“AAMCHI MUMBAI! MERI JAAN!”

Only recently did i have the experience of watching “Mumbai Meri Jaan”. A heart touching film indeed. Based on the 7/11 bomb blasts, it shows different people from various strata adjusting to the aftermath of the massacre, losing loved ones or their happiness. It is quite rare for a filmmaker to portray such parts of people's lives with such sensitivity and equal appeal so as to deliver a picture perfect movie. Nishikant Kamat does just that in this heart warmer!

The best part about this film is the fact that it portrays all kinds of people, irrespective of caste, creed, religion or socio-economic conditions, with equal panache. A “chai-wallah” is showed as humane a character as a well-to-do businessman. The metamorphosis of a corrupt cop to a true “havaaldaar” too is touching.

There was only one thing about the film which rang a bell in my mind. A very disturbing thought. The people of Mumbai are resilient, no doubt. But in the film, they get used to the situation. In a sense, the portrayal is right. We do get used to situations, rather than changing them.

Why the hell is it like this!? We get acclimatised to such situations!! A bomb blast no longer seems very bad. We wait for a hostage crisis in a 5-star hotel. Then we say, “oh! Ye to kuch nahi tha!” And then, maybe we would even get used to terrorists as paying guests at our houses! Why are we so handicapped in times of trouble?! The answer lies with us. It is simply because of the fact that we are laid back not only in our behaviour but also in our approach. Let us change. Not for the worse, only for the better! Maybe we do not need a Rahul Gandhi or LK Advani now. The need for the hour is of a certain Naseruddin Shah from “A Wednesday”. A person who can give the holes an eye for an eye!

An eye for an eye will make the world blind! Let us be blind, but let us not have our limbs chopped off and minds decayed by these “messengers of God”.

Fight, you buggers!

A certain Mr. Backward (ideology ONLY) wants 49.5 percent quota in the teaching staff of IIT, India's premier engineering institute.

A certain Mr. Agriculture (NOT related to cricket, despises it ) wants thousands of crores for poor farmers who commit suicide daily. Good Samaritan! Except for the fact that almost half of it lands up in his own pocket!

A certain Mr. Kicked-out-of-Home (Maybe even his own too ) wants to change clothes, almost as fast as peeling off bananas. Great, tidy little man! Except, Hundreds are held hostage in his own country at the hands of merciless terrorists.

A certain Mrs.(or Oops, is it Ms.?!) New-Wail-away wants to kick out factories out of every possible place for farmers. Human Rights activist! I just wonder why those farmers commit suicide or come to financially rich cities later, in search of industry jobs.

Here we have this, just a microscopic detail of the vast, rotten web of “goodness” spread throughout our country. How much do we wish to fight against this! I wish to fight against this, even you do. The problem is that we are such big, lazy, idiotic pieces of crap that we just want to talk and talk, but when it comes to lifting a hand, we say “Oh My God! Its aching!” !!

COME ON! WAKE UP! If you don't want to wake up, at least don't sleep with your eyes closed! Don't just look at stuff, REACT! You are not blocks of wood, nor are you stones! ( Copied but my favorite line ) It is us, the Youth and only us who can bring about change!