Heard that Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar for ”The Father” so my interest was piqued. Then two days ago, a film buff friend saw it and in his words, it was ”too good! Must watch. Very touching”. So today, armed with a charging laptop (coz only OCD people have charged ones ) and a huge bottle of pistachios I decided to see it. Husband isn’t a fan of cinema but joined me (the things some people do to make up for ruining a date night) and so to avoid the after - movie complains I googled the movie and skimmed through the plot. The word Dementia popped up and down went the plan.
I am sure it is a beautiful film but when you are living the reality do you really need to see it? My mom has 7th stage Alzheimer's so I reckon I could do without a reminder. Some months back my wonderful French teacher recommended another movie to my sister and I (Yes, group class of 2 with the teachers-pet older sister, I’m damn brave). She thought that we should watch it ‘coz it’s about a family dealing with Alzheimer's and we would relate to it. Our loud and vociferous “No" and "No thanks" took her by surprise.
Don’t get me wrong. Its not like I don’t like realistic movies. I looooove cinema (and television). All kinds. It’s been my constant companion - before exams, after exams, in happiness and in sadness, through breakups and during dates, while delivering my babies - ‘Parvarish’ (perfect for 50 hrs of labour but thats another story). And realistic movies are up there with romantic comedies and suspense but interestingly for the last few years dementia/Alzheimer’s/ageing realism has been shunned. Give me a realistically made and/or slice of life film anytime but let it not be about mine.
So, it got me thinking…am I doing what the majority of Indian do? Watch films that don’t portray their lives and steer away from those that do. If our old helpers Narsinghji, ever saw a non-masala Bollywood movie he would say to my sister “arre Belaji, yeh kya picture thee? kuch naya nahi dekha. Koi nayi country ya sheher nahi dekha. Yeh toh flop hai”. (Oh Bela, what was this movie, didn’t see anything new, no new locales or new countries. It’s a flop!).
But isn’t that what fiction is meant to do. Take you away from your reality and make you live one that you couldn’t or wouldn’t be able to or are not living at this moment. Isn’t this what we did when we read Enid Blytons, Harry Potter, Amar Chitra Kathas and Pride and Prejudice? Or watched Dil Chahta hai, Chennai Express and Mirzapur.
So, maybe 10-15 years from now, I’ll watch "The father” but tonight …. Back to the search button.