Any Given Sunday

Any given Sunday – Riveting dialogue by Al Pacino

The scene is when the football team is losing and Al Pacino as the manager of the team gives this riveting speech.

“I don’t know what to say, really. 3 minutes to the biggest battle of our professional lives, all comes down to today.
Either we heal together as a team or we’re going to crumble, inch by inch, play by play till we finish. We’re in hell right now gentlemen! Believe me, and we can stay here, get the shit kicked out of us or we can fight our way back to the light.

We can climb out of hell, one inch at a time!

Now, I cant do that for you, I am too old. I look around, I see these young faces and think, I mean, I made every wrong choices a middle aged man can make… I pissed away all my money, believe it or not, I chased off anyone who’s ever loved me and lately, I cant even stand the face I see in the mirror.

You know when you get old in life, things get taken away from you… That’s a part of life.
But you only learn that when you start losing stuff, you find out life’s a game of inches…so is football. Because in either game, life or football, the margin for error is so small, I mean, one half you step too late or too early, you don’t quite make it… one half too slow or too fast, you don’t quite catch it..

The inches we need are everywhere around us

They are in every break of the game, every minute, every second. On this team, we fight for that inch. On this team, we tear ourselves and everyone around us to pieces for that inch…
We claw our finger nails for that inch, because we know, when we add up all those inches, that’s going to make the f****** difference between winning and losing, between living and dying…
I’ll tell you this, in any fight it’s the guy who’s willing to fight and die who’s going to win that inch.
And I know if I’m going to have a life anytime, because I’m still willing to fight and die for that inch because that’s what living is

This six inches in front of your face, now I can’t make you do it, you got to look into the guy next to you, look into his eyes, now I think you’re going to see a guy who will go that inch with you
You’re going to see a guy who will sacrifice himself for the team because he knows, when it comes down to it, you’re going to do the same for him

That’s a team Gentlemen

And either we heal as a team or we will die as individuals… That’s football guys, that’s all it is… Now what are you going to do?

Sarkar Raj - Lessons from it

Sarkaar Raj – Ram Gopal Verma

Lessons from the movie

On power – “Power cannot be given, it has to be taken”. This statement can well be taken a step further when we are dealing with the aspect of responsibility. Responsibility to a certain extent can be thrust upon or given, but when it comes to looking at the bigger picture and growth, it has to be taken. That is what pro-activity is about. That is what life is about.

On long term and short terms results – Before looking at short term benefits look at the long term repercussions. Likewise, it is also beneficial to look at the farthest gain than the short term pain.

On making a difference – People live under the stupid impression that the only goal in life is to earn money, not realizing that the only goal is to bring about a change in themselves, their society and their world.

On the power of passion of the spoken word – Look out for Somji’s speech against the power project where he tells the villagers that the project will bring in doom for the village

On conflict resolution – At the point in time when the tempers flare between the two warring youngsters (Shankar and Somji), Abhi says that he wants to talk to Somji because the objective of both of them is the same. Many a times, we too at the end of the day want the same result but do not keep ourselves open to the idea of the other person. The routes might be different but the destination is the same! Coexistence in its finest avatar!

On principles – “Many a times our principles becomes bigger than our own lives.” Those people who believe in this are the ones who shine like a star in the horizon, inspiring and being the light to guide and direct.

On values – Those who live their lives by the values that they have made for themselves have to pay the price for it.

On ego and jealousy – Chandan, the right arm of Sarkar in the end pleads that he did what he did because he was not respected. He pleads for forgiveness but the damage has already been done.
We too in our lives, because of our myopic vision do not tend to look at the bigger picture. If we know the destination ( in this case, it was being in allegiance to the family and not the individual) it would be easy for us to pacify the jealousy and the ego trip that we get for ourselves.

Border - Lessons from it

Movie - Border – JP Dutta
Lessons from the movie -

On leadership – When Sunny deol at the start of the war knowing that they have too less a troupe asks anybody who wants to leave to move out because he says that later on if somebody runs away, I will not spare. Lesson learnt – as a leader be clear on your communications and also show the followers the repercussions of taking up the ownership. Lead from the front

On Irony of fate – The Indian airforce team led by Jackie Shroff who prides on being the best of the lot cannot do anything at the crucial juncture because the planes that he has cannot maneuver in the night. Though being the best he is helpless. This makes him sigh out “Why is this the longest night?”

On friendship – The friendship between Sunil Shetty and Akshay Khanna. The former becomes a friends and a mentor to the young lad. Also the friendship between Puneet Iassar and the cook! Towards the end when he is about to die, how Issar tells the cook to remember his promise of sharing the money and requests him to send his share to his parents.

On Passion – Sunil Shetty fiercely guards his mother land and cannot stand anyone who tries to speak something against his motherland.

On determination – The determination of Sunny Deol to even divorce his wife if not given an opportunity to go to the border to fight.

On trying to run away from yourself – There is a scene where Pooja Bhatt, the fiancé of Akshay Khanna narrates an incident she had seen when she was in Merrut. She says that she saw a man who ran for a while, stopped turned back and walked slowly. After a while he turns back and then hides himself in his palms. The he slowly peeps out, turns back and starts running again. The after a distance, he squats. Looks back, gets up and starts the same process again. She goes on to say that the man was trying to run away from his own shadows.

So many times, we as individuals do the same, don’t we?

What would this blog carry?

This blog is going to be a cluster of thought process. The heart of it would remain. Making a difference in whatever small ways to whoever walks by.

To start with, I have tried to cater to the one that is so close to my heart -

Movies and the lessons from it

I will add on more as the days go by.

Hope you do like the posts and do pen down your comments, if you think its worth the same.

Warm regards and love,

Dewaker Basnet