This morning was supposed to be like any other weekday morning. Waking up, dragging myself to office, getting the regular Breadtalk chicken curry bun and cup of Mocha, opening up my laptop, writing down my things-to-do for the day, reading my emails and start on the day's work.
Well, all the above happened just as I was expecting them to but with a small difference. As I was reading my emails, one email popped up and completley took me by surprise and made the rest of the day for me! The email came from a lady in Melbourne, a complete stranger to me.
She wrote that she had come across this blog somehow and have been following it regularly and showed a great deal of enthusiasm in all the work I do, including the film-making. A perfect stranger, mind you! She ended her note saying "hope this mail makes you happy". I was flabbergasted. "Happy?!" I replied to her "It is more like overjoyed and elated"!
It is not just about having a complete stranger tell you that she enjoys reading what you write... it is also about how she took the effort to communicate this to me. She absolutely had no need to do that.
That made me realize that I have been a selfish pig for so many years, reading up great articles online and completely enjoying them, without even once bothering to compliment the writer behind it. So this gesture by her was an eye-opening experience for me! An acknowledgement goes a long way in making a person's day and mine was definitely made by her today!
Having said that, I really want to use this post to also acknowledge two other surprises I had over the last few weeks which, for one reason or the other, I had not written about on this blog. But I think I will do that now, because it makes my heart glow everytime I think about them and the least I can do is acknowledge them here.
Surprise One
Obviously the whole world knows that I am making a film. I have talked about it over and over again and several people are involved in this project - as cast, crew etc. However, one person, made an unexpected contribution to it, taking me by surprise completely. This person is a film-maker from UAE and a friend of mine. A few weeks ago, I had shared my ideas for a teaser poster with him over a casual chat. I told him that I really want to make one for the film, which was to be called 'Mausams' and will be set in Singapore. Within a couple of hours post that chat, he sent me the below - his vision for a teaser poster for Mausams. Note that he was not responding to a request I made or making his contribution as an official member of the film crew. He did it as a way to encourage me and the film, making a simple yet impactful contribution, expecting absolutely nothing in return. I had no words!
Surprise Two
I had written here about how I was introduced to a music composer by a friend whom I had not met for a long time. Now this composer and I exchanged a few emails post our introduction. I told him that music for 'Mausams' had already progressed a bit but there is this another dream project that I have in mind, which would need music. I told him that I plan to work on it only post Mausams towards the end of 2010, but explained to him just in 3-4 sentences on the story plot and the kind of music it might require. And it surprised the heck out of me when this boy sent me a track over the following weekend that was exactly in line with what I had in mind! I was dumbfounded. Not just by his talent but by his effort, sincerity and proactivity!
Really, I consider it as nothing but a privilege to know individuals like these who go out of their way for someone else. And the surprises that they give make me grin ear to ear.
Respect to them!
886 more to go.
:) Yup. Surprises and Co-incidences delight and overwhelm us - as we had not set any expectations prior to that. It's strange how we all, ourselves, limit our worlds , thereby limiting our possibilities-capabilities-and resources....and then feel "delighted" whenever such "surprises" occur. Probably, had we not "limited" ourselves, these would not have been called "Surprises". But yes, it's only after "limiting" ourselves that we 'realize' the worthlessness of this - so "limiting" has it's own utility - No one can ever 'teach' us to be 'unlimited' ...it's always 'realized'.
ReplyDeleteOops - a little more text than a typical comment. Don't mind please !!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts in such a candid manner always. It 'inspires' and makes me 'happy' :)
Bless you.
So true! :)
ReplyDeleteFirstly a big thank you to our Sweet little girl who also hails from the same home town as mine (THRISSUR - KERALA - INDIA).
ReplyDeletenow why am i posting a comment? just to let know to all the followers of Shilpa Krishnan that, we are the surprise nos 2 what Shilpa is referring to. now I and Shilpa do occasionally chat over Gtalk and for the obvious reason for all the readers to confirm what she is referring to indeed in real exists,I'm writing this bit.
we have never meet each other, we don't know each other, we don't have any common friend's who introduced each other but the only reason we meet each other is, we both share a very very common passion and that is FILM MAKING and we can go on and on talking about it(well destiny also plays a big part in we both meeting each other, what you say Shilpa?).
well, Shilpa I have told you this before but I'm mentioning it here, you are writing down what made you happy, but eventually in the process you make us all happy and give us a good reason to smile.
keep the good work going and BEST OF LUCK FOR MAUSAMS.
regards
Mathew Jenif Joseph
M.E.T Films
oh by the way i calculated the first story or bit as surprise nos 1 and assumed our story as surprise nos 2.
ReplyDeletewell we are the chaps whom Shilpa is referring to as the aspiring Film-makers from U.A.E. so technically we are the same chaps whom Shilpa is referring to as surprise nos 1.
I hope i didn't give that music composer friend of Shilpa a reason to raise his eyebrow.
Jenif - haha... thank you so much! :)
ReplyDelete