Maharashtra seems to be in the grips of a bit of a firestorm of a movie. The lesser-known story, especially amongst the newer generation, of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, which is the subject of a new biopic, has seen crowds flocking to cinema screens. And scenes, rarely witnessed before, of viewers overcome with emotion as they make their way out in sombre groups. Whilst some sceptics may dismiss this as hysteria, the larger point here is that cinema of this ilk is a stark reminder of the sacrifices that we owe much of our present freedoms to, which by the way, in our entitled preoccupied lives, we often seem to take for granted.
We are amongst the most comfortable generations to have existed, with relative security of subsistence, the freedom to speak our minds, exercise our right to vote and follow a vocation of our choosing. It is, therefore, easy to become complacent, and in our hurry to race towards the exciting future, we often forget to take a moment to pause and look behind to acknowledge the giants who preserved our Indic way of life, often paying for it with their lives. And the intention is not to dwell but to express our gratitude and, more importantly, learn from their lives and apply those learnings in how we map our future course as a civilisation.
National pride, of course, comes from our democratic values, the bravery of our soldiers, our scientific innovations, and our economic achievements, but it also comes from honouring the sacred memories of our heroes, who set an example of the obstacles and hardships we’ve overcome as a people and will continue to inspire us in the face of modern challenges. Cinema, and largely all art, are a reflection of the aspirations and values of the current generation, and as much as we cringe when the machine dishes out trashy stories and shrill tunes, it’s incumbent upon us to appreciate and support serious and honest cinema when it is in resonance with our own value system. And despite what the sceptics might say, sometimes tears are the only way we can express our gratitude to those that have been.
