taarein zameen par and mithi's mind

mithi and i are watching taarein zameen par for the nth time. after seeing the film in the cinema hall, we have seen it on cable television atleast five times and sometimes in parts. i suspect mithi and her ayee have brought the dvd home as well.

everytime they show the film on cable tv, mithi urges me to watch the film again. not that i need any nudging or urging from her. but, she glares at me if i dilly dally. once she said, " watch this film about parents mama. don't you just love the boy who has to deal with them?" huh?

the scene where ishaan bunks school. the shot where he eats a "baraf ka gola."
mithi: mama, he is as old as me. where did he get the money from? did he steal the money from home? maybe that's why he suffers so much later on...
me: (wanting to smoothen the creases and give her the 'right'picture): maybe his mother gave him the money at some point. a rupee or so. that's not much money, mithu.
mithi: but mama, he is my age. MY age. i do not carry any money with me to school or anywhere. (looks at me accusingly. hands on her waist)
***
mithi: btw, mama, what is the meaning of bunk?
me: when you go/run away from school without informing your teacher or parents, during school hours.
mithi: oh! do children do that? (gleefully)
mithi's dad interjects: but, that is a BAD thing to do!
me: he could have gotten into trouble mithu. he could have wandered somewhere and be lost. he could have met with an accident. somebody could have kidnapped him...
mithi: but, he was happy for sometime, away from all those people troubling him and tormenting him.
****

valentines day

yesterday evening. 8 pm.
mithi and her dad are snuggled under quilts on the bed.
"family time!" she announces and we smile. i get under the quilt with them. here's what happens next:
mithi: poppy, it's valentines day today.
mithi's dad: hmmm...
mithi: so what are you both doing about it?
dad: we are here cuddling up with our darling chingudi.
mithi: why don't the two of you go and 'do' dating?

i look at her. her dad looks at me.
me: mithu, what is dating ma?
mithi: arre baba, go somewhere and do some dhamaal masti.
me: what dhamaal masti?
mithi: like have fun. have a good time. you can also go on a long drive you know.
me: (ulp), a long drive? what's that?
mithi: you people don't know a thing. arre, means go on a long drive in the car. listen to music.
me: what does dating mean mithi ? (am trying to probe where she picked up the word from. also trying to investigate what it means to her)
mithi: i don't know what people do, but i know they 'do' dating.
dad: see, this is all a result of watching those Disney programmes meant for adolescents. mama's right. you are not supposed to watch these programmes. they are for older children. you should watch cartoon network or pogo mithi.
mithi: you know, once Shinchang's teacher went on a date with someone. that's how i know dating.
me (mutturing under my breath): this Shinchang is really a strange one. teaches kids to be naughty, and not listen to grown ups and now all this!
mithi: mum, have a heart. grow up. what i see is not bad. when you ask me these questions, you are bad.

of films and children

mithi is watching tv as i enter the room.
mithi: ma, i should not see this film.
me: why?
mithi: because on the screen they wrote "to be seen under adult supravision"
me: 'supervision' mithi. hey, do you know what that word means?
mithi: they are saying that adults have 'super' or better vision than children and so, children must watch the films with their parents.

of art and approaches to it

mithi looks a little agitated as she shows me a bunch of cards she has made. many of them make use of the old design broadband poster i have at home. the rest use oil pastels.

mithi: mama, look at this one i have done. the one with flowers in a pot.
me: hmm, nice.
mithi: mama, you know i had coloured the petals of this flower, green. but, at school, sir told me i should change it to some other colour. he made me change it to purple. sir said, "anusha, have you ever seen green flowers?"
me: so, you changed the colour?
mithi: no mama. i told sir that in the world of my mind, in drawing as in stories, anything is possible. it is like magic. you can have green flowers in that world. but, mama, sir still asked me to change the colour.

on beauty

night.
mithi, her dad and me.

Conversation veers to beauty blah.....
hubby: so mithi, what is beauty?
mithi: papa, beauty is being good. if you are good, you will be beautiful, and if you are bad, you will be ugly.

hubby and me look at each other. amazed.
next moment my cynical mind wonders where she heard it.

me: so, is it important to be "beautiful" (the way she understands it)?
mithi: no. but, (looking at her dad apprasingly)...papa, you must be slim and tim.
both of us: what? tim?
mithi: yes, t.i.m. you must be healthy. so, when will you start going to the gym, huh?

of snoopy bloggers

(last sunday afternoon)

mithi, her father and me are driving to the park again for our by now habitual sunday afternoon tryst.

mithi says something and i listen intently.

mithi's father: mithi, be careful. don't say anything witty, funny or intelligent. your mama will immediately put up a post in her blog.