Pink Review

'Pink' is a story of three employed professional girls Minal, Falak and Andrea who live in a posh locality in the capital city and the  trials and tribulations they face in ' modern' Indian society for just being themselves .

The story is primarily about the question of choice and power trip. One night in a rock concert these girls accept a dinner invitation from a guy who is politically well connected . The girls accept the invitation because they had a common friend. All of them go to the resort , have some drinks and things begin to get dodgy. The politically well connected guy tries to molest one of the girls and she hits him with a bottle.
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To avenge this assault these three 'men' kidnap one of the girls and molest her. They are harassed and pressurized in various ways to stay silent. But the girls dare to stand up for themselves and start to take whatever action they could. But here begins their trials and the true face of society is exposed layer after layer as the movie progresses .

When they go to file a police report they find out that the police, instead of helping them starts to harass the girls . It is clear that the police does not dare to take action against politically powerful or well connected people and instead of working for the welfare of people it works against the people themselves .  The fact that it was a lady police officer who was harassing the girls shows that patriarchal mindset is not limited to one gender and the  abuse of power is  a monopoly of certain people in positions of power. Sometimes , police is merely a puppet for such vested interests .

Amitabh Bachchan who plays a retired lawyer, suffering from bipolar disorder , decides to defend the girls in the court . It is the court which serves as an example of pervasive mindset which affects lives of people as more than the facts or the events themselves the moral judgement passed by the opposition lawyer and accused are tried to justify their stand. Before going any further , it must be acknowledged that there are women who misuse the loopholes in the law to harass men but the movie shows that the loopholes can be exploited by anyone in a position to do so. The rot in society and its mentality is so deeply embedded that it exploits positions of people based on gender , caste, class and more but  it even goes beyond that and creates a vicious circle because it is the mentality that is corrupt and just the moment anyone gets a chance to be the oppressor , they almost always misuse it.
It is better to target and critique the mentality rather than target genders.

The proceedings in the court clearly show that the society at large expect people to behave in a certain manner to ensure their own safety and 'respect'. It is funny that people with such regressive mindsets talk about honour without having the faintest idea about the true meaning of the word. And this ' moral' judgement is not limited to one aspect of life ! In every sphere of life in society there is a huge bandwagon, a huge army of people who have a feudal regressive mindset and resemble barbarians than civilized persons. Incidentally, the most corrupt people are usually the first to talk of morality and ethics and never shy away from judging people even when they have no business meddling in other people's affairs.  And the movie leaves the question wide open for the society to answer as well as urges it to introspect . What is even more shocking is that the intended message might not have reached the sections in society where it is needed the most as one cannot unlock the doors of minds which have been locked for decades and keys thrown in the ocean. 

Observation

I was bullied a lot during the teenage years. I was skinny and had some health issues, underwent a surgery as well but the bullying left emotional scars which take years to heal and sometimes they don't! The truth is society, at least in India, judges people on the basis of colour, money , status and physical features. There is a huge pressure on children to 'succeed' in life. Judging people is like a full time hobby in Indian society. Thankfully in some parts of the country , you can get your space and not get disturbed but that is true in only a few places! It is no coincidence that many students across various fields commit suicide under pressure. India as a society needs massive soul searching and introspection !

India has been ruled by foreign invaders for way too long. But the fight against Britishers and 'triumph' against 'colonial powers' only dismantled  a fraction of imposed structures . What about the structures that ailed the society before the Britishers ruled India ? What about the caste system and deep seated prejudices against the 'other' communities ? Foreigners who visit India and state that everything but human life is valued in India might make people angry but it is the truth. How long will we as a society live under the facade of claiming ourselves  great ? Everything revolves around power , money and fame here ! People in general have no regard for other people's private space or any respect for others. The way people talk and treat others shows a lot about the culture of that society. I wonder sometimes is it because the country is overpopulated that there is no regard for human lives ? But what were the reasons that led us to this situation in first place ?

