Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Isi Life Mein - Youth is calling!

Youth is defined by Wikipedia as the “time of life between childhood and adulthood (maturity)". To my mind, this definition is a very loose one and youth means a lot more. Youth is not an indicator of just the age; it is a state of mind. It denotes an entire way of life and one that is not obstructed by pre-ordained or old notions.

Robert Kennedy said “This world demands the qualities of youth: not a time of life but a state of mind, a temper of the will, a quality of imagination, a predominance of courage over timidity, of the appetite for adventure over the life of ease.” That to me defines precisely what the youth of today stand for.

Coming to the big screen this December is the latest offering from the Rajshri stables, “Isi Life Mein”. Without spoiling any surprises and giving out the story, let me just say that the movie promises to exude youthfulness in all its glory.

The title of the movie screams it out loud and clear: Most of us have just this one life (if we’re lucky, that is) and we have to make the most of it within our allotted life span.

Whether we accept it or not, most of us have that one dream – this dream could be anything, be it going to space, becoming a scientist, a world renowned musician etc. And these dreams get created since the time the coils in our minds get well oiled to life on earth. The majority manage to get through their lives and let their dreams drown in the routine of “growing up” (akin to the poor pickles in a dinner plate being heaped with the other and more happening buffet items) and get into the usual rut of what society feels is the way to be (quote unquote). And then there are those very select few who live with a single minded objective of achieving what they want – it is for such people that Rhonda Brynes “Secret” holds true; the universe conspires to help them get where they want to be.

“Isi Life Mein” is a reminder of what the youth of today stand for; they have a dream and they go for it with all they have. Along the pathway to glory, there are many words going against them, mostly from well meaning but ill informed sources in the form of parents, elders and well wishers. The trick is to be able to separate the grain from the chaff and that is what our youngsters are best at. You can count on them to be able to find the best solutions to all their problems as long as the proper means are visible.

At the same time, the Indianness element is very strongly ingrained in our youth and you would see that in spite of setting out to achieve what they want to, tradition and culture still figure on their list of “In” things.

Another moot point is that it takes one to know one. Its amazing how two people who have disparate aims in life can act as catalysts to each other and just by sheer dint of being there when it counts, can help the other succeed. The best part is that they don’t even need to share similarities in terms of background, upbringing or caste and creed. It’s the common resolve of wanting to get some place (not figuratively) that binds them on common ground.

Youth movies have been done to death, some good, some bad and some ugly. What differs is the treatment of the topic and this time round, Rajshri showcases something different. “Isi Life Mein” has 2 young people making their debut with a young woman at the director’s helm. With such a strong youth quotient in play and given the track record of young director’s in the recent past, this one should be a must-watch for all those new age movie viewers with a discerning eye. I have a feeling Robert Kennedy would have watched this one and said, “This is EXACTLY what I meant!!” So go watch this one and celebrate the determination of our youth – Dec 24th is the date and I will definitely be out there in line with many others. Cast and crew of ILM, good luck & best wishes!

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