Soulful Sid

The 43rd week of the year has just ended.
I brought in the weekend by watching “Wake up Sid”. Apart from the Anil Mehta’s brilliant cinematography, Bombay in full form and fashion and the astoundingly refreshing soundtrack – I was utterly moved by this sweet soulful story.
In the interval when I was quiet and smiling and close to tears, my friend remarked to me that I could not be more different that Sid. It was hard to imagine someone as planned and systematic as me to understand what it was like to space out while studying or fail an exam. But it was about much more than that. Sid was reckless. Not just with his exams – also with his friends, how he treated them, reckless about his feelings, wearing his heart on his sleeve, reckless with time and Life. That I do know something about in my own way. About just being a reticent part of a life situation, not taking charge or speaking up until the moment has passed. Being the one left behind while others move on. At times, being the only one to move out. The paradoxical feeling of being in charge and out of control all at the same time.
And he was forced to open the windows and life hit him like a splash of water – cold at first, refreshing at second and mesmerizing at third. And then he couldn’t get enough of it. Life Happened.
But he still fought to preserve his childish enthusiasm. He realized that while reality would bite uninvited, it would be much harder to survive unless he flared what made him come alive. Photography for him. Writing for some others. Dancing for a few. He loved his life and his friends more than ever – but learnt to create space, for him and them. He learnt to understand the beauty of small things – the excitement from breaking an egg to living life sunny side up. To eat humble pie when there was nothing else to eat but still sing karaoke the song of his life. Pehla Nasha No kidding.
And most of all, he tried to create balance. And came out siddier than ever. Goofy, Lovable, Enthusiastic, Hopeful Sweet hearted but focused and directed at the same time.
Somewhere, if we look hard enough there is a little bit of Sid in all of us.
And while we are busy making a life, we should fight darn hard to preserve the best of him

PS: And I wholeheartedly clapped in the movie theatre when Sid expressed hislove for Mumbai in the monsoons - despite the water clogging and traffic and persistent puddles.