Sunday, January 13, 2008
Devil Wears Prada
Watched “Devil Wears Prada” for the a 100th time today (not exaggerating), and the movie strikes a chord every time. I don’t mean, the lovely dresses and the underweight models or Meryl Streep's attitude… but certain aspects of the movie almost always strike a chord! This time, it was this dialog that struck a chord…
The dialog:
Andrea: Sorry, it’s a busy day… my personal life is hanging by a thread. That’s all.
Nigel: Join the club. That’s what happens when you start doing well at work. I mean when your whole life goes up in smoke… that means it’s time for a promotion.
The dialog is pretty self explanatory. However, what is ironic is that we walk into such situations with our own two feet… steady feet. First it’s all about the new job… a job which we love. At times we love it for the money, at others for the work and on rare occasions for both.
The first time we have a late night; it gives a weird kind of kick… to be a part of the big bad corporate world. Finally you are a part of the "in" crowd that used to brag about crazy work hours and dying at work. But of course, the newness wears off and slowly, the one off late nights turn into a routine and soon you end up in a place where on a miraculous Thursday when you actually manage to leave work at 8 in the evening, a colleague snorts… “Half day today??”
The late nights convert themselves into working weekends and the next thing you know you are missing out of friend’s birthdays, parent’s anniversaries, a cousins promotion party, a date that was decided a month ago, until you are left with nothing but a life (if you can call it that) that starts and ends at work. The questions like “How’s life?” start irritating you because, where is life?? A decent bank balance, a good place to live (if you get enough time to appreciate it that is), a catalogue of a beautiful holiday in the Andaman’s (your parents/spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend left behind with the hope that you may be tempted) lying on the coffee table under a huge layer of dust… you glance at it ruefully when you get back from work, shake your head and move on!
The little sadist in me wants to end it there. It’s a painfully gloomy picture as it is… why extend the misery? But then, the bigger sadist in me wants to remind you that there is just no way out of this situation. Sometimes we do it because we want to, at others we do it because we don’t have a choice. Well… choice… that’s a tricky word. And writing about that is not within the scope of this post. But just a parting dialog from the same movie… about choice…
Andrea: That was different. I didn’t have a choice.
Miranda: Oh no! You chose. You chose to get ahead. You want this life… those choices are necessary.
Andrea: But what if this isn’t what I want. What if I don’t want to live the way you live?
Miranda: Don’t be ridiculous. Everybody wants this. Everybody wants to be us.
It’s a different issue that the protagonist walks away throwing her cell phone into a pond, when she sees her boss trying to reach her! I was wrong. It is about choice!
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12 comments:
With great choices, comes a great responsibility. We always have a choice, whether to do something or whether not to do something. The choice though is always between something good and something better or something bad and something worse; never between good and bad. The responsibility is in choosing wisely; and making a good choice better in the end. Of course... its always about choice.
To live or to survive thats the question here!!!
Now imagine 2 corporate people doing well how will that scenario be... no brochures for anyone!!!!
Iyer... we all think we are completely in control of our lives until we suddenly realise that we have lost the chance to choose! :).
Hey Rohini... well two corporate people doing well is fine... two corporate people in the same family (read husband and wife)... that's a different ball game... and a matter of priorities and choice... :). If we are left with one that is...
what a debate!!
Padhneka aage badneka! jyada schneka nahi!
@uptown - i think initially we dont have any choice but after a stage in life, we do get chances to take a call.... n if such a stage doesnt come, then may be there is something wrong wid the person.
n hectic life - m still not a part of corporate culture but I really wonder how different it can be from my life here in IIMC...It is no more just about corporate life but it has become a part of our culture and may be it starts right from our schools. but i still believe that much-discussed late nights in office are more due to herd mentality than anything else...
and hectic corporate life is just an excuse to save ourselves from social reponsibilities/activities...
had wanted to but never got the chance to watch the movie until last evening...n definitely a bigger surprise was finding this post on it on your page today!
Choices...life is indeed all about choices, isn't it? They say that, in the beginning the choice seems to be in one direction only and later on when we get used to it, the choices pretty much become obvious. But, isn't it still in our own hands to control our destiny. It just takes that one moment to decide on that big question- "What?"
Loved this piece thoroughly. THOROUGHLY! Echoed the sentiments of an entire generation which continues to churn itself inside out for a higher goal, which gets lose in the dust or the fog - pretty early.
Control - no control, no need for control - need is for the strings that come with success. We see them, we like them, we want them. We're kids, we haven't grown up.
'Nashta karlo...' - No maa, am late already... at 30, we're suffering from indigestion (if not much worse issues), at 35 our back gives up (the spine has, a long time back)... we're BURNT OUT!
What a life we have 'chosen' for ourselves. :)
I agree with you. Everytime I see my grandparents still standing on their own two feet, hail and healthy and as kicked about life as they were when in their 20s... I feel ashamed that I don't feel that enthusiasm and I am still in my 20s!!! I just hope that it isn't too late and that I can still choose to live life the way it is meant to be!
yeah was a v good movie, wasnt it? yeah totally agree with the choices bit, its ok if people follow te herd etc, but when the same people complain abt their work etc, it isnt right cos they chose it!
baby the choice is yours,always,rat-race or your own pace
Hi UptownGirl,
May be it was a year back that you told me that you were writing pages. Got to see this today, accidentally. Liked this piece (and other pieces also). Is closer to your heart. You know I once asked my colleagues a question: Who is your employer? Some said it was the company, some said it was their boss, smarter ones said that it was the client. None came up with the answer I was looking for: Work. Indeed, work is our employer. The funny thing is we hate work but want to remain employed. Did I say something wrong? Okay so we want a balance in life. But yes, we don't want our juniors becoming our bosses. And want good appraisals from our seniors. I think the basic problem lies in the fact that we have not accepted our 'work' as our 'profession'. This change of perspective may bring new energy to our lives. Having said this, I also need to accept that 'overwork' is an issue with certain group of professionals in India and elsewhere. And 'we the people' do need to see this as a social problem and 'strike a balance'. At the same time, let's also not forget that Newton never complained of 'overwork'.
Do keep writing. May God bless my little good angel!
pradipta
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