With Naina Catherine Kapur
Character : Naina Catherine Kapur
Born in : New York
Occupation : MBA student
Played by : Preity Zinta
Movie : Kal Ho Na Ho
Directed by : Nikhil Advani
Naina Catherine Kapur, with beautiful dreamy eyes, clouded by a pair of spectacles, struggles at life. She is THAT eldest daughter with family issues, who must be allowed nowhere near a gun! This is the story of so many of us.
SHE IS NOT DEPRESSED!!!
It is high time that we understand the difference between grief/sadness or depression. You can call yourself clinically depressed only when you are so diagnosed by a doctor. What Naina faced was the lack of a person to talk to- a person devoid of traumas or someone who is adept at processing difficult feelings.
Losing a father, never-ending bickering between her mother and paternal grandmother, specially-abled younger brother, financial management of the entire household while just being a student herself can be taxing on anybody. It automatically leads to suppressed anger from helplessness and ultimately a sense of bitterness. Often, there arrives a silence with extreme rage and a feeling of being undeserving.
(In a movie filled with sermons by SRK, Naina does not have many lines to be quoted. )
People like these cannot have the time for love and taking care of themselves often becomes a luxury, while wishing at the same time that it was not the case. She kept continuing with these situations of unprocessed trauma and may be it could have led to depression but for now, she was not.
EVOLUTION
Since it is Bollywood, Aman Mathur enters. He is an angel disguised as a neighbour. In reality, I relate this with the fact that if you are exactly like Naina, may be it is high time that you go to a therapist.
Anyway, the most important part about the pessimistic Naina, in her deepest core, did want herself to change and anything new in your life becomes possible only when you really, actually, truly want to change. Aman only helps Naina declutter. She moves from chaos to calm, one day at a time.
There are lots of ‘ifs’ related to the development of this character, for instance, a great friend perennially waiting for you to fall in love with him. Even if you feel that to be impractical and unrealistic, you can always consider that to be a metaphor for second chances in life.
We can only hope that our life will be enough Bollywoodish that a real flesh-and-bone person would be there to redeem us. But if not, you can contact the writer for multiple ideas on healing.. 😁💕
LOVE AND LOSS..
Like all abandoned, traumatized children. the adult version of them is prone to falling in love with the person who shows them the slightest bit of kindness.
Naina is hurt by Aman but she learns to appreciate herself, widens her horizon and thereby appreciate other people around her who have been by her silently- friends and family.
She learns to deal with loss and grief much better after she unburdens herself. Her problems seem easier to deal with once she accepts them.
She finds her closure much before she actually learns the truth about Aman’s heart problem. She has made peace with the rejection she faces. Her entire world comes crashing down, but she also learns to look beyond despair. We do not see her turning negative like she was.
POSTLUDE
Naina realises healing is not about staying away from love. Healing is not being afraid to confront your feelings, not being afraid to give life a chance- give yourself a chance.
Moving on is not a joke, but her character gives so many people the courage and motivation to move on with the aspiration that there are better things waiting for you on the other side of abandonment, if you prioritize yourself. Coping up is the ultimate form of courage. There is no better way of overcoming your fears than facing yourself.
Let me know if Naina inspires you or you feel like she is just another damsel in distress. (❁´◡`❁)
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