘Jaane bhi do yaaro’, ‘Aandhi’ etc
showcased the dirty politics and how it moves a nation
and its people for personal agendas.
All these were real villains who actually existed
and loosely inspired the Indian Cinema but sadly an era was introduced
where parents were made the villians.
And it lasted forever.
The Ma-baap era(90s to 2020)
Movies that started from Qayamat se Qayamat tak/Maine Pyar Kiya
/Dil/Ishq/Taal and till now to quote ‘Kabir Singh’.
These movies romanticized the emotion of ‘pyar/muhobbat/ishq’
and created a separation between parents and children.
This era made parents as villains and the youngsters as heroes.
It poked people into love and partnerships,
which required rebelling your parents and choosing your new-found love.
Anyone who could do that was a Hero or a Heroine.
Making parents your villain,
would be an easy way to become a hero.
After all, all is fair in love and hormonal imbalance.