There is No charge for Awesomeness

Kungfu Panda over Lance Armstrong – Hope vs Dope

And once again, the world tries to appear shocked, disappointed and angered. While NDTV 24X7 and CNN were busy showing the great fall from grace of legendary cyclist Lance Armstrong, HBO aired Kungfu Panda.  And I guess after all the mudslinging contests that have eclipsed the daily news in the Kejriwals, the Khurshids and the miserably overgrown childish fancies of the Kings of Good Times... the only thing worthwhile on TV this week was Kungfu Panda. 

Po, the Dragon Warrior

I love animation movies. They just bring in such hope, the Disney’s and the Pixar’s and the Dreamworks’. Lance Armstrong has long been a real life “Dragon warrior” for most of my generation. A man who could beat cancer and came back to world sport finishing with an ecliptic record of seven Tour de-France titles was always a figure of “the power of will” among us youth. The man who created the mantra of “live strong” was all but strong in his own life. Alas, once they fall, even humpty dumpty could never be put together by any amount of horses of men- and we know that one since nursery.  

Somehow I just have a special corner for Kungfu Panda. Maybe I am just a big overgrown girlie myself and I like my teddy bears the most, or just perhaps because Po- portrays the stereotypical Loser image- is relatable (ok, go ahead and laugh asking me if I look at myself as a loser, but if you grow a brain you’ll see what I mean about stereotypes and presumptions). At least I can relate more to him than the rich brats of Student of the Year, who by the way, just like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, are never seen studying in their schools. Better worth for money seem the virtual creations these days that make an attempt to break some sort of stereotype as opposed to glorifying the tried-tested-stale and wasted love-wala-triangle and ishq-wala-love concepts.

Po's father - Mr. Ping - The noodle wala

Po never loses his humour even when he is the butt of all jokes throughout the movie. And he manages to show what most real-life idols keep failing to live up to. That good does win, and will does have power and destiny always “flies in the face of logic and science”, as my uncle once put it.

I mean Po- the Panda still believes in and loves the biologically anomalous father that he has in the rooster. Do we see such transcendental love in the real times? Or how about the fact that the creature is huge on the outside and so adorably cuddly on the inside, like all idol-worshiping teenagers? Let us take a minute to acknowledge how the mockery of a kung fu warrior refuses to give up after being made a fool of countless times, after being annihilated in combat by all its fellow trainees, even after being humiliated for his size, his wit, his eating habits, his hygene or his very presence that only earns rejection and anger from his teacher- Master Shifu- who calls out to him as 

Master Shifu and Po - at his sucky best

“there is now, a new Level zero.”

I, for one, can recite the dialogues alongside the movie like subtitles. When master Oogway says to a disbelieving Po who runs scared of his destiny well aware of his incapacity to fulfil the title of the Dragon Warrior, he says, “One often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it.” Apply that to life and maybe all that mist and haze we pass through along the way will all just clear up. Running is never the solution.

Or how about the line, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” You’ll want to take life as it comes. Each day that you live makes sense if you like what you do, because then you know what you are doing is what you were meant to do even before you knew it. Each minute that you sit through, hating everything that you do and wanting to run away from it, maybe that is your moment to find your true calling.

Master Oogway and Po under the the Sacred Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom

Master Oogway according to me is the true legend in the movie; the slow little wise turtle, who could foresee the turmoil in the characters’ hearts. “There are no accidents” he says. True. Things always happen for a reason. You may want to question how you got to the most treasured things that life gave you. When I recount these moments, my epitome was all seeded in one random move I must have made unaware of the consequences that may have followed. The best things I got in my life came when I started out with zero expectations. It makes me realise that we are all constantly changing our destiny in every move we make; it is all the same albeit unaware of it.

There were some moments of exceptional hilariousness. “There is no charge for awesomeness and attractiveness.” I mean, a Panda striking a pose and saying that takes you back to your own show-offs, when you may have given such superstar moments and hit poses totally in your element, must have looked just as lame. Or how about the obsessive compulsive urge to overeat under high levels of stress; stuffing one’s face with the peaches from the ancient tree of wisdom, impervious to the fact that the tree actually meant more than just a peach tree...I’ve pigged out every time I’ve been depressed. I totally see myself in that obsessive panda.

So the one thing I will take away from it for sure... actually two, are these: Po says “I probably sucked more today than anyone in the history of Kungfu. In the history of China. In the history of Sucking.” But ends up being thee panda- the best yet humblest warrior and just the same goofball he was from the very start. 

Po and the Furious Five

And the second is again the same “one often meets his destiny on the road he takes to avoid it.”

So even if you might initially totally suck at something, have a sense of humour about it and laugh it off. There is nothing more gratifying than having the ability to laugh on oneself even if others laugh on you. Nothing good ever came out of running away from things. Be a “man” so to speak, and just face the shit that happens head-on. 

Kung Fu Panda

Because even if you took the easy way out, what is meant to blow up in your face, eventually will be same mess anyways. Who knows maybe standing and admitting that you suck at it makes it the first step towards bettering yourself.