Incomprehensible!

Never in my wildest dreams did I dream that there would be a day when I would watch a foreign language movie with Spanish subtitles and still be moved to tears many times during those 90 minutes. Not a single word could be understood, except for the names of the brother and sister, Ali and Zahra. But how wonderfully did the director convey to me what he wanted to.

A foreign-language-movie-phobia started to me way back in the innocent days when only one Television channel, Doordarshan, was available. Trapped at home on Sunday afternoons, I would become super bored because, apart from other reasons, there would be a regional language movie coming on Television. They may have been good movies but I never attempted to watch them since they were slow and were in an unknown-to-me language.

‘Children of Heaven’ is the first foreign language movie I have seen from the beginning till the end. Although I heard about it some years back and also saw the last 10 minutes of the movie but I never cared to watch it from beginning , until recently when while having a discussion with a friend, the name of a movie ‘bum bum bole’ popped up and so I decided to download the original version. I was expecting to download atleast a one that had English subtitles but to my utter disappointment it had Spanish. I somehow resisted the urge to download a better version and decided to watch it as it was.

After those 90 mins, an old belief that words are a poor medium of communication just got reinforced. Instead its love and emotions which are always a better choice since they always mean what they express and also they always seem to have the right tone, pitch, volume and modulation.

An old couple who silently walk down the lane holding hands communicate quite a lot and quite clearly than a young couple who slug each other with well rehearsed lines which they feel can have the maximum impact.

I wonder if one had known then what one has known now.

Anyways, in the times when movie makers are falling on top of each other to show the realities of life and provoke invaluable thoughts and provide priceless peek into a real world by brazenly uncladding the darker side of life, be it violence or fashion or corruption or politics or child abuse or terrorism or flesh trade, you name it and they have it on their menu, but ending up foolishly or wickedly glorifying them thereby propagating and popularizing them… and here is a man who chose a simple incident of Ali innocently losing his sister’s school shoes to build it into a series of events which were far more real and close to the world in which we live or a world which we are rapidly losing.

I wonder the utility of a scene of a glorified gangster ruthlessly butchering another gangster in broad daylight or an upcoming model compromising her modesty for the sake of a role in a movie or a group of married couples exchanging their partners in the name of socializing and sexual freedom; in contrast to a scene where the brother and sister walking angrily towards the home of the girl who, they thought, had stolen their shoes, but finding that she is even more destitute with a blind beggar for a father, look at each other with heart felt remorse and walk back to their own shack with drooped heads and shoulders or that last scene where Ali mistakenly wins the race and comes back home to his sister whom he promised a pair of shoes which he would get for a prize by coming 3^rd. The whole community regards him as a champ but in his own eyes he failed since he could not keep the promise which he made to his little sister.

What are we being served on various mediums of mass communication with the justification that this is what the audience wants to see? Is the justification justified?

I am sure most of you must have watched this movie since it’s not something ‘missable’, but if you haven’t, please don’t waste anymore time.

Lastly, there is one more thing which got reinforced in me. When a disciple asked Jesus, ‘Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ Jesus gave a fascinating answer.

‘He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” ‘– (Matthew 18: 2-4, NIV)

It’s just appropriate that the movie ends with all the goldfishes in the tank huddling around the little boy’s blistered feet to kiss and comfort him. After all he was a child from heaven.

Does it pay to be corrupt !

What a bad day it had been! But let me not detail about what went wrong throughout the day and start from how the day ended for me.

I was in a hurry to get back home as soon as possible and my train, which was already running late, became even more late by stopping, once at a station for some repairs and then in wilderness to let some more privileged trains pass-by.

I now realize that corruption is not always because of greed but, out of many other reasons, it can be also because of laziness. The latter being more dangerous, since nobody is benefited by it, not even the self. Since my childhood I have seen and heard of the unpunctuality of Indian trains and in all these years nothing has changed and worse they don’t even give an indication that they ever will. When I try to evaluate superficially as to what kind of corruption it is, then I find that it cannot be of greed. The ones who are responsible never get monetarily benefited out of these delays. Then it is the corruption of laziness. We could have mended our ways long time back if we wanted to but we chose not to and Indian trains continue to run late and continue to trouble many directly and indirectly.

I find convenience to be the common factor between corruption of greed and corruption of laziness.

On a lighter note, the people who are lazy are in a way comparatively FAR-SIGHTED than those who are greedy, since greedy people try to accumulate everything to make their life comfortable there-by reducing their efforts and maximize their leisure time. On the other hand lazy people try to experience the leisure straightaway by being lazy :).

People in china may be accused of not being able to taste the fruits of their own labour in their lifetime but they should be appreciated for the fact they work collectively to secure the lives of their future generations. I find it absolutely correct what someone said - We have not inherited this planet from our ancestors but have merely borrowed it from our children.

But why be corrupt? To be satisfied? Can wealth and material things only bring us satisfaction? What about the satisfaction which is brought by being civilized citizens of a country; by helping someone without expecting anything in return; by attaining knowledge on varied subjects; by witnessing the amazing beauty of nature; by singing a joyful song; by loving someone who never expected or thought deserved it; by watching your children grow in the best possible manner; by glorifying the name of the Lord?

When none of the above need wealth to attain them, does it really pay to be corrupt?

“ Teach me to love, this is my prayer –

May the compassion of Thy heart I share;

Ready a cup of water to give,

May I unselfishly for others Live. “- Anonymous