Guzarish- Request to interpret a request!

Helplessness and a dignified survival is a volatile combination to co-exist when existent for a prolonged duration testing human endurance. This could be one of the statements one can frame up as the gist of a movie I recently saw.

A movie crafted thoughtfully to ornament the spirit of life! Not that it intends to successfully elude the awkwardness and sentimental dilemma after choosing a somber topic like euthanasia. Yet the intricacies of the relationships, the gravity in the roles different people have to play and the study of human psychology through varied sides of a pyramid makes it a commendable piece of art! “Euthanasia” as a topic has been touched upon many a times though it remained a mere collage of sentiments with whom a million sympathize and a very few empathize. Rests of them do not feel it is vote worthy.

The film charters its scope beyond the routine realms of optimism and pessimism. It trespasses these horizons to explore the plethora of human emotions- the ebb and surge of these sentiments for the paralyzed central character while he is in the continued course of sustaining the hum drum realities of his daily existence. Human psychology is as diverse as the multitude of characters we explore. Not only the person seeking euthanasia, but also his nurse living his life and having right over his life more than he does, his mother, his lawyer friend, his doctor, his disciple and his servants- all have their roles to play, their story to tell and their strong presence to be felt in the times of his helpless existence.

In the span of two hours the story passes through the terrains of sublime love, experiencing stardom, platonic friendship, betrayal, endurance, helplessness, forgiveness, pain, fear, hope, sacrifice, desire, motherhood, legal overview, untamed public scrutiny and yet very much vibrant- the ultimate quest of deciphering and controlling life as well as death.

Beyond doubt the sensitivity of the topic has thorough potential of getting ruined by shoddy performances of the actors. They do deserve a round of applause on this regard. Yet the strength of the art undoubtedly lies in the inception of the concept, urge and necessity to present such an unpopular topic on a showcasing platform which is subject to public judgment. A genuine art often fails the entertainment test and frequently repels the financial taste. Yet it is praiseworthy and inspirational to know that the cult of people looking beyond the mainstream success definitions does exist.

It is certainly not a typical emotional melodrama all set to dehydrate the audiences of their tears. In fact every character including the cynosure- advocates life; the issue of debate comes in when a case specific analysis gets into the legal frame of judgment. Ending life was never justified and permitted in any religion. The question is as yet unresolved in the legal domains either. Life jiggles between the hope to die and attain comfort and endurance and helplessness as daily companions for a person who is left without movements beyond his head yet not devoid of emotions a normal human being does have. What could be life for a person alive to this extent and ridden to a bed for around two decades? What could be life for a person living some one else’s life- while nursing him and after he ultimately gets relieved of his painful twenty years existence? What exactly goes behind the mind of the lawyer when she is compelled to fight to her fullest capacities for the death of her best friend? These are a few questions and might be worth giving a thought for some!

With changed descriptors of “entertainment” I am sure a topic like this would have a very few takers. No one is at fault though. Entertainment has always been safeguarded as a relative virtue. People dissociate themselves from the topics provoking thought. However advocating off stream subjects, usually perceived as unnecessary complex mind bogglers, is no where on the current agenda. Yet, within the boundaries of personal jurisdiction, the subject does endorse the intent of deciphering life.