It's been a month since that tearful premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, part 2 in Trafalgar Square, London. That was the day many people said goodbye to the film series. I think it's about time I think about my adieus to them. This is my tribute to Harry and his friends, and I have decided to do it in a Dear Mr. Potter manner.
I feel obligated to say that God, I feel scared writing this! I have built it up so much in my head that I feel it is impossible to deliver. So here goes nothing/everything...
Dear Mr. Harry Potter,
This letter has been delayed for a while now; I meant to write it sooner. I'm sure you know me...Hi! Big Fan!! This is a but tiny letter of me telling you about how you changed my life.
Up until my ninth year, my entire film-world had been restricted to what my parents allowed me to see. Hollywood-wise, I only knew about a few action and comedy blockbutsters, and Titanic ofcourse. Jim Carrey, Julia Roberts and Arnold Schwarzenegger were the only "foreign movie-star" names I was familiar with, though I could have been called a walking-and- talking encyclopaedia of the 90s Bollywood scene. It was indeed a fateful day when I went to the video store and saw this VHS of quite an adorable little boy, with a huge glittering castle as his background, on its cover. This was the first time I read the words Harry Potter. I had just moved to UAE, and Pottermania had not yet hit India. Attracted by the quietly alluring cover, and thinking that it would be a fun children's film, I rented it, went home, put it in my tape-player, sat down, and watched it.
I often, Mr. P., tell people that I will love Sorcerer's Stone at ninety-nine years old just how I did when I was nine. But that's not quite true. Ten years on, with much fewer grey cells, I cannot remember the exact emotions that went through me when I first viewed your first cinematic outing. I don't know how I felt watching this skinny little wonderful boy, who was bullied at home and felt so unwanted, and was then told that he was wizard and finally found a place where he belonged, and not just any place, but the most magical one he, or I, could have ever fathomed. Here he found friends, trolls, danger, Quidditch, and a home. All I remember after watching the film, your film, for the first time is falling head-over-heels in love with you, and praying every night for a very long time that I too am a witch, and Hogwarts really existed, and when I finally go there I will meet you and have the adventure of my life.
A Little Diversion: I don't know if you know this Mr. P., but I have this thing, this wish, of existing in worlds not quite my own...mostly of those in my favourite films. I have now come to the conclusion it is all because of you, and your world. Gee thanks...
Back on track now. So it took me quite a while to accept that I wasn't a witch; and you, my friend, did not make it any easier. After watching the first film for like fifty times, I started reading the books from where you originally came. Needless to say, they quite blew me away too. I loved your second year at Hogwarts too. In fact I remember skipping up to my house after I had finally acquired the CD. Again your courage, and your friends- especially Ron with his funny face, made me feel very happy, and extremely wistful.
Now instead of going through all of your films- each that I love for many varied reasons, I am just going to say why you matter to me so much. You matter because no other films have ever filled me with the kind of wonder and amazement like yours has. You matter because you have made me believe in the magic of this world. You matter because you have shown me that being different is never a bad thing- whether you are the Boy who Lived (under a staircase or otherwise), or a female super-nerd, or a quirky ginger boy. You matter because you and your friends were my friends too, and I felt that I could live and die for them just like they would have done for me.You matter because you taught me about life and death, good and evil, laughter and despair, power and friendship...what it is to lose someone but always keeping them with you in your heart. You matter because you taught me about love.
As your creator, my queen, Ms. Rowling has said: though the books and the movies have ended, your story will live with me and all my fellow-fans forever. I have done so many things with you and your friends- read books with Hermione, cracked jokes with Ron, felt stupid with Neville, made a fool of myself with Seamus, been proudly quirky with Luna, bragged with Draco, broken the smallest of rules and felt awesome with Fred and George, and ofcourse have been there for my friends, and tried to be brave and selfless like you, Mr. P. My childhood is interwoven with yours and it is very difficult, nearly impossible for me, to look back on the last ten years of my life and not see you and your friends popping out of every corner and nook. It is beyond me, and my wildest imaginative skills, to think of my life without you ever having been a part of it. Today, the sole reason I am into films the way I am is because I saw yours first. I owe you so much!
This is not goodbye, I hope you know. I will hang on to you...quote you, read you, watch you, be perpetually inspired by you, and grow old with you. I have already declared, and I am telling you this now- my future children, whether they go to school or not, will be acquainted with you. Period. Your story will enchant and enkindle them, and their children, like they have me all this while. Obviously I was a part of your generation, and they won't be able to have that, but I know that they will still love you, and revere us for being here. They will think of this as a great era, as you have made me-an eternal hater of all that is 21st century-esque, believe so and feel incredible blessed to be a part of it. I don't know if that explains how much you mean to me (probably not), but these are the only words I have. Rest are just a slightly embarrassing amount of tears spent on thinking that this wonderful era has indeed come to a close.
Thank you for letting me into your wondrous world...
