The Tamasha effect

‘Jenki life main koi prob nahi hoti woh prob bana te hai’

This is what people say when you claim to be frustrated with your life which might be oh-so-perfect for them.

But...

Have you ever talked to your reflection in the mirror and then got scared that you will go crazy as people say those who keep looking in the mirror go mad?

Have you ever got so frustrated with studies that you pierce you notebook with your pen trying to inflict as much pain on it as you feel it inflicts on you? (only some Indians studying Math will relate I think) And then suddenly stopped yourself thinking this paper and pen can be used to write something wonderful, to draw or paint something nice, and also the same paper is used to make those marvellous storybooks... then saying a silent sorry to the paper...

Have you ever seen characters come out of books, comics or movies and walk around you?

Have you felt like walking in this 'parallel' world with these people? Talking to them?

Have you ever felt that music is personal to each person; hence even if two or more people are listening to the same music they should try wearing headphones? Or let’s just say listening to music on headphones when no one knows what you are listening to is a great way to connect to music. Even though it’s a stupid song, it connects your personal energy to the universe.

Have you ever felt so?

Have you ever not bothered to see the video of a song you simply love as the visuals you have in your head are just beautiful? When you don't want to see anyone else in the video as you have pictured yourself dancing on that song and that is just how you want it.

Has the magnificent history of this world ever got mumbled jumbled in your head that you place an Indian bride walking on the aisle in a church or felt that your house-help resembles a character from a story and just then something they do brings out that character alive? Do you place Mickey Mouse in a remote Indian village or think how would the streets of America look if there were mice running around? Does this ever happen to you when you keep reading on different subjects simultaneously? And crazy as the thought is, you like it because it’s your own creation? A secret between you and yourself.

Have you ever imagined fungus growing in your stomach or that a weird insect is having a walk through your intestines even though you know you have a minor stomach ache due to something that you ate?

Do you love listening to stories? From just anyone who bothers to tell you one? Just like childhood.

Hearing and believing make-believe stuff, though you absolutely know its make-believe?

Yes I have felt all of the above...

and hence I could connect to Ranbir’s character in Tamasha. ‘Jenki life main koi prob nahi hoti woh prob bana te hai’, this was told to Ranbir’s character Ved by his father in the movie when he kept getting frustrated by what he calls ‘aam zindagi’. While I loved this statement his dad makes, which is so true for some people, and it even made me smile in an otherwise intense scene, I could understand how Ved felt, as what may be a great life for most people is boring and dull for him. It’s all about the perception, and naturally people who live in stories have great expectations out of their lives - which make their degree of frustration higher and difficult to be understood by others. Deepika’s character Tara is a nice one too - who loves, understands and even helps a person like that to succeed. Imtiaz Ali sure loves romantic stories - and he has a knack of showing a characters personal journey along with a wonderful love story in his movies’ - this is a difficult feat and he always gets it right, while also becoming better with every movie.

Loved Tamasha ya! The tagline is perfect – ‘Why always the same story?’ People who actually love stories, would appreciate fresh ones rather than formula ones.

And yes when I see writers and filmmaker’s returning their awards in India due to the growing intolerance, I feel really insecure about the wonderful stories of our beautiful country. Hence I ask for tolerance. These days’ filmmakers’ say a Thank you to people for watching their movies, (it should be other way around) but I thank Imtiaz Ali for Tamasha. So ya, a big thank you for Tamasha.

I think it should be nominated for Oscars this year unless we get a better movie. Don’t you think that we have amazing movies but we send the wrong ones to Oscars sometimes? We should either not bother about the Oscars altogether or send the right ones for the competition instead of always cribbing why we never win. We need to have a global outlook for the same… it can certainly come by being more tolerant…

This isn’t a review. As I don’t write movie reviews :P I just write about the effect. So here is the Tamasha effect:

Payal and I are walking out of the exit door of PVR.

Me: I think I am exactly like Ved.

Payal: I think I am exactly like Tara.

(OK people; don’t take it the other way)

Me: Wait, we need to go back and give ₹30 to the guy at the popcorn counter as I owe him and I don’t have cash.

Payal: I think I also don’t have, wait let me check. (She looks in her bag and finds some cash and hands over ₹30 to me)

We go inside and pay the guy at the counter who is surprised that I came back to pay him. We walk out of the mall and are waiting for an auto. We live really close by so all autowallahs say a big NO.

Me: We need to go to the ATM, as I borrowed ₹100 from Rashmi(the other room-mate) as I had no time to go to the ATM and she wants them back as she doesn’t have change. (Payal was out with her friends and had joined me at PVR)

Payal: You told me you walked here, so what did you borrow the money for? Oh, the popcorn! 

Me: I need to have cheese popcorn while watching a movie at PVR.

Payal: What?!

Me: Yes, it’s customary and mandatory.

Payal: You really are little mad like Ved. Please don’t end up selling your stuff to fulfill your crazy fantasies. HA -HA! 

Me: Oh please, I am not that crazy… just a little bit.

P.S.  There is a little blunder in Tamasha. Deepika’s blue dress becomes a little longer in the later part of the song Matargashti as she is required to do some bouncy steps on stairs :P It could have been the same length or the bouncy steps on stairs could have been avoided.