Imtiaz Ali films have a reputation for growing on viewers over the course of multiple viewings, much like A. R. Rahman's music has a reputation for growing on listeners over multiple hearings. I have a theory for why. A part of our brain is always predicting the future - it's scanning for clues and trying to guess what comes next. While watching a movie, this part of our brain is trying to guess who the killer is, what the big reveal at the end will be, who gets the girl, or when our favorite song from the trailer will play. When living life, this part is wondering - will I be rich and successful? How long will I live? Will my kids like me when they grow up? How many grandkids will I have? Even when you have chastised yourself several times to "live in the present", it is just as hard to enjoy beautiful moments in the present as it is easy to treasure them in hindsight. Nostalgia is beautiful because you already know what happened after the moment. And with that part of your brain quiet, you can simply savor the beauty of the moment, or at least your memory of it.
And so it is with beautiful films. When you've seen it before and know exactly what happens next, your brain can fully focus on enjoying each scene and surrender to the emotions of the moment.
These musings are the day after having watching Imtiaz Ali's latest, "Main Vaapas Aaunga," a soul cleanse of a movie.
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