My favorite Amitabh
Bachchan (AB) movie is Trishul, the
intensity of characters in the movie is a relief from often quite amateurish
buffoonery of characters in Indian cinema. Maybe it is Sanjeev Kumar or is it
AB who lends this movie its magnetism or maybe even the underappreciated Rakhee
in the movie. Or was it the Director of movie Yash Chopra.
Released in 1978, the
movie was a gem of mainstream movies with a measured nod to song & dance.
Another plus for movie was that the premise was based on business not as evil,
but a mainstream activity. An avenging
bastard son showing his father & his family how to square up gets entangled
with side shows of corrupt contractors & villains. Through various twist
and turn the movies moves to explosive but predictable climax.
Few things were 1st
which became mainstream in times to come and continued right up to 1990 before
SRK started to change the scene in 1990’s.
1)
The movie saw the emerging avenger in form of AB taking on an
enforcer (played superbly by Rohit Shetty’s father (screen name Shetty), Why go
to courts etc… when bawn and shouting can solve the problem. Remember Deewar the
earlier movie did not give any redemption to character played by AB in it.
2)
The movie also showed the emerging societal points of ends
justifying the means, corruption was normalized to a transaction.
3)
An ode to Indian patriarchal system where benevolent male is center
of all existence and his mere absence can make life miserable for others.
This and others related
stuff my friends are suggested topic for a civilized conversation over glass of
God’s nectar (way better then discussing current affairs).
Why I am writing a ode
to this movie is because I believe What we see today in our midst is peak (hoping
so) of this behavior which emerged at that time.
I have a grouse and I will sort it out with no
respect for law, privacy or patience for due process. YOU are wrong and I am
right that’s all one needs to believe and go ballistic. Send tweets, call
people names, drive extremes of all sorts and drive TRP’s (maybe main purpose).
Thankfully the venting is digital in these days else just thinking of
alternatives is scary.
No one can absolve
himself/herself of where we are now, not choosing to solve the problems but run
after chimera shown by the powerful people. Politicians of every hue have made
merry by running tactical solutions and not solve the problems. Yes, we have
huge pending case load in courts, yes our police system is not effective and
yes our health services are pathetic but hey we don’t worry about them. We seek
solace in maya around us and let our civilizational possibilities die a painful
death.
To every concerned
Shiva’s Trishul convey 3 truths which we need to seek
Below excert from art
of living website.
Trishul represents
the three aspects of consciousness – waking, dreaming and sleeping, and it represents
the three gunas – satva, rajas and tamas. Holding
a trishul (Trident) signifies that Shiva (the divinity) is above all
the three states – waking, dreaming and sleeping, yet is the upholder of these
three states.
The divinity is beyond the three gunas, but it holds the
three gunas together.
Shul means
problems or suffering. Trishul means that which destroys all kind of
suffering.
Three types of pain that arise in life:
1. Aadibhautik (physical)
2. Aadhyaatmik (spiritual) and
3. Aadidaivik (ethereal)
What relieves you from all the problems and suffering is the Trishul. And
it is in the hand of Shiva.
If we have to solve the
problems in our midst, we need to have patience to solve within our system (We
the people). Think about solving the problems which are deep rooted amongst us
using Trishul.
