JOIN USSci-fi films teach us lessons about loneliness
In ‘A Kind of a Stopwatch’, one of the episodes of ‘The Twilight Zone’ series’ (1963), a man is given a stopwatch. It can stop time for everyone and everything, except for the one who owns it. The man uses it to rob a bank. While carrying out bundles and bundles of cash, he accidentally drops and breaks it. Everything in the world comes to a standstill forever. He is shocked and runs around in panic, but in vain. We then hear a closing narration, “The man had a gift of time. He used it and he misused it”.
With no one around, no one to love or talk or to be with, what would he do with so much cash? Suddenly the value of cash, the importance of being rich, richer, and richest becomes completely meaningless. So what is more important? Cash or people? If the answer is ‘people’, then why do we always try one-upmanship? We always want to prove that we are superior and go to any extent to assert it. We fight battles and wars and divide ourselves into rival groups. Tomorrow, if humans, who rule the earth, become extinct, you can be sure they are themselves the cause.
This terrifying thought reminds me of the story of the demon Bhasmasura from the ‘Puranas’. The demon is granted the power to turn anyone’s head into ashes with a mere touch of his hand. Mohini, Vishnu’s female avatar, tricks him into touching his own head. Human fate could be similar if we are so bent on destruction. Astronauts are stranded in space and there is absolutely no one else, no sounds whatsoever in the science fiction film ‘Gravity’ (2013).
Terrifying loneliness is something you experience with the astronauts. When they return to planet earth, we start to hear different sounds. The sounds are so soothing. You feel comfortable hearing them. You are home finally.
When you see the audience walking out of the hall after watching the film, you feel a tremendous connection with them. You don’t want to notice or observe their colour or race, caste or religion. You realise the meaning of ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam’, that we are all one big family.
(The author is an actor, writer, singer and director)