“All Men Are Dogs. Some Are Wolves. But Only Few Are Lions.”
-Mahaakshay Chakraborty
I am right now on my way to the outskirts of tbilisi. If you don’t know what that is, well it is the capital of this beautiful country called Georgia. Me, my family and a crew of more than 40 Indians have been here since the last 20 days or so for a film. I can’t talk about the film now as our producer wants to keep the announcements for later. But right now I can tell you that me and 7 others are going to have a lot of fun for the 3 hours journey ahead. But I won’t be discussing this joy ride with you or the talks and gossips we share and laugh about which mostly revolve around women and sex. I would be talking and discussing about Men. Yes, Men. Even though us men have been categorised as simple, primeval and dog like creatures there is more to us than meets the eye. And the more you explore, the more you will see that there is a Lion in all of us.
"A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others."
Men. The moment you say that word, the only other word that you can think of is sex. Yes, I know that all men think of sex. In fact I read once that men think about sex every 7 seconds! But you see, not all men are bad. In our defence, we were made this way. I know that may sound like an escape route but the truth is that since the beginning of time we have been like this. And since the time I have started learning the meaning of life and also my own manly traits I have agreed with the fact that we have this certain gene is us which makes us very honest about the fact that we love sex so much. On this aspect I really envy women as they have the secret mechanism of hiding their sexual desires and that is why we men can never know when a woman ‘wants’ it. That is why nearly 70% of men get turned down by women at first glances ‘cause women can somehow ‘read’ and ‘sense’ what the man wants from her. I can go and on and on about the fact of why men and sex go hand in hand but to be honest sex is very simple form of desire and need. There is something more that we men desire. Something that lurks within our soul. Something that corrupts all men who attain it. That thing is POWER.
"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear."
Just yesterday, me and our film’s writer, Mr. P.K. Anil {who is in fact a very talented, intelligent and wise man} were having a discussion somewhere around the same topics as I am writing right now. From sex, to women to heartbreaks to society we finally moved to the topic of Power and we both concluded that in the end, all men actually look for Power over love. Let me explain that to you. Power may just be a 5 letter word in the Dictionary but those 5 letters contain the energon to all our souls. Since the invention of the spear to hunt beasts, we men wanted to show to each other who is the better amongst us all. Whether it was killing the monster who ate their cattle or slay other tribes who thought they could rule, men always wanted to show superiority and that superiority was inflated twice manifolds by the roots of power. People say Power corrupts all men but to be honest Power shows our true colours. Power is what defines us and sheds the hypocrisy we possess in order to fit into society. Why would I talk so much about Power? Well, it is because I have seen it. I have had it’s taste and I can tell you for a fact, nothing in the world tastes better than that. And men have always wanted for more. Men can never be contented. Whether it is buying that car or that grand house or even sleeping with the girls who once made fun of them, men, always want more. And to make more sense of what I am trying to say let me give you a small example. About 12 years ago, at the same month of july I was in Los Angeles, California for my Acting Course. My dad made some wonderful friends there and one amongst them became good friends with me as well. And he wanted to take me out to a strip club where if you pay extra you can be pleasured in more ways than one and me being the horny 18 year old I was didn’t decline the offer. Of course my excitement was diminished right before entering the club as I was under age. But I came to know that my new friend and his cousins and friends were all regular members over there. I vowed to myself that one day when I am all grown up and an adult I would revisit that club. That moment is yet to come. But what I saw after I left the club still amazes me till today. The moment we left my friend and his entourage took me to meet their family members, which meant their wives, sons and daughters. Yes, you heard me right, their wives who waited for them at home. Their sons and daughters who stayed awake for their fathers and the parents who were delighted to see their grown up sons return safely to their home. I know what I am saying may look normal today but back then I was shocked. Shocked to see the calm and resolve those men had over their faces. That they had no remorse whatsoever. Like, somehow it was ‘allowed’ to be an animal and break the bond of marriage for a quickie. Today, when I am only a few days away from turning 30, it scares me to admit but I can somehow relate to those men rather than despising them. Meaning that even I have been an animal or maybe I still am. The only difference between now and the asshole I was a few years back is that now I know how to control the animal in me. I am more aware and more responsible ‘cause I think that is what happens to all men when they turn 30. But to be honest, there is only one man I look up to. One man, who in my eyes is a true lion. And that man is Frank Castle.
"Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power."
Yes you heard me right. Frank Castle aka The Punisher. Marvel’s Anti-Hero, who first appeared in The Amazing Spider-Man. The man who wears the Skull T-shirt and who strikes fear in his enemies. For many of you, he may just be a comic book superhero but for me he is the Lion of Lions and it is like him that I want to be like one day. Hair gelled back, black apparel from head to toe and eyes as cold as death and stature filled with will and power. Frank has taught me many things but the one thing he has taught me the most is that it isn’t easy being a real man. A man who choses responsibilities over fun. A man who sacrifices happiness over duty. And a man who stands strong when all else is wrong. If it is indeed raining men, then I must say that Frank Castle’s entry to earth should only be in the Chariot Of The Gods. The way he talks, to the way he walks and to the he fights for the innocent is what makes Frank Castle my hero. And you know what is the best thing about him? He is as real as anyone can get. If you read his books, you will see that as a man even he does his ‘visits’ to women who can keep his engines in check. Frank Castle is a man in his purest form. The way god wanted us to be. Honest, raw and powerful. I wish that all men one day would have the balls to be honest and tell the world that they are in fact animals instead of being wolves in clothes of sheep. To be honest, even I want to be like that. But I guess, I can only test my own mantle when I am given Power.
"I don't measure a man's success by how high he climbs but how high he bounces when he hits bottom."
So to conclude this blog, I can only say that men will always be men. Whether it was our fore fathers or one day our sons, men will always be the way they are. Is that wrong? Nope. I don’t think so ‘cause maybe we are born this way and if we really wanna blame someone then I guess we should blame our maker ‘cause he made us in his image and the truth is that even he, himself is a Man. But no matter how many men I meet and how many seductions I myself face everyday, there will always be a part of me who would want to be like Frank Castle or as Constantine Demiris, a character written by Sidney Sheldon. A part of me will always want to hold my ground and possess true machoism and stare of a king and of a Lion. And a part of me will always lurk for War. A War to find the real man hidden underneath my own emotions and feelings. But until that day, I guess I will just go with the flow. The carpool ride to our location is still going on and I just heard that we are still 45mins away. But this blog now comes to an end. But I can promise you this that the journey to find the Lion in me has only just begun.
"A man who won't die for something is not fit to live."
This is Me, Mahaakshay Chakraborty and not all men can be Lions …
With All My Might,
Your No.1 Fan,
Mahaakshay Chakraborty.
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Here after a long time.
ReplyDeleteThere's an honesty that is expressed through your words and considering the background you come from (Bollywood), it's a rare thing to have! I wonder how many others out there would speak such things in as many words.
Hats off as always :)