Those who’ve seen the movie would remember it for its brain intervention clinic, Lacuna Inc. This was a center where clients could selectively erase the particular memories they didn’t wish to keep. Needless to say, the procedure found its largest clientele among heartbroken lovers. But that’s not what made the movie interesting. What did were its insights into how our memory defines us. As we close in on the 25th year reunion of our IIT Delhi batch, memory is made to work double shift. It’s difficult to keep pace with the frenzied activity on various social-media platforms. After all, twenty five years is a long period of time; and a brain addled in alcohol ain’t no reliable ally. So after going through a chat on a whatsapp group, I ask a friend to help me recognise a particular participant. The friend tries but his efforts are to no avail. Then he finally blurts out ‘याद कर, इसकी लाइफ़ में goggles के फ़ंडे थे।’ It’s a strange way to define a person, but what’s stranger is that the definition works. I instantly recall who we’re talking about. The conversation then veers towards another guy we’ve both lost touch with. ‘Weren’t you guys really pally?’ I inquire, shifting the responsibility away from me. ‘हाँ...similar mausas/chachas, similar hometowns, similar pocket-money,’ my friend explains, thwarting a possible follow-up question, ‘उस उम्र में यही सब देख के इंसान दोस्ती करता था।’ ‘और इस उम्र में क्या देख के करता है?’ I ask. He thinks for a while before replying with a straight face ‘Entertainment, entertainment, entertainment.’ The ‘dirty picture’ frivolity is a ruse. Afterall, what entertains us - what’s capable of amusing us - is an integral and defining part of who we are. For Aristotle’s friendship of ‘goodness’ (the friendship he approves of) is in its essence also a friendship of ‘pleasure’ and a friendship of ‘utility’(the friendships he disapproves of). Then, as the great get-together approaches with its memories of people’s goggles and their hometowns, you can’t help wondering whether this sort of subliminal baggage is restricted to acquaintances alone. Isn’t it probable that we’re carrying certain memories of our loved ones that aren’t entirely fair to them? And if yes, wouldn’t we want to do away with these aberrant memories? Or would we want to retain them because these aberrations are that oppositely charged nucleus which holds all the other stuff together. Who knows? Perhaps the professionals at Lacuna Inc. could provide guidance. This is, after all, a whole new customer base for them. At any rate - aberrations or no aberrations- I guess it would be a worthwhile experiment to allow our loved ones a clean slate, i.e., to erase them from memory, and then bask in the pleasure of getting to know them all over again. Here, then, is to true reunions! As Mr. Mahendra Kapoor would hum, “चलो एक बार फिर से, अजनबी बन जायें हम दोनो...”
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AuthorSachin Jha. Archives
September 2020
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