I feel obligated to say that God, I feel scared writing this! I have built it up so much in my head that I feel it is impossible to deliver. So here goes nothing/everything...
Dear Mr. Harry Potter,
This letter has been delayed for a while now; I meant to write it sooner. I'm sure you know me...Hi! Big Fan!! This is a but tiny letter of me telling you about how you changed my life.
Up until my ninth year, my entire film-world had been restricted to what my parents allowed me to see. Hollywood-wise, I only knew about a few action and comedy blockbutsters, and Titanic ofcourse. Jim Carrey, Julia Roberts and Arnold Schwarzenegger were the only "foreign movie-star" names I was familiar with, though I could have been called a walking-and- talking encyclopaedia of the 90s Bollywood scene. It was indeed a fateful day when I went to the video store and saw this VHS of quite an adorable little boy, with a huge glittering castle as his background, on its cover. This was the first time I read the words Harry Potter. I had just moved to UAE, and Pottermania had not yet hit India. Attracted by the quietly alluring cover, and thinking that it would be a fun children's film, I rented it, went home, put it in my tape-player, sat down, and watched it.
I often, Mr. P., tell people that I will love Sorcerer's Stone at ninety-nine years old just how I did when I was nine. But that's not quite true. Ten years on, with much fewer grey cells, I cannot remember the exact emotions that went through me when I first viewed your first cinematic outing. I don't know how I felt watching this skinny little wonderful boy, who was bullied at home and felt so unwanted, and was then told that he was wizard and finally found a place where he belonged, and not just any place, but the most magical one he, or I, could have ever fathomed. Here he found friends, trolls, danger, Quidditch, and a home. All I remember after watching the film, your film, for the first time is falling head-over-heels in love with you, and praying every night for a very long time that I too am a witch, and Hogwarts really existed, and when I finally go there I will meet you and have the adventure of my life.
A Little Diversion: I don't know if you know this Mr. P., but I have this thing, this wish, of existing in worlds not quite my own...mostly of those in my favourite films. I have now come to the conclusion it is all because of you, and your world. Gee thanks...
Back on track now. So it took me quite a while to accept that I wasn't a witch; and you, my friend, did not make it any easier. After watching the first film for like fifty times, I started reading the books from where you originally came. Needless to say, they quite blew me away too. I loved your second year at Hogwarts too. In fact I remember skipping up to my house after I had finally acquired the CD. Again your courage, and your friends- especially Ron with his funny face, made me feel very happy, and extremely wistful.
Now instead of going through all of your films- each that I love for many varied reasons, I am just going to say why you matter to me so much. You matter because no other films have ever filled me with the kind of wonder and amazement like yours has. You matter because you have made me believe in the magic of this world. You matter because you have shown me that being different is never a bad thing- whether you are the Boy who Lived (under a staircase or otherwise), or a female super-nerd, or a quirky ginger boy. You matter because you and your friends were my friends too, and I felt that I could live and die for them just like they would have done for me.You matter because you taught me about life and death, good and evil, laughter and despair, power and friendship...what it is to lose someone but always keeping them with you in your heart. You matter because you taught me about love.
As your creator, my queen, Ms. Rowling has said: though the books and the movies have ended, your story will live with me and all my fellow-fans forever. I have done so many things with you and your friends- read books with Hermione, cracked jokes with Ron, felt stupid with Neville, made a fool of myself with Seamus, been proudly quirky with Luna, bragged with Draco, broken the smallest of rules and felt awesome with Fred and George, and ofcourse have been there for my friends, and tried to be brave and selfless like you, Mr. P. My childhood is interwoven with yours and it is very difficult, nearly impossible for me, to look back on the last ten years of my life and not see you and your friends popping out of every corner and nook. It is beyond me, and my wildest imaginative skills, to think of my life without you ever having been a part of it. Today, the sole reason I am into films the way I am is because I saw yours first. I owe you so much!
This is not goodbye, I hope you know. I will hang on to you...quote you, read you, watch you, be perpetually inspired by you, and grow old with you. I have already declared, and I am telling you this now- my future children, whether they go to school or not, will be acquainted with you. Period. Your story will enchant and enkindle them, and their children, like they have me all this while. Obviously I was a part of your generation, and they won't be able to have that, but I know that they will still love you, and revere us for being here. They will think of this as a great era, as you have made me-an eternal hater of all that is 21st century-esque, believe so and feel incredible blessed to be a part of it. I don't know if that explains how much you mean to me (probably not), but these are the only words I have. Rest are just a slightly embarrassing amount of tears spent on thinking that this wonderful era has indeed come to a close.
Thank you for letting me into your wondrous world...
Yours forever faithfully,
Nikhat Zahra
(Pottermaniac since 2001)
Nikhat, this is beautiful! <3 A LOT of people, including myself, will relate to your letter. =)
ReplyDelete- Chandni
Thank you Chandni!!! So much :)
ReplyDelete