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A couple of months back I watched a Woody Allen movie called “Melinda & Melinda”. Even though the movie as a whole was not very admirable (Woody Allen has definitely made far more exciting and interesting movies than this) one thing that strikes is the concept of the movie.
The movie begins with a scene at a coffee shop where four writer friends are having a debate - is life naturally comic or tragic? Of them, two think that life needs to be dealt in a serious manner with full of emotions and sentiments and mostly ends in tragedies. On the other hand the other two think differently and they see life as an entertainment, perhaps a comedy which commands us to react in a lighter manner. So they begin to frame a story; story of a lady called Melinda. Her story takes two different directions based on the writers – one tragic and the other comic. The movie ends with a note that whether comic or tragic it’s our perspective towards life which influences what it is.
Well I do not think life can be only tragic or only comic, because one cannot take life lightly always or neither can he take it seriously. There are situations that make us happy, laugh or excited but at the same time some make us sad, cry or depressed. So life needs to be a balance of both. When you are depressed you must make sure you cheer up your mind by approaching at situations lightly and when you are too carefree you may want to slow down and give life a little serious thought. If one is to always believe that life is fun perhaps shall be the one most depressed when grief strikes and if one is to accept that life needs to be dealt with lot of seriousness then he may miss out so many moments of fun that comes out of trivial things.
In spite of understanding this equilibrium we tend to force ourselves to the comic side and we secretly hope that life has to be comic always; perhaps this expectation itself is what makes us frequently disappointed.
So what do you think – Is life naturally comic :-) or tragic :-(?
you said it..life is a mix of many events..its our attitude to them that counts..
ReplyDeleteA bit of this that and the unexpected too! Thanks for writing this.
ReplyDeleteLife is indeed a mix of a lot of things, some well known, others incomprehensible!
ReplyDeleteIt depends on ur perspective towards d changes u see in ur life..obviously it can not always be tragic or always comic..its tricky, u cannot get carried away.. its U / V who can decide on the way to lead life..its U/V who wil suffer or enjoy d most..
ReplyDeleteWish & hope everyone get d better share of happines in life.
As usual, good one Ajeya
I think Match Point and Barcelona are his best movies:P
ReplyDeleteAll- I agree.... :-)
ReplyDeleteKish - I agree on Barcelona but I did not like Match point though it is one of his most like films. I loved Hollywood ending. its hillarious.
Definitely true...it is our attitude that matters.
ReplyDeleteThis is somewhat analogous to a half empty cup vs a half filled cup which highly depends on the perspective.
ReplyDeleteGenerally I think life is tragic - we are born, learn, work, age and die. However, we try our best to understand ourselves through people we meet, literature we write and interactions we build. We try to live life freely and look at things comically (or lightly) which eventually gives meaning to our lives despite of the endless cycle. Not sure if this is in context as what was discussed, but just something that popped in my mind when reading your post :)
Edmund - Beautifully said. Your perspective is very thoughtful
ReplyDeletetheory of relativity....K
ReplyDeleteHi Ajay: Would like to publish your selected blog entries in Bangalore Mirror with your permission.
ReplyDeleteLet's know what your say is.
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Anisha Rudrani
Copy Editor
Bangalore Mirror
anisha.rudranii@gmail.com
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interesting story!
ReplyDeletei dont like anything serious and try to be like a comedian at office everyday.
like you said, maybe thats why i get disappointed sometimes :D