Life Lessons from ‘Nil Battey Sannata’

For most people the best way to kill a lazy weekend is by watching a movie. Last weekend was a lazy one and we thought of watching a movie too J. I came across this movie ‘Nil Battey Sannata’ while checking for options @ bookmyshow app.

I didn’t know what to expect out of this movie but the rating was good and most people recommended this one and thus, the tickets were booked.

What I watched for 1 hour 45 minutes was absolutely brilliant and what I call meaningful cinema. The story is about a single mother and her daughter. The mother is a bai who does small jobs to provide for her and her daughter. She has big dreams for her daughter.

Initially, the title sounded weird, but intriguing. It was during the movie I actually understood the meaning and realised the title was so apt. Nil means nothing or Zero, battey is for division, sannata is silence or nothing which means Zero/Nothing is zero and talked about how education can change your life from zero to something more meaningful.

I was glued to the movie and yes, it made me unlearn and learn lot of things about life. I could see my mom in Swara Bhaskar, when she yelled at her girl to get ready for school or when she would not study, or when she would pamper her and dream big for her. Swara Bhaskar was the show stopper with her power packed performance. I loved her for her role in Tanu weds Manu too, but his one was kickass.

I thought I must share what touched me about the movie:

1.       A Mother is a Mother is a Mother:

She may be a Doctor, a Business Tycoon, a Teacher or a bai, but She is always a Mother first. She will always think well for us and guide us so that we achieve big in life. We may not realise this as kids and feel that she is pressurising us or wanting us to achieve what she couldn’t. But when we grow up, we can’t thank her enough for what she does for us.

In the movie, Swara Bhaskar aka Chanda is a bai who does multiple small jobs to earn for herself and her daughter. She wants her daughter to get good education, so that she becomes a Doctor/ Engineer/ IAS. She too pampers her girl, scolds her, plans for her future like every mother does.

 2.       Dreams are not only for the Rich:

Chanda had big dreams for her daughter Apu, she also knew dreams don’t come free and that she will have to earn money and save that for her daughter’s education.

Apu, on the other hand didn’t have any dreams. She gave her mother the shock of her life, when she told her, “I will become a bai, bai ki beti bai”. She told her she didn’t need education for that and that her mother won’t be able to provide for big dreams. Dreams are only for the rich. Hence, her interest in studies was declining and she dreaded Mathematics.

Chanda had thought that she will do whatever it takes to make her daughter realise that her dream is not to become a bai.

3.       A little effort from our side can help someone in achieving their dreams:

One of Chanda’s employers, the humanitarian Doctor who she called ‘didi’ (played by Ratna Pathak Shah) was her guide, her sister and did her best to help her out. She suggested that Chanda should get Apu enrolled in Mathematics tuitions and referred her to someone. The tutor told her he would give her 50% discount if her daughter got 50% marks in pre-boards.

Didi realised her helplessness was because she was a class 10 dropout, else she would have understood where Apu was struggling. She suggested that Chanda should start her studies and in the same school as Apu so that she realises what all her mother is doing for her, hence she accompanied her to Apu’s school for admission.

4.       It is never too late to start:

We may want to learn so much in life or do things that please us, but something or the other stops us from going ahead. We fear about people’s opinions about us. We are afraid of going out of our comfort zone.

Chanda too had these fears, but she could overcome those and start school again. She learnt and also pushed her daughter to learn.

5.       Where there is a will, there is a way:

Chanda could have been like other bais and not given importance to her daughter’s future. She knew she would need money and motivation. She worked at multiple places to earn money and studied for herself and her daughter.

She fought her way out and could touch her daughter’s heart and make her realise that she must study and education is what can change her life. The movie ends with Apu’s IAS interview, when she is asked, “Aap IAS kyun karna chahti hain?” and she responds, “kyunki main bai nahi banna chahti.”

 

To summarize the movie – “An amazing and inspiring movie that puts everyone at par irrespective of the social status and tells everyone about their right to dream and inspire others.

 

Waiting for more such inspiring movies.

 

 

Never judge a book by it's cover, the story may be deep and inspiring !

