Oct 10, 2011

The unusual Vijay fan and the leap of faith

People-watching is a term I used to refer to observing interesting characters who cross you in your daily routine. To read my earlier post on people watching, please click here. This post is a quick bite extension of people-watching adventures. For convenience sake and for some commercial sake, let me call such posts "Anthronicles" from now on...I plan to write a bit more frequently about Anthronicle experiences in here under a separate label..

This particular episode is that of an unusual Vijay fan. For starters who do not know Mr. Vijay (well, I want to write actor Vijay or at least Dr. Vijay but my conscience pricks. However hard I try, that leap of faith seems tough to me. Watch this leap and you will know why) Until yesterday, whenever I think of Vijay and local trains together, I immediately go to an elite feeling of pure innocent joy caused by unadulterated humour (Ok I accept.. not unadulterated ! heroism 20 % humour 80%)




Yesterday in a local train from Mambalam to Tambaram, I met an interesting person. In a train that appeared extremely crowded and resembling those images of people glued to train tops circulating in e-mails as a one-snap representation of 'India', I somehow made my way beyond the three feet of uncertainty near the entrances. Most certainly, I found a vacant seat inside. Sitting opposite me were a mother and son. Mother - typical south Indian middle-aged, big glasses, Deepavali shopping bags in hand (clutched tightly). Son - slightly abnormal, eyes rolling aimlessly, trousers with FLEETS ! The son must be around 20 but I seriously doubted if his mental maturity would be of the same age.

Pretty soon, I got confirmation. As the train moved on to the next station and took a stop, he turned to his mother with unadulterated joy in his eyes and pointed to a banner of a recent Vijay flick (Kaavalan - the Saviour to be exact) and uttered the name "Vijjjayyy" with blissful joy in his face. His mother looked slightly embarrassed about this sudden outburst of 'Vi-joy' and tried to ignore where he pointed. But he would not rest until she paid attention and would not curb his happiness too.

Now, I must say that personally I have had serious reservations about the mental health of the so-called 'Vijay fans'. (Offence intended) But this case was different. There is a mentally disturbed person (no offence intended here) sitting right in front of me and his eyes brighten up the moment he sees Vijay on a roadside banner. The train moved on to a few more stations and the banners kept finding him again and again at each station and he responded with the same glee.
He once famously quoted that "Life is a circle". Wonder what
would be the scene at the other end of the diameter for this
incident!


Mr. Vijay .. I have to give it to you this time. I might have different opinions about you and your leaps of faith. But if you can be one of the few blessed things that can lighten up a divine smile in a disturbed person, you can feel proud.

Two or three more times until the fleet-pant guy alighted at his destination, he pointed Mr.Vijay again and again and I got the point. Suddenly, I felt a little bit of admiration for Mr. Vijay. No! I am serious.

Some leaps of faith can be very irrational !

- GS

3 comments:

  1. Nice !!!!Loved the video and relived the glory :)... wonder how he can still see and signal the guy in the terrace after jumping off for about two kms and chasing a train for a minute :)

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