This one is an offbeat, lighthearted weekend post by our new strater, Amit Holey about Bollywood and the quality of movies. You can also read his previous post – Detachment and leadership

With the movie multiplexes embroiled in disputes, the common man was getting increasingly frustrated with the lack of Friday evening surprises. So, when the curtains were drawn on the collections argument, there was an expectant flow of bottled movies on the Box Office. One of them was the much hyped ‘ Kambakht Ishq’. Last weekend, my room mates dragged me to watch this movie. From the trailers, it was clear that the movie was not the worth my hard earned buck, yet, for lack of options, I dragged along.

When we reached the theatre, I was amazed at the crowd pouring in. Ticket rates in black or grey had touched the skies. People were paying as if it was an Oscar nominated movie. Amused I entered the hall, only to be greeted with loud cheer, whistles as Akki performed one of his stunts. People sure were starved of action. We did not have to wait long for the whistles to get shriller as shortly Bebo stomped onto the screen. The movie made no sense, but people were enjoying it- laughing their heads off at the one liners, cheering the stunts and gaping at ‘you know who’.

Though a little irked at my thoughtlessness, I settled in sometime and joined in the fun. I must say when I let go expectation of sensibility, the fun seemed to be much more. The movie is meant to make no sense. So, when one watches it, one should watch it with no sense. As my roomie told me in the interval, when you watch such movies, keep your brains at home- give them rest. Just laugh heartily and enjoy the popcorn. That is your money’s worth. Still, as I walked home that night, I thought of a few takeaways from the movie.

Disclaimer: This emanated after watching the movie. So, kindly deem it accordingly.

The horse will always get the mare
They say that when you want something strongly the whole universe conspires to get it for you. One thing is for sure, Bollywood movies adhere to this principle very strictly. Whatever the plot, however stupid the way, the stallion in the movie gets to the beautiful mare in the end. It may defy logic, but it will never defy Bollywood scripts. Edward de Bono – the founder of the word – lateral thinking- will forever be proud of the ingenious ways in which the directors get the stallions to meet the mares.
So the lesson – Life has miraculous ways of going ahead. Trust it and keep doing your job.

Jugaad ( managing the game)
It is called by different names in different parts of India. But they all mean the same. When you cannot get it the normal way, use tricks, but get it done. Bollywood movies are fraught with such tricks in the trade. In fact, there are several cases where real imitates reel to show the powerful impact of jugaad.
Life is never a straight road. It will always have traffic jams and potholes. So, find out the service roads, shortcuts and detours. Do not try crook if hook does not work. But never stop trying the right way.
The lesson is – Do not give up in life. There are ways of reaching the same hilltop- some are steep and short, some are long and winding.

When you are at the top, there are enough people to pull down your pants; so dont let them down yourself..
Bollywood is a mirage. What you see now disappears when you look at it again later. Often, we see a string of successes at the Box office and then the vanity of the actors. Actors begin to feel they are above everything and commit stupid acts. Media needs the slightest hint to flare simple issues and then the ball of success goes down the wrong track.
Lesson: Chase success, but never let it go to your head. Remember to keep it in place.

Nonsense to make sense
You realize somebody’s worth only when they are gone. Only when you suffocate, do you realize the presence and significance of air around us. Similarly, one needs to indulge in some harmless nonsense to appreciate the importance of sense. Day in and day out, we are paraded in the tracks of sense. Take some time out to let go off sense. You will appreciate it better the next time you need it. It is a paradox, but life is full of them any way, isn’t it?

The lesson is: Watch some Bollywood movies once in a while. Let go off your minds and enjoy it.

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