Of Some General Long Time No See Topics...

Long time no see..

I think for the last two three posts, I have written about films. It has been a long time since I wrote about what all is happening. A lot happened that I have almost forgotten or want to forget what all happened :) I had a number of small small topics to write about, let's see how much I remember.

So I had a one month long winter break. I was here all the while except for a week when I went to California. I was all alone. None of the people I speak to were here. There were days it was so cold that I did not step out of the house for two days, there was a terrible blizzard too. It was lonely but I like to be alone I guess. If Internet would not have been there, I would be dead. I used to do my GA work and apply for internships. I sometimes went for swimming, sometimes for a long walk, sometimes for buying food, so it was alright. I tried some new dishes. Rajma Chawal turned out well but Halwa was pukeworthy..wasted so much ghee :{ I can make food for myself - pulses, rice, roti, rayta, poha, paratha, aloo-gobhi, mixed vegetables, sandwich, pulao - apne liye to bana hi leta hun. I did not want the break to end.

Rajma :)

You know na how when you are on Twitter you just visit profile of random strangers when they post an interesting tweet. So I just checked the followers of my college friend who is an entrepreneur. His friends list contained people like him - entrepreneurs. It turned out that most of them have started their own business or some new venture. When I saw the Twitter timeline of these people, I noticed some common things. All these people , I don't know the exact word, but almost all of them seemed so happy or satisfied with their lives. Never once I saw them crib about the amount of work that people (like me) do. They are passionate about what they do. And one thing about all of them was that they all are so well informed and opinionated about almost everything. They know about everything - politics, business, technology, news, movies, cricket..it felt as if they know everything. And they are not afraid to share their opinion and not afraid of being judged! That may be true because they have already risen above the peer pressure - they have had the courage to take some risks. These people make their own lives. And having an MBA degree is just a matter of chance. Some of them have no MBA and yet they know more than an MBA would. They all are from decent colleges. It felt great to see such optimistic people. And on the other hand, if we see the timeline of people working in great firms, you see everyone waiting desperately for the weekend. Too much pressure. I don't know you cannot judge anyone, each have their own choices but I felt happy that maybe if you have your own business you could be happy. If only doing business in India was simpler, maybe we can see more such driven people. And if people like me knew what they really want to do in life :)

Last week, I saw this TEDx video by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. She has written this book called One Amazing Thing. The book as described on her website:

Late afternoon in an Indian visa office in an unnamed American city. Most customers have come and gone, but nine people remain. A punky teenager with an unexpected gift. An upper class Caucasian couple whose relationship is disintegrating. A young Muslim-American man struggling with the fallout of 9/11. A graduate student haunted by a question about love. An African-American ex-soldier searching for redemption. A Chinese grandmother with a secret past. And two visa office workers on the verge of an adulterous affair.

When an earthquake rips through the afternoon lull, trapping these nine wildly individual characters together, their focus first jolts to a collective struggle to survive. There’s little food. The office begins to flood. Then, at a moment when the psychological and emotional stress seems nearly too much for them to bear, the young graduate student suggests that each tell a personal tale, “one amazing thing” from their lives, which they have never told anyone before. As their surprising stories of romance, marriage, family, political upheaval, and self-discovery unfold against the urgency of their life-or-death circumstances, the novel proves the transcendent power of stories and the meaningfulness of human expression itself.

In the talk, she talked about how each of us have so many stories to tell and we are bursting to tell. Essentially we all are the same people. We need people to listen to our stories and then we will find out how many common things we have with others. She tells people to tell one amazing story from their life to everyone. 

  

I really liked the concept. But I am struggling to find one amazing thing from my life. I guess after some thinking I might have something later. I have a few stories in my mind but don't know which one should I share. Will think about it. What is your One Amazing Thing? 