Personally I have noticed that the way people behave with you depends on certain factors like your clothes, your physical stature , your status etc. Some people say that  antisocial elements exist in every society but what do you call a society in which almost 80 per cent of society is anti-social ? For instance when I was skinny , about 140 pounds , I was treated differently than at present , 210 pounds . I am 6'1 and generally the taller you are the more muscle is needed to look big . Smaller guys look puffed easily but that is not the point here . But this is not where it ends. There are three ways generally people are addressed here; 'tu' 'tum' and 'aap'. And then there is more ; 'oye' , 'abey' etc. The respectable term is only one 'aap' , 'tum' is neutral and rest are more often than not disrespectful ways of addressing . The only exception being the time when we are amidst friends, relatives or family where 'tu' is often a way of endearment and not disrespect .

So it is simple , unless you are massively strong , uber rich ,famous or powerful , be warned of unexpected barbarism. Calling others with 'tu' is the norm and 'aap' is a rare exception. With this kind of feudal mentality what kind of world are we creating ? 

I wish....

I wish there was a better world than the one we live in at present. I wish people were considerate for other human beings. I wish there was no poverty. I wish people did not turn a blind eye to the things happening in the world. I wish there were no wars. I wish my country was developed. I wish there was no vvip culture in my country and no discrimination existed. I wish there were no pseudo seculars and no pseudo - nationalists. I wish people were not hypocrites. I wish people did not litter or spit in the streets or on the roads. I wish there were footpaths for pedestrians. I wish the public spaces were not encroached . I wish there was no corruption. I wish people had conscience. I wish people stopped being conformists. I wish there were more playgrounds for us to play sports. I wish there was less ego and anger. I wish there was a just world, I wish there were no hierarchy based on discrimination.

Life

Life is the biggest teacher. We think we know ourselves. Hundreds of books have been written on the concept of 'truth' . Thousands of books have been written on self- help . But in the end nothing and no one teaches like life and there is no greater enemy than ego. No one has monopoly over truth. Each person has to find his own or her own path. This is why I don't easily judge people , it is not my business but I'm still human and I do get affected by life and behaviour of people.

What are the most important things in life ? I think it depends on the person who answers this question but I think the most important things would include a sense of purpose, a goal , good health, relationships and evolution of one's self.. Everything is more or less an individual's responsibility but one cannot be held accountable for how people behave and it is a very important issue as man is a social animal .

The most important thing is to have goals in life. The moment we stop moving forward , we stagnate and there begins the downward spiral. As Jack Lalanne once said , there is no such thing as stable life , you either go up or you go down. It is 100 per cent true. And this is why it is crucial to ' get it right' where it matters ! The least we can do is not to go against ourselves and do what seems natural to us and not conform to society or other people's ideas . Secondly, we can't control how people behave as they have ulterior motives and different lenses through which they view the world . So, our self worth should not be dependent on their thoughts or judgments . But it is not easy to do so unless you are following your conviction in first place. In this age of Facebook , twitter etc. people have a new option and that is to block you or delete you which might seem like you've been judged, rejected , which you have been clearly, but that could deeply hurt sensitive individuals even when the reasons vary a lot for such actions . And there could be several reasons behind such behaviour. Again, it is important to remember that how other people behave does not reflect how you are as a person. So, focus on things that matter and good riddance from such trash.

People

It is correct to say that we are not the same person all through our lives . True , some of the main personality characteristics remain same but we change as a person as years pass. But this post is about people not the self so I'd talk about people today.

Over the years , I have come across many kinds of people. It is obvious that different settings gives us a chance to meet different kinds of people with different tastes . There was a time when I was surrounded by people who always wanted to have fun and their company was great. These were the people who hardly judged other folks and got along very well. Then I came across the intellectual group for a few years . Needless to say , it was primarily my choice that led me to such encounters. This group was definitely enriching and a pleasure in terms of expanding the mind and self growth. Later , I kept on meeting different sets of people who came from different cultures, regions and mindsets. One thing was common in most of them, there were hardly any people who wanted to connect except the select few. And to not be grateful for these people would be criminal.

