Highway

.... Hats off to Imtiaz Ali ..

For Movies that both entertain and highlight subtle issues that are often brushed under the carpet in our society...

First socha na tha

Then jab we met

Love aaj kaal

Rockstar

And now highway....

In all his movies, he tries to connect with the youth from different angles, different stories set in different eras, countries, locations. All these to convey one important message that many often fail to realise , until it's too late - it's nothing earth shattering or anything but actually so simple that it is often overlooked in today's world of bfs and gas...

N the message is

  Whom should one choose to spend our rest of our life with...

As I said nothing ground breaking . Nothing new even.. ( though the stories and the way in which he subtly conveys it is unique, entertaining and masterly!)

 I think 99% of us either choose to downplay it or simply avoid this very impt decision or go The conventional way of letting our parents decide for us ...

We have all too often seen our friends chosin someone just because he has Rich parents over someone who they truly fill connected to; or chose a beautiful girl/ handsome boy who their parents showed over someone with ordinary looks but understood their feelings like no one else in the whole fricking world, someone who can just by hearing your voice on phone cam tell that something's wron today,... Someone with whom you can spend hours sitting quietly and yet don't feel bored or need to do something else to kill time..

These are soul mates in the truest sense ...
Something that can't be achieved by all the money in this world or by extravagant photoshoots and 1 lakh Rs lahengha and booking a palace for Marriage...

We often have come across posters having motivational quotes written on it, sold on the road side. I bought one such poster that gave 10 ways to be real happy in life ...

And the very first point on this gem of a poster was something like this-

" 99 percent of your happiness is determined by whom you marry....."

I was so amazed by this gem of a wisdom which I got from a 50 Rs poster which international 'motivational' authors  miss in their expensive books ...

And do notice that it pegged, not10 or 50%, but 99% of your eternal and inner happiness on your life partner!!

Being lucky enough to experience this precious little fact with the love of my life I fully how true this line was and how he'll bent the society was against us getting together at the time of our marriage!

Like the protagonists in Ali's movies we come at major cross-road in our life when the time comes to choose our life partner.... We have several options in front of us .. As abhay deol in socha na tha or alia Bhatt in highway.

Alia ( veera in this movie) belonged to a rich family and she was about to go the conventional way of arranged marriage with a rich businessman's audi driving son ...

She was about to get all the material happiness this world can offer at her feet ... And yet she had this funny feeling ( that feeling we have when our subconscious mind trys to tell us that what we are gonna do is not right :) ) of something missing from this 'fairy tale ' marriage....

The latest iPhone 5s can make you fill importnant in the society, in front of your friends, but who will make you feel equally if not more important / adored/ wanted / invaluable when you are alone in your bed room at night on that imported bed from Belgium !

Who will wipe your tears with the tenderness only two  people can have on this earth - a mother and a soul mate ... Surely not the 50,000 bucks iPhone 5s nor the Audi parked in your drive way...!

Who will Spoon you in the bed not just during the honeymoon period of your marriage, but till the last breath... I m sure it won't be the millionaire, solitaire-gifting husband, who is busy finishing his business deals or worry about them! It will be your average earning soulmate of yours, who will prefer the warmth of his / her beloved anytime over a hundred business deals ...

She is then rudely made aware of what she is Actually missing when she is Kidnapped by Randeep Hooda ( Mahavir ) ...

While on the scenic road trip which they unwittingly undertake , she realises the missing link in her life...

The forced road trip gradually makes her realize that life is
 but in the small things!

She realises that life is in the small things that we come across .. And not the extravagance of expensive gadgets and cars..

That a trip through India in an uncomfortable truck can give a 1000 times more pleasure than a trip to the expensive hotels of Switzerland !!

Through her realisation we ALSo become aware of this wonderful perspective of life that we tend to lose surrounded by the superficial and pretending media and people.

She is gradually attracted to Mahavir, who completely  lacked the sophistication, wealth or etiquettes of the rich boy she was going to marry but had some precious values like chivalry, protecting a lady's honour, and a primal instinct of what is right - qualities that are becoming so rare nowadays! under all that anger and crimes he had committed, he had a pure heart and a will to be good, Which he hid under a veil of anger amd toughness from the cruel world to which he had been exposed  from early childhood.

 He had A simple code of behaviour - to do what his heart tells him to do... Something alia was missing terribly in her rich neighbourhood ...

And these qualities in Mahavir attracted her... and made her to avoid returning home..

After a very cruel separation , whenshe is brought back to home, she is overwhelmed with dislike for the superficial behaviour and vanity of her friends and family alike ... And sorely misses the humility, transparency , pureness and simplicity in thoughts of Mahavir ...

She returns to the natural beauty and purity of the mountains , which was what she actually wanted from her husband/ love ...

We could plainly see in her eyes, on returning to the mountains, the look of pure happiness and calm - a state of mind that can come only in a similarly pure environment amd ppl who lack any trace of superficiality or artificialness.

 This is another eye opening story which tries to educate us in the impt life lesson of what to look for in your future life partner - a crucial link to 99 percent of our life's eternal happiness...

But that is if you watch it with a truly open mind which is always eager to learn life's little lessons ....and of you believe in love and soulmates ...:-)