#theFridayFeature — Charles Chaplin
“A tramp, a gentleman, a poet, a dreamer, a lonely fellow, always hopeful of romance and adventure.”
- Charlie Chaplin
On my recent 22nd birthday, my girlfriend, very generously gifted me a crafted collection of hand written feelings possessed by the ones near and dear to me. The very first anecdote opened with a slight alteration of the quote above. Composed by my mentor in assumption and a friend in actuality, my intrigue rose when he described Chaplin as ‘his philosophical guru’. Lifted eyes and lost in thought, I selfishly pondered upon the reasons as to why anyone would apply something so sacred as synonymous to a self so surreal. Typing this blog out, I’ve realized some queries remain unsolved. Nonetheless, I began studying the man we’ve all grown up attending, admiring and anticipating…
Life is an irony in itself, isn’t it? It throws towards us numerous examples of introverts involved in mass businesses, depressed celebs that we unknowingly look up to and comedians who fill our lives with love and laughter but live lives filled with loneliness and longing. Millions look at them with wonder, their wistful look passing unnoticed. How can one accept that the man whose meer presence pulled people out of sadness, surprisingly seeked a speculation to smile.
“To truly laugh, you must be able to take your pain, and play with it!”
- Charlie Chaplin
We all find ways to vent sorrows and aspire to surpass. Some vent by painting, some through acting. Some vent by smiling, some like me through writing. And then there are some who drown themselves in drinking pouring alcohol until oblivion is achieved. Charles Chaplin Sr., unfortunately, was a man who surrendered to the latter.
Charlie’s mother has had horrific instances of mental traumas that biographers and even Charlie himself is rumoured to have omitted the details of. Charlie soon gave proof of his mother’s insanity post which she was admitted to a mental asylum bestowing upon her two sons an unprivileged childhood filled with poverty and pain.
Would it be a coincidence in its rightful sense that Charlie’s first officially enacted character was that of a drunkard and the most applauded one a tramp, for which he won immortality?
“Don’t be afraid of the unknown because, even when they wander into chaos, planets are born stars!”
- Charlie Chaplin
Charlie was a wanderer and a vagabond. When an art of high genius is crafted, the world expects the creator to follow a methodology. Charlie never spoke of his methods. Simply because he didn’t have any. What he followed was his intellect, intelligence and intuition to direct a film that would ultimately be loved by many across the globe.
The script would never be in place which would add to spontaneous enhancements. It would also result in multiple retakes adding a slight amount of perfection to performances each time they were played. His unconventionality was the only reason of misunderstandings regarding difficulties, disturbances and detachments.
“Life is a play that does not allow testing.
So sing, cry, dance, laugh and live
intensely, before the curtain closes and
the piece ends with no applause.”
- Charlie Chaplin
The lack of method in work originates from his uncertainty towards life itself. An individual not governed by rules and regulations. An individual not governed by anything at all. An individual notoriously famous for being himself. An individual shamed and scandalised for being himself.
Therein lies the heartbreaking tragedy of a heartwarming tramp.
“I remain just one thing, and one thing only, and that is a clown. It places me on a far higher plane than any politician.”
- Charlie Chaplin
Yet, my mind continues to be troubled by a worry searching solace. What would’ve a perceived evil genius found in a worldly renowned comedian to have begun impersonating one of his applauded characters?
In the end, the question remains, what is life? I guess it’s answered by the man himself — “If people see how it’s done, all the magic goes!”
Thank You Charlie for being an immense inspiration to me and millions of others. May your soul rest in peace.
“Tum agar khulke ro nahi sakogi,
toh khulkar has kaise sakogi?
(If you are not able to cry openly,
then how will you laugh openly?)”
- Dear Zindagi, 2016
Well, that’s all for today.
Keep reading, keep sharing and never stop believing!
“Time is the best author. It always writes the perfect ending.”
- Charlie Chaplin
