" I would Die just like Anand "

I have been an ardent Bollywood buff since the early days of childhood. Movies, songs, thumkes have always been my life. ‘I will fight for a movie; I will cry for a movie. It’s over midnight and I have to wake up for school at 5 in the morning but I will not leave the movie in between.’ Ten years or more it has been and nothing has changed; apart from the “type” of Bollywood movies of course. Born in last decade of 90’s I am the girl who loves both the late 20^th and early 21^st century movies. You get it, I completely love Bollywood and the movies I claim were enchanting in the past. Also, I believe somewhere between the charisma of Rajesh Khanna and Ranbir Kapoor, the charm of the old films is lost in today’s Rowdiness and Dabangg andaaz! Barfi stole my heart though.

I did not really intend to write about my love for the Bollywood but about a Bollywood movie which has been my favorite for years now. I was probably 11 or 12 when I saw Anand for the first time. I wasn’t really a girl who would sit with her family to watch movies which her parents said “Humare zamaane ka” I saw it for the first time and even at that tender age I knew if something ever happens to me then I would die just like Anand. I have been a big fan of Rajesh Khanna since that day and probably this movie was the only reason why I mourned over his death a year ago. I bow to the creators of Anand.

When I talk about the movie with my friends, their eyes wide open stare at me with the hollowness of not knowing even a bit of what I am saying. It always has been disappointing that they are so familiar with “Babumoshai” but have no idea about its origin. It’s like knowing Gabbar Singh but not Sholay. I have always suggested them to go for this movie but I don’t think that they even bothered to Google it.

Every dialog, every expression, every song, the happiness and the pain; every single detail of the movie has inspired me to the core of my soul. Anand has been the inspiration to my life. I guess I have always thought ( If not said ) after my recovery from Leukemia that no matter what the chemotherapy did to me but somewhere in the background it was the fictional character Anand that inspired me to live, laugh and enjoy through the pain. “Har khushi ke peeche khushi ho ye zaruri to nahi Babumoshai, Kabhi kabhi khushi ke peeche gham bhi to…” Anand trails off before completing this statement and still it has meant so much to me in last 6 years. And the song “Zindagi kaisi hai paheli haaye, Kabhi to hasaaye kabhi ye rulaaye” has undoubtedly been my favorite.

inspired me to the core of my soul.

I do not know if people of my age would understand the whole movie, some may some may not. For some it may be three hours of complete crap, I pity them. I may have been a Bollywood fan but I am devoted to this movie. This movie has helped me survive, this movie has inspired me to live, laugh and enjoy. Kal Ho Naa Ho may have been a similar movie but I guess somehow it focuses more on the love triangle than Aman. I haven’t seen another movie like Anand and I guess a character like Anand is almost impossible to find in the real world outside. “Jab tak zinda hoon tab tak mara nahi jab mar gaya saala mai hi nahi.”

If you’re one person who knew me well, you surely did not know this aspect of me. I may/may not have spoken of it. Yes, I do flaunt about surviving Pre B Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia but had Anand survived the Lymphosarcoma of the Intestine, probably it would have been hard for me to fight for a new life. In the busy life of jealousy, insecurity, sorrow, rivalry if someone taught me to live, laugh and love then it was Anand. I would be proud to die like Anand, loving and spreading happiness and of course knowing that every person that I have come to know wants me back, when Yama comes to take my life away.

“Zindagi aur maut to upar waale ke haath me hain Jahanpanah. Use to naa aap badal sakte hain na mai. Hum sab to rangmanch ki kathputliyaan hain. Jinki dor uparwale ki ungliyo se bandhi hai, kab kaun kaise uthega ye koi nahi bata sakta hai. Hahahaha! “