Here’s how Imtiaz Ali’s Tamasha impacted a fan’s life – read on…

Be it Kareena Kapoor – Shahid Kapoor starrer Jab We Met or the recently released Laila Majnu, Imtiaz Ali’s films are all about magic and love. The director has a different fanbase for the kind of films he makes. One such movie that is very close to the audience’s heart is the 2015 release Tamasha starring Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone. And a fan named Harshit Bansal got affected by this film so much that he started a page on Instagram, where he intends to deal with cinema-related topics.

Called Humans of Cinema, Harshit created the page in October last year and said that the inspiration of it all came from a desire to work on something that he’s been most passionate about the impact of cinema. Talking to a news portal, Harshit revealed, “I’ve been a film buff all my life, but I started thinking about the personal, social and cultural impact of films only in the past few years. While I continued to be affected by films so deeply, I also observed a similar effect on the society in general.  It was baffling to see some people insulting cinema by calling it merely a source of entertainment with no social repercussions. I just felt that the best way to disprove them would be through people sharing their own experiences of how films have had a significant impact on their lives. That’s how the name came about too. It’s less about the films and more about the humans that watch them.”

He further revealed, “While the film (Tamasha) is about pursuing your passion itself, what really prompted me was the relationship that I shared with it, how I went back to it whenever I felt disoriented or lost and how it always showed me a path. It’s almost therapeutic for me (The Office, US being a close second). And after interactions with people around me, I realized that for almost everyone, there were some particular films or shows that they connected with the most, based on their own experiences, and I just knew that this had to be explored further.” Check out some of his posts here:

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"Dear Qais, I consider myself a realist and I wear it like a badge of honor. I tend to intellectualize imperfections of a character, but you called me out on it. If I heard someone say ‘Majnu’, I’d instantly attach to it toxic, obsessive and stalkerish attributes. But you, Qais. You held my hand and walked me through your journey from Qais to Majnu. You candidly said: “bohot mehnat karta hoon smart banne ki, shakal acchi nahi hai naa..”, and won my heart over. You struck me as a simple and rational boy with a charm and sense of humor. I envied Laila. I won’t lie, I found it silly, your mystically romantic “Laila aur mera rishta hamare bass ke bhi bahar hai..” banter. But something moved within me when you stormed out by saying “jaa mein nahi aata, ab tu dhoond mujhe..” In that moment I knew that I had set myself up for a heartbreak, as had you. When your restless gaze from the window met with a flashing image of Laila by the lake, I sensed that she never left you. I felt your loss and longing. Your nervousness, eagerness followed by your surrender after your eyes met hers for the first time in four years, it filled my heart and tears rolled down my cheeks. Your helpless sigh of “karoon toh kya karoon..” tugged at my heartstrings. I didn’t even notice when, but I organically stopped rationalising your narrative and just let the magic unfold. I empathized with your urge to break free, to run away and to entirely submit to the emotion. Your journey from loneliness to madness was oddly satisfying. I accepted your fate’s design and your tragic reunion with Laila, and I let go. I’m still my old realist self, very different from you. You haven’t dramatically changed my life but you strangely struck a chord. I felt your pain and liberation, and it left me wondering about the false dichotomy between head and heart. Qais Bhat, sahi kehte hai log, pagal hai tu." . – Akshata ( @akshataaww ) . #DearMovies #HumansOfCinema

A post shared by Humans of Cinema (@humansofcinema) on Jul 10, 2019 at 4:27am PDT

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Dear Kamlesh Kanhaiyalal Kapasi, Kem Cho? From the very moment you entered Sanju's life, sneaking into the hospital room of his ailing mother and keeping your miraculous Ganapati Bappa murti by her side, it felt like you've entered my life too, forever and ever. Kamli, you were more than just a friend to Sanju, his "sabse aziz dost" who gave him hope and support he needed in the most selfless way possible. If Sanju was the soul, you were his heart. If Sanju was a lone traveller walking in the dark, you were his guiding light. Defending Sanju's love and affection for Ruby, asking his Dad to be more friendly and letting him realise his own potential, trying your level best to help Sanju out of his wretched life.. these were a few of the numerous occasions that showed time and again that you are a trustworthy friend, whom we all crave to have in our real lives. You made Sanju realise about the ill effects of drugs and years later, followed every news about him even as you pretended that you've put a full stop to this eleven years of friendship. That was more than enough to erase the question mark on whether you had actually stopped caring for him. Being the sweetheart you are, you still loved your best friend even though you couldn't bring yourself to say it out loud after he was declared unsafe to be seen with. My heart questioned, " Will you and Sanju ever reunite? In this lifetime?" The misunderstanding did shatter him and you to the core, even if you kept it lowkey but finally, you both reconciled and I couldn't be more happy! The hug that you both longed for, the tears, the happiness, the smiles. Amidst the feelings, I fell for you all over again. Afterall, as your 'Sex-spear' said, "All's well that ends well." You've been with Sanju by being his greatest source of positivity and strength and unknowingly with me too all the while. You gave a new meaning to 'Roar' – to bounce back and fight like a Tiger when everything seems to fall apart and helped me understand the meaning of true friendship and how to cherish the bonds in my own life. – Prem jode, Manjistha ( @sheoverthinker ) . . #humansofcinema #Kamli #Dearmovies

