Happiness is not mere an emotion, not just an expression but a state of being. A state where the mind and the complete self is in equilibrium, in complete sync with everything around.
What can guarantee you this happiness?
Family, friends, spirituality, love? Arguably, Money. Money seems the primer, a facilitator, a primary foundation and more importantly a platform for pursuing happiness in any which form.
This mutualism between money and happiness makes me recall one of my all time favorite movie: THE PURSUIT OF HAPPYNESS. It is a special film for varied reasons. It is about a homeless father who finds extremely difficult to make ends meet. He is a struggling salesman selling bone scanners and barely manages to make a living. He is pretty intelligent, just devoid of an opportunity. His responsibility towards his son further compounds his predicament.
The film is a deep insight on how a financially deficient man craves and longs for a decent living. Money for him is oxygen, a necessity for him and his son to exist. He doesn't want the riches of the world, he just wants a home to go to everyday. His emotional turmoil simmering underneath needs solace, solace only money can provide. He aspires to be happy, banking on money. Money kicking emotions?
Absolutely, The human emotions rub their shoulders to the materialistic facet.They only become relevant, when the elementary requirements are taken care of. The heart feels and the mind thinks logically only when one has the basic necessities covered. You only think of the world, when you have a roof on your head, meal in your stomach and money in your pocket. The entire rationality of our existence makes sense only when one is sure of his security the next day.
Speaking differently, The film projects the grit, the resilience and the never say die attitude of the protagonist. The odds are always against him but his determination is at display each moment. His efforts are inspiring, his mettle and tenacity unbreakable and his endeavours uncompromising. He is never found sulking, though tears roll down his eyes in despair, he is never found complaining, no matter how unfortunate the circumstances be. His immunity towards giving up is so very contagious. Every strength he musters feels so elevating.
No matter how hard life keeps hitting him, he still manages a few laughs for his son and carries the same honest and earnest approach to his work.
Your sympathy goes out to the man, your affinity towards the father-son team keeps growing, their every discomfort and distress hurts you and you get sucked into their lives. The biggest victory of the screenplay is that 'You' become 'them'.
There are instances when the viewer wants to give up, but the man doesn't.
A scene in which the father-son duo, exhausted of all options, spend the night in a public toilet at a Metro station is absolutely heartwrenching.
The film is filled with deep, incisive and penetrating scenarios offering us to form an outlook and a perspective. The world is not forgiving, it shows no mercy. It has this pseudo charm, false sense of generosity. The only way to make a mark is to dig it out. You can't find a place to fit in, make one. And once you do, you feel happy.
The final scene is so emotionally stimulating, you just want to cry your heart out. The triumph is not only his, his rise as the Wall Street legend is symbolic, deeply invested within us for long.
Grab a DVD quickly, if you haven't seen it yet. You won't want to miss out on this one.
Money will always be a dimorphic entity. It is a necessity in one form and a luxury in another. When one said, Money can't buy you happiness, he probably meant the luxury part.
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