CityLights: Some thoughts after watching the film

It was a first for me. The trailer of a film made me cry. It was that of Hansal Mehta's forthcoming film, CityLights. There was a connect and a solid one at that. A couple from a village migrating from a village to an urban landscape and dealing with the problems that come along. I am still talking about the trailer, not the film. For those few people who follow the blog know my love for Bombay, for the rest, read on… you'll know too. Now about the film:

My parents came to Bombay many decades ago, with a few bag full of clothes, utensils and some dreams in their eyes. I came into their lives a few years later. The strongest memory I have of me with my father is of him carrying me on his shoulders, running across a huge park, to take me to a doctor as I was unwell. Dad could have easily borrowed his friend's Bullet, but apparently I was too critically unwell. He ran the fastest he ever could. He saved my life. Baapu, I love you, yaar!

This is the thing about Bombay, if nothing else, it gives stories to people. Like one of my friends who had biked it all the way to Bombay from Mhow (MP) just to get Salman Khan's autograph. Did my friend get an autograph? Not just that, he got Bhaijaan's cap too, that he was wearing that eventful night. Bombay makes dreams come true. No matter how big or small. People come to Bombay, as if she was their mother. They know Bombay will take care of them.

"Yahaan koi bhookha nahin sota"

Just a few years ago, my best friend Amjad's brother, Umed, came to Bombay. He was a farmer in Rajasthan. Amjad got Umed bhai here so that he could do more than just farming and give his son, Zeeshan, a decent education. I saw Umedbhai in the character portrayed by Rajkummar Rao. Umedbhai, son of an army officer who chose to be a farmer, and was forced to come to Bombay to do more in life. Umedbhai usually sat on his haunches. Watch CityLights and you'll see how Rajkummar has owned the character Deepak Singh.

The new girl Patralekha, who plays Rajkummar's wife Rakhi, has done an equally great job as well. There is a scene in CityLights where the lead pair sit and cry about what life has done to them. That is inexplicably brilliant and made me cry enough to almost completely wet my shirt collar.  I think that was the moment I ran out of tears, as I couldn't cry during the rest of the film. My eyes were dry. Sometimes I wonder why filmmakers remake films, because almost everybody in Bombay has a story to tell. No matter what genre you are looking at…

In all fairness, I have my share of concerns or complaints with CityLights, but what shines brightest is the protagonist, Rajkummar Rao. The way he owns his characters, there are very few here who could have done that. This fabulous actor reminded me of Umedbhai, addressing people as 'Maalik' or 'Hukam' and sitting on his haunches, as if that is the most natural way to sit. Umedbhai once told me, "Bhaai, ek-do saal mein paise bana ke main waapas gaon chala jaaoonga."

A few months later, he did. Despite the fact that he wanted everything Bombay had in store for him and his young son. He just packed his bags and went back to his village in Rajasthan.

I always believed one can never leave Bombay, but Umedbhai did. He was too much of a simpleton. Just like Deepak Singh in CityLights. Some people can't survive Bombay, but some do. Perhaps this city isn't for everyone… CityLights is the story of a guy who, just like my father and Umedbhai, came here, didn't fit in and packed their bags and left one day, never to come back here again. My father still remembers every street and area in Bombay, which has obviously changed now.

Note to self: I should save these stories for my own version of this film's sequel or some such. 

Every time my father visits Bombay, he has stories tell me about this magical city. Sometimes I think he still wants to live here, but he is scarred, because there is a price to pay for choosing to dream, or to dream bigger than your boots. Baapu is now happy in Indore, he has sworn never to relocate to Bombay. But I still think he loves this city. I am sure he does. The way he fondly talks about Bombay, he perhaps wants to come back here… But he has learned his lesson the hard way.

Bombay is not for everybody. Not everybody is a dreamer. And sometimes, some dreams are too meagre for Bombay to make 'em true.  Not everybody can deal with Bombay.

I love Bombay.

"Yahaan koi bhookha nahin sota"

If you've missed the trailer of CityLights, here it is:

 

Disclaimer: This is not a review of CityLights, just some random thoughts...