So, new year also went. I did not write the mandatory blog post on the events of 2012 and the new year resolutions. My list of resolutions won't change. It is same from the last five years and I still haven't been able to fulfill them. This time I added one more - to stop worrying about things that are not under my control  - and I have already broken it :) What to do? Aadat se majboor.. And I don't know I should share this or not. For the last few months, I have been having some issues with the people I live with. The thing is we are totally different people. My room mate is a very outgoing person. He wants people to share things and all. And I am his total opposite. I don't speak much. The thing is I am judged by him every single day. And he is quite elder in age to me. He is married. He thinks I am a kid. So he told me some things about me as a person which I did not like at all and it made me feel terrible and irritated. Why do people judge others? Why can't they let others be the way they are? I don't say anything. And when I told my dad, he was telling me to not say anything back, but I never say back things in the first place. He said, agar ek bevkoof hai to dusra bhi bevkoof ban jaye. Maybe the fault is with me like always. Maybe I am not a good person. Maybe I am not a good friend. It's alright. Everyone can't be perfect. I always go back to that line from the song Jugni which is my motto in life: Rakhi saabat sidh amaal (Just keep you actions and intentions pure). I always try to follow this - never hurt anybody intentionally, avoid judging people as much as you can. I have never wanted anything bad to happen to anyone. Sometimes feelings, like jealousy and anger, do affect me, after all I am not perfect, but in these cases, I end up hurting myself. Theek hai.. maybe I have to account for some past life actions :) 

Or as Meredith says,

‎"Maybe we like the pain. Maybe we're wired that way. Because without it, I don't know; maybe we just wouldn't feel real. What's that saying? Why do I keep hitting myself with a hammer? Because it feels so good when I stop."

So it is a funny thing that happened. I called a few of my friends during the break. Whoever I spoke to said how is my sister Y doing? They all think she is my real sister. She is my cousin but my soul sister. We discuss everything from love problems to people in the family we can't stand :D My real sister is J :) She is very different from me :) And on timeline this week, an old pic came up from a cousin's wedding when someone in the family liked it. Talking about weddings, five of my close friends are getting married the next month and I am going to miss all of them :(

 My Sister and My Mom :)

I, Y and J - Every pic that I have is in the same sweater :D

And you know this week, Diptakirti Chadhuri, author of Kitnay Aadmi Thay: Completely Useless Bollywood Trivia, posted on his Twitter about the Hindi Movie Quotes page. I messaged him about and he posted it on his timeline. I know it is no big deal but it made me feel happy :) I want to reach where he is now someday :)

I have some small small topics to write on.. will continue writing on it in the next post.

And my friend P on Twitter posted this super awesome picture on the concept of ambition. Loved it.

Dialogue of the Day:

"नमाज़ जगह और लोगों से नहीं, नीयत से पढ़ी जाती है"

 - Rizwaan Khan, My Name is Khan

Of Talaash...

I watched Talaash at my cousin's place in California. I really really liked it. Reema Kagti, who also directed Honeymoon Travels Pvt. Ltd, has created a very deep film about loss. As Greatbong wrote about Talaash: As a thriller, weak. As a study of grief, spectacular. I totally agree. More than the talaash for the killer, it was more about the talaash for inner peace as the title says the answer lies within. Rosy was searching for her peace by taking revenge while Roshni and Shekhawat were searching for their peace by overcoming the death of their son. More than the murder part of the film, I was fascinated by how to deal with the loss part. Like that scene where Roshni is sitting at the psychologist and she says she is more worried about Shekhawat because he can't sleep at night. Or the scene where Rosy takes Shekhawat to a place which she calls 'meri jagah' and Shekhawat says that he is not able to understand anything but aisa lagat hai jaise sare jawab mere saamne hai. The beautiful bond that Rosy and Shekhwat had, helped both of them overcome their grief. Shekhawat was so against Roshni talking to their dead son but in the end, he goes through the same fate. Elizabeth Kubler Ross defined five stages of grief as denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Indeed, acceptance is the hardest part. Shekhawat was undergoing anger, bargaining, and depression - the way he was angry at himself for not being more careful, the way he dreamed of the different situations he could have done to prevent his done from dying reflected his bargaining with fate..his inner turmoil and the way he used to play with his son's toys at night because he just couldn't t sleep as he was terribly depressed. It is the final part of acceptance that was troubling him. Talaash made the point that each of us could have our own way of overcoming grief. Some people speak to psychologists, some people might believe in the supernatural to overcome the loneliness of loss (a phrase borrowed from Barkha Dutt).. they show that all the while Roshni had not been taking any medicines but she still got cured. The mind is a fantastic creature - we know how complex the placebo effect is..how just by talking to someone we can be cured. A wonderful concept.

