You believe what the writer wants you to believe

When you read a book or an article or a column, have you ever wondered whether the thought processes which form in your brain are what the writer has conjured up? Well let me demonstrate:

Did you realise that most of the movies that made it to the Oscars this year revolve around one word “Expectation”. The expectation of a physicist to develop a theory to solve all problems (Theory of Everything), the expectation of a mathematician to build a machine to solve all mathematical problems (The Imitation Games), the expectation of a soldier to do all within his power to protect his comrades from harm (The American Sniper), the expectation of a once popular movie star to rise to fame through his drama production (Birdman). Aren’t all these movies bound by that single word “Expectation”? Yes?  Well I say No.

All these movies revolve around one word “Addiction”. The irrepressible addiction of a physicist towards his one indisputable theory (Theory of Everything), the uncontainable addiction of a mathematician to build a universal problem solving machine at the cost of resources which could have been put to better use during the World War (The Imitation Games), the unquenchable addiction of a soldier to go back to the battle-field at the cost of losing his family (The American Sniper), the addiction of a once popular megalomaniac movie star to re-establish himself (Birdman). See how a change in word play caused a shift in the undertone from positive to a shade of negative?

That my friends is the beauty of literature or the beauty of the mind or the strength of the pen. Let me illustrate with another example. I am sure the two most popular Mughal emperors that we believe to have existed were Jalaluddin Muhammed and Shahab uddin Muhammed. Surprise? Well you know them as Akbar the Great and Shahjahan the passionate respectively. Well yours truly would be amazed to also learn that the only Mughals who exhibited any sense of humanity and humility and good governance were Babur and Humayun. Everybody from Jahangir to Akbar to Shahjahan to Aurangzeb were shrewd, ruthless, megalomaniacs. Far from the whirlwind romance that we thought existed between Akbar and Jodha bai (Akbar never had a wife by that name...it was some other Bai, read: Rajput princess), the princess hated his guts and would have chewed his bones for dinner if she could. Same goes for Shahjahan who built the impeccably beautiful Taj Mahal for his one love Mumtaz, whom he loved a wee bit more than his other wives and numerous concubines. So much for the titles! Speaking of which, you may wonder what exotic titles Babur and Humayun used...well, the titles were Babur and Humayun, respectively. Now you know you believed what the historians made you believe.

Returning back from the rustic charm of the Mughal era to our drab current discussion on hand, I surmise by saying all movies which made it to the Oscars this time revolve around one word “Hope”...the hope of a physicist that he would create one theory.........................