https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HDTS80dlr4
As Highway clocks eight years today, let us have a look at a few of the reasons why the film still resonates with so many viewers.
1. Dimaag ke saare knots khul rahe hain
Veera is a free spirit; she cannot be contained. In one of the first scenes of the film, we see her sneak out of her house, and insist her fiancé take her on a drive on the highway. You see, she’s done with discussing her wedding prep all round the clock. She rolls down the windows of the car and lets the night breeze tease her face, while she feels like her brain has started destressing again. Later on, we also see her ‘request’ her abductors to let her outside, explaining that closed spaces suffocate her.
Ostensibly, Veera looks borderline claustrophobic. However, it’s her spirit that demands freedom. While closed spaces might not be a trigger for all of us, who has not craved to be let free? Who has not rolled down the windows and felt a sense of rejuvenation, second to none? Who has not loved the feeling of tightened knots finally coming undone? I guess that makes all of us.
2. Yeh raasta kabhi khatam naa ho
The road plays a crucial role in most Imtiaz Ali films, as the characters go on a journey of self-discovery. And as they say, journeys are much more beautiful than the destination itself. Veera’s abduction became an entry point for her to escape the known. After hiding from the police for inexplicable reasons, Veera tells Mahabir that she doesn’t want to go back where she came from, neither does she want to reach where he’s taking her, but she hopes for the road to never end.
In life too, it’s in these bus and car journeys, auto rides, long walks, and flights, that we find the most peaceful and precious time with ourselves. We are often lost in thoughts, introspecting, reminiscing, or maybe just playing out imaginary scenes in our heads. And when these journeys come to an end, we might just linger on a minute longer, so our favorite song playing in our headphones can end.
3. Sooha saaha amma ka
Highway’s album is a gem, and out of the many songs composed by the musical genius A R Rahman, Sooha Saaha is a special one. This is a lullaby that Mahabir’s mother used to sing for him when he was a baby, and it has stayed with him over the years, for obvious reasons. Later on, Veera hums this song for him, reminding him of a childhood far from perfect. Veera is also seen adding a few lines of her own, as he pats Mahabir’s head, as he sleeps on her lap.
The romance between Veera and Mahabir is extremely subtle, but it is in these moments, where they become a reflection of each other’s parents, letting the other be their vulnerable selves. For Veera, Mahabir somehow becomes the father-figure, with whom she finally feels safe. Without even doing much, Mahabir offers her the kind of protection that she has been lacking in her home all these years. For Mahabir, on the other hand, Veera reminds him of the unconditional love that only his mother had for him. In each other, they find the kind of love, that the child in them wanted. (Maybe this is the reason we see young Veera and Mahabir meet in the former’s imagination at the end of the film).
This is true in real life as well. We often look for a safe haven in our partners and friends. It might be something that either reminds us of home, or helps us fill the void of one. Nonetheless, the relationship people have with their parents, often becomes the basis for the ways they love later on. And this is captured beautifully in Imtiaz Ali’s film.
4. Inhi logon ke beech jeena hain
In one heartbreaking scene, Veera bares her heart out to Mahabir, as she details the account of how she was sexually molested by her uncle as a child. She is angry at the superficiality of the so-called civilized society, which sets countless norms of right and wrong, and casually brushes ugly, and uncomfortable truths below the carpet. Veera says she has to live her life, make friends, find love, and even show courtesy to the same people who have hurt her beyond words can ever explain. Towards the end of the film, she vents these feelings out, full of emotions and power, as she questions why she wasn’t warned of the predators lurking inside her house.
Often than not, people who hurt us are people we know and love. And this is putting it lightly. Most times, people who breach our trust and safe boundaries, people who exploit us, and leave us hurting, are those who are closest to us. If we are lucky, we heal, otherwise, not. If we are lucky, we get to vent it out and have people believe us, otherwise, not. And sadly, all of us become a part of the façade.
5. Pahaadon mein ek ghar
While some love the mountains, others are mesmerized by the sea. Either way, all of us have the perfect escape plan in our heads, as we imagine that, one fine day, we shall finally discard our suffocating, mundane lives, full of pretentious sophistication, and finally embrace a simpler, uncomplicated one. Veera always wanted a cottage of her own in the mountains, and she did get one before tragedy struck. She tells her fiancé Vinay, “bolte sab hain, jaata koyi nahi…” and then says, “Par abb naa main jaa chuki hoon…main wapas nahi aaungi”
While it’s not always possible to leave behind our realities and start a new life all over again, we sure do dream about the same. Who knows, one day, we might just do it, like Veera.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Iss Pyaar Ko Kya Naam Doon
Current Affairs
3