Apun ka father, aur nation ka father

The most amazing thing about the Munnabhai series of movies is that after you have ROFLed your heart out (the ROFLing actually lasts a few days after you have watched it as the scenes run over and over in your head) you start thinking of the serious stuff. In the first movie, I started to think about doctors and how they treat people. I'm sure many doctors watched it and thought about whether they considered their patients mere 'sick bodies' or as people who needed love and care. I'm sure there is no one who did not have an increase in respect level for cleaners after watching the movie. Jaadu ki jhappi showed us the power of a hug when you need it most.

The second Munnabhai movie dealt with Gandhian principles, albeit in a non-preachy way. And at the end of all the ROFLing I did after watching the movie, the serious scenes started coming back to me. Gandhiji's words come to mind, "Remove my statues from public places, take off my pictures from your walls, burn the books that talk about me. If you wanna preserve me, preserve me in your heart."

It is true, isn't it? Though there are two schools of thoughts on Gandhian principles, even supporters seem to have made Gandhiji a mere posterboy and forgotten all about what he stood for.

The last time I myself used Gandhian principles was to win a school debate.

In one of the seven schools I studied in, there was one that had a debating competition on Gandhi Jayanti every year. And the topic too was the same every year - Are Gandhian principles relevant and applicable in modern times?

My teachers picked two students to represent our school in the competition. A draw of lots was done to decide who would argue for and who against. I ended up with the 'for' chit of paper.

Oh man. I was screwed.

So I rushed home breathless. To the man who had the solution to every problem of my life.

Dad.

Me - "Dad, I'm taking part in the inter-school debating competition, and the topic is "Are Gandhian principles relevant and applicable in modern times?"

Dad - Hmmm... and?

Me - I need help. There was a draw of lots and I am supposed to defend the topic. And I don't know what to say.

Dad - Why not??

Me - Because I don't quite believe in it?

Dad - So you don't actually believe in Gandhian principles but you're supposed to talk about them in a positive light?

Me - Exactly.

Dad - So tell me, why don't you believe in Gandhian principles?

Me - Hmmm... I guess it's kinda uncool to be Gandhian these days. In fact, when someone is too goody-goody, we call him Gandhiji. It's not a compliment. I mean, now we gotta be more assertive and all that. If someone slaps you, you can't really offer the other cheek. You gotta kick his ass.

Dad - Hmmm... this is a real problem. How on earth are you going to prepare for the debate then?

Me - I dunno! That's why I need your help.

So Dad helped me come up with some very good points on what to say and how to counter my opponent's points.

Soon it was 2nd October - the day of the debate. My opponent - this guy called Abhi from the local boys' school - went on stage first. He used loads of jokes in his arguments to make fun of Gandhian principles. He paced the stage floor and did some monkey-like antics too. Even I had to admit he was very very entertaining. The crowd loved him.

He got off the stage amidst insane applause, and I went on stage, quite nervous. Even my friends, who were still laughing at his anti-Gandhi jokes, were giving me the "Sayesha, you have no chance in hell!" look. Of course, the dhakkans all nursed secret crushes on him. :/

And then I started my speech. I said everything that Dad had asked me to say.

My favourite part was this:

"Fire was meant to cook food, not burn houses. A knife was meant to cut vegetables, not throats. It all depends on how we use them. If fire is being used to burn houses and knives to cut throats, do we abolish fire and knife saying they are not relevant and applicable in today's world?"

The applause was so thunderous that I actually had to pause for it to subside. I used the time to mentally thank Dad and wondered when I would grow up and make wise statements like he did.

By then, I was more confident and every now and then I confidently deviated from my script to rebutt his points. I even used words dripping with sarcasm, like "Mere kaabil dost ne abhi abhi kaha..." and all. Fultu filmi.

Finally I ended with Dad's exact words - "Though their interpretations may change, Gandhian principles will always be relevant and applicable in any age. It all depends on how one uses them."

I won the debate. They said it was no contest. The richest man in town - who was the chief guest - handed me my trophy. As my principal and teachers beamed proudly, Abhi came up to congratulate me.

This is how our conversation went.

Abhi's speech bubble - Great job, Sayesha. *fake smile*
Sayesha's speech bubble - You too, Abhi. *faker smile*
Abhi's thought bubble - Kill you next year then.
Sayesha's thought bubble - Not before I kill you first.

So I went home to give the good news to Dad.

"Dad, I killed him. I destroyed him! Maar dala!" I bellowed.

"Interesting choice of words... from someone who just won a pro-Gandhi debate." Dad smiled.

And that was that. I forgot the whole thing and went on with my life. But for some reason, I preserved the script that Dad had helped me with.

The next year, I found out the reason.

What was unbelievable was that next year, the whole thing replayed itself. I could not believe it and neither could he. The topic was the same of course. He was arguing against the topic, and I, for it. Because I had saved my super-script, and I did not need Dad's help this time. Abhi used the same arguments and so did I. It was a mockery, but both of us played along.

And I won again.

The customary conversation happened again too.

Sayesha's speech bubble - Great job, Abhi. *fake smile*
Abhi's speech bubble - You too, Sayesha. *faker smile*
Sayesha's thought bubble - Kill you next year then.
Abhi's thought bubble - Uhh... May you leave this city forever.

We stared at each other with utter hatred, and parted ways.

If this was a Bollywood movie, we'd fall in love and live happily ever after. But it wasn't. It was life, and in life, some evil wishes come true.

I left the city.

In fact, I left the country.

And I left Abhi behind to win all the Gandhi debates in subsequent years.

For two years, I had spoken words that were not mine, but Dad's. But the most amazing realisation I had had was that as I said those words, I really wanted to believe in them. I wanted to think about them, I wanted to analyse them, I wanted to stop dismissing them just because everyone around me said they were 'uncool'. I admired Dad for being able to make and pull off such statements. I admired him for having the guts to believe in them, even though they were not considered 'cool' anymore.

But that was the last encounter I had with Gandhiji in my life. Perhaps I'd forgotten all about him.

But after watching Munnabhai, somehow this incident came back. I have started to think again. Not the whole debate on whether it was Gandhiji who got us freedom from the British or not (I agree that is highly debatable) but his way of thinking, some of which (not all) sound really appealing to me. One of the things Gandhi said in the movie has stayed in my head "To slap someone is very easy. But to ask for forgiveness needs courage." Apun ke dimaag mein bhi chemical locha ho rela hai. Even though there's a lot of thinking I need to do before I really figure out what I believe in, but it's a start.

What Gandhiji said in the last frame of the movie echoed exactly what Dad had written as the final statement of my debate.

"Though their interpretations may change, Gandhian principles will always be relevant and applicable in any age. It all depends on how one uses them."