Can you guess the movie I’ve watched the most number of times? In a formal setting, I’d say something intellectual like Interstellar, The Matrix (all of them), Lord of the Rings, Andaz Apna Apna etc. While I’ve watched them many times, one movie rules over them all. It’s none other than one of Govinda’s super hit films – Shola Aur Shabnam.
At one point, I knew everything about that movie.
Well, it goes back to the summers where content was what Doordarshan served, which wasn’t exciting at all. Fortunately, we had a video parlor close to us. You borrowed video cassettes one at a time. The guy who ran it would drop and pick up the cassettes after 2 days. They were diligent as they had a limited stock and many bored students to serve.
In one case, he forgot to collect on time. We liked the movie and were prepared to pay late fees, which weren’t much. I believe the parlor closed and we inherited the one grand movie in my school life, Shola aur Shabnam.
It’s crazy to imagine a time where your source of entertainment was one movie.
Any time you got bored, Shola aur Shabnam went to our VCR player. Why didn’t we get other movies? We did, as a family. In other words, parental decision was involved. I was pestering them for other movies to be seen on the big screen, for ice creams, or toys. A Rs. 2 movie permission was not worth adding to the list.
What does watching one movie over and over again do?
Expectedly, you knew every dialogue. Every song. Every side character. Every cringe moment. How the story flows. What makes it work. Don’t you also do that with movies you like?
That’s the point for today’s newsletter – Total immersion.
We are drowned by stimulus in every direction – movies, books, case studies, web series, emails. When and where are you taking time to think deeply? How are you extracting insights?
Fortunes are found when you dig at one spot for a long time.
If we keep digging everywhere, we are left with a mess. Instead, think of your consumption and thinking as an oil drilling exercise. Once you find something good, immerse yourself in it.
It’s alright if it appears like you’re stuck on the same thing for eternity.
At some point, ideas will emerge naturally. Allow your real intelligence to shine in the world of AI.
Persist and keep at THE main thing.
It will be worth it.
Happy ideating!
Hemang.