A post shared by Humans of Cinema (@humansofcinema) on Jun 29, 2019 at 9:55am PDT

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"When Delhi-6 released in 2009, everybody was only talking about two things, the long Anarkali suits and the song 'Masakali'. I remember watching this song for the first time on TV and being amused by its lyrics, music and the way it was sung by Mohit Chauhan. There is so much 'natkhat' and flair in the song. The song was so catchy that whenever it came on TV, I would rush to the TV room from wherever I used to be, just to listen to the song. The song depicts peace and love which is the essential soul of the film. The song is also Bittu’s aspiration to break free and fly high. Bittu is symbolized as Masakali. That's why you see the bird almost every time Bittu appears in a scene. The lyricist wanted Masakali and Bittu to be themselves and be proud of who they were. Both of them were meant to fly; the bird in the sky and Bittu in her life to fulfill her ambitions. The song also wants both of them to retain their purity, innocence and naughtiness throughout their lives. I fell in love with Sonam after watching her in the film, especially after this song. She was absolutely uninhibited and natural throughout the film. It's one of her best performances till date. Bittu was one of the major highlights of the film just like Masakali was the major highlight of the song. The depth and subtext in this song were refreshingly surprising. Some lyrics also signify the relationship of the bird with the sky. Your home, O beloved In the colony of clouds Tease all those Who don’t know how to fly The pigeon motif is evident throughout the film, including other songs as well. There is a moment in the film where Roshan is captivated by Masakali and takes pictures of it on his phone. But as the film progresses, we see him taking pictures of Bittu instead. This was to symbolise his growing fondness and love towards Bittu. For him, Bittu's beauty and spirit is similar to Masakali's. In the song, Dil Gira Daftan (a dream song of Roshan), there is a stunning sequence where a painter is painting Bittu with Masakali in her hands. Then we get to see the world inside the painting and the love between Roshan and Bittu. It was fabulous. A dream world in a dream itself. Wow!".

A post shared by Humans of Cinema (@humansofcinema) on Jul 1, 2019 at 11:41am PDT

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Dear Ved, . "Saamne iss jahaan ke, ik naqaab hai tu.". . You were unique. You were different. You were yourself. When the mask fell on the ground, it wasn't only you who discovered your true self. It was me and several others. When you said “Main maths mein acha nahi Hoon, I'm sorry”, you made me realise what I'm not good at. When you said, “Toh koi baat nahi, apni kahani hai ending change Kar lenge!”, You gave me hope that everything can be fixed at the end. The realization that you're not fit for a desk job made me realise the same. You have evoked the artiste in me and I can never go back to being the same person that I was earlier. Whenever there's monotony in my life, your monotonous scenes reflect in front of me and give me the strength to break the pattern. Choosing unconventional paths especially in career is difficult and challenging as well, but you've made me capable. Your storytelling wants me to reflect upon myself and show the world who I am. Thank you for taking me on a journey of self realization. You have changed me as an individual, as an artiste and I'll forever be grateful to you for it. Tu koi aur hai, jaanta hai tu… Thank you for making me realize who I actually am and what potential do I carry with myself. Thank you for being my strength when I was low, for being my guiding light in the days of darkness, for bringing joy to my life, for making me a theatrist, a performer. I feel as if a part of myself is complete now! Thank you for being Yourself!!. . Love, Suchi . . #dearmovies #humansofcinema #mentalhealthtalksindia #hocxmhti #tamasha #ranbirkapoor #deepikapadukone #imtiazali

A post shared by Humans of Cinema (@humansofcinema) on May 20, 2019 at 5:15am PDT

Harshit’s page Humans of Cinema has close to 36,000 followers on Instagram. Stay tuned to CineBlitz for more news and updates.