life of Bunny

KYA TUM JEE RAHE HO YA KYA TUM ZINDA HO?

Some bonds are set in stone. Despite the unpredictability of life, moments turn into memories and friends become family. It is amidst this chaos, when we are busy in the pursuit of the meaning of life, that we look for parts of ourselves in the people we call home.

Are you where you want to be or are you stuck where you are supposed to be? What is it that is stopping you from living the life that you have always wanted to live? Is it because aaj kamana hai phir 40 ke baad toh aaram se jeena hai?

What would happen if we don’t give in to our excuses, take risks and just go for it? Would it be insanity? Par pagalpan ka nasha bhi toh kuch aur hota hai na?

Ayaan Mukheerjee’s Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani is fuelled with powerhouse charisma, perfect for all unapologetic Bollywood lovers who long for a contemporary romance. What makes it special is the convincing camaraderie between four best friends who go on a life altering trip to Manali. 

We often come across stories of how opposites attract, a theory that fetches enough attention but what really happens when two distinct personalities fall in love?  Naina plays safe while Bunny plays wild but it is these differences, a tale of finding their middle ground that is highly engaging. It is not just about their eclectic chemistry or the impeccably gorgeous estranged lovers but the thinness of the story and its simplistic art with beautiful dialogues that make you rethink about every decision about your life altogether.

Bunny is reckless, turns on full charm throttle as he flirts outrageously, while fearing commitment. Mesmerizingly channelizing the hidden filmy side in each one of us, his life is nothing short of an adventure. With overlapping layers of mysteries, unfolding at every point, only to make us fall in love with him again. A firm believer in how “Shaadi is dawal chawal for pachas sal till you die” he does not identify himself with the institution of marriage, rather believes in being selfish and spending time with himself, a far more engaging company.  Although often he does tend to show a very different side of him, something he himself is afraid of. A side so vulnerable that he hides it far behind because of his dreams that he longs to accomplish. He once tells Naina, “Tum jaisi ladkiya flirting ke liye nahi ishq ke liye bani hai”.

Isn’t it Ishq, pyaar and mohabbat that eventually finds its way? How long can one flirt for? Eventually after a tiresome day is it not “Dal chawal” that we crave for? A person we call home. Are we just too afraid to commit? Like Bunny when he says, Ishq meri sehat ke liye acha nahi?

What is it that drives you everyday?

Although there is a tender side of him that is shown time and again as he boosts Naina’s confidence calling her brave for agreeing to spontaneously go on a trip with a bunch of strangers. His most assuring dialogue “Buss khud pe daya karna band karo aur khud se pyaar karna seekho, tum jaisi ho, bilkul theek thaak ho. Bus ek problem hai hasti kam ho, mere pas dil hota na toh tumhari smile pe pakka aa jata!”, we realise that sometimes it isn’t always about complimenting but about what is hidden behind those words and eyes that we struggle to decipher. Naina is a mousy, bespectacled, studious girl who finds a bunch of hidden layers to herself. Shredding her inhibitions and coming to terms to herself, she eventually discovers an unknown side to her personality. When she talks to Bunny in the late hours of night after they climb the mountain together, it is undeniably the most iconic moments of all times. We see Bunny showing her a book of all the places he wants to visit, his dreams weaved into the pages of his book, as he talks about how he wants to see every nook and corner of the world while he refuses to settle for a “gissi pitti life” like others.

What is it that you crave for and are not willing to settle for anything less than that?

”22 tak padhai, 25 pe naukri, 26 pe chokri, 30 pe bacche aur 60 pe retirement aur phir maut ka intezaar!”. There is something about these lines that hits us hard, that we die a little everytime we hear it. What is it that we are doing with our lives? 

Don’t we have a Bunny within us? Don’t we want to visit the cafes in France and the ghats in the Himalayas too? Similar to him,aren’t we always seeking an adrenaline rush that makes us feel alive? Just like Bunny we all crave for Raftaar, Pagalpaan. 

“Hum bhi ussi ke tarah udna chahte hai, girna chahte hai bus rukhna nahi chahte. Har din ko mehsoos karna chahte hai magar kya hum ne humari is zindagi se samjhota kar liya hai?”

It is only after they successfully reach the peak that we know that it wasn’t about the Bhairav ka mandir but about a feeling far greater than any spiritual connection, the feeling  of love! It wasn’t about having reached the peak of the mountain together but rather the journey in which she fell in love with him. Is it really the safar that makes our lives more beautiful than the manzil?

What is the price you are willing to pay for your dreams?

In a brief moment in time Naina intends on confronting Bunny about her emotions, only to realise he was far more in love with his dreams. There are no hard feelings and they both move on with their lives, she goes onto becoming a doctor and he lives the life he always dreamt of. Some people are meant to be vagabonds. Leaving home and people does not translate to loving them any less. 

“Iss banjarepan se mujhe ishq ho gaya hai”. There is something about finding solace in oneself, enjoying solitude so much that you can’t get enough of it. Bunny knew exactly what he wanted in life and that is seen as a problem. He is an awaara, constantly negotiating priorities, friends, dreams, love, and family. An adrenaline junkie he hopped and jumped from one country to another, a footloose and charming photographer who was not willing to settle. 

What is that makes you feel alive?

When exploring Udaipur, Bunny talks about how he can never live a life like hers. A life of routine. But what he didn’t understand is happiness in living with family, listening to the same old nostalgic stories with friends, how Dhoni’s chakka, and gajar ka halwa in Mumbai’s baarish  is better than blueberry cheesecake on a sunny day in San Francisco. Bunny is at loss of words when he tells her, “Tu sahi nahi hai bus mujhse bohot alag hai”.

It is later that evening when they are sitting on a hill top of a fort in Udaipur where Bunny is in a rush, afraid to miss the light and sound show when she tears the tickets and tells him to enjoy the solid sunset. “Jitna bhi try karo Bunny life mein kuch na kuch toh chutega hi, to jaha hai wahi ka mazza lete hai”. These lines strike a chord in our hearts. We are often so engrossed in thinking about the future, so busy making plans that we fail to enjoy the present. Is it not important to enjoy this very moment? Knowing you won’t get it back, living the moment to the fullest.

Depressing as it was when Naina confronts Bunny about how she cannot stay with him for two more minutes because she might fall in love with him all over again, we can’t help but think how some feelings don’t change! Even after eight years of being apart, her love still seems to be rosy. He made her feel an emotion so strong that despite moving on a part of her held onto his memories. She had those faint memories that she held onto so dearly, so invaluable that only she had the rights over them. The song Kabira made us feel what she was going through.

Can friendship and love conquer all?

We are all looking for Raftaar. The hidden Bunny in each one of us craves for pagalpan, we crave for a chase, we crave to fulfil a gazillion dreams but eventually we have to sit down and watch the sunset and rethink. What is it about life that we truly desire? As much as we enjoy solace every, Bunny needs a Naina, to make him stop and realise that “Dal chawal hi apne aap mein ek feeling hai, life mein kuch na kuch toh chutega hi, to jaha hai wahi ka maza lete hai”!