RDB vs Swades

a deep hmmmm....is the what I had!!

I think it has almost become a routine for me. Every week, whenever I get time...even for few minutes I watch 'Swades', specially the scene where Shahrukh and Gayatri are arguing about how good and bad is India, !! and "Where a prospective Groom, comes to see 'Gayatri'. "..the later was too close to reality atleast in my life!

I just love the above mentioned parts. But interestingly as I saw this movie today I unconsiously compared it with RDB, lot of things did become more apparent. Both seemed unrealistic and impossible (not to me but too most. I believe anything and everything is possible!). After all who would give up job with NASA and come and work for ISRO! Who would finish a degree and stay in a village to teach children.!! Too unrealistic but positive. But then there are some stray examples where people have done something or other in their own way. Similarly there are many unrealistic things in RDB but mostly negative traits- like a job less character DJ, the AIR telecast, why was the muslim guy always painting in the wall, example of bunch of frustated youngsters without any goal in life. Except for Madhavan who had some credentials others were all confused and frustated with life.

Although both the movies were unrealistic they ended on different notes - depressing and optimistic. And I think it is the end which has created the hype. Thats why it is said depending on which hormone (adrenaline or non-adreanline) is released in your blood you will have different experience. Swades has a happy and positive ending, which makes it a more acceptable and soothing movie , unlike RDB. It IS the ending which has made everybody talk about it, remember it, argue about it, or critic it! Here come's the addiction and response of human brain to happiness and saddness. Happiness is a drug which calms people down. But a negative ending makes u feel sad, regret, be guilty and hurts you somewhere. I think in life in general, we easily forget the best moments in our life. And conc. most on what we don't have, complaining, cribbing, crying over it. That seems like the normal human psychology (not for me again!).

I feel it is this 'pain' tonic in RDB which has created the after affect unlike Swades! The sad ending of RDB I feel creates a sense of pain and guilt. Specially for those whose children and family members are included within the '78' pilots that Indian Airforce has lost.

Last year when I watched Swades in India, I clearly remember people coming out of the theater with smiles, some saying 'Bakwaas movie' while others saying 'Good one'. Thats it. Nobody went home and thought about it. 3hrs in the hall you go for entertainment, get entertained, come back and forget about it. The next day starts as any other day. But here lies the diff with RDB. It has made people think. Look into ourselves. Stop complaining. Be responsible. I am not voluntering for the path suggested. It's not important to argue what the movie potrayed was right or wrong. But to conc. on the main message. The movie does give a notion of well things should be and has to be 'CHANGED'. I don't see it as a movie where the end is the only conlusion. I like to conc. on positive aspects of everything - and that led to my last blog. A change in our attitude!

The other most controversial subject in RDB was the comparision with our freedom fighters with college dudes! To me it was just a symbology. After all who were the freedom fighter? Were they god? Did they come from different planet? NO, they were normal, simple human beings, who choose to take responsibility in their own way. They were all educated and came from average, normal families. We are forgetting that they were someone among us, but with a courage, passion, and responsibility to choose to live and fight for their country. And that's where lies the difference among us (this includes everybody not only the present generation) and them. Changing the system today would need the same passion, courage and strenght that they had to kill Gen. Dyer! Do we have that?

Can we make everybody lead and choose a honest life? Can we impose this rule that you cannot cheat anybody? Who makes these rules? And who checks on them? Nobody. And nobody should. These are the basic principles of life, philosiphy that one believes. And I have no idea how one can change that! That's why I felt that RDB creates an awakening of the basic philosophy of life. And then only will movies like 'Swades' become a very common example and won't appear unrealistic or idealistic.

Finally, Ram Prasad Bismil's 'Sarforsh ki taman' gushes non-adrenaline, while 'Yeh jo desh hai tera...bandhan toot nahi sakta...'gushes 'adrenaline' in our blood!