Be the Change!!

"When difficult times come, people change." - This is not something that you might have heard for the first time but it definitely is something that I heard today with a very different meaning.

I was watching the latest Bollywood movie Airlift, starring Akshay Kumar. The movie is about how the Indians escaped the adverse conditions in Kuwait post Iraq's attack. Now, like all Akshay movies, this is definitely a movie worth the watch. Bigger than that, however, the reason why I really saw the movie is because of 'Kuwait'. Kuwait forms a part of my childhood. And not just childhood, Kuwait has given me some really amazing memories that I am fond of. I would watch the movie even if there was nothing else except Kuwait. Though, on the same note, I am highly disappointed. There were very few stills of Kuwait in the movie.

Coming back on the topic; Akshay plays the role of Ranjith, who is successful businessman in Kuwait. He considers himself Kuwaiti until the unfortunate happens. An underage Iraqi soldier killing his driver in the middle of the road was the first wake-up call for Ranjith. Eventually, he not only becomes an Indian, but takes the responsibility of the near 2L Indians who was stuck in the situation.

When he faces some failures, the people around him get upset and bother him further. (To be honest, there is just one character shown - Mr. George, who is really stupid and nagging; though, I can't say much about the character in a public blog like this one... the character spoke Tamil and from the name belonged to Kerala.)

At this point, Ranjith's wife takes charge and says the same sentence. She telling Mr. George that Ranjith could have escaped with just his family and left them all behid. He didnt have to wait for the others, leave the bother part. She tells how people change in difficult times and so did Ranjith. If Ranjith had had been the same old self, he would have set the nagging people straight in a moment.

When she says that sentence, I can't help but think of how limited my thoughts are. If I had heard the sentence in a random situation, I would never interpret that the person changed for the better. Yet, here we see that people do. More importantly, everyone knows that people behave the bravest when they are least expected to.

Another beautiful thing that happened in the movie was - the picturization of the song 'Soch Na Sake'. There is a Kuwaiti women with her new-born baby in the Indian camp. While moving out the camp, people make noise about risking their safety for one lady (only George makes noise!!). Ranjith decides to take the lady all by himself in his car, with his family. He takes the decision and then introduces the lady to his wife. There is a moment there where the two of them look at each other and share a smile.

It is then later portion of the song starts playing -

"Aankhon ki hai yeh khwahishein
Ki chehre se teri na hatein
Neendon mein meri bas tere
Khwabon ne li hai karwatein

Ki teri ore mujhko leke chalein
Ye duniya bhar ke sab raaste
Main tujhko kitna chahta hoon
Ye tu kabhi soch na sake"

 This is a highly romantic song and I would never expect it to be played in a situation like this. Also, the understanding shown between Ranjith and his wife is commendable. In the start, it feels as if the things are not well between the pair but moments like this and many others, define what a real companionship means.

Honestly, truly, Hats Off!!!

Finally, we see where the Tricolor gets hoisted on the Airport in Amman (Jordan) - when all the people finally breath and air of relief. And it is the effort of the several Indian Government officials and the pilots at Air India, Indian Airlines and Indian Army, who make this entire thing possible.

Quite honestly, people keep asking what their country has done for them. But what we don't realize that the country does something for us each and every second.

Akshay and the entire team of the movie - an amazing effort! Thank You!!!