"The music is not in the notes"

"The music is not in the notes,
but in the silence between."
~ Mozart

Only who has felt the silence so deep can feel and create music so intense. Only who envision the vastness of a blank canvas can create magic on it. It is essential to visit the deepest of depths in order to reach the highest of the heights.

Heights, here, again can be confused with monetary success or fame. By heights here, I mean the heights of the closeness and involvement that one feels with one’s art. With one’s gift that the soul aches to discover, explore and share.

Once, you come en face with your gift, there must be no looking back. There must be a struggle. Struggle to take off the skin you have been wrapped in. Peel off the face you have lived with or have been taught to look so.

The peeling off doesn’t come easy. The doubts will cloud over. The fear of being seen naked will engulf. The one’s in their old skin, all coloured the same and alike will demand you must remain in your old skin too. That’s when the peeling will be the toughest.

There will be an hour. That might seem the darkest and the longest. You will know that has all the power to drown and you will feel choked. That hour is the key to your gift. All the fears, doubts and the opposition will be a gift. For in this darkness you will see a dim light at the far end. The light will be bleak so, you will still have doubts. The pull will be on both the sides. Here, you must identify, that out of these two there is one that your desiring-self wishes to hold onto. Let a little lose. Let it go for a while. The gap, that space will bring in some answers. You will see your desires and you will see that light. And you must follow one.

I

n that darkest hour followed by the silence, which you must allow yourself, you will meet yourself closely. You will see who you have been till now. You will see the colour of your skin. You must walk closer to the light. You will get a glimpse of the colour of your new skin.

Behold the unseen. Unlearn. Shed the old skin and follow the light. Reborn with a new skin and here, you design what you do with it. You have the senses unexposed and unexplored. Explore your gift. And go as far deep as you can.

In this depth soars the quietest silence and it is here, that you have the inspiration to create the most melodious music. The trick is to stay still and not fear the silence rather immerse in it and let the music come to us.

The Mountain

  

You might not be all that I was looking for,

Always peeped on the other side of you, for more

 Always kept adding up ‘two and two’ for ‘four’

To find the lifeless pieces of my divided core

Even quit and left so many times to go beyond and explore

Met countless new moons and touched infinite new shores

But, the winds chased me till far and they smelled just like you

Making me wonder, if, you followed behind all through

Lost and signless, all I could do was wonder

Since, there was no lightening, there was no thunder

No, there were no words, no confessions

No, there was no bending, no surrender

Yet, I couldn't leave, couldn't go any further

Left some shores untouched, in similar wonder

And came back to see you here, standing still

Still no words, only silence instilled

Frozen at your footsteps, I looked up at you, so tall

Looking down at me you must have thought, “So small”

Still no words, but, just silence and wonder

No, there was no bending, no surrender

I knew it was too high and too tough

Still with my feet, I laid the first touch

And that is when, the immovable moved

Seeing the snow melting, I stood there glued

You were no more that tall

And I did no more feel that small

It is since then, that every season, when it snows,

Somewhere a mountain has moved deep-down I know!

NH10- Worth more than a couple of pop corn hours!

Off beat cinema going the commercial way or rather the commercial gateway opening for the realistic cinema, both can be said for movies such as NH10. Brave attempt of the team to make a movie on such a theme, commendable direction, power pact performances, wonderful cinematography and many more applauds to the film.

But, I came back with rather a heavy heart. The fact that it was realistic cinema was rather too overwhelming for me. The idea of the plot being the reflection of a part of our society was rather disturbing.

No, I wasn’t being much practical about it. I was representing that sentimental lot of the audience. Pretty much driven into the movie and carried away by the story. But, if such a believable up close face of my society is not going to move me, then what else will. Honour killing, Khap, domestic violence, eve teasing, corruption; things that we hear, that we read, that we talk of, were all right there.

I could hear laughter in between quite a few scenes which made me ask myself that isn’t it a movie after all. I mean till it doesn’t really happen with me, even though if I was sitting just a few kilometres away from that supposedly highway in the same city and state, what’s the point of taking it so seriously. I mean the movie did have some pretty funny lines.

Most of the social issues mentioned above, majorly and popularly have to do more with the women. But, one of the striking realities shown in this movie was that even where women are in power, the other women are no safer. Compassion cannot be driven by a gender or by any one specific half of the world. The ability to feel for another human is not a particular gender’s sole responsibility. No movement against one gender, one caste, one nation, or a particular part of society is going to make us any better than the rest.

The interesting thing which drew my attention to the movie’s plot more was its climax. The protagonist of the movie goes beyond her physical and mental tolerance. She was angry and agitated. Ultimately she reached an extent where she loses it all. Then, comes the time when the rod changes the hand. She is in power now!

Earlier, she fought, ran and hid to protect herself and her love. Now, she fights to vent her anger. She fights back for more than just that. She wants revenge. She gathers her will, strength and courage to hold the rod against the wrong doers.

One side of the story:

She served them right. She lost all that she had because of those cruel men. Even if they did or did not come after her, there was no way that she could have let them be, to go ahead and do the same with anyone else.

The other side of the story:

Is there any other way to treat such criminals? Is there anything possibly existing that can change the mindset of such people who commit crime on the basis of what they think to be right and on the basis of, “Jo karna tha so karna tha”?

Every criminal, from Nirbhaya’s (Jyoti) rapists to the terrorists, do what they have to do to claim some or the other belief to be right. Just like the protagonist at the end of the movie.

Did she have a thought of the greater good when she killed those men? It is doubtful to believe so from the cold looks which she gives while smoking a cigarette right before she takes down the last man.

Violence occurs not because it necessary, but mostly because it is enjoyed, enjoyed by the one who has the power, the one who has the rod.

But, then this was one way to make the common innocent man (woman) feel empowered and strong.

Would it be too optimistic to see the poor daughter in law of the Sarpanch’s house to have said that she wanted to leave with her or the protagonist to have asked her to do so, when she was leaving?

Perhaps yes. Not too realistic.