Happy Independence day

I wanted to feel special on 15th August but I didn't. The night of 14th August came, I reread that powerful speech by Nehru. Once again, I was at loss of words for so many reasons, but it did make me feel the same thrill it always does. I fell asleep. Woke up the next day. Being a resident of rather out of city area, which is a delightfully quiet place, I didn't even get that usual dose of patriotic songs. For some unknown reasons, even my friends and acquaintances were not sending me any 'Happy Independence Day' messages. I switched on the TV but nothing different there too. I, gradually, let myself sink in the day shrugging off all the 15th augustish itches.

All that being said, I do agree that I was not able to suppress a faint desire to write down something on this blog. But at the same time, I did not want to write something just for the heck of it. I wanted to have a real reason and a genuine drive to write.

Now what could I write about? There was a time when people used to curse India through out the year and some of them with patriotic sideburns used to sing paeans on such national days. But as time went by, it became a cliche. Then a wave came when everybody found a newer and fancier hairdo. 'Why do we curse India, its we who make it cursable so stand up and do something', but nobody actually did. I remember discussing the traffic light problems and we deciding against rolling a red signal in Pune. The very next day, none of us could restrain when everybody around was brazenly rolling it. Theory and practical are not related anyway. I also remember my heated debates with some very high profile people in Rajdhani express (which I will write about some other time). But no matter what the outcome was, this new hairdo did seem fantastic and stylish. Just slip on a sentence that sounds something like this and you will immediately attract some of the admiring eyes. Writing about national heroes is also a possibility but who are our heroes today. The freedom fighters are the ones but a mere blog would be too small a tribute. Who else? The business tycoons? Well, they are heroes for me but not the ones to be sung on a day like 15th August.

I had almost dropped the idea of a blog but then I watched
'CHAK DE INDIA' last night.

Lemme see what it has got. If you analyze a few good movies in last few years, you will realize that almost all of the great ones are the unusual ones. You come out of the theater wondering why on this topic and how come such great movie. For me, Lagaan, RDB, Swades, Black, Munnabhai and a few more fall in the same category. But still, a genuine sports movie was yet to come.

It would take a plenty of courage to even think about such topic. sports movies in India were totally unheard off and those that have been made should never have been made. Then, even if somebody wants to make a sports movie, what could ever drive him away from cricket? OK, you do have some fanciful love for hockey then why on earth the women's hockey...???

Well, I am not in a mood to go into movie details right now. My purpose to write here is to find out that special feeling of 15th August and spot my Hero of the day. For me the hero is 'Shimit Amin'. For me, the fact that this movie was ever made echoes precisely what the spirit of Hockey team in the movie does. You have to break the stereotypes. You have to fight against the surroundings. You have to keep your head when everybody around is losing it. You have to keep faith in yourself. You have to stand up for a cause and fight till the end. Rhetoric of 'Dont curse your country and do something for it' can be a cliche but a real act that epitomizes it can never be a cliche. Every such act will be cheered and be given an standing ovation with equal zeal and fervor every time.

I do realize in full measure that a mere movie on Indian women's hockey is nowhere close to what my nation demands, what I want to admire today is the intention and thought process behind it. I may also be blamed for downplaying my expectations on such an important day but for me, this was the movie that gave me that special feeling in a very genuine way. I do want to stand up and cheer for Shimit Amin. Way to go buddy....!!