Imtiaz Ali is one of my favorite movie makers and storytellers. I saw his latest movie – Love Aaj Kal (second edition, actually). While watching the movie, I could sense that most people might not appreciate it, but I kinda liked it. It was like a dialogue between the compulsions of bodily/material life and the impulses of romantic inspirations, being witnessed by a discerning soul.
Source: Google Images
There was a central theme and several other secondary themes. To me the central theme was how we seek fulfillment in various external things/pursuits. To some extent many of us may also be conscious/aware/consciously aware of how such external pursuits are aligned with our internal/inner pursuits/callings/desires. We may be or we may not be, buts it’s a possibility.
Some of us knowingly and willingly pick our pursuits/desires, some may unknowingly but willingly pick them while some others may unknowingly and unwillingly (forced by external factors) pick them. The causality of the why or how may vary, but we all pursue something. [Afterthought: maybe in what one pursues another may be able to see/discern what is the internal pursuit or background influence].
Popular culture/civilized world offers/propositions a set of orderly/timely/mannerly pursuits which may bring about fulfillment. For some, they may bring about fulfillment, for others they may not, but they too present a possibility. One may choose to seek fulfillment through such pursuits or not, one is still defined by the confines/rules/structures/prevalent practices of the civilized world. One has but to find a way to wager passage within the rules/structures of this world if we choose to inhabit this ‘civilized world’ and be its beneficiary.
Maybe I am adding my biases and residual feelings to the movie plot, but this write up is all about my take away from the movie, so I’ll allow myself this indiscretion.
May we need the inspiration/influence/push/nudge/catalysis of another person to come in touch with these/such inner workings. Maybe we don’t, but for some people it is a possibility.
It is a possibility that the inner workings of another person mirror with one’s in such a symmetrical/identifiable way that makes one’s own evident/detectable/manifest. Maybe such a mirroring causing such a manifestation causes one to bond with the other person, and bond in such a manner that the physical/bodily togetherness of the two people may cease to be a necessary condition to feel/be aware of what they already manifest. But maybe if the influences of the other person continue to feed into what manifest, the manifest sustains itself longer.
In other cases, it may be a possibility that the internal workings of one already are so alike those of another person that one feels an affinity/at home feeling towards the other.
Whatever our internal workings we do yearn for a different state of being, maybe a Higher Being – a divinity of sorts. We all knowingly, unknowingly, willingly or unwillingly tread our paths toward achieving this different state of being. I’d like to believe, in fact hope, that my path leads to this divinity of sorts.
Who knows, maybe I’m utterly mistaken, maybe I seek the deepest pleasures of my flesh. Who knows, maybe in the deepest pleasures of my flesh resides this divinity of sorts. Who knows, maybe I seek the burning fires of hell, because maybe beneath those fires lies the calm of the highest heaven.
But if this is not an oversimplification, then why does it seemingly not be in popular imagination. Is it just a matter of looking at proceedings of life in a different way?
Urban Shaman 