5 Life Lessons That Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara Taught Us
Today, fourteen years later, this slice of life also finds itself to be a huge part of pop culture, thanks to its honest portrayal of relationships that find contemporary relevance. Be it Laila and Arjun’s slow burn romance or Imran’s search for closure with his father, the movie explored more than just travel experiences. On the fourteenth anniversary of this brilliant piece of art today, here are 5 life lessons that the movie very nonchalantly left us with.
1. Embrace your natural self
2. Face your fears
3. Allow yourself to let loose
4. Express before it’s too late
5. Seize the day
1. Embrace your natural self
Farhan Akhtar’s Imran is your unfiltered and witty friend who wouldn’t leave a chance to poke fun at you and keep the energy alive with hilarious punchlines. He doesn’t hesitate to throw Arjun’s phone, and his business calls out of the window (quiet literally), has a banging sense of humour when it comes to the art of flirting and casually drops ‘the’ randomly in sentences like italian seasoning. Imran brings much-needed comic relief to the story. But beneath this fun exterior of a guy who could prank random strangers in a bar washroom, lies a vulnerable man quietly dealing with the ache of abandonment from a father.
The tone in Imran’s character shifts when he confronts Salman Habib (Naseeruddin Shah), who is his actual father. He makes us realize that not every happy-go-lucky guy has it all sorted out and even he is immune to the lows of life.
Well, if we’re being totally honest, Imran doesn’t need to really do much to leave an impression. His one recitation of the hauntingly beautiful “…dil aakhir tu kyu rota hai” is enough to knock the wind out of anyone.
2. Face your fears
If the adventures in this movie didn’t have you seated on the edge, you didn’t watch it right. What was the point of risking their lives, you ask? Well sometimes to feel fully alive you have to dance with danger. From Imran taking that brave jump miles high in the sky after much contradiction to Arjun and his long felt emotions on the boat post scuba diving to them making “Agar mai Zinda raha toh….” pact before the bull race, ZNMD made us realize it’s all in the risks, the thrill, the adrenaline because the magic lies there, it shines there.
3. Allow yourself to let loose
Arjun or as Imran would call him – the “mantally challenged bwoy” can be an annoyance when he stops in the middle of a drive amidst a perfectly scenic view only to begin his business meeting with a Japanese client. Initially he wears his business portfolio like a badge and measures success in profit and money. But the transformation that follows is one to be lauded for as he goes from being braggy about his finances to falling for a diving instructor who couldn’t care less about the finances. Arjun is the classic epitome of the importance of letting loose and setting yourself free. He goes on from being trapped in phone calls and business deals to succumbing to the water and ethereal beauty underground, and that change is not just seen, but felt. Arjun teaches us sometimes the greatest investment one can make is in the moments that don’t show up on spreadsheets.
4. Express before it’s too late
Kabir (played by Abhay Deol) finds himself in a relationship that feels less like love and more like a forced commitment. As the plot moves forward, we find that Kabir didn’t plan on proposing to his now fiancée Natasha (Kalki Koechlin). The ring that she mistook as hers was actually a birthday present for his mother. One can’t help but find his reasonings for the same difficult to fathom. Could Kabir have spared them both the complications by simply confessing sooner? We think so. There have been long debates on whether or not Kabir is a red flag in pop culture. Some stand firm saying he was while some find him tragically indecisive. Regardless of the verdict, if there’s one takeaway you can get from Kabir, it is telling the truth before it’s too late.
5. Seize the day
And then there’s Laila – the sea breeze personified. She embodies the film’s essence. Might we just add, casting Katrina Kaif as Laila was an elite move because nobody can quite fit right in those shoes with the ease that Katrina does. She walks in with her charm and unintentionally fills in the lively gaps that Arjun’s busy life lacks. One of the poignant moments comes during the walk Laila and Arjun take. She makes him realize that the scuba diving experience made him feel the emotions that a paycheck could never have. And how having a post-retirement plan is in vain because life brings no guarantee. Not to forget, the iconic “Seize the day my friend” unknowingly paves a way for thoughts of reflection in your mind and lingers long after.
Laila makes living life feel easy; she finds joy in something as simple as lying under a starry sky, her life goals don’t involve a check list, it involves new experiences, and if that is not the standard then what is?
Also Read: 7 things that Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara taught us
