Power Packed Punches

In an online poll Schwarzenegger’s phrase from ‘The Terminator’ -- "I'll be back" topped the list of most popular movie quotes beating Clark Gable's, "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn" from the American epic ‘Gone With The Wind’. 

"May the force be with you" from ‘Star War’s and Humphrey Bogart's immortal, "Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine" from the classic ‘Casablanca’ ranked high on the popularity list. 

Big deal.
When it comes to unforgettable movie quotes, we have to hand it to Bollywood. All the memorable movie quotes from foreign cinema put together cannot beat the memorable ones from Indian cinema.

Dialoguebaazi mein hamein pakadna mushkil hi nahin namumkin hai.

If we were to hold an online poll to decide the most popular phrase in Bollywood, it would be impossible to decide between, “Kitne admi the, Mogambo Khush hua, Haar kar jeetne wale ko Baazigar kehte hai, Filmein sirf teen cheezon ke wajah se chalti hain...”and scores of golden expressions from other regional languages. Indeed, catchphrases fly thick and fast in Indian cinema. Proving once again that our dialogues are a lethal combo of the writer’s magical pen and the actor’s starry enigma. When rolled by a super star - jocular, vulgar, pedestrian and double meaning entendres; all are winners.

The phoren quotes may be globally hurrahed, but the desi ones are milked at every award function. The infamous mare of Bollywood is immortalized each time Hema Malini says ‘Chal Dhanno, Basanti ki izzat ka sawaal hai’.

On the sets of reality shows, Dharmendra continues to flare nostrils, and drink blood “Ku**e, Kami**y, mein tera….” Newbie Sonakshi goes on to mint her classic, “Thappad se dar nahin lagta…” No wonder. Hasn’t she grown up watching her father utter “Khamosh” at the drop of a hat?

Movies are a great leveler. Just when I thought it was a desi phenomenon to quote,  "Main ek baar commitment kar doon to phir apne aap ki bhi nahin sunta,” I hear several Americans use movie quotes in business meetings and weddings. Some even try movie quotes to talk their way out of a parking ticket. Imagine telling a desi traffic cop, “Rishte mein to hum tumhare baap lagte hai…”. One can only hope that the constable turns out to be a movie buff. He could then pardon you with, “Yeh police station hai, tumhare baap ka ghar nahin.”

Irrespective of who utters them, some gems define the Hindi cinema of the seventies. Come to think of it, ‘Apne aap ko kanoon ke hawale kar do’, ‘Bhagwan ke liye mujhe chhod do’ and ‘Mein tumhare bachche ki maa banne wali hoon’, sound almost comical today.

With the success of mindless comedies and the advent of puerile humour, catch phrases are deliberately inserted to make the hero appear witty and larger than life. Out of ten, even if one hooks you, it’s a win-win. The best part is that even though the vulgar ones become viral, they die a slow death of ignominy. Just like Tushhar Kapoors double entendres or Devgan’s ludicrous, “My chest has become blouse.”

In a world where the hero has to deliver power packed punches, both verbal and otherwise, Ranbir Kapoor’s silent yet successful Barfi has put brakes on dialogue-baazzi.

For the time being.
But then, silence only speaks for the multiplex audiences. The masses want their protagonist in a larger than life role, mouthing dhamakedaar dialogues.

Make way “Bond. So what if your name is James Bond?”
Match the onslaught of, “Rahul. Naam to suna hoga” and “Poora naam… Vijay Dinanath Chauhan,” and “Hum yahan ke RobinHood hai..naam hai RobinHood Pandey,” and "Basanti, tumahara naam kya hai?"..….the list is endless.

(Picture Courtesy : Google Pictures/ facebook.com)

Mind Matters - A letter to Myself

Mind Matters - Go With The Flow

Why tap the keyboard to communicate with myself? Isn’t the nerve fiber route  more personal? No, it’s not short-term amnesia which is making me pen my thoughts.  Well, for one, I am a little tipsy. That’s when I become philosophical. And since, I am quite capable of repeating mistakes, reading this letter will prevent me from falling for the same trap. Over and over again.

So hic… err… here we go.

Hello Beautiful,

What?

If I don’t feel good about myself, how can I possibly do any good? Or write any good? Hence the exaggeration! 

It has been a roller coaster ride of over four decades. The fun of childhood and the fear of insecurity; the bliss of love and the sting of bereavement; the joy of motherhood and the twinge of separation; the pleasure of comfort and the pain of illness – life has unfolded in all its myriad forms. 

The sunny days were a blessing. The world appeared beautiful with the ‘All is wonderful with the world’ pair of glasses. But, the sun it seems, loves to play hide and seek. When the clouds appeared, I inadvertently fed the ogre – worry. In hindsight, there was no point battling destiny. Who can? But surely, it was possible to master the twelve pound mass sitting above my shoulders. 

What the hic…err…heck! 

Okay, confession time. I am guilty of showering disproportionate attention on the bad times. In hindsight, ‘Was the stress worth it?  How many fears came true? And more importantly, did the worrying help?’ 
No. More often than not, worry depleted my energy reservoir and left me weak in spirit. 

The funny thing is that when the cosmic dice falls in favor, thoughts become angels – they behave. On other times, the monsters pull me in all directions. I have come a long way since, negotiating with my thoughts. Some have been tamed while others still play truant.

Since what others think about me has weighed on my mind, could anyone have made me unhappy without my consent? Why did I allow them to?

Not again.

So much of life depends on the vagaries of destiny, chance meetings, and complex forces of fate which unfold each moment. Perhaps that’s the beauty of life – seeking, searching and surviving. Fighting new battles and yet going with the flow.

It happens to most of us. Time and again destiny mocks at courage. Fate begins the test of resilience. Ultimately, one has to put up a good fight. A fight one can be proud of. 
 It’s tough. The idea that I should always look at the bright side is too easy to be true. What problem after all, can be dealt simply by looking at the ‘half full’ glass? I can’t ignore the other half, can I ?  I am not Buddha to say, “Lets rise up and be thankful….We got sick, at least we did not die.” 
Regardless, gratitude, hope and faith help. The only other option is to stew in misery. Finally, it all boils down to what I choose and how I think. 

These words, over the years, have been repeated a zillion times by those who write about monks selling Ferraris or those who pass down ‘The Secret’ of realizing the true magnificence of life. Yet, unless I nail these truisms in my head and feel them from my heart, they will remain words shining on a piece of paper. And as confessed earlier, I am quite capable of repeating the same mistakes.
  

Surprisingly, this letter is making me see more than I was intending to. The babbling reminds that I am guilty of not proportioning desired significance to gratitude. That said, I need to work on my gratitude list. Pronto.

Indeed, I am grateful that I found my passion in writing. Writing for me is neither about being read, nor, about getting published. It is a beautiful thing in itself. Except the fact that writing gives me immense pleasure, I know nothing about writing. Only that it is hic…err…cathartic.  

So dear, now that I am yawning, enough fodder for the day.  Also, there is only so much gyaan the mind can take. So go forth and drink. To happiness that is!

Ciao.

This post is part of the contest A letter to yourself.. on WriteUpCafe.com