Talking Films in Embarrassing Levels of Detail

Labelling is life. Ritu Kumar, botanists, psychologists and ICDR promoter definitions knows it well. I mentally label young associates with my favourie movie watched in the cinema (with potato wafers selling on wooden trays strapped on shoulders). At that time there was plenty in common betweena train experience and film-watching including black tickets, surprisingly good filter coffee on platforms/cafeterias and an overall sense of wonder. In smaller towns, girls watching in families would never be the one sitting next to strange men due to proximity of the common wooden seat arm-rest. For who knows, sudden romance and eloping was rife on-screen. DDLJ was then ground-breaking mostly because the hero did not elope. Else DDLJ would have been a better Dil or a worse Qayamat se. Dil deserves a post of its own which shall follow once Dil associate acts up again, and as he does always closest to filing- sulking and slowing pace. Apparently at our harsh and impatient barks which are kindly known as ongoing feedback. But really as a threat as we cannot have people leave or fall revenge-ill during filing (or signing/closing for the M&A fraternity or let me just say sorority before I am booked for this by an anonymous reader who may as well be an older male partner who still loves Rekha. And so Aashiqui associate (Aashiqui the film released in 92 I think- so anyone born around then is now on the brink of SA-hood) has been taking leaves as if her life depended on maximizing out-time. While I do not wish to feel like the Kati Pati father-in-law who says "bahu, kahan jaa rahi ho?" when the widow girl is about to slip out with a new love (that too rajesh khanna)- i do have natural curiosity. everyone knows the best way to manifest curiosity while hedging a snub is four words and a question mark: "hope all is well?" And the reply I got from Aashiqui associate suddenly without the "is typing"- meaning it was deliberated and then cut-pasted) was: "not really. i will join back from tuesday." one does not know where to go with this. one cannot ask more. for it is between a byonkesh bakshi story start- or the start of a harrassment suit. so i did the last resort of the curious but contained mind: "ok take care and let me know if i can help." I moved across the floor to gossip about this to a principal associate (guised as concern ofcourse- I could pretend to suspect while not stating that she has a small ongoing mental issue- and see if he evolves the topic or drops in in this new age bonhomie culture). Just then I saw her display profile- lots of make-up, duck-face- and in front of a BKC building I instantly recognized as housing another big firm we had worked with on the opposite side. I felt like typing "good luck, kid- they will kill your soul not that you have one" and sure enough in a day she has resigned and is "moving on to pursue some personal interests". When we all know (through the grapevine) she is off to BKC law firm and noone is cheap enough to link the term "personal interests" to a firm such as that. maybe she suspected we will hold her back and witch-sing the aashiqui song in a raucous pitch: "ab mujhe chor ke..door jaana nahin-in-in, nazar ke." the odds of this are low but i tell myself this anyway. There is a sadness when people leave for an old-timer like me. It just marks the passing of time. It marks change. It marks endings of small inter-generational friendships made with decent people with decent ideas. It also marks another face that will be planted soon in my team and I will have no idea if the new kid is normal or prone to fainting or mimicry showing up at 11am with a sour scent of grass with their dad being friends with the managing partner. I went home and it seems there is a sequel made of the Aashiqui film as someone on the car radio was singing closer to Ed Sheeran than Kumar Sanu, "Dheere-dheere meri zindagi mein aana.."