Decoding complex movie characters and their mental state

Movies are mere reflections of society. We often identify with the characters on screen and realize the imperfections and conflicts within ourselves. Let’s take a look at some of the characters which have engaged us in their journeys and given us a fruit for thought.

1. Tamasha – Ved Vardhan Sahni (played by Ranbir kapoor)

Tamasha was a film that was definitely ahead of its times and was misunderstood by many.

In the beginning of the movie, we see a flashback into the life of Ved. We see a young Ved spending hours listening to a roadside storyteller and is extremely fascinated by his stories.

The story shifts to Corsica, where Ved meets Tara (Deepika Padukone). They meet as strangers and choose to keep their identities a secret during their stay in Corsica and refer to each other as Don and Mona Darling. – “What happens in Corsica, stays in Corsica!”.

Few years after the trip, Ved and Tara meet in Delhi and get into a relationship. However, Tara realizes that Ved isn’t the same as he was in Corsica. She met and fell in love with a carefree man who lived life on his own terms, but Ved was nothing like Don and was simply a slave to the corporate world.

Ved is actually a very complexed character. He has too many conflicts and thoughts within and is unable to express them properly. He tries to suppress all his emotions and that is why they come out in the form of outbursts.

Through his childhood, it is revealed that Ved was always interested in story-telling and actually wanted to pursue that but ended up working in the corporate world due to his father’s pressure. He has accepted his fate and is actually living in denial. Ved is constantly struggling to choose between doing what he is supposed to be doing and doing what he actually loves. Every year, he takes a solo vacation to an unknown city and lives the way he wants to. According to him, he is simply playing a character. What he doesn’t realize is, or rather, doesn’t want to realize is, that he is actually being himself during these trips.

It is when he is confronted by Tara in Delhi, that his suppressed emotions and years of living in denial cause huge emotional outbursts. In one particular scene, we see Ved to talking to himself looking into the mirror. He is literally begging himself to let go of the thoughts that have been triggered by Tara’s sudden confrontation. Ved is fired by his boss for his unstable and random behavior. He goes back to Shimla and finally confronts his father. He decides to follow his passion, that is, theatre and drama.

In the final act of the movie Ved says a very true line - 'Apni race khud chuno aur phir dekho first kaise nahi aaoge.' This line sums up the film in one sentence. The movie tells us to do what we like and what we are best at, and not the things that the society asks us to do.

We all see Veds around us in different forms. In fact, we all are Ved in one way or another. We often do what society expects us to do, instead of doing what we love. Suppressing our desires and thoughts can affect our mental health immensely. It is therefore important to do what we love, and success and happiness will follow.

2. Highway – Veera Tripathi (played by Alia Bhatt)

Highway is more than just a love story. In fact, in my opinion, it is not a love story at all. Highway is about Veera, a young bride who gets abducted a day before her wedding. Veera comes from a wealthy family and has lived a life she didn’t want at all. She has lived her life as per her parents. She has faced gender bias, neglect, and even sexual abuse from her own uncle while growing up. However, she wasn’t able to do much as she wasn’t supported by her parents. As her protectors turn out to be her predators, she feels trapped in her own life. She is getting married to someone she doesn’t even love.

Scared and confused at first, Veera finally starts enjoying her time in captivity as she is abducted by Mahabir (Randeep Hooda). She starts enjoying her independence and ability to live freely. In one of the scenes, Mahabir literally tries to hand Veera to the Police, but she refuses to leave him. She starts enjoying this journey with Mahabir across different cities and states and doesn’t want it to end. She finds a father figure in Mahabir, which she never had before this. Mahabir deeply cares for Veera and is deeply protective of her, which gets Veera to be extremely attached to him as she never had anyone do this for her before.

However, the police eventually find them, and in the chaos, Mahabir is shot dead. Veera finally returns to her family. In an emotional confrontation, Veera asks her mother as to why she asked her to keep shut about the sexual abuse by her uncle. She asks her father as to why he always warned her about the dangers outside, but never about the ones inside her very home. She finally expresses all her emotions and thoughts which she’s had since the time she was a child and she suddenly feels free.

Highway is much more than just a love story, and is actually about two damaged souls finding solace in each other.

3. Dear zindagi – Kaira (played by Alia Bhatt)

Kaira from Dear Zindagi is one character that most of the youngsters would find relatable. Kaira is a young girl who is in her early twenties. She is confused, flawed, and frustrated. She finally decides to see a therapist (Shah Rukh Khan) in her hometown, Goa. It is seen that most of her problems stem from her childhood.

In an emotional scene, Kaira has an emotional outburst and finally confronts her parents and asks them as to why they abandoned her in her childhood.

Kaira is pressurized by society. The constant pressure of getting married and getting a job, since being a cinematographer isn’t considered to be an actual job by her parents and relatives, leave her frustrated and she seeks acceptance which she never gets from her own family. She puts all the burden of the imperfections of her other relationships onto her romantic relationships, and hence, they suffer.

This generation is full of Kairas. We’re all confused, frustrated and long for love and acceptance. We often feel that our parents don’t understand us and burden them with the need to be perfect, no matter how imperfect we are ourselves. Thus, it is important to see our parents as two individuals who are allowed to make mistakes. In this case too, Kaira’s parents had their own limitations and therefore had to leave Kaira behind when they moved out.

These three characters show us the importance of addressing our mental health needs. Seeking help shouldn’t be a stigma. Moreover, these characters show us how most of the problems can simply be resolved with introspection and by simply talking to people and reaching out. We’re all so busy in our lives that we forget to spend time with our own self. It is very important to reflect on our own thoughts and understand our own emotions and feelings. Sometimes, like in the cases of Ved, Veera, and Kaira, our problems stem from our childhood experiences. It is therefore important to address any unresolved conflicts from childhood. Lastly, it is very important to share and communicate your feelings. It helps lift the burden, as suppressing and holding on to emotions can make you feel trapped. If you can’t find one, be your own Tara, Mahabir, or Jug.

If you are feeling low, please reach out. Do not hesitate. You matter.

COOJ Mental Health Foundation (COOJ): +91 8322252525

Parivarthan: +91 7676602602

Connecting Trust: +91 9922001122 / +91 9922004305

Roshni Trust: 040 66202000, 040 66202001

Mitram Foundation: 08025722573

Arpita Foundation: 08023655557