I started watching Sharmaji Namkeen today. Rishi Kapoor’s last movie, one that he couldn’t complete, and so Paresh Rawal stepped in to make what should be a rare occurrence in cinema – two actors playing the same character in the same movie.
The story largely follows what happens to Sharmaji after he retires – a story that we all may have seen playing out in real life. Our parents, uncles, father’s friends…a retiree who has a lot of time on his hands, but who isn’t one for long walks and laughter classes.
What does one do when one retires? It seems odd…one day you are in office and the next day – you are supposed to take a lifelong vacation at home. Does one stop being productive after a certain age? Or is it that you are supposed to hang up your boots and make way for the others?
Frankly speaking, I don’t know. But it intrigues me – what do such people go through, what do they think, how do they handle the sudden changes?
Sanatana Dharma has four ashramas – brahmacharya, grihastha, vanaprastha and sanyasa. Vanaprastha starts at 50 and is “preparation for the forest”, where you start to wind up your affairs and prepare for sanyasa at 75. Imagine – 25 years to prepare! And nowadays, people say that life begins at 50…hmmm…
We don’t think too far into the future, maybe because if we do, our own mortality starts to stare us in the face. We love living in the past though, since whatever happened there has already occurred and there is no ambiguity. Life after retirement is tough, mainly because there comes a sudden void…I think there should be more preparation for such a stage in life. It is too important to be left ambiguous.
A few stray thoughts, as I sat through the movie. Very relatable, and quite insightful. Do watch – it’s on Prime.
See you tomorrow!