Love: “Main aa raha hoon Simran. Main aa raha hoon” from Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge is a moment of absolute and total love. Where a human being is ready to give up the completely known, all past comforts and his everyday world to answer the call for adventure! A call to step into growing up and doing whatever it takes to make love work. What it takes to make love work is a complete surrender to what needs to be learned.
Release: Thelma Dickinson: “Listen, let’s not get caught”, Louise Sawyer: “What do you mean?”, Thelma Dickinson: “Go!”. This is a moment in hugely and beautifully feminist film Thelma & Louise when these women decide that they don’t want to give in to patriarchy even if it means losing everything. Absolutely everything. It makes me cry even while remembering it for this piece. It is the price of not giving in to the status quo.
Victory: In Taare Zameen Par when he wins the award and just can’t believe it. That child is so low on confidence and has been through so much internal torment that when he’s told he won, it’s beyond belief for him. It’s because his self worth is so low and this moment seemed so far to him. His expression as a performer is mad beautiful. The film is probably my most favourite.
Depravity: In the film Climax at the end when morning happens and one sees the final effect of everything that has happened through the night. One gets to see exactly how depraved human beings can be and when depravity has been taken to its zenith. Each and every kind of human relationship that is very deep has been explored and how we can really mess it up.
Transformation: In Dances With Wolves when the red Indians see Dunbar and the wolf chasing each other and name him Dances With Wolves. It signifies the completion of his transformation of sorts, since the Indians have given him a Red Indian name. He’s gone from supposedly civilised to being in harmony with nature and embracing his opposite.
Sacrifice: In Dhobi Ghat when Prateik Babbar’s character Munna runs after Shai to give her Arun’s phone number. It’s a moment of unconditional, pure love. Where you’re ready to help the one you love even though it’ll take her away from you. True love is giving!
Dance: In Rain Man when the brothers finally dance. It’s beautiful and again sees two opposites together. But they’ve come together finally into harmony and love. And the character played by Tom Cruise is a changed man.
Innocence: I haven’t seen it in very long, but there are wonderful moments in the film Where Is The Friend’s Home. The innocence of how hard he tries to do what he thinks is right in this big world and how these small innocent acts of righteousness move the world along. When we struggle to keep what’s right by us alive. That always gets to me.
Truce: In Dil Chahta Hai when Aamir Khan calls Akshaye Khanna to make up and then they meet right in that scene. It’s just the sweet deliverance the film gives you. The way it slowly, beautifully and painfully opens up that set up in your heart is lovely.
Chase: In Black Friday when the cop and robber become one as two human beings because they are both fatigued during the chase. Such a beautiful cinematic moment! They stop and are panting. And in that frame they are one and the same. Humans before the roles and conditioning they’ve taken on in life.
Aditya Kripalani is an acclaimed author and filmmaker. His directorial debut Tikli And Laxmi Bomb and latest film Totta Pataaka Item Maal are available on Netflix.
