That "Lootera wali Feeling"

The outline of the distant hill keeps it separated from the dark blue sky. Forgive me for my incompetence with shades of colours. The hill looks darker than the sky, towards a shade of black. The river that buzzes throughout the day with the people from nearby slums bathing and washing clothes is camouflaged in the darkness, so does the narrow sandy road to it. But in complete silence, one can hear the sound of the river flowing. The railway line and the road by its side cannot be seen either. But every now and then, a car or a motorbike passes by. It’s headlights are the only lights. Sometimes the vehicle goes in a jiffy, sometimes it’s slower. But every time it does, my mind goes back to the underrated romance that I love so much.

Source: Google Image Search ( :P )

As the night takes over dusk, I look outside my window and tell mom, “this view gives me such a Lootera feeling.” My mom asks me, “What is a Lootera wali feeling?” I say, “You know, when Ranveer and Sonakshi are returning, theirs is the only car on the otherwise secluded road. The yellow light inside the car is the only light in the darkness and in that, a budding romance that isn’t as straightforward in words as the present day romances are. After all, dishahara kemon boka monta re. ('Monta re')” I keep the last part to myself. By the time I have finished explaining, the members of my family have busied themselves in their work. And I am left alone in my musing, smiling while looking outside my window.

A couple of days ago when I was listening to the songs of Lootera, I felt that it is a perfect monsoon playlist. Not that the playlist is seasonal, but it is perfect for monsoon. After a scorching summer which we Indians cannot enjoy for picnic like people in England might, rain is blissful. The dried up twigs and branches are replaced by greenery. The rivers start flowing again. Life in its most natural form is rejuvenated. And poor sinus-inflicted souls like me, who can neither tolerate the heat nor the air conditioner, find the much needed respite as monsoon takes over. Also, thanks to Hindi movies that I have literally watched innumerably as a kid, monsoon comes with the idea of romance, be it the “kaate nahi katte din ye raat (Mr. India)” (then ashleel to my kid self) romance or “Tumse hi (Jab We Met)."

The view from my balcony :)

I am not the person who goes outside when it’s raining, with or without an umbrella. People have told me I am missing out. It never bothered me. I am the person, who would love to sit in the balcony or near a window that gives a great view of nature, the greenery that I miss much having lived in metros for last five years. I sit with a mug of coffee or a cup of tea, whichever suits the mood, with an unread book. Yes, unread, because when the view outside is so great, I fail to do anything else. I try, to swallow every bit of it, as in a month I will be back in a metro. And as it begins to rain, my mind starts singing,

Yun to solah saawan aaye gaye
Gaur nahi kiya humne
Bheega mann ka aangan iss martaba
Na jaane kya kiya humne . . . (‘Manmarziyaan’)

And it goes all the way to “...Qabr par mere sar utha ke khadi ho zindagi, aise marna hai mujhe...('Zinda')” Amitabh Bhattacharya and Amit Trivedi created magic for me, with such soulful lyrics and music. The subtlety of the romance in the film wins over my otherwise hopeless heart. To be honest, such a real life romance probably would frustrate me, but on screen it’s 'oh so perfect'. That beautiful pain. The lyrics just add to every damn scene, for example, in the second half of the movie few lines of ‘Shikayatein’ tell the viewer of the changed dynamics between the protagonists,

Na udne ki iss dafaa thami,
parindo ne bhi wafa jani
Andhere ko baahon me leke,
Ujalo ko ghar banaya hai
Churaya tha jo chukaya hai

Oh! How can one not fall in love with Lootera. In the beginning I admired the movie because of its adaptation of ‘The Last Leaf’ by O. Henry . I was amazed how the theme of masterpiece was kept intact in the added romance and how the “bheel ke raja” story within the story untwirls itself. But as I watched it again and again, I was taken by the heart aches to express love; the unexplained heartbreaks that lead to a love that inspires when the will to live is lost. Oh, that beautifully painful feeling!

If you haven’t gone beyond ‘Sawaar loon’ then you must do it now. And for whatever reason you haven’t seen  Lootera, keep it aside and watch it. You might not like it but then, there’s a chance to fall in love with it. As it begins to drizzle outside my window again, I can’t help but think, “Baarishein naarahzgi bhi jata jati hain, kabhi kabhi ambar ki (‘Ankahee’)”.  

*Goes to watch the movie one more time*