The Movie-The Message

That day in the evening, I had no work to do and was alone in my apartment. I can’t live alone. I like the company, but that does not mean I always like chatting. Though sometimes I enjoy the solitariness but not for much time, it becomes lousy gradually. As I can’t be a maverick I decided to pass the time loitering at the nearby mall. There I could enjoy the presence of many men. The children- girls- boys – young and aged persons like me. Whenever I become bored I like to be in public places where different types of persons are gathered. I watch them and look at their gestures, enjoy the sentences they leave in the air while passing by me. I look at them and I get many stories which they leave for me to weave the threads. 

Suddenly I noticed that a movie is scheduled to be screened within the quarter of an hour and the name of the movie made me interested. I like the topic – the space and the universe. Though as an ordinary man of knowledge I can’t understand the research or the advancement on it in details, yet I like the subject and like to loiter on the night sky. The movie is based on the fact how India achieved the epoch-making success in its first attempt to reach the mars by indigenous technology and at the same time within the budget of a Hollywood movie. Though I’m not among the regular goers of movies I decided to watch it.

From the first frame of the movie, I was totally absorbed in it. The screenplay, acting, and photography everything was simply superb. I couldn’t be distracted in any way. Suddenly I heard a whispering –“Don’t be impatient, my son.” An aged like me was by my side and next to him was a young man.

-What a disturbing matter dad, you see.

-It’s because you’re not paying attention to the movie. If you have had the attention you couldn’t hear the crying of the baby.

Now I heard the sound of crying of a baby coming out from the far end of the hall. But the man was right indeed. As the movie attracted me greatly though I heard a baby crying, it didn’t react to me. He was perfectly right. The fellow judged the problem of his son properly.  Within a second I lost their exchange of whispering words and united me with the hero and actors of the movie inseparably.

Again I became moved when in a scene of the movie the hero- who is the chief of the project -the chief scientist was trying to present his plan and programme and trying his best to approve the budget in the board meeting. He was vehemently objected by one of his higher authority. That man was resolved to prove that the total planning was baseless –worthless and as no advanced countries had so far tried this way so it would be totally a big zero and the hard-earned money of taxpayers would be drained in water. Then the Chief scientist told that no one expected India could win World Cup in 1983 but if they were not allowed, today India had nothing to boast of for that remarkable victory in the year of 1983. Even the capacity and ability of the Indian Team could not be proved when among the opponents were the then great players –he was uttering the name of the West Indies team and Indian Team players as for an example. I heard that the man beside me also flawlessly murmured each and every player’s name. I turned my head being moved. Very interesting person! – I felt.

During the intermission when the lights were on I look at him. He appeared to be in his middle seventies – I tried to measure him, very bright eyes beaming energy through the specs, lively face with silvery curly hair and long beards.

-Very much fond of cricket I think.

I extended my hand. The man warmly grabbed it and shook for about a minute.

-Yes, right you are.

-I could hear that you were uttering distinctly and flawlessly all the names of both the teams. Though I too like cricket, I can’t remember all the names flawlessly like you.

-Oh! Those were the days. You see that time the cricket was different. Often I try to enjoy the tough matches of twenty-two yards of the past. No doubt if the heroes of that time could get more matches as it happens at present, there would be many records which could be tough to cross today….. He carried on till the lights were put off for the rest half of the movie.

When the movie ended we stood up and one by one was queuing on the way to reach the exit gate, the man beckoned me to meet him in the lobby.

-I’ll bet you could do with a cup of coffee, please be seated.

With his sparkling energy, he dragged a chair by his side, and I saw that without hesitation I thudded on it. By that time his son brought three paper glasses on a tray full with fuming coffee. The young man is also very nice and handsome. His personality gently reveals in his gestures.

We started enjoying the nice coffee. The man then turned to his son,

-Then junior, what message you got from the movie? The young man hesitated a bit then answered

– Dad, I like that particular scene when the chief scientist took all the blames for the failure of launching the satellite which was at the beginning of the movie and as a result disgraced the authority as well as the country. The scientist when faced the commission he even submitted the resignation. He is the idol of a good manager dad. It’s really nice when the chief behaves this way the members of the team can work without tension and their performance definitely will be better no doubt. I feel it as one of the managers of the company where I’m working.

– Anything else? The man tried to inspire his son so that he could bring other points too.

By that time I took the excuse to go to the washroom. While I proceeded I was thinking of the energy of that mid-seventies man, his cordial voice to discuss the movie which we just watched. When I returned I saw they were deeply exchanging their views, but the reddish face of the young man revealed that he was a bit excited. I decided to leave. so I advanced to them

-It was wonderful to talk to you. I must be going. I’ve got to …..

But the man didn’t allow me but to join the discussion.

I heard the man said to his son

– Hey junior, when you negate to discuss, it means you are dogmatic and you have no reason to counter opponent’s logic. Don’t do that, rather you search the logics behind your opinion. Why I’ve told you that you adopted a negative message from the movie you have to understand. You are thinking emotionally. In reality, in your life, you should never think of that. Because you are not so inevitable in your industry as the chief scientist was in the movie. If you try to pursue it you’ll simply lose your job. In fact in reality, seldom it happens. Only a man of that height can do this- not you. In this point, I say you have got the wrong message from the movie. Rather you should have at first pointed out the patience of the chief scientist- the hero of the movie. You should follow how he encouraged all the members of the mission. The core group of the mission was mostly of juniors and unwilling horses. They were simply compelled to join the team as they had no alternative. The term and conditions of their job didn’t allow placing an option. Not only that, except the hero and his most dependable another colleague, had no belief in that mission. Others took it as simply ridiculous to work in this project and had a firm belief that it had no chance to get the project the lights of reality. They simply were bound to pass their time. You see how the hero and his colleague motivated them. If you want to get success and like to lead your team you must have to have- patience, qualities to face all the obstacles as a leader, to motivate your team members, to make them believe that nothing is impossible if you can dream it properly without emotion. You must have to adopt the art to drag out the best of the members of your team. You have to create faith within them that we as a team will succeed and will share the credits of success equally.

The man was delivering his thoughts and views so confidently and fervently that even I was considering myself at this old age the ablest man to do whatever I like to do. I thought not to disturb them as they were carrying on the topic. I silently came out. I thought – Yes, man can do everything if he dreams it properly. The man, whom I think was not only among one of the former presidents of our country, not only the missile man of India but a great man of our soil, a great philosopher, a great thinker, writer, and educationist – His Highness Sir A.P.J.Kalm. He left a very memorable message for us – “Dream is not that which you see while sleeping it is something that does not let you sleep.”  This is the message that the movie proclaims.