Talaash also made this point on how we forget about people who are not so rich. The way Rosy made a point that she had a friend who disappeared but no one cared..the way she mocked Shekhawat when he asked her why didn't she contact the police. The stunning opening credit sequences showed this dark side of Mumbai with nameless ordinary people that if they get lost no one will care. A lot of sequences in the film were at places where these ordinary people are present. Temur's death near a place of laborers, the fight at the railway station among so many people, how a film star's death is news but no one cares for the death of a girl. The harsh socio-economic reality of life.

Each and every scene in Talaash meant something. I saw it on a not-so-good print and didn't get much of the details. I need to watch it again to understand it more. There were some beautiful scenes. One of my most favorite scenes was when Frenny says that the wandering souls come to only those people who can understand them, who are going through a troubled phase themselves because they will identify with them. Rosy came to a troubled Shekhawat because they both were terribly in grief, Karan came to Roshni because he thought she will understand him, even Frenny must have gone through something troubled in her own past. That was the theme of Talaash in a way - to gain closure one needs to let it out and people who are themselves troubled can help achieve it. It was a sheer coincidence that my sister, at whose place I was, told me the same thing a day before when we were talking. She is going through a really difficult time right now, and then she told me how when she told everyone in the office about her problems, people came and started talking to her. Those she hadn't spoken to at all came and told her their problems because they thought she would understand. Her boss called her in a meeting and told her his experiences. People just need someone to talk to. Talaash in a way meant the search for people who could give them peace and as it says the answer lies within the same people who are going through a similar fate. Just read the lyrics of the song Muskaanein Jhooti Hai and you will understand what I am saying. One of the other moving scenes was when Shekhawat discovers Rosy's body and he sees the same ring. He gave closure to her and in a way she thanked him by taking him out of the water. I think he was completely in love with her. I also really liked the scene when Shekhawat comes home, Roshni and his soul give each other a hug but in reality, they do nothing. There were some other great scenes but I forgot. Talaash has some fantastic performances by all the three lead actors. There is some sparkling quality in Kareena's scenes. I don't know how she does that but she has a great screen presence. I really like her as an actress. Even the side roles, particularly the assistant cop and Nirmala (the aging sex worker) were excellent.

Talaash is not a perfect film. You will be disappointed by the climax but it worked for me because of some other beautiful things. Watch it.

As Mihir Fadvanis pointed out, Temur who walked with a limp, played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, is a reference to Temur The Lame - reference of the day :)

Critics are calling the duo of Reema and Zoya the next Salim-Javed jodi. They are my favorites - I will again start talking about Luck By Chance :) Eagerly awaiting Zoya's next film.

Dialogue of the Day:

जो रूह प्यासी है,

जिसमे उदासी है,

वोह है घूमती,

सबको तलाश वोही,

समझे यह काश कोई,

यह है गुमराहों का रास्ता,

मुस्कानें झूटी है

 —Talaash

Of Loving Films - 2012 :)

I have been thinking to write something about films for some time. I believe 2012 has been one of the best years for Hindi Cinema. I don't remember watching so many good films in one year. Films that went into uncharted territories which we would have never thought would work in the first place, films that made us think, films that shocked us, but above all films that touched our heart. The Hindi film industry is going through a fascinating phase and I cannot get enough of it. It is simply too hard for me to pick favorites but will give it a shot.

Films that I loved them for everything:

Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu, Kahaani, Barfi, English Vinglish, Jab Tak Hai Jaan, Talaash, Aiyyaa, Vicky Donor, Oh My God, Agneepath, Shanghai, Gangs of Wasseypur.

Films that made me laugh the most:

Aiyyaa - I don't know whether I have laughed that much during any other film this year. A lot of people didn't get Aiyyaa but I think it is a fabulously wacky film. The characters are a treat to watch - the Lady Gaga-inspired Mynah, a father who smokes four cigarettes at once, a blind wheelchair-ridden grandmother, the Alice in Wonderland Meenakshi, Aiyyaa was simply brilliant and ventured into new spaces. It was very unusual to see that a hero, Prithviraj, played a role that required his body to be treated as an object of desire. As Beth says in her blog that it is perhaps one of the best Hindi films this year, I completely agree. Aiyyaa deserves one whole post and will try to write soon.

Vicky Donor - another film that made me laugh out loud. Who can forget the scene where Biji and Dolly Aunty have a drink every night! Or their wedding sequence which would leave anyone in splits!

