Amar Prem

I recently saw again one of the finest movies of my life – Amar Prem, starring Rajesh Khanna and Sharmila Tagore. It captures brilliantly something that is sorely lacking today – reasonless affection and purposeless love, care. In the movie, neither do they marry nor are they in a definable relationship, but their love and care for each other transcends worldly definitions. Rajesh Khanna is brilliant and speaks with his eyes through the movie. All the songs are classic, and the end is heart – rendering. 

You may wonder why am I talking about this movie.

Last week, a friend called to share his recent experience. I knew that he was spiritually inclined and wanted to spend his life in doing his Sadhana at a place he loved and visited often in The Himalayas. He narrated his experience. He had a close friend over many years, who loved an Ashram in that very town, and who often spoke to him about how she would love to settle there, offer her Sadhana and service full-on there, as she did not really have a strong inclination towards normal marriage and sansaric life. She spoke of her dilemma often to my friend, as she knew that her family and the world would neither endorse nor support her aspiration. And so, my friend finally asked her if she was very serious about this, and if she would want to embark on their common aspiration. As the Ashram would not offer a place to stay, he would buy a house, and they could do their individual Sadhanas full-on there. He clarified to her in clear terms that he would continue to remain just her friend and she should not misunderstand him to mean anything else. He was not suggesting in any way to become more than a friend. He was very fond of her (which she knew) and he had a deep sense of respect and reverence for her, and would be very pleased to enable and facilitate her aspiration and evolution. Besides, he was not doing her a favour really as he too shared her aspiration. She replied that she was very grateful for the admirable offer, but she did not really want to do this at this stage. His voice became a little serious and sore now as he continued... A few days later a close friend of this girl called him up and fired him for this offer saying that he should not distract the girl from marriage, and who was he to her to do this for her. Why would ‘just a friend’ do this? My friend was taken aback, disappointed, and after finishing that call ...he promptly called and apologized to his friend [to whom he had made the offer]  if she too had thought the way her friend did but had chosen not to tell him..

In the movie too, Rajesh Khanna’s motives are doubted by the world, the nature of their undefined relationship questioned and ultimately, he is told to go away from her. Khanna smiles and says, “How will you and this world ever understand what I feel for her and why I do what I do for her since you (world) understand no other ‘Bhava’ (feelings) except ‘Share Bazaar ka bhava.’ ... Most people would see Amar Prem and say, “It is beautiful” and yet would question, reject, deny anyone who wants to do from his heart something for someone without any reason or hidden agenda, and for whom he somehow feels a lot of care, concern, fondness. The world says, “See Amar Prem, say also it is lovely, but feel inside that is impractical bordering on stupidity."

I saw Amar Prem twice in one week – once on YouTube and once in the feelings of my friend.

P.S. Please see Amar Prem at least once in your life for my sake, and have at least an aspiration to practice it in our life someday.