Tamasha – a lesson to carve your own story

“How are you? – Jab janna nhi hota to poochte kyun ho?”

What do you do when the voice of your heart is in contradiction with societal norms? Do you give wings to that voice? Or do you bury it in a place where even you can’t find it?

Tamasha, a Bollywood film directed by Imtiaz Ali, beautifully captures this juxtaposition by calling out the dreamer that rests somewhere in the depths of our hearts. With Tara and Ved acting as the narrators of their own stories, the opening scene captures the essence of the whole film – you are the writer of your own story.

The audience instantly relates to Ved’s story. Remember how as children we were allowed to leave discipline at home while going for vacation? But once back at home and snap! Back to the monotonous routines. Have we translated this practice into our adulthood also?

Tara is the voice of Ved’s heart personified. The voice that he didn’t even remember existed. The voice that finally woke him up from his slumber and made him question the direction his life was taking.

Why do we always forget that we don’t have to fit in? If each person is different, then wouldn’t their stories also be different? A beautiful rendition of this is when the old storyteller makes us realize that even our epics aren’t always performed in the same way. Each time we see Mahabharata or Ramayana, we notice some tiny exclusive detail which makes the performance ‘original’ and ‘special’.

Shouldn’t we then, people who are so different from each other, celebrate our own original stories? Why do we strive so hard to be mediocre in someone else’s story when we can be the winner in ours?