Bollywood Lined: The Race Of Belief

The need to reach a goal rests with all but the passion to accomplish only dwells in a few. Those few are heroes of a kind who inspire the need to be like them, and don't stay behind waiting for destiny to favor them. Such talented people are the ones who surge on ahead of everyone else and Bollywood, as always, is one of the first to accept such new waves of change. It has given us such movies where racing to the finish line is not just about winning, but triumphing over all. And BollyCurry makes a little space for itself at the stands to let these champions storm past us, as we, in words, capture their journey to the finish line.

He first runs for his life, then for the privilege of milk and finally for pride. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013) isn't just a story about a man and his sport, but about what makes him such an inspiring figure of today. The biopic dealt with Milkha Singh's (Farhan Akhtar) journey of becoming the 'flying Sikh'. Dealing with the evils of partition to finding his place in the world, the movie takes us through the trials and tribulations of Milkha's life. There's also a dash of love, but every bit of this marvel of a movie focuses on one phenomenon - Milkha's need to run. Failure is a part which needs value and worth in a sportsman's life and Milkha also falls behind but when he rises, he does it to break records and set new ones. A fabulous tribute to a man who brought the nation into the limelight, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag didn't just race on at the box office, but it also won many hearts and major accolades with the same spirit of never giving up.

One of the most anticipated films of 2012, being a KJo production and featuring numerous legacies in their B-Town debut, Student Of The Year (2012) was synonymous to competition. This movie is about friends turning foes and dragging the rivalry onto the field made it a hit masala blockbuster. It starts with the typical scenario of the entitled rich kids bullying those less privileged than them. However, then comes Abhimanyu Singh (Sidharth Malhotra), who breaks all stereotypes and becomes best friends with the man on campus, Rohan Nanda (Varun Dhawan). Both come to realize that the grass is always greener on the other side and learn that perfection is not a reality in either lifestyles, and this helps strengthen their bond. And when all is going fine, the hurdle of love makes both fall. A school competition adds fuel to the heat of the situation. The final race to chase your dreams is what brings everything into perception. Rohan's need to prove his worth to his father rests in winning the race. Whereas, for Abhimanyu, the race meant becoming the Student of the Year and taking his first step towards a bright future. But, in the end, who won was a matter of interpretation. And years later this one moment of racing against the odds brings back these students on the same racetrack, where the lost friendship is gained once again!

Sometimes innocence overshadows the ambiguous evils of competition and that is what Bumm Bumm Bole (2010) was all about. An official remake of the Iranian film Children Of Heaven, the movie deals with the pure relationship of two siblings and their struggle to rise above the poverty they have been born in. Adversity strikes hard when Rimzim (Zia Vastani) becomes shoeless because her elder brother Pinu (Darsheel Safary) loses them. To most, this would be an easy fix, but it becomes a gigantic disaster for the duo as Rimzim has no shoes for school and their financial condition doesn't allow them the luxury of new ones. Thus, a racetrack is paved on which Rimzim and Pinu run daily to share the one pair of shoes Pinu has. The movie has layers which open throughout this journey where we are made to encounter the small facts of life and how big they truly are for some. When Pinu comes to know about a marathon at school, whose third price is a pair of shoes, he invests all his energy into training hard and coming third. The plan to exchange male shoes for female ones make Pinu a happy young boy until the race day, when all his hard work makes him come first. Pinu's cries of fate are accepted as his tears of joy. But by the end of the movie the adversity is throttled by life and its ways, because hard-work always bears fruits.

Movies have a way to say a lot more than they initially intended. Race (2008) was not made with the sentiment to teach the masses, but it did have its essence. This action flick was very aptly named, as the theme of racing dominated much of the story. From horse racing to high speed car chases, Race had all the meatiness of an entertainer. Based on the lust for money, the movie dealt with the story of two stepbrothers, Ranvir Singh (Saif Ali Khan) and Rajiv Singh (Akshaye Khanna), who's relationship was composed of an intricate web of cheating and lies under the garb of fidelity and loyalty. After a series of complicated occurrences and a murder mystery, the film winds its way to the final racetrack. In an equally thrilling climax, Rajiv attempts to win the race on the basis of a faster car, but Ranvir reminds him that its the driver who holds the magic trick. While the movie has a cliche ending, it once again reminds everyone that evil will perish when going up again the good. Race performed well at the box office, its action sequence and songs giving an edge to the routine, but if you ask us, we enjoyed the race the most!

A cult film, a game changer and a movie ahead of its time, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992) was called a number of things, including a blockbuster. This classic youth based film is an inspiring story which reminds us that no goal is unattainable if you truly want to achieve it. A carefree Sanju (Aamir Khan) has resentment towards his middle class lifestyle and a father who never rose above his humble living. The riches attract him, which leads to him lying about his true identity to Devika (Pooja Bedi). However, she soon finds out and about the same time Sanju's elder brother Ratan (Mamik Singh) gets into an accident with Shekhar Malhotra (Deepak Tijori). These events make Sanju see the light and how privileged he is to have a loving family. To avenge his brother's hard work and his father's dream of seeing Ratan win the inter-college sports championship in cycling, Sanju practices and pushes his limits. Trained by Ratan, Sanju's aim becomes to reach his goal and he dedicates his entire being to it. And as we've said, like many other great philosophers, hard work pays off. Sanju goes on to become a champion and teaches us to push the limits to become the best version of ourselves.

With perseverance in tow and luck on your side, no endeavour is unattainable. The quest is not to be on the top, but to be at the place where you envisioned yourself. Strength of character makes the races more determined and endearing. You win some, you lose some, but you gain in amounts uncountable with each struggle. We hope you took some clues off this race track into your life. Let us know who made your determinations racing in the comment box below.

Writer: Nabila S.
Editor(s): Nisha M. and Gunia K.
Graphics: Marsh P.

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