Most of the Bollywood movies I've watched with my housemate are usually fabricated by forbidden love between a couple-- some which may include one of them dying, LOTS of singing and dancing, dramatic family issues, crying..etc. etc. But the one she got me to watch with her last night, Guzaarish (which means 'desire') was probably one of the best Bollywood movies I've watched so far.
Well ok it doesn't completely eliminate the singing and dancing, (honestly, what is a Bollywood movie without them?) but it's definitely not the typical shaadi (wedding) related lovey dovey movies. Guzaarish is about a magician who becomes a quadriplegic after a magic trick gone seriously wrong, and the movie documents his life and his desire to appeal for Euthanasia to end his suffering. It's definitely worth watching, for its funny bits, inevitably sad ones (get your Mansized tissues ready) and most of all its after effect on you when it makes you think how much we all tend to take our mobility for granted.
Being a quadriplegic means losing complete use of your limbs and-- the only thing you can move is your head and neck. Imagine not being able to clean or feed yourself, pick yourself up when you fall off, not even knowing when you've gone to the bathroom (you lose all control of your senses), not being able to express your anger because you cannot physically move, not being able to help anyone around you if they had gotten hurt.
One of my biggest fears has always been losing a limb; I cannot imagine waking up one day not being able to get my body to function, or having to be dependent on someone else for life. Unfortunately in life this happens yet there are people out there who have so much courage to live despite their impairment. I remember reading about a gymnast who was paralysed after falling off the uneven bars-- she was still as optimistic as hell, and watching Nick Vujicic's Youtube videos on how he reached out to youths in America. Nick Vujicic had no arms or legs. Surely they must have gone through a dark period in their lives filled with frustration and questions of what could have beens. Nick Vujicic himself had admitted the point in his life where he wanted to end it all. How they managed to bring themselves out to the positive side of life is beyond amazing.
if you enjoyed this, you should watch Mar Adentro (The sea within). It's a spanish movie with the same storyline except that it came before guzaarish and is sooo much better! (as good as guzaarish is)..
ReplyDeleteamazing, thanks for that! guessed you watched guzaarish then. housemate's gonna get me to watch more movies from the same director, he seems to come up with movies that tend to question life..
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