About a movie

Note to readers: Atypical entry follows. What you will see on this post is not my usual way of writing. I just happen to be uncharacteristically, and unexpectedly sad right now, and I feel that my sentiments, strong that they are, are bound to reflect in my otherwise cheerful writing style.

Before I begin, I must make an observation completely unrelated to this post as such. My engineering drawing teacher, Prof. BL Sachdeva, pronounces the English word 'must' like the Hindi word 'mast'. He is a wonderful teacher, but in his class, you often get to hear stuff like ,"Showing the hidden lines on this figure is a mast."

Now that I have gotten that out of the way, let me begin on the real reason I am writing this entry.

I went and saw the movie Veer-Zaara yesterday, at Chanakya. I do not know how I should begin describing the movie. All I know is that somehow, it profoundly affected me. It was very sad, and very long, and by the end, I was almost (but not quite) moved to tears. Me, Manu Saxena, who didn't shed a single tear when he left a wonderful school last year, and who didn't even feel sad when all about him people were bawling their hearts out, was touched by a Bollywood flick. I find that very strange. The movie just triggered off a set of complex reactions that left me sad and depressed, but happy at the same time. This has never happened to me before, and now that I am partially restored to sanity, I plan to go and see the movie again, and find out more about the complex set of emotions which so completely took hold of me yesterday.

On a more objective note, the movie is brilliantly made, but is not the bubbly, escapist fare that is usually seen in theatres nowadays. It has a gentleness, a purity associated with it, which is hard to find in contemporary movies. It is old-fashioned and charming. The music, which is a significant part of most Bollywood movies, is impeccable, and is hummable and touching at the same time. And Preity Zinta is looking very pretty. Just when I thought I was finally getting over her, she gives this amazing performance, and before I know it, I am completely in love with her, all over again.

But more about Preity Zinta some other time. Right now, I have to go and give a lab test. So I will bid adieu, and will highly recommend Veer-Zaara to all those who have the time and patience, things which are often in short supply these days, to go watch it.

As my ED professor would put it, "It is a mast-watch."