It is so Simple to be Happy, but so Difficult to be Simple!

A genuine cine-buff, particularly a fan of Hrishida's films, may vividly recall this line from one of his masterpieces - Bawarchi. I watched it yet again this Saturday, I have lost the count of how many times I have watched it. You just can't get bored of watching it. It is one of those films which give a perspective to the life, without ever claiming for it. I wish I could do what Raghu does in the movie, make people aware of the fact that there is much more to life beyond the daily grind!

Hrishida's films are a prime example of "Beauty in Simplicity", and the simplicity comes to the fore in many ways - the plot or theme, the characterization, the sets, the costumes, the music and the message they deliver. They are probably the showcase of human values he strongly believed in. The central characters of Anand, Mili and Bawarchi tell you - "Zindagi jeene ka naam hai". The meaning of life lies not in the grand moment of happiness we are pursuing, but in those millions of tiny moments of pleasure we can get from the smallest of deeds and often choose to ignore. We think, we are fast chasing the life we long for when - in fact - we are running far ahead, loosing sight of those moments of happiness that lie on the sidewalk. All we need to do is slow down and walk in sync with life, gathering all of them and enriching our lives.

Moments of pleasure - when one little act you do brings a smile on someone's face, when the helping hand you provide eases the burden on someone's shoulder, the joy both of you get when you see a friend after a hiatus, the comfort a friend gets just by talking to you in a moment of grief - they give the life its meaning. But hold on, that sounds way too simple and we are not used to anything simple in life. If we were, Hrishida's movies would not have worked. We approach life like a complex riddle, where we have a multitude of variables to take care of, so many aspects of it to worry about, so many material things we long for and attach happiness to. We get so engrossed in solving this riddle of life, we forget it is meant to be enjoyed! It goes just like a song from Anand - "Zindagi kaisi hai paheli haye, Kabhi to hasaaye, Kabhi ye rulaaye!"

And Anand gives you the answer to this riddle too - "Zindagi aur maut uparwaale ke haath mein hai Jahanpanah. Ise na aap badal sakte hain na main. Hum sab to rangmanch ki kathputaliyaan hain, jinki dor uparwaale ke haath bandhi hai. Kab, kaun, kaise uthega, koi nahi jaanta!" It is high time we realise this, get our act together and start enjoying life. Let us keep it Simple!!!