With a Friday weekend fever, I entered into the company van. Everyone was bouncing with joy because, in a loud voice, the new chart buster “Aali re Saali re” from the movie “No one killed Jessika” (NOKJ) was being played on radio. After a minute of enthusiasm, the song ended and the channel’s RJ started talking about the real life Jessica story and similar cases and also which are neglected by the society. The moment I started paying attention to it, Rahul shouted from back seat, ‘Arey kya pak pak suna rahe ho KaKa, channel change kar aur dekho kahi pe Shiela ki jawani baj raha hoga” till the time I turn to him and will say something whole bus started rolling with laughs and giggles. Some more supporters, including some girls too, joined him and asked the bus driver to change the radio channel.
The driver had to finally change the channel. I felt a little bit disappointed but ignored that feeling, as didn’t want to spoil my weekend mood. We reached the Mumbai-Pune highway and were approaching the Hinjewadi road. The new radio channel was playing the same song from the movie NOKJ. The crowd now got overwhelmed by that as it was double bonanza for them. But as per a hindi saying ‘Bhagwaan ke ghar der hai andher nahin’ they couldn’t enjoy the song more as due to technical problem radio could not capture the signals and so crowd couldnt listen the song properly.
Crowd got little disappointed but never carried it for long, very soon they started discussing the movie. Some were talking about the bold attitude of Rani Mukherji, someone about the fabulous performance of Vidya balan etc….etc….
Nobody was talking about the real life Jessica, about that pain which her family suffered, with what bravery the actual Sabrina Lal fought against whole system of our country’s legal and political structure etc… Everything which happened was not as easy as that was shown in movie. It’s always easy to make movie than to just stand by the person who is fighting for injustice.
The purpose of such movies is not just to show some different topic to the viewers but I think it’s more about creating awareness in the society. But we only look into them as mere entertainment because it’s much easy to get entertained by such movies rather than implementing the message given by them. Everyone thinks this won’t happen to me or at my home so why to bother. NOKJ is not a first film which tried to bring up such kind of issue but several films, inspired by real stories of injustice and fight are made till now, but still scenario is not much changed. Still on daily basis dozens of cases of rapes, murders, dowry, and sexual harassment took place and this list has no end.
In India, films and television are the most powerful tools to provoke the Common man. We have witnessed, how in one night every single college going boy started dressing like Shahrukh Khan of Kuch Kuch Hota Hain, How people stated hugging each other by name “Jaadu ki zappi’…If we can adapt such kind of less serious things so seriously, then why we hesitate to adapt some really good thoughts these movies are trying to give the society.
I think this is bilateral responsibility of film makers and common man to spread such thoughts. Then and then only such movies will be really ‘successful’, otherwise they are just a fine piece of creativity which entertained viewers but could not make them think.
With an ear bursting horn I came back into reality. The groups behind were still chewing the nonsense facts about the movie. I looked around; we were amidst traffic jam at Hinjewadi. The moment I started coming out from my thoughts, heard a comment, a girl in that group said “Arey yaar that girl exactly looked like real life Jessica Lal” and all of sudden I felt very nice that at least someone knows about real Jessica Lal. I think that one sentence was like a wild card entry chance for me to enter into their discussion and I exactly did the same. I entered and without taking a single pause I bursted out my all thoughts running across mind.
Moment I finished, everyone was gazing at me mouth wide open. Suddenly started feeling embarrassed and then after I kept mum. Next moment everyone in the bus started clapping for me and that was more embarrassing for me.
Rahul stood up, came near to me, sat beside and checked my forehead as if I am not well and asked, ’what happened to you, man? Are you ok? We have never seen you so aggressive and thoughtful yet before’. I was speechless because there was no reason why I behaved so. But one thing was very true that, whatever I felt and talked was very true and from bottom of my heart. And that was the reason it touched others hearts too.
Somewhere at corner of my mind I was feeling very satisfied that I have also contributed to justice to Jessica. But still there are so many Jessica who got ruined by the society and so many Sabrina who are fighting for them on which there are no films are done. But that is not the reason we should ignore them. Even if can’t fight for them we can respect and support them in their battle against injustice.
I reached at Company gate and the whole bus was silent after that. Till the time we were boarding out of the bus, the radio channel played a very nice track apt for the situation and thanked that radio station in my mind for playing it at very right time .The song was
Kisi Ki Muskurahato Pe Ho Nissar……
Kisi Ka Dard Mil Sake Toh le Udhar……
Kisi Ke Waaste Ho Tere Dil Mein Pyaar……
JEENA ISI KA NAAM HAIN……………….
