Loss, maybe a four-letter word but its impact is well beyond any word that can be formed by all the alphabets put together. Handling it doesn't come with a manual even when you can foresee it in case of a loved one. Priyanka Chopra and Farhan Akhtar's The Sky Is Pink touches upon this very phenomenon of loss ad grief. While as a caregiver, your world revolves around the one in need of it, but what really goes on the other side is what Shonali Bose ably taps into. Film narratives for the longest time have revolved around the person in pain, the person who has his life numbered but what truly demands our attention though is what happens to those who are left behind. How do you move on from that? The Sky Is Pink Movie Review: Priyanka Chopra-Farhan Akhtar's Emotionally Charged Film is Pure Gold.
Shonali Bose's film shows us the story of an extraordinary couple, Aditi (Priyanka) and Niren (Farhan) who have moved from lovers to parents in not the easiest of circumstances. After losing their first child, the couple is again faced with the terrible truth of giving birth to a daughter whose incurable condition continues to deteriorate to eventually result in her death. What the film manages to convey with much ease though is that while nothing may be constant, if you happen to capture life in the right moments, it can be worth living even in your hardest times. Aditi and Niren move from being emotionally volatile to absolute fighters when it comes to putting on a brave face every day.
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While The Sky Is Pink may be slightly on the glossier end, the story of a daughter in her thirties trying to handle her senile father in Piku is yet another film that drew hard on how caregiving is a tough job. Deepika Padukone's Piku is a fiercely independent woman who sends shivers down Delhi cab drivers' spine because of her attitude but gives in way more easily when it comes to arguing with her ageing father. From dealing with his hypochondriac issues to his stubborn take on her staying unmarried to attend to him, we see her taking it all in with a deep breath as she turns the parent to her father. Piku beautifully captured the parent-child bond, especially in the later stage. The film also shows us a different side of Piku after her father's passing where she says "We can't judge parents, no?"
It is probably easier and one would even say a given for either the parent or the child to stand by each other and become caretakers but would you do it for someone you barely know? Shoojit Sircar's emotionally charged October is another film that explored caregiving in the rarest of scenarios. The film shuttles between Dan played by Varun Dhawan's workplace – the hotel and the hospital, both places where people are 'taken care of' but in many different ways. “Where is Dan?” are the last words of Dan's co-worker who falls off the ledge of the terrace and lands up in a coma. For Dan, this question becomes hauntingly uncomfortable and he tries to question the motives behind it, resulting in his frequent visits to see her at the hospital and forming a strange bond. It may not be love but Dan's empathy towards Shiuli also becomes a life-changing experience for him and here, her loss results in Dan finding himself, transforming him from a boy to man in the most unlikely manner. October Movie Review: Varun Dhawan Blooms In His Finest Act Till Date For Shoojit Sircar's Unusual Story About Love.
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Talking about strange bonds, Kalki Koechlin and Naseeruddin Shah find themselves in a friendship formed in a waiting room at the hospital in Anu Menon's Waiting. The two strangers befriend each other and try to make the best of their lives by helping one another as they are preparing to bid adieu to their loved ones whose recovery is uncertain. The film shows some practical problems faced by a caregiver, in this case, a young wife who soon learns that her 5000-something Twitter followers won't turn up for help after her husband's accident results in him going into a coma. It also bravely shows Kalki's character finding herself dreading the thought of spending the rest of her life with her loved one in a handicapped state and the guilt that it incurs. The film rightly shows how you are never prepared for such a situation and that how mentally draining it can be. After all, not all can afford to be or even are as fearless as Priyanka Chopra's Aditi from The Sky is Pink.
These films show us how much strength one needs to look out for yourself as well as your loved ones in tough situations. There's no way to avoid loss but one can surely reduce the pain little by little. These films spoke to me dearly on how to move on and deal with grief in the most innovative ways. Tell us which films spoke to you in a similar way.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 14, 2019 04:47 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).