Performances of the Year:

Sridevi in English Vinglish - hands down.

Priyanka Chopra and Ranbir Kapoor in Barfi.

Deepika Padukone in Cocktail - most surprising that is why love it even more.

Parineeti Chopra in Ishaqzaade.

Vidya Balan in Kahaani.

Dolly Ahluwalia and Anu Kapoor in Vicky Donor.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui in Kahaani and Talaash and Gangs of Wasseypur - star of the year.

Parambrata Chatterjee in Kahaani - what a performance - terrific,

Rani Mukerji in Aiyyaa - the return of the queen.

Aamir Khan in Talaash.

Kareena Kapoor in Talaash (and Heroine).

Anushka Sharma in Jab Tak Hai Jaan.

Imran Khan in Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu - perhaps more love for the character.

Emraan Hashmi in Shanghai.

Manoj Vajpayee and Richa Chadda in Gangs of Wasseypur.

Paresh Rawal - Oh My God.

Song(s) of the Year:

Pareshaan - Ishaqzaade - first on my playlist.

Heer - Jab Tak Hai Jaan - beautiful lyrics.

Aashiyaan - Barfi.

Jugni - Cocktail.

Pani Da Rang - Vicky Donor.

Muskaanein Jhooti Hai - Talaash.

Best Music:

I think Cocktail and Ishaqzaade.

Hauntingly Sad and Beautiful Film:

Talaash - Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar - lovely story - as critics called it an excellent study of grief! Wrote something on it.. will post it soon.

A film that furiously divided everyone:
Cocktail

Favorite Mature in Love Character of the Year:

Rianna - Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu

Akira - Jab Tak Hai Jaan

Laurent - English Vinglish

Favorite Mature in Life Character of the Year: 

Shruti's Mom - Barfi

Biji - Vicky Donor

Radha - English Vinglish

Charming Character of the Year:

Barfi - Barfi - the scene where he turns back time at the clock :)
Meenakshi - Aiyyaa

Favorite Character of the Year:

Rahul - Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu - love him absolutely, more so because of the similar instances with my own life..a brilliant film that got lost in the din of the biggies.

Shashi - English Vinglish - Shashi has been severely criticized for being a bad parent - she doesn't scold back her kids and silently takes insults of her husband - I agree.. but maybe she suffered from a lack of confidence in her abilities..the happiness she got when her teacher called her entrepreneur showed that she needed to be told she was a great lady.. and how in the end, she thanked Laurent for making her fall in love with herself again. Eventually, she comes out as a more confident person walking with her head held high. That is why I loved her.

It is no surprise that both of my favorite characters of the year suffered from a lack of confidence in their ability, we love those characters in whom we see a reflection of ourselves and maybe that is why I loved both of them so dearly and defend them in spite of their flaws because I too am like them in some ways.

Films that I hear some good things about but have yet to see:

London Paris New York, Agent Vinod (I hear good things about it, people just love to criticize any new attempt), and Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana.

I hope 2013 is going to give us some more films that make us think, make us introspect, and make us learn something new.

So what are your favorite films, characters, songs of 2012? Would love to know. there is no right or wrong answer and we don't judge anyone here :)

Dialogue of the Day:
"समुन्दर की हवा कितनी अलग है लगता है इसमें लोगों के अरमानो की महक मिली हुई है."
  —Yasmin, Dhobi Ghaat

Between...

I feel like one of those people who are so freaking miserable that they can't be around normal people.
 - Meredith

Jab Tak Hai Jaan

In her book 100 Bollywood Films, Rachel Dwyer writes, "Yash Chopra's earlier romances in which the eroticism and romanticism are carried as much by words (dialogues and lyrics) as visuals, seems now an elegy to Urdu poetry and its imagery."

While watching Jab Tak Hai Jaan, I couldn't help but agree to it and wonder at the beauty of the film. Stunning locations, gorgeous people beautified by a melange of emotions, without a doubt Jab Tak Hai Jaan is one of the most beautiful films of the year. One could call it an exact antidote of the terrifying Gangs of Wasseypur. Recall the scene of the butcher factory in that film and it still sends a chill down the spine. Anupama Chopra, in her review, called the Jab Tak Hai Jaan's story as 'borderline ridiculous' and many of us would agree. But who watches a Yash Chopra film for a story? I watch a Yash Chopra film to understand something more about emotions, about the complexity of love, and the thrill of melodrama howsoever unreal it may be and to me, Jab Tak Hai Jaan delivers that. You can judge me but I will say that I absolutely loved Jab Tak Hai Jaan.

