The best part about Canberra skies is that they kind of talk to me. And today they said, “Amit… Kabhi kabhi galat train bhi sahi jagah pahuncha deti hai…” (English translation: Sometimes even the wrong train takes you to the right destination…).
This wonderfully optimistic line is from the 2013 Hindi movie, The Lunchbox. This movie shows how a simple (almost banal) mix-up leads to a connection between two people who share their life events, emotions, fears, memories, and much more. The connection becomes quite strong quickly and that’s quite amazing, especially given that their only mode of communication is via handwritten letters exchanged in literally the lunchbox. I also think somewhere the importance of food also had a role to play. More precisely, one’s waiting for the appreciation of the food she prepares and others’ longing for good food. One of them also shares a bond with someone else over cooking food, who we never see in the movie though. May be food is a great bonding agent. What do you think?
Going ahead, both parties start to get happiness and care from their connection and conveniently don’t repair the mix-up. Eventually, they decide to meet up and self-realisation from one of them (regarding ageing, which is depicted in such a scholarly way) forbade him to come in front. The response to this (naturally some anger from the other party) is also shown in a marvellous way (hurting where it hurts the most). May be this is the price you pay when someone knows you so well. At the end of the movie, they try another attempt but this time neither planned nor synchronised. This movie’s ending is also quite good but in a way different from the other bunch (Tumbaad, The Prestige, Inception…). It is probably more like the short story, “The Lady, or the Tiger?”, where it is left to the reader’s imagination. So, what do you think, were they able to meet?
This movie has the city (Mumbai) as one of its characters. It is because the working and dynamics of the city contribute to the fabric on which the story is weaved. It is very much like Masaan (another incredible 2015 Hindi movie), where the city also has a role to play. I think the Canberra sky could also sometime say “Amit… Chiragon ko aankho mein mehfooz rakhna, badi dur tak raat hogi… musafir hai hum bhi, musafir ho tum bhi, kisi mod par, phir mulaqaat hogi…” (English translation: keep the desire burning inside you, as it might be really tough for quite a long time… I and you are both mere wanderers but I believe we will still meet someday, somewhere)… This dialogue from Masaan probably suits the ending of The Lunchbox quite well.
Now, to give you a context of the line… “Kabhi kabhi galat train bhi sahi jagah pahuncha deti hai…”. When one of the parties in connection suggests a very bold move to another, he is wondering whether it is even remotely feasible and/or the right thing to do. With somewhat positive thinking and happy thoughts, he asked a related question to his subordinate, who replies with this line. It reiterates and solidifies the thought that life is uncertain and sometimes even wrong moves take you to the right place. So, why calculate everything and worry so much about various moves in life? In the end, ‘life’ has a life of its own!
And just when I was thinking, in the context of events in my life, whether the right or wrong move even matters statistically in the end, the sky said “Amit… I think we forget things if there is nobody to tell them.” (another classic dialogue from The Lunchbox) to almost advise me to share more with people around me instead of lamenting to the sky. I politely disagreed and just said to the delightful, bright sky… “Kabhi kabhi galat train bhi sahi jagah pahuncha deti hai…”!