You can call me a typical India Girl who loves Shahrukh and Kajol and for whom love means “Diwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge”. You watch “Tujhe Dekha to Ye jaana sanam” and in a moment you get transferred from your place to the Swiss Alps and all you want is stay there.  When the song gets over you come back to reality, on your couch, with probably some wafers.

I have also travelled to these peaks many times while on the Yash Raj movication. Like most Indians I too always wished to actually visit this beautiful Country and I had been planning for long. Finally, in July-August 2014 ‘We’ could fulfil ‘Our’ dream and Switzerland happened!

We travelled extensively to Zurich, Schaffhausen, Rhine Falls, Mt. Titlis, Engelberg, Lucerne, Mt. Pilatus etc. What a Country! (I was and am still in love with every bit of it).

It was 3^rd August 2014 and it was our last day in Switzerland. The next day we were flying to Paris. We were stationed in Lucerne and the plan was to visit Interlaken that day. The train, the platform and the duration of the journey had been checked. We were ready and reached the station well in time to catch the 10 am train from Lucerne to Interlaken.

It was a 2 hour journey and we wanted to get the best seats to be comfortable. The train wasn’t really full, but to our dismay we didn’t find a cabin exclusively to ourselves. There was a 4 seater cabin occupied by an old man who definitely looked 80+years old. We looked all over wondering where to sit, and then this man smiled and somehow we decided to sit there.

Okay! So we started for Interlaken, all set for a beautiful train journey (probably the best train routes in Switzerland) with the camera ready in my hand to capture as much of this beautiful Country as possible.    

While I was busy clicking pictures, he started a conversation with my Husband and me. There is something about that conversation that opened my perspective about life and I am tempted to share that with everyone who reads this.

We talked about ‘Us’, the places we had seen in Switzerland in the last few days and that we were from India. We asked him if he was travelling with someone. He replied he was not. We asked him, if he didn’t mind telling us his age and he told us that he 85 years old (what inspired me further was an 85 year old man, using a walking stick was travelling all alone).

We asked him if he stayed in Lucerne and was visiting someone in Interlaken. That’s when he told us, he was actually a German, residing in Spain with his partner (Ahaan! So he mentioned Partner and not wife, may be was in a live in relationship). This was an annual ritual for him since last 30+ years. They were five friends who had been catching up every year in Interlaken for spending 3-4 days together. They have never skipped that and though he is 85 now and gets tired, he will continue doing this till he can. (Well that’s enthusiasm, true friendship and living like one wants). He told us he will reach before the other friends so he will sit by the river or somewhere and spend some alone time.

“So, what do you do when all of you catch up?” I asked him. He told me we all meet and talk and listen to some music and talk again and he smiled. (There was something about him; he was talking effortlessly naturally, flawlessly and straight from his heart).

So we asked him, what he used to do when he was young. He told us he was a soldier in the German Army during World War II. (Whoa! So was a Hero, respect multiplied by 10, there is this man who has also contributed to his country)

The next question was about his Partner and we were careful to not cross the line. “What about your partner?” I asked.  He replied, “HE is 30 years younger to me, HE takes very good care of me and understands me so well. We aren’t married, but we plan to get married soon, it wasn’t so cool till some years back and I shifted from Germany. We have been together for 10 years and we love each other a lot.”

So, he was GAY. (You know what, respect for him increased 100 times, he was a Soldier, he had friends, he lived happily, he was such a nice human being, he finally got the courage of staying with his love at the age of 75, he was finally living with him, he had his own struggles and he was finally planning to get married). I felt happy for him, Sad for him, Proud of him, I had many emotions which I couldn’t express then, but I felt, everyone needs to know about him and get inspired and thought of writing about him.

Why do we judge homosexual people, where are they wrong? Why are they ridiculed? They are just like us in thought process, in things they do or like, they have friends, and they too contribute to the society. Why can't we give them their rights and space? This is all the more relevant in context of our country.

We reached Interlaken and didn’t realise how 2 hours had passed. He told us which bus we should take to reach the river and told us he will guide us to the bus stop. He took his walking stick and guided us.

We were about to leave, we greeted each other, smiled and told him how meeting him was so special to us. We boarded the bus and he boarded his bus. We had lunch and reached the train station near the river for our cruise. We saw him sitting there with the stick in one hand, smiling at people and humming to him. I can’t express how pleasing that site was.

