‘Gaali Khao, But Make The Gaalis Count’ And 10 Other Lessons I Learnt From Saand Ki Aankh

Saand Ki Aankh will make you cry, and definitely make you call your sister but it will also give you some important lessons. Here are the ones I learnt.

The movie ‘Saand Ki Aankh’ is a must watch. It talks volumes about the tribe of sisterhood, their unity and faith in their dreams despite all odds. A well presented movie, set in a patriarchal background, it retells several stories. Including those of the oppressions, of dreams crushed under the feet of societal norms, and of fights being fought for ages.

The storyline may wet your eyes at times. At the same time, your soul will be filled with inspiration. A fun movie that will keep you hooked to the screen till the end with its witty, humorous and strong dialogues. The passionate ‘Shooting Dadis,’ with their bold characters will steal your heart and puff your chest with pride.

In the truest sense, the movie is a celebration of sisterhood and has several takeaways for the audience. Here are 11 things that touched my heart:

Just how unfair patriarchy is!

The movie showcases that frame of the society where freedom and liberty are still dictated by men. Women are still forced to suppress their voices and survive their lives in the four walls of the house.

There is a dialogue in the movie, ‘bandook mardon ka gehna howe hai, aurton ke khelne ki cheej koni,’ (a gun is a man’s ornament, not a plaything for women). This clearly highlights the demarcation of power and authority in the hands of the ‘privileged’ gender as women being the ‘weak’ ones remain mere spectators.

Another dialogue, ‘sutta fukna aur bachhe paida karna, ye do hi toh kaam awan hai tanne,’ (there is only two things you can do: smoking cigarettes and birthing kids) clearly focuses on the core job of the males in the society. A society, where women’s desires are hidden behind dedicated and colourful odhanis, leaving the colours of the world being a mere reflection of it.

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Sisterhood above everything

When women support each other, encourage each other, remain united and take pride in each other’s achievements, we can turn the world upside down. Just remember the motto, ‘united we stand, divided we fall.’

So lady, take the reign in your hand, help others along the way and be a role model for generations to come. Instead of being jealous, support other women around you, that is only going help you mould situations in your favour.

Marriage a beautiful new journey?

Marriage should be the celebration of embarking on a journey which adds value and meaning to your life. It shouldn’t be life imprisonment for one and kingdom of rule for the other.

In the movie, the Maharaja and Maharani couple, drives the attention that one should respect and appreciate each other’s efforts for a successful married life.

Fight your own battles

This is your battlefield and you’re the only warrior. Don’t expect a miracle to happen or for someone else to fight on your behalf. The earlier you accept your capabilities, the better you are to fight the battle for your dreams.

And once you are ready, be vocal and showcase your identity. No one is going to listen to you, lest act in your favour if you don’t reveal it to the world. Be vocal, take action and show the world what you are made of.

Keep your eye on your goals

‘Logon ka to kaam hi hai hassi udana,’ is an age old dialogue, but holds a strong significance. People are forever ready to prove that you are worthless. However, when you achieve something, they will take credit too. And some even have the habit of not just mocking you but, trying their best to demoralise you. They do it like it’s their jobs, they do it so wholeheartedly.

You do yours. Be focused and keep your eyes on your goal. Remember the path is not a bed of roses, and that there would be several thorns decorated beautifully on the way. Just make sure that you don’t lose sight of your goal and keep moving towards it despite the thorny bed of roses.

Determination, curiosity, and resilience goes a long way

Both the highly ambitious dadis will definitely leave you in awe. The dedication towards work and the zeal to live your life keeps you motivated to not give up. It makes sure that you are constantly moving forward and towards your goals.

The dadis’ desire to taste true freedom and the curiosity to live and explore the treasures of life helped them sail through the arduous journey. So, be as curious as a child, keep the thirsty wanderer inside you alive, at all times. Because these are definitely the basic ingredients of an adventurous and fulfilling life.

Remember the oath you’ve taken

I loved the idea of tying a knot in the pallu  by the dadis as a reminder to fulfil their undeterred intention. There are times when it becomes difficult to handle certain situations but a firm oath to remind yourself time and again keeps you on track.

At the same time, remember to celebrate every small moment like the dadis did. They danced under the shining medals and celebrated every small effort of theirs. Similar, count every small step of your success, it will only lead to unmatched glory.

It is okay to lie some times

The planning and dramatic presentation of the series of lies by the Dadis was worth watching. The dialogue ‘Jab ghee sidhi ungli se na nikle to ungli tedhi karni padti hai’ holds so apt. Sometimes in life, it becomes necessary to take the help of lies to bring a much needed change for a greater cause.

So, don’t worry and play smart.

Be proud of yourself as you are

There is a scene in the movie where the dadis are asked to get into comfortable clothing like men during shooting. The women declined and simply said, ‘humein mard bankar koni khelna. Ghagra to humari pehchaan howe hai aur hum isi mein khelengi.’ (We don’t want to shoot by pretending to be men. The ghagras are our identity. We will shoot in these!)

Never pretend to be anyone but yourself. Wear your identity and show the world that you don’t need any mask, especially that of a super human. You are enough as you are.

So don’t take a backseat yourself. Feel proud of yourself and your identity. At the same time, be the change you want to see in your life.

Age is no bar

In their 60’s, the shooting dadis proved that there was no age criteria defined to dream or bring a positive change. So, take the plunge, take it right now!

During a shooting competition, they are asked about their age. Their prompt reply to it goes on to show the number of years they wasted till then. They say, ‘Umar batane mein koi takleef naahi, par sahi umar ka andaza koni jisme humne apne khatir jiya ho.’  (We don’t mind giving out our age, but the real age is the one that we have lived for ourselves.

Doesn’t it hold true for practically every other woman in our life, women who sacrificed their lives, because they were bound by the social norms?

If it hurts, make it count

The dadis are asked ‘ye dono ik jaise aisa ki khaate ho?‘ This question is met with an unexpected response of, ‘gaali.’ It goes on to prove the point that if you know the art of channeling your pain and anger in the right direction, it will definitely hit bull’s eye.

So, go out and celebrate sisterhood. And don’t forget to remind yourself that there is no dream that is unachievable and no target that you can’t aim at.
Go on, aim at your target and shoot, one day, the arrow will the Saand Ki Aankh for sure!

Picture credits: YouTube

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