The biggest trait I admire in a person is individuality, you may hate the person but credit must be given where it is due ! Someone who can think for himself/herself is worthy of respect. It doesn't imply that others are not but there is such a beauty and importance in this fact that it is all the more essential in this day and age.

We keep coming across various ways the society tries to restrict us , compartmentalize us and fit us in certain titles or segments. There is a threat to the society when a person begins to think for himself. There are relatively a handful of people who control the thinking process of the masses. And it can be quite a huge task to resist this indoctrination and manipulation. Media , movies, advertisements, newspapers are all the devices through which this is done. Thank the heavens that there are 'good' Samaritans who use it for nobler pursuits. But by in large , the modern life is a struggle of an individual against the larger group of people . Money , power and fame are seen as the ultimate parameters of judging someone . Validation is a weapon used by society against the individual. There is such a complex interplay of all these factors that it would take dozens of pages to explain the whole facade. Our time is at stake as time is what makes life .

People will come and people will go. There will be a lot of people who will reject you , disapprove of you and this bunch might include both groups ; one that you desist and the other one you look up to. But whenever someone rejects you just remember that you might have done it to many others unintentionally or out of ignorance and more often than not it is about them and their perceptions than it being about reality.

So keep your head up and be grateful for the blessings in life.   

The tree

The boy was lost . Staring at the stars and then looking at the ground ,he felt one with the existence . He had witnessed miracles and suffered tragedies (personal ).  He thought he had figured it all out but it turned out life showed him he was just being played by the world .

To start when there's no seeming hope or enthusiasm. To get back up when one has no will to . To come back from the dead silence of the soul . Some challenges are there to either bury us or make us the person we should have been . Our best self . To forgive oneself when one can't . To fight when there's no fight left . To overcome the sorrow of heart and treachery of brain . To prevail when the sense of self is no more . To rise like a phoenix . To know what it means to say all this things . To come back from the abyss. To show god that perhaps he could be wrong too . Perhaps sometimes Satan could help when god gives up . This , this is why life is stranger than fiction .

Life is about choices . Either you make one or life would choose for you. There's a world and there are worlds within world . There is no compulsion to be a part of the world you don't belong . Of course, justice is relative, reality is subjective. What's right for someone might be wrong in the others eyes . Life isn't a bed of roses . But you can make it better if you're aware. Ignorance is a sin for which we pay a heavy price and so is despair, lust , anger etc. There is an unmistakable sense of being at home with oneself when one is on the ''right path'' . The world is like a wild jungle with all kinds of beings in it . It is even more dangerous because on the surface everyone looks innocuous . Morality is nothing but a structure of codes to protect one's interests . The ones who know the truth about the world are the ones who actually get to live amazing lives . Others are left to the whims and fancies of fortune .

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To take revenge or to forgive, that is the question.

The lonely road

Chale chale yu hi chaltw gaye,
Dekhna tha kya ye to bhoolte gaye
Ruke ruke fir ruk bhi gaye
Rukna na tha vahan kyu ruke
Koi bujhe to  sahi inse

Ye sab hai duniya
Duniya duniya hi rahegi
is  pal me hi ji ,
na isko gava.
Aise hi zindagi ko zayar na kar
in sab se kya lena tujhe 
Are kahan jana tha ye kahan ruk guye.

Chal uth ab parrinde
Bahot hua darinde
Is darindgi se tauba kar
apni rooh se parda na kar
Inse nafrat karke na milega kuch tujhe 
Tu apne rab se kabhi dua to kar.

Chal chal re uth ab
Bahot hua na ghut ab
Bahot hui nautanki teri
Samne aa na jukh ab.