THE GRACE UNDER PRESSURE

Some days ago, I watched the latest Mani Ratnam movie – ‘Raavan’. I did not like it at all. However, there is a line in the movie, which I liked immensely.

 Abhishek Bachchan is Beera, a Robin Hood-like hero who has kidnapped the police officer’s beautiful wife ( Aishwarya Rai) to take revenge on him. The police officer mounts an offensive and pursues this Raavan. Beera is a dreaded criminal for the Establishment, but a cult hero for his tribal folks. He is brute, merciless and highly volatile. Yet, he has failed to intimidate his delicate captive. For fourteen days, in spite of all the hardships he has caused, Beera has not been able to intimidate her. That makes him mad… His head spins… ‘Chaka, chaka, chaka, chaka….’. He admires this beautiful, frail woman … her grace under pressure … and vents out his frustration to his brother, “How can you kill some one who is not afraid to die?”

Perhaps, that was the reason why Raavan honored Sita’s modesty. In the movie, Beera has done exactly the same. He could have easily conquered her through his brute force; but he wants to ‘win’ her heart… and, he knows that is not possible with out her ‘will’.

Gandhi tells the masses referring to the British might: “They can  pick us, throw us into the prison, torture us,  even kill us… but they can not take from us our ‘will’ to surrender.”

So, in the end, the British had to give in. Raavan could rob Sita but not her will. Her freedom.

In Life, the tough times try to intimidate us. But, when we refuse to be intimidated – un afraid of death – they leave us alone. Even Raavan, the Lord of our tough times, has heart. Only grit can win that. Even this ten-headed monster is blessed with a single heart, not one more than that. If we stay put, the heads would begin to roll, one by one… Till, the monster realizes the truth: “How can you kill some one who is not afraid to die?”


It was Dr. Robert Schuler, who first made these lines so famous:

“TOUGH TIMES NEVER LAST, BUT THE TOUGH PEOPLE DO!”


GERALD D'CUNHA

Comments

Girish Dhameja said…
Tough Times comes and goes away. Rather THIS TO WILL PASS AWAY.....
Willpower is so mighty that it has brings people back from dead bed. When Germany lost the world war I, England told them if you would have not given for more 15 minutes we would have surrender......
Just would like to say “All that really belongs to us is time; even he who has nothing else has that.”
Gerald D'Cunha said…
hi gggggirish,

You are right, in Life, Time is the only thing that belongs to us. But, does it?

If it does, let's make the most of it. Here and now!

Love,

GERRY

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