Sunday, January 09, 2011

The Pursuit of Happyness

Pursuit is not the same as 'having'. pursuit is to 'be together with' or 'engage' with something.
Possibly means a 50% yes, 50% no, but it would mean more negative
Probably too means a 50% yes, 50% no, but it would mean more positive
Happy is an adjective, and not a noun. Happiness is a noun.
You can have nouns and you can only be adjectives.
Thus you can only pursue happyness, you can not have it.

-"the pursuit of happyness"

I think one understands some films only at specific age. As I mature with my knowledge, I am able to appreciate things with more care. Today when I saw The Pursuit of Happyness for the 4th time, I understood the nuances in its dialogues, and more importantly its message, which is stated above.

Similarly, when there was only the Doordarshan, I saw Umrao Jaan (old one) for perhaps so many times, and never understood it. Later, when I grew up, it only took the re-make of the film to understand it. I then  understood that the old one was a fairly well constructed and a much better film than the latter. I understood the cynicism of "Jaane bhi do yaaron" only when I became cynical, rather when I faced the world all by myself. When I saw "Zakhm" for the first time, I could not sleep for the next two days.

Anyway, I am happy that these things dawned to me. And I am sure there is so much more in store, which I can only realize on aging.

5 comments:

consciously subconscious said...

oh.. true that !
that happens with so many films. and the best is, when u think u got the whole film after its over.. but when u happen to watch it a 3rd time.. u suddenly discover another angle or under-current to the same film that u had already got the previous times... so many films

Anuj said...

No, but i am not talking about new perspectives emerging out of seeing films multiple times, what I am trying to say is that I thought I had understood some things earlier, which I hadn't in reality, and hence wasn't able to appreciate them.
Ofcourse, films have many 'angles' to look at from, but I am perhaps trying to hint at cracking what the director / film maker wants to say as compared to what we make of it.

consciously subconscious said...

neither did i. infact i agreed with u completely and said that in my 1st line itself. perhaps i digressed after my 1st line.
and what u are saying happens with me with most of the 90's films for some reason. or say the movies i watched untill i had turned 18-19*

*the figure does not at all intend to indicate any connotations of "adulthood"

Anuj said...

hmmm :)

Anonymous said...

hehe...

I hope you will understand, how complex it gets to comment on somethings...and after editing and re-editing you comments...
also feeling also a responsibility towards a dialogue one is trying to have...
I decided to comment...as I exactly don't know what would be appropriate response...
to tell that that I relate to what you said...but there is more...