Aashiqui 2 and Loss of decent life

Ever since I watched Ashiqui-2, I wanted to write about it. Because I found some threads in it difficult to contain.

When we went to watch the movie, it was third week since its release and yet the theatre was fully occupied. I think since the star-caste was new, people did not have very high expectations of it in the beginning but word-of-mouth resulted in gradual increase in its viewership. From what could be felt, everyone in the theatre enjoyed it a lot.

The story though had some repeated threads like damsel in distress; rich boy falling for poor girl, etc, by the end story was unique and not seen before. I am assuming that you have watched it or know its story. At the end Rahul (played by Aditya Roy Kapoor) is shown as committing suicide because he felt he was being a burden on his girl Aarohi and her bright career was suffering because of him. But somehow I felt he thought his life was over at the beginning of the movie itself, when he no longer was a celebrity. He had gotten used to extreme fame and celebrity status and he could not reconcile with the fact that his stardom had faded (though I don’t think he had lost his golden voice, but his drinking habit was killing him; and btw, this movie should be awarded and celebrated for its anti-alcohol stance). Once he could not perform in a small town he just gave up. He gave up against struggling and trying any more for his career. But the role of his enemies to disrupt him and frequently violently attack him were very unfortunate and it seems if they had not played havoc in his life, Rahul could have lived longer. Also, Rahul being a victim of his own fame, could not contact the Police or authorities; something which he should have done. 

Exactly at the point in his life when Rahul had given up every hope, he found the girl and hence found a “purpose” in his life. Such wasteful situations are drag; why should he, who had everything which is mark of a successful person, be so fed up of life? It is certainly because he or people like him fail to see the higher purpose in life. If purpose of life was only to eat, drink and enjoy life, then certainly, a lot of people should feel they have had enough and decide to quit! And ‘quitting’ would mean jumping off the bridge! I always see these Bollywood heroes earning so much money that they won’t be able to spend in a thousand lives! Certainly they are not going to take all money to the next life, so what is it that they want by only ‘taking’ and not ‘giving back’? When I heard that Vivek Oberoi (I am his big fan btw) had adopted some villages devastated by Tsunami and helped rebuilding it, I felt it such a wonderful job. One can’t be in one’s right sense of mind and yet don’t see so many ways in which we can contribute to our country’s progress. It is irony that people who don’t have that kind of money speak and think about helping the country, but those who have it never really try to do it. Getting back to the story; while it was depressing to find that Rahul had given up all hopes, it was elating to see what he was doing for Aarohi. Aarohi seemed to be on a dream-ride where a big man Rahul Jaykar was helping her build her successful career, helping her parents to get out of a pit of poverty and at the same time seemed to be in love with her. What more could a girl ever desire?

Yet in the end Rahul took suicidal decision after getting fed up with his decisions to quit drinking which he could never stop. The portrayal of slaves of drinking is so wonderfully done; I don’t know why I don’t hear government giving the movie some award. Perhaps it is because the end was negative. Anyways, how could Rahul and Aarohi have had a different end? I think I have a quick solution – a wedding. I think they should have got married after Aarohi established herself well in the industry and won awards for her. But I think the biggest challenge was to answer “what does he do?” Rahul did nothing, other than supporting Aarohi. Whatever hope his friend and assistant could see for resurrecting Rahul’s career, was lost ever since he got into this train of love without expectations. But somehow I think that by loving Aarohi, Rahul was giving his own life one last chance…

I am sure if they had got married, Rahul and Aarohi could have got ahead quite well. Rahul would have felt the necessity of doing ‘something’ and hence could have either gotten back to singing or started some new venture. Given his contacts in the industry and past success, it was not difficult for him to do a lot of things and be successful at those. But his drinking habit which made him go down often, and his ‘status quo’ with nothing new visible in life, made him take a decision he was ready since a long time back – to quit.

 

I am essentially mourning for loss of his life. Though I know it happened only in movies, it is likely to be the real story of some real person, if not today then tomorrow. Why should people live such a life that they lose all hope? Also, I am slightly biased towards sensible gentlemen; because while I can find many gentle and sensible girls and ladies, I don’t find many men. Men who would not hurt others; won’t be power crazy and money ‘minded’; who would help others in need; and spread a smile… Too good men are too few now a day. Therefore I felt a personal loss when Rahul took that decision; as if I lost a good genuine friend too…

Now my secret wish is that the movie makers make Aashiqui-3. Aashiqui-2 did not show any dead body; so they could show that Rahul had not really jumped; or may be jumped only to find another man jumping too and tried to save him and came out of the river downstream at some distance. He spends 5 years in a village, may be helping the village stand on their feet; all the while remaining invisible and also forgetting his drinking habit; and one day he gets to read a newspaper which carries Aarohi’s story. Aarohi had not married anyone else and had waited for him. The story should be of their union and everything should become alright and ‘happy ending’… I strongly feel a new part should come and Rahul and Aarohi should get united. After all they can do whatever they like in movies! If they broke our heart in Aashiqui-2, let them heal us in Aashiqui-3!