So how do I begin about the movie? I think I will first talk about my favorite character in the movie—Akira played by Anushka Sharma. I do not know what made me like her so much, whether it was the excellent character writing or Anushka, who I have really started to like as an actress. Akira is one of the most contemporary and cool characters that I have seen of late. She exemplified what being young is all about. She was furiously passionate about her work. She would go at any length to prove her point and would try to make opportunities if they did not come to her. The way she managed to convince her boss was one of the first scenes that helped us understand her ambitious nature. She is not afraid to live a dangerous nomadic life among a bunch of army men involved in bomb control (shades of Barkha Dutt, perhaps!). Think about her difficulties—for instance, where would she go for the call of nature in the jungle. That's what being young is about. One other thing about Akira that I felt was that she took decisions quickly without thinking of the consequences. Maybe because she was young and naïve, but more so because she has not witnessed a lot of failure in life. She jumped in the frigid waters of the lake in Leh, just to prove a point, only realizing later that the water was too cold and then she started calling for help. When Samar comes to rescue her, instead of being thankful she has the guts to say to him that "Thora jaldi nahi aa sakte the, agar mar jaati toh." Or, in another instance, where in spite of being told by Samar to stay 350 meters away from him, she deliberately crossed the barricade putting not only her life but others' in danger as well. Or, in another instance, when she meets Samar in London, she starts dancing on the road, which eventually led to Samar's second accident. At one point in the film, she says "Main hamesha se hi topper rahin hun, studies or sports, national level swimmer hun." I was convinced that she behaves the way she does because she always got what she want, perhaps never saw any failure in life.  When I was in school, every Thursday we used to have a moral education class discussing some commonly accepted moral principles. I still remember one lecture where the topic of discussion was Failure is the stepping stone toward success. During the discussion, our teacher asked a question to one of the most intelligent girls in the class. It was, "Have you ever failed in life?" She being a consistent performer all her school life said no. And then the teacher asked a philosophical question to her. "Have you ever failed in relationships?" Everyone was stumped by it and then she started talking about what failure is all about. To this day, I remember that class and as I watched Akira, it fits completely on her. She got everything in life and life failed her by making her fall totally, completely, madly in love with a guy who loved someone else. Perhaps that would teach her something. 

Remember how Geet changed in Jab We Met when she failed? And how Rianna became a more mature person in Ek Main Aur Ekk Tu even after going through so much in life? Failure teaches a lot in life and I hope Akira would be the wonderful person she is. There are so many other things about Akira that make her a very well-written characters. She said, "Mujhse rejection sahan nahi hota, koi mujhe chhode islye main hi use pehle chodd deti hun." Don't we all like to escape rejection? That is what made her real. 

These days we tend to see people in two categories - either white or black. If you are on Twitter, you will understand what I am saying. Akira was also like that. At one point in the film, she says to Samar, "Tumse na to nafrat kar sakte hai or na hi pyaar, itne complicated kyun ho tum?" Even her clothes reflected her personality. When she goes and meets Meera for the first time, she is wearing a shirt that says Love Me Or Hate Me reflecting the binary choices that the instant love-instant breakup generation uses to judge people.

Love Me or Hate Me Shirt 

What I also liked about Akira was her attitude towards love. She says, hamare love me sex pehle hota hai aur love baad me. She was so frank and upfront about her sexuality. Earlier this year, Rani Mukerji's Aiyyaa was praised for talking about female sexual desires and being one of the very rare films that objectified the male body instead of the female. I loved Aiyyaa and haven't laughed as much this year during any other film as much I did while watching it. But more on Aiyyaa later. In the Hindi film industry, the women have been shown to be very timid about sex or even if they talk about sex, it is only with the man they love. Remember that hilarious scene in DevD where Paro takes a gadda on a bicycle to the fields to have sex with Dev? If she talks about sex with different men, she is automatically labeled a slut, like Veronica in Cocktail. But Akira says to Samar, "Pehle mujhe alag alag accent ke logon ke saath sex karna hai."

