I went and saw Aamir on Saturday. And for the past half an hour I have been trying to write about it and have been trying to frame my thoughts. And it is not working. Perhaps because the movie is a one of such stark contrasts – of goodness and loyalty; of destruction and betrayal and of fear and survival- that I do not know what to really think. So I am choosing not to. I am instead going to focus on what I felt while watching it.
It was scary in a very real sense. The protagonist is part of the present generation - capitalist and ready to carve his niche in the world. He believes that his decisions control his life and that his destiny is what he makes of it. He believes that every single individual not matter how destitute, always has an option to chose paths and to create the life they believe is best for them. And he believes that it is not anyone’s place to do that job for another individual.
Do I agree completely? I am not sure. I am one of those who believe that while the broad and basic aspects of life are predetermined, how and when we get there is something we control. So while I may be destined to be doing something, how easy or painful that journey is, depends on the choices I make- and that includes my attitude as well as my actions. I also firmly believe that not everyone has the same choices, but then benchmarks are unequal as well so on some level that balances out and allows each person to move one step up from where they are.
When Aamirs’ life is no longer controlled by him, his sense of desperation is what had me at the edge of my seat. To be governed by someone else, to not know why you are doing what you are doing and to have no idea about the ultimate aim of it all is too uncomfortable to even fathom. Yet, here it was in front of me. One person, one day and complete upheaval of his existence – that’s what I call reality bites!
It got me thinking – in a sense there are a lot of times when I believe that my life and destiny are not really in my hand, I know I rarely know why things happen and all I really do is have faith that its all happening for a reason which is completely unknown to me.
But then the movies’ clincher is what really touched my heart – you do always have a choice. And just like it is believes that a bad apple cannot be turned good, it was really heartening to see that vice-versa works as well. In crises, in madness – it may be possible to actually get a glimpse of the big picture - all it takes is a split second of a nirvana moment. The core of your beliefs and what you know to be right and wrong can actually surface despite all odds and irrespective of consequences. Perhaps that’s what destiny is. It provides that nirvana moment. Recognizing it is where your choice comes in.
Hum of the day
Life is choices. Perhaps the biggest choice is whether or not we want to recognize this.
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