Philadelphia to Phir Milenge

Yesterday, after a pretty long time, much after a hectic week at the office, I managed to pick a favorite movie to watch on Sony Pix, ‘Philadelphia’. This is definitely my choice of flick when it comes to sensible cinema.

A movie that was out in times when filmmakers were dreading to find a good meaningful story, no offence to other such films, but ‘Philadelphia’ released in early 90s, seriously seeped the hearts of millions to empathize with those who were living a life similar to that of ‘Andrew Beckett’, a character flawlessly portrayed by Hanks.

A myth follows that if a movie is inspired from a true life story, then the movie would gain weightage based on the depth of screenplay and showcasing of characters. This movie too proved a point.

For those who did not know, ‘Philadelphia’ was directly taken from a page of Geoffrey Bowers’ biography who was an established attorney in the late 80s and had rose to fame when he sued the law firm with whom he was associated for a concrete period. Bowers was affected by HIV and in spite of being an intellectual attorney in those days; his associates fired him on the basis of unfair discrimination.

For those who have not picked up this flick for a watch and want to get a synopsis on the same, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philadelphia_(film). It is basically a movie that deals with issues such as AIDS, homosexuality, and common mindsets of people with regard to gays and even homophobia, a fear of homosexuality.

Written by Ron Nyswaner and directed by Jonathan Demme, ‘Philadelphia’ captured my attention absolutely with its many aspects of touching screenplay and strong portrayal of characters and the relationships between them.

Some of my favorite pointers from the movie:
1. The relationship between the two most handsome gays in ‘Philadelphia’ – Andrew and Miguel

2. How Andrew takes the news of him getting fired from the law firm
3. The tiff between Miller and Andrew in the beginning of the movie, as lawyers

4. Miller’s homophobic reaction when Andrew states that he has AIDS
5. Andrew’s fight against AIDS and homosexual discrimination

6. Hidden affection of the law associates for Andrew
7. The revelation of the fact that homosexuality does not always lead to transmitted diseases
8. Andrew taking up of off-color homophobic jokes when he is silently being hurt
9. Andrew’s dedication as an attorney
10. The documentary of Andrew as a child being watched by loved ones during his funeral
11. The support that Andrew gets from his pals and folks during such touch times
…. the list just moves on, to name many!

What I like, a lot more about this movie is that when the film ends, for a minute you actually introspect the happenings in this story. You take Andrew to be your friend who had to struggle his walk over stumbling rocks in a dark tunnel. You wonder what if the same happened to you or to your dear ones.



So many questions remain unanswered when you actually think about all that but ‘Philadelphia’ till date remains as one of my favorite flicks. Everything connected to this movie was awe-inspiring including Tom Hanks’s speech at the Oscars where he clinched the beautiful lady in his arms with tears in his eyes, love for all associated with the film and not, the tribute to Denzel Washington and parting the credit with his pal, his attorney from the movie and finally the end that he gave to his speech. No words, but just speechless.

Road trip to Phir Milenge “Life is all about timing... the unreachable becomes reachable, the unavailable become available, the unattainable... attainable. Have the patience, wait it out. It's all about timing” -- Stacey Charter

Ron was inspired by Geoffery and Revathy was flabbergasted by Ron’s masterpiece. A perfect timing is what I would say, for Revathy who milestones away from us had once captured the filmmaker’s glory in South and North Indian movies. Already known to be a great actress proved her maturity with the lens too.

Exactly 11 years down the line, she bagged a script with so much of depth, gave it the right shades with indigenous styles, chose characters that touched our hearts and finally contributed a gem to Indian cinema. Not within the clan of commercial Indian masalas, but a favored one rightly by critics who thought the movie spilled the beans of a social message in the most humanitarian pattern.

The movie was, in double words, copied? Yeah, it was an Indian sequel to ‘Philadelphia’. But the director beautifully strikes out the comparisons so that the latter is more original in its way and how??

• From an attorney of a law firm to a creative director of an AD agency.
• A gay living along with his partner to a spinster enjoying her times with her little sister, an RJ.
• The attorney gets his best case and the CD gets her third best AD award, a hat trick in a row.
• From having an anonymous relationship at a pornographic theatre to having a physical relation with the old college crush during a re-union.
• Lesions to donating blood during the sister’s car accident.

And not to end the entertaining tidbits, in the Indian version there were many twists too!

The protagonist gets her job back but declines the offer and decides to begin her own AD firm. She does not die in the end to leave us with a heavy heart unlike Hanks’ heart warming dialogue in the end when he admits he wants to finally die and not the take the pain anymore. She, her sister and her friendly relation with her attorney and his wife continues. The unheard hero of the movie, her boyfriend who had already been a prey to the virus but had not informed her, returns during a court scene and dies eventually in her arms.

If the Hollywood director took a step, our masters leaped a bit.



Anyway movies are to entertain and for us to be entertained. I write short stories too and while I was writing this post, was keenly wondering if there would be any takers for my kind of stories too. If Ron and Revathy can do it, why can’t I? And as always the saying goes, ‘There is do or do not, but nothing to try.’