Until what age is somebody supposed to fall in love? You'd say, there's no limit. Of course, there is none. But, ask yourself once, would you still say it if the person was somebody from your family? Say, either of your parents fell in love with somebody else. Freaking out right now, aren't you? Would you be hurt? Would you be tensed about what the society might say? Would you be worried about how your extended family will react in family gatherings? Would YOU approve of it? Would you consider yourself absolutely necessary to have a say in your parents' life decisions? Or, judge them for their decisions? Think about it.
If I could, I would ask Kanwal Sethi about the ending of his film, 'Once Again'. What made him believe that he could just break all stereotypes! How could he narrate how a middle-aged woman goes out of her way and talks to a man (not her husband) every night on the phone. How could he do this! It is so irresponsible of him to not judge the woman and the man and just narrate their story!
Isn't she supposed to take care of her kids and live her life by herself, mourning her dead husband! And isn't the man, being a film star, supposed to suppress his desires of a normal person and prevent himself from being seen with a woman who is not her wife! She doesn't try to hide it when her kids confront her. She isn't the conventional woman who let's her ego stop her from being the first one to call him after being introduced as just 'the cook' in front of strangers. She doesn't cry out of guilt of having loved another man, rather she tries to reason it out with her daughter.
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And the daughter, oh my my!! She has the audacity of supporting her mother in her decisions. When the man expresses how much he wants to be with her and not hide any more out of the fear of being scandalized, she tells him that she cannot 'do this anymore'. The celebration of her son's wedding keep going at its normal pace. They get married like normal people. That could've been the end, just like any other movie.
Most movies nowadays bring us back to reality. They show us how it generally is and that every thing in life is not a fairy tale. This was not how it used to be before, at least most of the times. They show us that everything cannot have a happy ending. We have to keep our feet grounded. At this point of time, the director takes us on a different roll. The woman is looking out from the boat, probably introspecting into her actions. Looking into the bright sunshine, the man caressing her bangles, travelling on the sea. The lady had once said that she likes hills more, because she's scared of the sea. When the man asks her about her fear, she says, "Not anymore".
Whoever said, love is unconditional and knows no bounds, lied. They lied on your face, because love is not unconditional. It comes with the condition of being cared for, respected for and being loved back for. It knows its bounds, it knows that you cannot not see or not hear what the society has to say or even your family. But, in 'Once Again', well, it has broken every bound possible. It has for once deepened my belief in love in all its forms. If I said thank you Kanwal Sethi for making this piece of art, I'd not be able to express how grateful I am, as an audience. If someone questioned my opinion about love not being unconditional, I'd say, 'well, not anymore'.
