My expiriment with "TRUTH"..

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It was today but the year was 1981 and the day was probably a Saturday. I was there on the ceremonial stretch of "Raj path".There were about 4 lac people like me "all excited", getting ready for the "action shot" for Richard Atendbrough's film "GANDHI". The scene was Gandhiji's "funeral procession".I was wearing white khadi "Pajama & Kurta" which I bought from Khadi gram udyog at 'Regal building the previous evening. This was the recommended "dress code" for the shoot. Probably I never thought then that I was about to be part of a "live action crowd" of this magnitude that will never again be filmed. Soon the heavy camera's parked on the cranes started rolling. I lost the count of how many times those giant like cameras zoomed in and zoomed out of me. I was simply emotionally charged walking the stretch shouting "Vande Matram","Mahatma Gandhi" "AmarRahe". My eyes were pretty welled with tears.I knew then I never can be an "actor",because for me 'emotions'remain a natural expression and not scripted, which I believe is all about the "TRUTH in 'Acting'

It was early in 1983,when I went to see the movie "GANDHI" at 'Chankya' cinema. The funeral scene was the second scene in the movie, immediately after the first scene showing Gandhi's assassination. I was disappointed, that in spite of screwing my eyes,I was not able to spot "me" on the 70 MM. I was sad that I was not even a face in the 'crowd'. That's when I realized that it is a "TRUTH" to say that a 'crowd' has no "Face".

A little brown man in loin cloth was able to lead this country to freedom. He never bent his truth nor distorted the facts to win us our "Freedom". This makes me believe that as long as you have "faith" in your convictions" you don't have a necessity to bend your"TRUTH" and twist & distort your facts, to win your battles in life. Mohan Das Karamchand Gandhi was an ordinary human being, but became an extraordinary 'mortal' through his simplicity of understanding "his truth","his life" and "his mission".

We also remain today most ordinary human mortals. However some among us turn "extraordinary" through their art of bending, twisting and distorting "TRUTH" to become very influential members of the society. This incidently is the "TRUTH" of today. It is them who move on to become the "movers and shakers" in the coridors of "Power & Money" and then step into becoming most "recognized and distinguished" citizens of the country.

Incidentally the prestigious national awards of "Padmashri" & "Padmabushans" are only awarded to most "recognized and distinguished" citizens. If today these awards are getting into "laughter channels",it only reveals how deep is the cesspool of politics in this India today.

Even 62 years past his passing away Gandhiji's book "My experiement with Truth" remains highly popular in "Amazon.com". However how far do we remain influenced by his book is a question that no "Google Search" can provide an "ANSWER". I would love to sign off this post with what The great Scientist Albert Einstein once said about Gandhi : “Generations to come will scarcely believe that such a one as this (Gandhi) walked the earth in flesh and blood.” and this is what is today ours,yours and my experiment with "TRUTH",

Comments

Himanshu Tandon said…
Can't believe I missed reading this out earlier. Exceptional.
February 17, 2010 at 3:16 AM
Pradeep Pant said…
nicely written remarkable post
February 19, 2010 at 5:44 PM
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