TUM NIRBAL KO RAKSHA DO

 



“Dhuki jan ko dheeraj do

Haare nahin woh kabhi  duhk se

Tum nirbal ko raksha do

Reh paaye nirbal sukh se

Bhakti ko shakti do

Bhakti ko shakti do.”

(From the song ‘O Paalanhaare’

Film ‘Lagaan’)

 

I have watched the film ‘Lagaan’ many times over. I am watching it again, now; and I needn’t tell you why…

‘Lagaan’ is a story of resilience. It’s also a story of trust, faith, hope, integrity, teamwork, leadership and, above all, love. Human resolve – what is, commonly called ‘Determination - yes, this goes without saying. And, as Life is, the story is incomplete without betrayal and discrimination… and triumph of earnestness.

The simple village folks of  Champaner are staring at a blank sky… Rains have cheated them… Drought has crushed them… They are unable to pull along… They are gripped with anxiety as they are unable to pay the harsh tax from their British masters…  They are praying…


‘O Paalanhaare, nirgun aur nyaare (2)

Tumre bin humra kaunon nahin


Their plea for a tax-waiver or tax-reduction is met with even harsher  cruelty. Captain Russel throws his sadistic gauntlet… A cricket match: seasoned British team Versus village team… If villagers win, tax will be waived off. But, if they lose, it will be tripled!

What happens then onward is the beautiful, inspiring legacy of ‘Lagaan’…

 


Are we all finding ourselves, now, staring at a blank sky… crushed by our burdens… and, insults added to our injuries? Are we all finding ourselves, now, praying the same song:


“Dhuki jan ko dheeraj do

Haare nahin woh kabhi  duhk se

Tum nirbal ko raksha do

Reh paaye nirbal sukh se

Bhakti ko shakti do

Bhakti ko shakti do.”


Meanwhile, last night, a dear one sent to me this image:



 

As we plead to God to have mercy on us, protect us and give us strength, we should be conscious of how we are dealing with the challenge thrown before us…

Bhuvan and his fellow-villagers prayed hard; but, they had to play hard, too… They did their best and trusted, that God would do the rest…

There will be a happy ending to our ‘Lagaan’, too… Trust.

 

GERALD D’CUNHA

 

Pic’s.: 1. pixabay 2. Unknown

 

Video: SonyMusicIndia Vevo

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MUTHU KODI KAWARI HADA

Image
Pic.; Ashwin Mohta M y Hindi was always bad. It still is. One reason for this was, that they introduced Hindi for us only in 6 th standard. Or, was it in 8 th ? I don’t remember… I only remember struggling to write and read… leave alone speak! But, I loved Hindi movies, and, strangely, I could understand the dialogues and the lyrics of the songs… I used to sing those songs (of course when no one was around me!) as if I was the lyricist… One of the songs was a very funny one. ‘Muthu Kodi Kawari Hada’. It was from Mehmood’s super-hit comedy – ‘Do Phool’. I was a 15-year-old high-school boy when I had heard that song (not watched the movie). I could grasp the meaning of two words – ‘Muthu Kodi’… which meant ‘Give kiss’… But, what ‘Kawari Hada’ meant, I have no clue till date! It was just like ‘Why this kolaveri di’... Yes, why ask? Simply enjoy the beats… And, the beats are great… The rest... Who cares? Really! So, whatever bit of Hi...
Read more

SELLING MIRRORS IN THE CITY OF THE BLIND

Image
“I laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty. I laugh when I hear that people go on pilgrimage to find God.” - Kabir T here is a universal human weakness – and it dates back to the days of fallen civilizations – and it is: to place people on pedestal and trying to be smothered by them, feel loved and protected in their company… worship them as mentors, heroes,  gurus, Mahagurus and Satgurus… Make these mortals larger-than-life cut-outs, worship them as flawless, pure and give one’s all… And, then, ‘take’ everything from them blindly as divine… Give everything to them blindly… Eventually, what happens is:  one more dangerous bondage… What was supposed to free you now becomes a new prison… It’s sad to see this happen! T his room, where I am writing this Post, has no image of any deity. I have no image of any Guru or Master around me… My question is: “Am I not able to feel close to Almighty God?  How ...
Read more

"HAPPILY EVER AFTER IS NOT A FAIRY-TALE... IT IS A CHOICE"

Image
“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone… It has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.” – Ursula K. Le Guin,  The Lathe of Heaven T welve years ago, when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got married, the world began to hail the couple as ‘Brangelina’. It became a fashion for couples around us to call themselves so… Norbert and Teresa renamed them as ‘Noresa’…  Amol and Vishaka baptized their relationship as ‘Amoshka’… and, Salman and Nargis became ‘Salgis’! I and my wife, too, got tempted to re-christian our matrimonial relationship as ‘Germa’... That is, Gerald and Anima, to be precise! B efore I proceed any further, let me make it very clear, here… that, I have no business to judge on the break-up of Brad Pitt and Angelina’ Jolie’s marriage. I have no inclination to go into why, how, what when etc behind it… The couple ‘chose’ to split. And, it’s their choice… Only they know how good or bad… how joyful or pain...
Read more
THE WILD, WAYSIDE FLOWERS
There is, always, something extra-ordinary in the wild, wayside flowers...