The Filmy Gyan

Hello, it’s been one month since I wrote my first letter. And even though I promised myself I’d write every two weeks… I clearly failed at that already. Very disciplined behaviour, I know.

As I sit here staring at my laptop screen, I’m getting that awkward silence in a corporate meeting feeling. And just like those moments when no one has anything useful to say, someone suddenly starts talking about the weather… I’m going to use the same strategy.

Yes, today I’m starting with the weather until something actually intellectual pops into my brain.

But seriously…what is going on with this country?

Some days the weather changes so dramatically that it feels like I’m living inside a movie. One minute it’s sunshine and 16 degrees, the next it’s snowing and somehow feels like –16. Then everything turns gloomy and rainy.

Honestly, if Canada had a zodiac sign, it’d probably be a Leo, a full-on drama queen who thinks she is the main character and expects everyone else to adjust while she does whatever she wants lol

Okay, you must wonder how I know about Leos. Well, I have 27 years of experience being Leo, and I am an expert at being dramatic. Plus, I grew up watching Bollywood. 

I don’t just watch the story; I live in it. I’m a sucker for the clichés, high-voltage drama on a silver screen.

Call me crazy, but I’m mentally prepared to stand in snow wearing a chiffon saree in the Swiss Alps for my Yash Chopra moment. Now all I need is my male lead. (If he ever decides to find me!)

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I genuinely believe that “humare filmon ki tarah humare zindage mein bhi, end tak sab kuch theek ho jaate hai “Happies Endings“, aur agar theek na ho, toh woh the End nahi, picture abhi baaki hai mere dost.”

I think…it’s a beautiful hope to hold onto. It gives you faith that universe is writing a happy ending for you. And if you don’t feel happy with your story right now, just keep working and wait a little longer; this isn’t the ending yet.

Yeah, such a filmy line, right? but at the same time, living away from my family and friends slowly made me realize that life is not a movie…no matter how badly I want it to be.

Also, life isn’t always “happening.” It doesn’t have a choreographed dance number or a wind machine following you around all the time. Most days, life is just sitting in a long, soul-crushing traffic jam on your way home from a 9-to-5, or those silent weekends where the only real “action” is finishing your laundry and figuring out what to eat for dinner.

Real life is awfully quiet, a little boring, and sometimes, hell unfair.

Even the best masterpieces have scenes that are difficult to watch, that are bitter or dark. And eventually, you have to face that reality check too, and ugh, I hate it so much

Those reality checks are crucial, especially for someone like me. My head is always swirling with dreamy thoughts, seeing the world in golden glare. And don’t get me wrong, that optimism is exactly how I want to see life. But sometimes, that reality check is exactly what I need to ground myself. 

I used to think a reality check meant something harsh or negative. It’s often associated with disappointment, being “woken up” from a hopeful or dreamy mindset or facing truths we’d rather ignore.

But lately, I’ve started to see it differently.

I’ve been thinking that a reality check doesn’t have to feel like a villain in your story. It can be a plot twist or a dramatic pause that makes the next scene more epic.

So, here’s my reality check… but in a filmy way. (I hope my reality check doesn’t need a reality check lol. Can you imagine that paradox? Anyhoo, fingers crossed!)

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Life is not a movie, because sometimes in real life, 

Your Simran might not palat; In the real world, if someone decides to walk away, they usually keep walking.

Your Bunny might not come back; He might choose a career in Paris over a girl in Udaipur, and home becomes a place he only visits on holidays.

Your 3 Idiots gang might drift apart: Life isn’t a permanent college life; sometimes your friends become people you watch only on Instagram.

You might never bump into your Anjali again: The universe doesn’t always orchestrate “coincidences.” Some goodbyes are actual final goodbyes.

Your Veeru might break your Dosti: There isn’t always a sidecar or a song; sometimes friendships just fade into a silence.

Your Tara might give up on you: You can’t wait for someone else to fix your Ved; sometimes you have to fix your life and do the internal work.

Your Jai might not run to the airport: He might get stuck in a meeting, or he might just decide to let you go because that’s the mature thing to do.

Your Dr. Jug might not solve the puzzle: Therapy isn’t playing kabaddi on a beach; it’s a long, unglamorous process of long bills and no easy answers.

Your Abhay Gulati might actually marry someone else: Because in real life, patience isn’t infinite. If you push someone away, they don’t wait for the sequel.

Plus, movies usually have a final scene. Reality often leaves you with a “To Be Continued” that actually continues to some other distant story. 

So just like that, reality is imperfect. It’s less dramatic and far more messy. 

But that’s okay. Because reality is the only thing that’s real. Acceptance is where actual fun of life begins.

And as the storyteller told Ved, “Socho mat ki kahan, aur kab, aur kiski, bas maza lo kahani ka.”

But still, just in case, if you don’t like the way your story is ending, then you know “Ending sahi nahi hai, To koi baat nahi, apni kahani hai, Ending change kar lenge.”

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The little things

Life can be overwhelming, but it’s also full of tiny moments that make it beautiful. A song that speaks to your heart, a quote that moves you, a movie that warms you, or a conversation that feels like home, and so on. Here, I gather them before they fade.

• Visited this cute bakery called Bartholomew Bakery, it’s a cute, cozy bakery near Vaughan, and trust me when I say this, they have the yummiest Croissant. (Friend to friend: order the pistachio croissant.)

• I finally signed up for swimming classes. I need this skill, specifically for the trip I’m planning.
• This line really stayed with me: “Whenever you’re in a position to help someone, be glad and do it, because that’s God answering someone else’s prayer through you”

Thanks for reading! I’ll be back soon with more musings. Until then, take care, cheer for the right voices, and be ridiculously kind!