I don’t suppose I’ve ever made the claim to have cried through an entire movie – not because it was horrible, but because it was so very good – until I saw this beautiful story called Lion.
So stricken was I at the many facets of the film that captured so very skillfully multiple stories spread across continents, that it is truly difficult to pinpoint which pieces of the story appealed to me the most. How does the universe sometimes conspire to align the stars in such a way so as to allow for us mere mortals to see with the aid of hindsight how the trajectories of our lives have intersected here and there, at this place and that, with this one and that one, and has finally caused us to be alive to reflect upon where we are today. How does that happen? Is that Providence? The hand of God? There is no other explanation. At least not one that is as convincing to me as that.
This is a film that prompts us – sometimes gently, other times violently – to reflect on the underlying existential themes of the human condition, and leaves us in awe of the inexplicable. How does the human heart have the capacity to love and yet to turn away from love, nay, to nurture evil in one’s hurt? How does the human heart long for learning of one’s biological origins and doesn’t stop seeking it out? How does the human heart have the capacity to love not one but two women so much that the line between birth and adopted mother are truly blurred? For these and the very many other heart wrenching issues of social evils in India deeply-rooted in poverty that were highlighted, I raise a glass to the creators of this thoughtful film.
And if you’re wondering about the title of the film and what it stands for, I’m afraid you would need to be a native speaker of Hindi to begin with, and even then, would need to wait until the very end of the movie to truly understand.
This was a lovely Christmas Day viewing in the company of my family, and other than crying my eyes out, never before did I walk out of a movie theatre feeling so very privileged to be alive. And loved. And whole.
It’s long. But that’s how Bollywood operates. In a long and drawn-out way. Only there are times when the story and style of the movie mercifully outshine the length of the movie, and you walk out feeling not-so-bad about the three hours of your life that you’ve just given up and know you will never get back. That’s the kind of movie Dangal is. You walk out feeling a small sense of pride in the realization that perhaps nothing is really impossible; that if you really want something, there’s nothing to stop you from getting it; and that hard work, determination, and the support of family are perhaps the true ingredients for success.
And so, you sit in the dark of the movie theatre, and if you’re a woman who has followed Aamir Khan since his debut some twenty-five years ago, you sit and you smile, and you think of how very talented Aamir truly is, and how well he has aged, and how secure he is not basking in all the limelight, but instead in letting the women in this story shine even brighter than himself. And you take in this sports-drama set in a small village in Haryana, just miles from where you grew up yourself, and you marvel at the odds that had to be truly beaten – by the father of these two young women and the young women themselves – to train to compete and win in one of the most masculine of all sports worldwide, but especially in India: wrestling.
This past year must have certainly been the year of the woman and the girl-child in Bollywood, because this film came soon upon the heels of yet another similarly themed story starring another Khan of Bollywood. But let it not be said that if you’ve seen one sports-drama, you’ve seen them all, because this is not so much a story of women excelling in a man’s sport, nay, a man’s world; this is a story of the power of family that holds up through thick and thin, and refuses to give up despite lacking all the accoutrements one assumes are necessary for success. Things such as education, wealth, connections, and the like.
Kudos to all the other actors who deliver convincing performances. True to form, there’s a lovely soundtrack to the movie as well, and I will affirm that the Haryanvi countryside was familiar and authentically portrayed. There were some sections of the story that I personally found a little troubling, but I shall not draw attention to parenting styles as I have not walked in the shoes of the father whose intense belief in his daughters and even in himself ultimately bring about success and satisfaction beyond belief.
Great job, Aamir, you’ve proved you can play a variety of characters over the years. To the two young women: Brava, and thank you for portraying true grit that will undoubtedly inspire many a young girl in India.
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The story of Abram continues with the account of Abram and his nephew Lot and their two families, living together at first, and then parting ways. Abram gives Lot the choice to select the land he wishes to settle in, and when Lot picks the fertile regions of Sodom toward the East, Abram remains in Canaan.
God again reiterates the promise initially made to Abram: “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.”
Lot chooses the greener pastures but misfortune befalls him, and when he is taken captive by the plundering and looting neighbors in the region, it is Abram who comes to rescue him.
Now, if the Covenant that God had already made with Abram wasn’t convincing enough, God tells Abram the same thing yet again. He says:
“Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”
But Abram wants specifics, and he wants it now. He complains he has no progeny, and so God says to him: “Look up at the sky and count the stars—if indeed you can count them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”
There is something so very intimate in this exchange between Abram and God. God tells him something, Abram wants to be reassured, and God seems to say: yes, I understand, not to worry, I will take care of it!
But here comes the sweet part: Abram then BELIEVES. The text says: 6 Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.
That is how valuable the exercise of belief is! The Lord God Almighty is pleased with Abram’s belief in him, and credits it to him as righteousness.
Turning next to our reading in the book of Matthew, we continue to learn about Jesus’ preachings. Jesus begins to give practical advice on matters of daily living and relationships. He certainly has a new definition for adultery! The point here is that none ought consider themselves above such base human qualities. Lust exists in our human condition as much as anything else, and therefore it is not right for any of us to hold ourselves to a higher standard.
The verse on divorce is open to debate. Given everything else that Jesus said and did, it is not in character for Jesus to draw such a harsh line. He goes on to say some other things that appear to fly in the face of everything we associate with pride and personal dignity. Things such as letting people take advantage of you, and letting them get away with poor form, and going over and above your call of duty to help them.
What manner of teaching is this? How can one find the strength and motivation to do any of the above if it isn’t for the grace of God and the love of God that allows you to forget self and put the other first?
And yet, that is exactly what Jesus does for us. He put us first. Jesus says: 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, hand over your coat as well. 41 If anyone forces you to go one mile, go with them two miles. 42 Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
Jesus then goes on to say the most unheard of and radical things. Things such as love for your enemies. Who does that?! And yet, he is trying to teach us to imbibe the divine qualities of forgiveness. That last line is an exhortation for us to try as much as we can to be like God, our Heavenly Father, because we have been made in His image.
Jesus says this: 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,45 that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
The Psalm for the day is one that David must have written on a bad day. 🙂 In true form, David spares no words in telling God how miserable he feels and how badly he needs God’s deliverance. He cries with utmost confidence:
4 Turn, LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love. 5 Among the dead no one proclaims your name. Who praises you from the grave?
Finally, a few verses from the book of Proverbs, in continuation with yesterdays thoughts of turning away from God to the point that God might also turn away from you. Solomon serves as God’s mouthpiece in these lines:
30 Since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, 31 they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes.
May God bless the reading and reflection of His Word. Amen.