Her openness was also reflected by the way she confessed love to Samar. She did not do any melodrama nor did she keep it to herself nor wait for for the right moment but simply said it to him on his face. She says to Meera if Samar had met both of them at the same time, she had no chance at all with him because he loved Meera. Not even once she showed jealousy towards Meera but simply went out of their way. There were so many other things about Akira, such as she did not believe in praying to God. I could go on and on about Akira. I loved her.

Yash Chopra's films have always talked about dealing with love. In his films, Yash Chopra has tried to say that love is eternal. Once you love someone, you always love that person. You are lucky if you get your loved one else you can either move on (Kabhi Kabhie, Silsila, Lamhe) or you can fight for it (Darr) or you wait (Chandni, Veer Zaara, Dil To Pagal Hai). Jab Tak Hai Jaan talked about the last point, that there is a time for love, which is different from time to fall in love, which can happen anytime. Har ishq ka ek waqt hota hai. Woh humara waqt nahin tha. Par iska matlab yeh nahin ki woh ishq nahin tha. This dialogue summarized what the movie was trying to say. Circumstances might not be in your favor but that does not mean that one should stop loving. Time will come and you will find love again. Samar and Meera waited for ten years and finally, they found love. He tried to move on but couldn't stop loving Meera. Imran waited for eight years for Meera's mom and she came. Can you force someone to be with you? No, you cannot. He is not saying that you cannot fall in love because that is not under your control but sometimes time might not be right. 

Yash Chopra has always been a progressive filmmaker. Jab Tak Hai Jaan did not judge Meera's mom. She said she could never love Meera's father and she fell in love with Imran when Meera was four years old. But she still left them. She saw no point in continuing a loveless marriage. Remember how harshly everyone judged Maya in Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna? And when Meera finally meets her, she understands her mom wasn't wrong. because she is going through the same predicament - should she marry a guy whom she did not love? 

Just like Aditya did in Jab We Met when he says to Geet, "तुम ठीक नहीं कर रही हो। पर तुम ही ने कहा था - जब कोई प्यार में होता है तो सही गलत नहीं होता। All is fair. और आज अगर मैं अपनी माँ को समझ सकता हूँ, तो घबराओ मत कल तुम्हारे parents भी तुम्हे समझ जायेंगे।"

Perhaps that is why one should never judge someone. I would still want to know whether her mom would have taken the decision to leave Meera's father if Imran was not rich. Would she have left the comfort of a home for a poor man? Shruti's mom in Barfi left love for security. I don't know what Meera's mom would have done.

I also felt two-three instances where Yash Chopra tried to say that love happens between similar people or that it makes you try to become the other person. At one point, Meera's mom says to Meera about Imran that he is just like her.. bavra hai meri tarah. At another instance, Samar says to Akira, tu dialogue bilkul mere jaise maarti hai lekin, mere jaise pyaar mat kar. Also, when he is going back to India, he advises Akira mere jaise mat ban. Even that terrific song Heer, its lyrics say something about love between the same people and following the shadows:

Ohde jehi main te o mirza mere varga (I am like him and he is like me)

Chhanve chhanve paave assi teri parchhave turna (Under the shades, I wish to follow your shadow)

One thing I really liked about Jab Tak Hai Jaan was its message to find your fitoor or your passion. Samar's love for Meera was his fitoor, he would fight God every day to prove his love. He would go without a bomb suit in spite of how much he felt really scared of bombs and guns (which he tells us when he had lost his memory). Akira's passion was to make that documentary to get the job and she did not budge even when Samar tried to send her back. That is why Samar replaced her camera because he felt, "Har aadmi ka ek fitoor hota hai, uska fitoor agar poora nahi hua, toh woh paagal ho jaata hai. Ek paagal tumhare saamne ha, aur dusre paagal ki yahan pe jagaa nahi hai." Find your fitoor and hold onto it, perhaps that was what the film's message.