We are not in touch, but I hope he has married his partner; he has fulfilled all that his heart desires. Amen!

Spend a few minutes on someone in need, You will earn a life full of satisfaction!

Life is unfair:

We met this man on a wheel chair outside Pizza By the Bay, Marine Drive, Mumbai once. I don’t know what stuck and my husband talked to him. He would be in his 40s, and my husband talked to him about what happened to him.

He used to work in railways and pointed towards the Church gate Station saying, "I used to work there." One day while coming back, I fell from the train, and lost my feet." We asked him, “What are you doing in Mumbai, why don’t you go back to your hometown. Your wife and kids will take care of you.” He said, “I don’t want to increase their burden, if I am there they will all look after me and forget that they have a life. I roam on this vehicle, I try and beg and make some money. I don't like begging, my family also doesn't know that I do this here. I feel ashamed too that I had a good job and here I am on this wheel chair”

My husband had tears in his eyes and gave him Rs 500. We suggested how he could load a few packets of wafers, water bottles, beverages etc in the storage of his vehicle and instead of begging, start selling them to the people who sit for long hours at Marine Drive. My Husband also gave him his phone no. saying he should call him whenever needed. He hugged him and we left. You won’t believe a few weeks later that guy rang my husband and thanked him for spending time with him.

There are so many people like this man, who beg as they go through a phase which makes them give up on life and feel life has been unfair to them. All they need is a little push and motivation.

 The beggar who left me thinking:

It was a lovely and cool Sunday evening, a few months back and time for us to visit our relatives in Bandra.

My husband and I got ready for the evening. There were plans ahead; we had planned for a nice family dinner and a few games of UNO with my niece.

We were in an auto and were about to reach the place as we took a left turn from the Turner road signal. I happened to spot an old beggar; he was really dirty, covered in some odd stuff and carried a big jhola full of some trash. It was for a few seconds that I saw that old man, he would easily be 75+, had a bent back, sunken cheeks and a lean body.

Those few seconds left me thinking, I had tears in my eyes. That was the moment of realisation! How blessed we are and how we crib and complain about every small thing in life. It’s not that I hadn't seen a beggar before this, but this was someone my grandfather’s age. At an age when we ensure our parents and grandparents get the best in life and are away from sorrows and troubles, this man was living on trash.

I also know feeling sad will not change his fortune immediately and I was in an auto and in a few seconds the man was gone. The impression that had on me, however, will last for life.

A little request to everyone who reads this- giving money to these beggars will probably solve their problem temporarily; they may buy one meal and then end up begging for the second meal. Most of these will not even keep anything with them and may pass that to someone running this racket, but somehow, we should help the needy. I don’t say that all beggars are needy, some may be fooling around. But trust your heart to tell you, who needs your help.

We end up spending a 1000 bucks on a movie evening easily. Sparing 50 bucks for the needy will not make you poor; it may light up someone’s house. Don’t give money, hug someone someday and I am sure that person will only thank you his entire life. Buy food for the hungry, teach the children you find on the signal. Talk to them and don’t shoo them the moment they come near you. When you are catching up with your friends or celebrating your birthday, buy the kids a Mc Donalds’ burger and a coke. Trust me; they will thank you with that million dollar brightness in their eyes. Look at the irony, we feel, Oh not again! Mc Donalds, and these kids feel, Oh My God! Am I really having this burger I have always only seen on the window.

This is our country, let’s make it beautiful. Let’s contribute. Let’s touch atleast one life.

 

Roasted Papad- The Beginning!

‘Roasted Papad’, yes this is the name of my blog. Actually, I didn’t think twice- this was the first name that came to my mind. Does it sound weird? Well, I could have chosen a name such as “Baked Beans” ;-) would have looked exotic too! But no, I am a Desi and this is me!

Infact, I would say, it defines me perfectly. I love papad, I am candid and I am roasted with lot of thoughts.

All you need is a starter to begin with the meal! Don’t you agree that a meal is incomplete without the crispy roasted papad as a starter?

I plan to keep this as candid as possible. Actually I don’t have plans at all, It is all from the heart!

 

So, I start today ... Get set go!