From reel to real: Living life Bollywood style

Thanks to Shah Rukh Khan’s romantic scenes, Hrithik Roshan’s dance moves and Yash Raj Films’ exotic locales, I have been smitten with Bollywood since my teens. It is no secret that I harboured crushes on film protagonists – Raj of the iconic Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and Rahul of Kuch Kuch Hota Hai – so much so that my father feared that I would get married with unrealistic expectations. Little did he know that there is another way to emulate the magic!

The iconic silent dance sequence in a gazebo in the rain from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai inspired me to sway with my husband on our balcony on a beautiful cloudy day. The innumerable scenes of couples admiring the sky on a star-lit night gave me the idea to arrange a picnic with my tech-savvy 10-year-old son where we both lay down on mats hand in hand trying to decipher the constellations. The smiling faces of the perfect family in Hum Saath Saath Hai, a film which many have called diabetic, inspired me to arrange bonding games during our yearly family get-togethers.

The marvellous Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, which showed bachelors on a holiday, gave birth to a new festival in the country: Holi with tomatoes, and the trend of signing off one’s single life with a bang with friends. The final scene in 3 Idiots on Pangong Lake led to a tourist influx in Ladakh. The anniversary celebrations of Anil Kapoor and Shefali Shah on a cruise in Dil Dhadakne Do encouraged children to celebrate their parents’ special days with enthusiasm. And, the list goes on.

It is easy to live a mundane life, but finding magic in your everyday life is the true art of living. The common man may not have the money or resources to travel to exotic locations, but we can surely make use of starry skies, beautiful autumn days and the warmth of our loved ones on cold winter nights with a fire burning by our side.

Edgar Dale, the American educator who developed the learning pyramid, has rightly said, “We remember 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see and 50% of what we see and hear.”

So, why not put the innumerable hours that we spend on staring at the screen to some use. Wishing all the Bollywood buffs a merry day and a merrier life ahead!

THE COMMON MAN MAY NOT HAVE THE MONEY OR RESOURCES TO TRAVEL TO EXOTIC LOCATIONS, BUT WE CAN SURELY MAKE USE OF STARRY SKIES, BEAUTIFUL AUTUMN DAYS AND THE WARMTH OF OUR LOVED ONES ON COLD NIGHTS