Hope and positivity, the 'can-do-attitude', the never-say-die spirit are always hard to accept for most of us during even the simplest of circumstances let alone while attempting monumental tasks. Today, we are filled with an overwhelming sense of despair with just about everything... be it countering terrorist threats, the state of our planet or such mundane things in life like not having broadband internet at home. We, especially the south Asian people are so focused on accepting everything as our fate, that we seem to give up even before starting most things.
I have been guilty of it myself many times in the past. Even today when I have the courage and the conviction that the goals I set out to achieve can one day be surpassed, I sometimes feel the negativity creeping in. During such times I keep myself kicking for building castles into thin air which are blown like a house of cards in the face of the slightest winds. And to be honest I have been in such a state recently when my sincerest attempts at harmonizing the goal seeking processes were termed as exclusive and I met with such rejection which was impossible to negate with even the strongest of all feelings... "Love".
But being the silly little kid that I have been, if I give it up so soon.. then there wouldn't be anything to write home about. Like Yogi Berra is famously quoted universally in such a context, "It ain't over till it's over".
So where does Malegaon (a tiny handloom industry oriented town in rural Maharashtra) and Superman (who needs no description like Malegaon does) fit into all this? Well I chanced upon a fascinating documentary about the filming of a movie called "Malegaon ka Superman". The movie making is so ridiculously absurd that the actor playing Superman (who's is clearly malnourished and in no way fit to play the role) is employed as the spot-boy too!!! In fact the movie is shot with just one handy-cam. At first I thought it was just another attempt at showing the undernourished Supermans of India clearly aimed at cashing in on the "Slumdog millionaire" wave. But I persisted with it and here I am writing about it.
The thing that struck me after having watched it is the positivity, the never-say-die spirit and the can-do attitude of the people making that movie, which started as an attempt of a derelict video parlour owner to inject renewed energy into his business. The sincerity with which he approached it was remarkable. He dreamed big and pulled out all stops to make it happen! He did not choose to make a movie which could be easy to make with a lone handy cam. His cameraman cum stuntman cum script writer cum dialog writer cum technician cum the list is endless... even suggests that they want to attempt scenes like the ones in "The Matrix", which sound like tall claims from anyone in the Indian film-making industry but more so with someone running on a budget of less than 700 Euros!! Not just the flimsy budget, the film maker is battling with unforeseen delays like the hero getting married two days before the final shot is to be taken (it isn't told what the reason for such hurry was).
At one point during the film making while shooting another absurdly choreographed stunt where "Superman" floats in a river on an inflated tractor tire tube to get to his home planet... (yes!!) the camera falls into the water with all the footage shot so far. At that point all hope of achieving anything is lost. But remarkably the film-maker keeps his positivity going. "Remarkable" is the word that I use because I myself have lost hope in not so dire circumstances myself lately. And at this point I should clarify that this post is not just about hoping, or dreaming or even positivity alone. One shouldn't go completely blind with hope, yet it's about the mind set that one should have and the belief that one gets in his/her abilities due to the "can do" attitude, no matter how mundane or monumental your objective be. The end of the documentary shows people climbing over the fence of the theater to watch shows of the movie and some of the clips from the movie that were shown were quite impressive given the kind of circumstances they were shot in. No wonder I could identify the real joy and satisfaction with which the film maker smiles at the camera in the end. Even when the under-weight Superman expresses his desire to one day play Amitabh Bachchan I could believe that he just might do it one day.
The movie may be titled "Superman of Malegaon" but to me every person associated with it is superhuman in his own right. To overcome such circumstances does require extraordinary strength of character. To stand up smiling after falling in an open sewer and have the strength to still carry on needs more will power than the rodeo clowns have to muster. The documentary should rather have been titled "Supermen of Malegaon". I am inspired... they say its always hardest to look at the silver lining just when you are closest to the end of the storm. But You should never loose hope. It ain't over till its over... and even if it is, there is always the "set" after the "game" and the "match" is just for statisticians. ;-)
I have been guilty of it myself many times in the past. Even today when I have the courage and the conviction that the goals I set out to achieve can one day be surpassed, I sometimes feel the negativity creeping in. During such times I keep myself kicking for building castles into thin air which are blown like a house of cards in the face of the slightest winds. And to be honest I have been in such a state recently when my sincerest attempts at harmonizing the goal seeking processes were termed as exclusive and I met with such rejection which was impossible to negate with even the strongest of all feelings... "Love".
But being the silly little kid that I have been, if I give it up so soon.. then there wouldn't be anything to write home about. Like Yogi Berra is famously quoted universally in such a context, "It ain't over till it's over".
So where does Malegaon (a tiny handloom industry oriented town in rural Maharashtra) and Superman (who needs no description like Malegaon does) fit into all this? Well I chanced upon a fascinating documentary about the filming of a movie called "Malegaon ka Superman". The movie making is so ridiculously absurd that the actor playing Superman (who's is clearly malnourished and in no way fit to play the role) is employed as the spot-boy too!!! In fact the movie is shot with just one handy-cam. At first I thought it was just another attempt at showing the undernourished Supermans of India clearly aimed at cashing in on the "Slumdog millionaire" wave. But I persisted with it and here I am writing about it.
The thing that struck me after having watched it is the positivity, the never-say-die spirit and the can-do attitude of the people making that movie, which started as an attempt of a derelict video parlour owner to inject renewed energy into his business. The sincerity with which he approached it was remarkable. He dreamed big and pulled out all stops to make it happen! He did not choose to make a movie which could be easy to make with a lone handy cam. His cameraman cum stuntman cum script writer cum dialog writer cum technician cum the list is endless... even suggests that they want to attempt scenes like the ones in "The Matrix", which sound like tall claims from anyone in the Indian film-making industry but more so with someone running on a budget of less than 700 Euros!! Not just the flimsy budget, the film maker is battling with unforeseen delays like the hero getting married two days before the final shot is to be taken (it isn't told what the reason for such hurry was).
At one point during the film making while shooting another absurdly choreographed stunt where "Superman" floats in a river on an inflated tractor tire tube to get to his home planet... (yes!!) the camera falls into the water with all the footage shot so far. At that point all hope of achieving anything is lost. But remarkably the film-maker keeps his positivity going. "Remarkable" is the word that I use because I myself have lost hope in not so dire circumstances myself lately. And at this point I should clarify that this post is not just about hoping, or dreaming or even positivity alone. One shouldn't go completely blind with hope, yet it's about the mind set that one should have and the belief that one gets in his/her abilities due to the "can do" attitude, no matter how mundane or monumental your objective be. The end of the documentary shows people climbing over the fence of the theater to watch shows of the movie and some of the clips from the movie that were shown were quite impressive given the kind of circumstances they were shot in. No wonder I could identify the real joy and satisfaction with which the film maker smiles at the camera in the end. Even when the under-weight Superman expresses his desire to one day play Amitabh Bachchan I could believe that he just might do it one day.
The movie may be titled "Superman of Malegaon" but to me every person associated with it is superhuman in his own right. To overcome such circumstances does require extraordinary strength of character. To stand up smiling after falling in an open sewer and have the strength to still carry on needs more will power than the rodeo clowns have to muster. The documentary should rather have been titled "Supermen of Malegaon". I am inspired... they say its always hardest to look at the silver lining just when you are closest to the end of the storm. But You should never loose hope. It ain't over till its over... and even if it is, there is always the "set" after the "game" and the "match" is just for statisticians. ;-)
Dude!! when did u become a writer n all...very well written. And when you come to think of it, i totally agree that we accept everything "as it is". We need the "can do" spirit out there!
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