There has been a lot of criticism about Meera's character that she was just stupid. Meera used to have conversations with God in which she used to ask for something and then pay back to God. She would sacrifice chocolates and cigarettes in return for some wish. She said to Samar jitna doge utna milega. Don't we all bargain with God? Why do people then ask for mannats? Why do people walk miles and miles just because they believe God would fulfill their wish? When something bad happens, you tend to blame yourself that you did not do something that is why God punished you. Think of Meera. Her mother left her at the age of twelve. Maybe she blamed herself for that that is why she started this give and take relationship with God. And, you know Elizabeth Kubler Ross has defined five stages of grief as Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. Meera was more focused on the bargaining part. She used to bargain with God to deal with her problems. Remember how immediately she started praying when Samar met with an accident? Yes, she did overdo that but that was her belief. 

There were so many finer nuances that movie talked about which I did not get. Like the scene where Samar says I am Raj and Meera says she is Tina. I did not get that. Perhaps that is also related to some concept of similar love. Because Tina was more fearless, she did what she wanted to and Tina (during that scene) says to Raj, I like a bit of danger in a man. I still have to understand what it meant. Or that fabulous scene, where Meera and Akira are sitting together in the park and looking towards the sky thinking something. I did not get that scene what it meant. 

Love this scene

People find it easy to criticize the film but there are so many details if one looked closely, he would be astounded. Even the character names mean something. Meera's name was a reference to Meera (Krishna's disciple), reflecting her relationship with God for whom she sacrificed her love. In Hindi, the word Samar means war, perhaps a reference to the war he fought with God every day without ever wearing a bomb suit. Akira is a Japanese name which means bright, intelligent, and clear which fit her perfectly. There are so many layers that the film has.

At one point in the film, Samar calls Akira as the Kurosawa girl. It was a reference to the famous Japanese director Akira Kurosawa. Although some scenes look inspired from The Hurt Locker, I think Jab Tak Hai Jaan is the first Hindi film to have a bomb consultant in its opening credit sequences.

I still think Jab Tak Hai Jaan is a fabulous film. I loved Shah Rukh. He was terrific as Samar. How perfect he looked in the Army uniform. I was surprised by the party place where Samar calls Meera and they do that dance together. It was so unlike Yash Chopra. It seemed very dark. But I was disappointed by the music. Heer is too good and the background score is terrific especially when it plays the title song but the rest of the songs were alright. I loved these dialogues:

Pyar ke samne to rab bhi jhuk jata hai, ye to waqt tha, use to badalna hi tha

Bomb se zyada zakhm toh zindagi deti hai..har mod par koi dhoka, koi dard.. toh jab zindagi ke khatron se bachne ke liye koi bomb suit nahin pehanta.. toh maut se bachne ke liye kya pehanna

Zindagi toh har roz jaan leti hai...bomb toh sirf ek baar lega

Jo dil jeet te hain, vo kabhi haarte nahi..

Jo khud khush na ho vo auron ko khushi ni de sakta..

One of my favorite scenes was when Samar is going back to India and says to Akira that for this life, he will love Meera but he promised that in his next life he would love her. 

I can go on and on about Jab Tak Hai Jaan. As I always say loving movies is a totally subjective experience. If someone does not like a film, it is their choice. Fine but don't take my right to like a film. I loved it totally. When the end credits were coming, I don't know what happened but I started crying. The feeling that I will never watch another Yash Chopra film, the beautiful Jab Tak Hai Jaan song, the credit sequences of a man no longer alive, or the questions whether I will find such love in my life led to the catharsis. We all will find happiness in life, no? We will terribly miss you, Yash ji. 

I walked four miles to watch this movie alone in a theater in California. The happiness of watching a Hindi film after six months in a cinema is just exhilarating. I was literally singing aloud the songs. Perhaps that is my fitoor—watching films. 

I don't know how many times I have listened to this poem. The music and lyrics are simply terrific. You can never get bored of it. All the musical instruments sound so good. The poem has been written by Aditya Chopra and not Gulzar as many would like to believe.  

Tera haath se haath chhodna,

Tera saayon se rukh modna,

Tera palat ke phir na dekhna,

Nahin maaf karunga main,

Jab tak hai jaan,

Jab tak hai jaan.

Would love to hear about other opinions on Jab Tak Hai Jaan :)

Dialogue of the day:

"Yadaash bhi kitni ajeeb cheez hoti hai. Kisi cheez ko puri zindagi bhulne ki koshish karo, woh bhulti nahin. Kabhi ek chhoti si cheez yaad karne ki koshish karo, toh yaad nahin aati."

—Samar Anand, Jab Tak Hai Jaan