Thoughts and other trivia...

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Things 'appen

On my way out on work, maybe I should have recognised it as a sign of things to come when the captain on the aircraft ended his welcome spiel with an ominous “And, good luck to you.” Not the most appropriate, or comforting, thing for your pilot to say, is it? And, in case anyone had missed it the first time, he made it a point to wish us luck again a little later. :-)

We were at this posh hotel, shooting. Among the very few interesting (movable) objects there, the one I picked out to use as a prop in a shot was a Kondapalli doll, a disjointed clay doll. A mere touch would have its head bobbing and a gentle touch would make it dance. Later in the evening, I was handed a packet that my friend had left for me at the hotel desk. We’d been in touch on the phone all day, trying to find the time to meet but, most unfortunately, we couldn’t. That’s when she quietly slipped in and dropped off the packet for me. And, when I opened the packet, guess what I found in it? A bobbing doll!

While we were waiting between shots in the bar, they were playing a song that I really took to…or, maybe it was the other way around. I asked but the chap there had no clue about either the song or the musician, although, at that time, he did sound a lot like Chris Martin of Coldplay. Anyway, the chap was nice enough to play it a couple of times for me. I grabbed a napkin and scribbled a quick note to myself to search for the song later. When I got back to Delhi, and logged in to FB to answer a couple of messages, there it was on my Home page – the very same song! And, yes, it’s been playing in a loop since then.

Anyway, there were plenty of long periods of waiting between shots. I had a very small crew, of which three were handling lights. One of them, I saw, had been reading palms in every little break that we had. He volunteered to read mine but I laughed it off because it’s not something I’m interested in. But, I was told that he’s really keen on it and, so, reluctantly and just so that he doesn’t feel bad, I agreed. He started by telling me a couple of things that he had no way of knowing – not stuff that one can glean after spending some time around a person, which in my case, without a doubt, would be that I’m very impatient. No, what he read was that I’m on my own and no family, etc. That was weird. Then, he looked at my hand in silence for about 30-odd seconds and said he couldn’t read any more. This was also weird because, clearly, he could read but didn’t want to say what it was. Everyone tried to get him to talk but he just wouldn’t say.

I’m the first to admit that I’m a bit daft when it comes to subtle hints, coded messages and the like. Because it’s easy to misinterpret and jump to the wrong conclusion. I like it direct and straightforward.

I couldn’t care less for what he ‘read’ but I wish he’d just say why he wouldn’t tell!

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Trampoline

Three cheques that I issued bounced. I almost set the house on fire. And, from being the designated, albeit a very reluctant, Best Man, I’ve now been reduced to a regular guest at the wedding. A super day, wouldn’t you say?

I’m pretty kicked about not being the Best Man, actually ;-)

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Call me

I wrote something for television a long time ago but, although it’s a pretty good concept, it never got past the approval stage – meaning, it got accepted each time but never went further. Anyway, it was all about dilemmas that we sometimes face in our lives, when it’s hard to decide what to do because, in the two options that are available, a very thin line separates the right from wrong. To make the idea more engaging, I thought it may be best to put viewers in the shoes of the characters and have them not just sit in judgement over the characters’ choices but to also have to make that choice themselves. Because it’s always easier to make a value judgement from the outside, and wonder why someone did what they did, than it is to be in the thick of things and know why.

While watching certain situations in films, I’ve often wondered how I’d behave under the same circumstances and whether my own decision would be any different from that of the character/s on screen. During the whole 9/11 attack, I clearly remember wondering how it’d feel like to be on the plane, knowing I was going to die in the next few minutes. Like the people on board at the time did, I remember wondering about who I’d make the last frantic call to.

Funnily, I was asked precisely this question a few days ago. I was asked to imagine myself in a hypothetical situation wherein I know I am going to die in a few minutes. I’m allowed to make just one call to one person. Who is the one person, in this whole wide world, that I’ll want to call and talk to?

To those who’re attached and in relationships, the answer to the question should be relatively easy. A lot of such people are likely to pick their partners. Some of those who have kids could pick a child over their partner. But, I’m not sure how it is for people like myself…should it be simpler? Tougher? I don’t know.

I don’t have an immediate family and, so, fortunately or otherwise, that decision is taken away from me. Among the extended family, I could choose to call one of two-three people but, if I have to be honest to myself, that’d be more because, although I’m fond of them and they of me, it’d be more like an obligation. Among the few friends that I have, again, I could pick one of two or three but it’d still be more to entrust them with a responsibility or two.

So, it shouldn’t have been an easy question for me to answer. But, that’s the strange, and scary, part…the answer came to me instantly. Like I said to someone on FB today, sometimes, it’s a curse to know the answer, especially when it comes to you so bloody quickly.

Usually, answers help you feel free and liberated. This one feels like a curse because, in this case, the answer is the problem! :-)

But, that’s just me. Do you know who you are going to call?