All Talk and No Action

I love Weekends....They allow me to catch up with Reading and Movies....just the other day "Lakshya" dekh rahi thi....although its an out-and-out Hritik movie...I was mesmerised by Preity's portrayal of Romilla Dutta..this set me thinking about characters that have influenced me...and streaks I can identify with...Herein I list them down at the risk of sounding haughty :-)

Gita (Swades) : A true beauty with brains! Gita treads an unusual path...Being an Ekkisvi Sadi ki ladki doesn't deter her from pursuing a Non-Glam Job - Teaching! She has no qualms about dealing with a non supportive panchayat or doubting villagers...Bandi bas apne mann ka sune jaa rahi hai... She is intelligent, yet innocent; ladaku, yet sharmili; seedhi saadhi, yet with a mind of her own! She can step back and let the "Man" enjoy the limelight...at the same time can rant about "Hatheliyaan sirf mehendi ke liye nahi hoti..." She can be a die-hard romantic and sing "Sawariya.." as well as be detached enough to let her guy chart his destiny. In fact it is this very subtle feminism which scores her brownie points from our hero Mohan.Way to Go Girl!

Romilla Dutta (Lakshya) : Romilla is your quintessential crusader. A woman who is well read, knows her mind and stands up for things she believes in. Her love for Karan is sincere and heart-warming. She isn't bothered by his "lakshya"less life...Rather its his NOT respecting himself that irks her. Agar tum khud ki izzat nahi kar sakte..toh duniya tumhaari kya kadar karegi..this seems to be her logic. The lady is courageous enough to cover wars and tender enough to provide loving support... She believes in walking the talk...Her love for Karan has a "Forever" and an "unconditional" quality which is hard to come by in these times of infidelity.

Naina (Dushman) : This one made an impression on me at a very young age. Naina is a sweet and caring choti behen with a heart of gold. She suffers a cruel blow when her sister is raped and killed mercilessly. Its her transition from a dependent, innocent and vulnerable girl to a tough, independent and valiant woman that interests me. Her story provides immense courage to all females out there to fight their battles bravely...My fav dialogue from the movie is "Aisa kya hai ek mard mai jo tum mai nahi hai Naina?..." Apno ki hifazat karne ke liye yeh bandi kisi bhi musibat ka saamna kar sakti hai....The role resembles that of a Lioness..and a beautiful one at that ! :-)

Sujata (Guru) : I was bowled over by Ash in this movie. Though the movie belongs to Abhishek, Sujata's character had an immense integrity and strength of character. She is no push-over or doormat. She takes pride in what she does and lives life on her own terms. Having said this, she is secure enough to step back and let her man bask in glory. She isn't fooled by the glamour attached to Guru's success. On the contrary, she is her husband's best confidante and worst critic. Its takes inner strength and confidence to deal with ups and downs that are a part and parcel of being a high profile man's wife. Its she who has un-wavering faith in Guru and who nurses him back to good health. "Barso Re.." shall always remain a special song as it gives face to this free-spirited yet traditional woman. Definitely a girl-next-door I can identify with :-)

All these characters I have written about have one common quality - Perseverance ! The "zidd" to chart their lives their way...There is a very fine line between Perseverance and Obstinacy...I hope we all find the difference.