The (Mis)Interpretation of Lucid Dreams

Before movie reviewers and armchair experts convince you that the recent Sci-fi action thriller, INCEPTION, is a story that most Indian viewers have found difficult to understand, let me assure you, that it is not so. It is amazing how youngsters are influenced by columnists and bloggers these days and wear the puzzled look like the latest cosmetic fad – coming out with a sulky face with question marks written all over implying they haven’t understood the plot! The truth is that there are as many versions of the story as viewers of this mind-boggling blockbuster.

For those who haven’t watched the movie – it is about how to steal business secrets by going off to sleep and entering competitor’s dreams to find what’s in his subconscious mind and what plans and fears reside there. Then there is a plot to plant an idea in his mind. An idea, we’re told is as potentially dangerous (or was it helpful?) as a virus, bacteria or superbug like NDM-1 or a New Delhi Minister.

Being privileged to mingle with government officials of the central, state and local municipal bodies, dealing with some of the scores of indirect taxes levied in our country, one found that prime-time activities in these offices included discussing how completely they understood the movie. After being offered free tickets by their assessee firms, they confirmed how completely they could understand and identify with the new professional heist who “steal dreams“, for a living!

“In totem” they said! Maybe they meant “in toto”.

Once back in my office, I began to wonder, what is it, that they would have liked about the movie? For one, it could be the profession of the protagonist, Dom Cobb, an “extractor of dreams”, may have had many similarities with theirs. To begin with, both enjoyed the perks of sleeping on their job! With a lucrative offer from warring business barons, Cobb designed joint-dreaming, sort of like team-work. Ditto in Government offices, one learnt.

Secondly, the more the team dreamt together, more were the chances of extraction - of real-life moolah, of course. So as not to provide spoilers, one would not elaborate how it worked with the on-screen characters, but let me tell you in real life – the longer one slept on an application of urgent requirement of the enterprise wanting to capture the universe with its aggressive business expansion plans, the better the prospects of “extraction”.

Thirdly, if one who has ever been assigned setting up manufacturing operations by getting government clearances, would have experienced sleepless nights and constant daymares, which are difficult to come out of - without a kick(back). All that these wonderful folks could not understand was the need to transgress into dreams?

Such sufferers of lack of sleep may find their way to mendicants handing out potions to induce slumber, very much like Cobb’s team in the movie. Having tried several pills, my professional friends with similar predicaments, recently invited me to deliver a lecture on such mundane subjects as coping with the professional hazards that one often found daunting to overcome in our trade. It was not long before one learnt that none of the participants really wanted to learn any new trick that one may have up one’s sleeve, but that my delivered lecture had all the qualities of the best sedative to put one to the deepest of sleeps possible under the given circumstances for the sleep-deprived brethren, whose projects are always “IN LIMBO” like the deepest dreams in the movie.

One also encountered a completely different view-point from friends, who felt that our local film industry, popularly known as Bollywood, would have done greater justice to the plot! One would have witnessed several romances, once one gets into someone else’s dreams, which could inevitably culminate in lavish marriage ceremonies breaking out into a mass hysterical song and dance sequence, in which one could wed partners of your choice, without really upsetting the reality carts in the real-life world. There is a distinct possibility of “projected characters”, usually in the form of ex-lovers, could fight over the bride at the ceremonial occasion in various joint dreams. The music rendered for the production could be a heist of a kind - although without really having to enter anyone’s dreams. Heists of different hues are, one would bet, debating the need to put one to sleep to enter their dreams, when the preferred modus operandi was to do it in broad daylight under the very eyes of the vigilante forces and concerned activists in public life over a cup of high tea.

Blogger’s Postscript: 1. Inspite of the attempt to convey the meaning of this post to all readers including those who haven’t watched the movie - INCEPTION, it may be a good idea to watch the movie and though, I cannot guarantee that you will understand the plot in the movie, but you will certainly appreciate this post a wee bit better.

2. Then there is this piece i read today in Bombay Times supplement of TOI by Nikhat Kazmi, which may contain spoilers.

The Meter Jam Campaign

I have always been wondering whether commuters can demonstrate their ire against errant auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers for refusing to ferry us to the destinations of our choice. Recently I promised a friend to visit him after my office hours to return a book I had borrowed from him. I was refused by no less than 15 autorickshaw drivers to ply to that destination. I called him up and expressed my regret. May be some other day, I assured him.

On another instance, I was with my wife wanting to return home from our shopping expedition, when the same happened. This time around a friendly Traffic cop asked us to get into the next rickshaw that arrived and told us we ought to tell them to take us wherever we want them to go and not ask them whether they would go! It worked. But I just wondered whether if not for his presence, whether our insistence would work? When I tried it out again – it didn’t! I had to get off huffing and puffing at the adamant guy.

When I received some email forwards providing the web-links to the Traffic Police sites where complaints of such nature (including higher fares etc) could be entered for them to take action against errant licensed auto-rickshaws and taxis.

Here are the links:
For Mumbai

For Thane Area

For Navi Mumbai Area

But frankly I did not try them out. Often I foun that these guys cruise past you at a quick pace making it difficult for you to note down their vehicle numbers! We need to hail them to a halt and get in and note down their number before leaving in future!

So one keeps wondering what can we harassed commuters do if the dadagiri-attitude of the licensed service providers continues unabated?

The recent initiative by Three advertising professionals Jaidev Rupani, Rachna Brar and Abhilash Krishnan, by launching the "Meter Jam" campaign on Wednesday is an answer to this question on every Mumbaikar’s mind.

Do read about the Meter Jam campaign in the links below:

Article in Hindustan Times

The Website of Meter Jam Campaign

Facebook Page

and Twitter Page

Do join the Meter Jam campaign – I am certain it is only the beginning – a good one at that – though there is lots to do - perhaps an extended and intensive campaign - to get what we deserve – a better life in Maximum City!