5 Keys To Life That Bollywood Has Taught Me
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There’s more than just romance when it comes to Bollywood movies. Our beloved Bollywood movies are known worldwide for their colorful dance sequences, impeccable drama scenes, and hilarious comic snippets. Our movies can crack the toughest anti-entertainment nut out there; such is the power of Bollywood films. And growing up in India, I’ve spent most of my free time watching these films, be it at the nearest theatre or at home in the comfort of my living room with my entire joint family. I personally loved the theatre experience because I’d get to see the craziest of the fans whistling away or throwing flowers at the screen every time the lead actor or actress graced the screen.
I used to get mesmerized by the beautiful, colorful outfits that the protagonists wore in the movie. My brain memorized all the peppy dance numbers. And of course, I absolutely adored all the romantic plots which gave me a ray of hope for my future romantic encounters (wink wink). And hell yeah! I guiltily, admit that some of the Bollywood movies had the silliest of the storylines.
Nonetheless, there were some movies which surely did broadcast messages that were nothing less than a life lesson for all of us, don’t you agree? Here are 5 such life lessons that I’ve picked up along the way, let’s read together.
1. Always Do What Makes You The Happiest
Any guesses? Which movie do you think conveyed this message? I’ll give you a clue -– “All is well”! I’m sure you just repeated the clue in your head at least thrice. But, on a serious note, haven’t we all had our heads spin at the speed of a tornado during our days of figuring out a way to get our dream job? And, Rancho (the character played by Aamir Khan) showed us how to chase our dreams. He effortlessly tried to teach us about life and we could all relate to it, couldn’t we?
This movie had many dialogues like — “Bacha Kabil Bano, Kabil…kaamyabi toh jhak maarke peeche bhagegi”, “Life is a race…If you don’t run fast…You will be like a broken andaa”. These weren’t just dialogues out of the script, these were in fact, life lessons. They all teach us that we need to invest our 100 percent in attaining what we love the most in our lives. Society and its norms should never hinder our growth as an individual. Personally, this movie made me realize that the only way we can say bye-bye to our problems is by facing them.
2. Live Life To The Fullest, Because, “Kal Ho Na Ho”
These days, we all seem to be following the herd that is busy climbing the ‘worry-express train’. We’ve forgotten to live in the present. The movie Kal Ho Na Ho has taught me that we are living a short life where we have no guarantee about what the tomorrow holds for us. Therefore, seize the day you are living right now and make the most of it.
3. Love Can Be Friendship Too
This is what I learned when I saw Rahul (played by Shah Rukh Khan) talk about how one cannot fall in love with someone if that person isn’t your best friend. Friendship is the base or the foundation of what we call love. This movie helped me understand and segregate my crushes from my infatuations and helped me identify the love of my life (ha-ha! No, all of this didn’t happen at the same time). In fact, this movie made me realize that my now husband, who was my best friend then, is the love of my life.
4. Family Equals Everything
Even if there’s no one taking a stand for you, your family will. Movies like Hum Saath Saath Hain and Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gum teach us the importance of family in one’s life. From deciding on whether a particular nail paint suits you to deciding on whether that ladka will keep you happy, your didi, maasi, naani, all of them are going to help you zero in on your decision. Let’s just say that with a good family around our lives are simpler.
5. Every Woman Needs To Discover Herself
Do you remember any dialogue from the movie English Vinglish? I absolutely love Sridevi’s dialogue when she says, “Mard khana banaye to kala hai, aurat banaye to farz hai.” This simply translates to: If a man cooks, it’s art; but if a woman cooks, it’s her duty.
In this movie, Sridevi plays the role of a coy and a meek woman who takes a life-changing decision to step out and learn the language English. I know what you are thinking; how can learning a language change one’s life, right? But, go watch this movie and you’ll know how hard it is for a typical married Indian woman to crawl out of the cocoon of a ‘family life’ to find a new meaning to her life. It is beautiful. And this movie made me respect my mother more, who is also a homemaker.
There is a lot more to Bollywood than the grandeur that we associate it with. Have you taken home any life lessons after watching a movie? Leave your answers in the comments below.
