Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Life is beautiful...you just gotto see it the rite way...

A small but moralistic story...

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Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room.

One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour each afternoon to help drain the fluid from his lungs. His bed was next to the room's only window.

The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.

The men talked for hours on end.

They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation.

Every afternoon when the man in the bed by the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.
The man in the other bed began to live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the world outside.

The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake.

Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats.

Young lovers walked arm in arm amidst flowers of every color and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance.

As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.

One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by.

Although the other man couldn't hear the band - he could see it. In his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Days and weeks passed.

One morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths only to find the lifeless body of the man by the window, who had died peacefully in his sleep. She was saddened and called the hospital attendants to take the body away.

As soon as it seemed appropriate, the other man asked if he could be moved next to the window.

The nurse was happy to make the switch, and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.

Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look at the real world outside.

He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed.

It faced a blank wall. The man asked the nurse what could have compelled his deceased roommate who had described such wonderful things outside this window.

The nurse responded that the man was blind and could not even see the wall.

She said, "Perhaps he just wanted to encourage you."

Epilogue:

There is tremendous happiness in making others happy, despite our own situationsShared grief is half the sorrow, but happiness when shared, is doubled.
If you want to feel rich, just count all the things you have that money can't buy.Today is a gift, that's why it is called the present.

LIVE LIFE TO THE FULLEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Monday, February 06, 2006

An awakening...

It has been, that at times a movie has made me use my tear glands often during its course...and Rang De Basanti was another one in its line - no wonder it has hit the box office like nethin...especially here in Bangalore, where considering the crowd, the tickets have to be booked well in advance. The same happened to us - we had to 'enjoy' the movie in the dress circle in a theatre we normally dont 'enjoy' so much...but i think every minute of the movie is worth it...the spotlight being of course Aamir Khan, who, having crossed 40, still plays the college passout and steals the show...Howeva there is almost nothing that lets this movie down, or spoils the pastime of the viewer who visits the theatre to enjoy himself.



But besides being the 'paisa-vasool' film, with awesome performances, mind-blowing music by the genius of Rehman, and of course a fantastic storyline, the fact remains - why is the movie made? What has been showcased in this two hour forty-five minute film? With more movies being made for entertainment these days, its easy to guess that RDB is that mature kind of film, which the film-maker creates in order to set a good impact on the viewers...to set an example...to awaken a dead nation...

Life is fun, life is mazaa, but when sometimes it turns against u, the film ideology speaks of 2 ways out - either stay in the system and keep movin with it , or take the responsibility to change the system. Why has the writer struck a balance between the revolutionaries of the late 1920's and the rebels of today's generation is a thought every Indian should ponder on...even dialogues like 'Koi kuch nahin kar sakta is desh ka...kuch nahin badal sakta yahaan'...in fact the writer emphasizes on these dialogues repeatedly...

I would once again recommend that Indian cinema has indeed come of age...with some masterpieces like Lakshya, Swades and RDB...movies which are made less for entertainment, and more to set an example to the youth of today - more to reduce the myriad differences between Indians, to speak out that while resolving the petty issues like 'main hindu, main musalmaan' , the major issues like the people being fooled into unnecessary riots, insensible democracy still lie at large...and if they arent demolished, indeed 'is desh ka koi kuch nahin kar sakta'. Yes India has a huge number of records to list, India speaks big when it comes to numerous issues in hundreds of fields, India is advancing in several domains - but there are things which still remain ugly from within India - marring India's image...dont we as citizens have the duty of cleaning it up and saving it from damage...

Lets not say more - bravo to some movie directors of today for focussing into what sometimes is right before us, but cant be seen!