If you had to switch lives with a fictional character for a week, who would you choose?
I have a preference for war movies and writings amongst others.
It was not always so, because for a brief period of time down the childhood I believed no one ever dies, not in life and it should not happen in movies as well. A death in the movie meant the movie was simply not made well and that the people making it did not realise what life meant.
Then when someone really close died and it was not possible for my family to keep this death hidden from me like the rest, my eyes and brain, they opened in a different world, people don’t actually stay forever. Then began another brief period, in which the concept of death was more on my mind than necessary and all of a sudden, I was pointing it out in movies, in books, I would even go as far as saying sometimes a story did not feel right because a demise did not occur.
So, one evening during that period I was narrating a story of a movie of some brave men going to face a gang of outlaws to my uncle, and I was highlighting the ‘he died’ just too much and my parents realised I needed to be talked to. So, after some discussion regarding the matter I set out on a different path of thoughts. Now that I think about that brief period and then about these detailed documentaries nowadays about serial killers how they grew up and became who they are infamous for, I realise how much good parenting is important whether something bad happens or not.
War movies, yes. It was an interest developed due to several reasons, one was that I was in 8th grade and the social science school textbooks had mention of wars and also the other horrific incidents that occurred around them and eventual the aftermath. I went through encyclopaedias and learnt more, the time when struggle seemed endless and peace was a distant thought. I realised in more gravity that it was more of a nightmare than what movies possibly can ever show.
One of the lighter reasons, of interest, when you have read through enough books you realise a lot of writers have been in war or war like situations or simply have or had a military background. It makes me wonder if there is a particular experience that opens mind to a realisation of let’s say another level, and it brings forth a thought of much different nature than before. Since I write, maybe exchanging places with a fictional character of a military setting or war setting for a week might help me put my index finger on what it actually is.
Written by Anuran Chatterji
Early Morning Memories 