I am a movie buff… yes I like to believe so. I am not well versed with the works of Mrinal Sen or Ritwik Ghatak, neither am I aware of the cult films of the west. Yet there is one section of films I am totally crazy about..the animated ones. I have seen 97% of the Disney and Pixar movies (according to Oh my Disney!!!) and I haven’t missed the remakes of the Disney princess movies..

Cinderella was the beginning and Beauty and the Beast was a cherry on top.
A few months back some random Facebook post decried the Fairy tale Princesses as the wrong role model for a child. It was surprising as I have seen a lot of strength and determination in these princesses. While Cinderella, Snow White and Aurora did introduce us to concept of Prince Charming and the proverbial white horse, things were a lot different for Belle. She didn’t find her handsome prince till the end of the story.
Belle inspires me to beseech the beauty hidden in a person. In today’s world it is a difficult thing to ask or expect. A world where acceptance is difficult, the beholding of beauty within is a faraway dream.
Beauty and the Beast touches on some extremely delicate issues with such subtlety that one may not realize how much of it is actually a tale. The way Gaston takes it for granted that Belle has to marry him is reflective of the patriarchal society we still live in. When Agathe is forced to beg and leave the village because she was a spinster shows the mindset of people who dismiss her as the old hag. But Agathe shows that marital status has nothing to with kindness and generosity.
The final ball has a tiny moment when Lefou finds himself “gay” with a partner and they dance away into the evening.
All apart there is one person who has a mixed bag of all good things and that of course is Belle. Unlike the other Fairy tale protagonists, she lives with her Papa, has no evil step mother, loves her books and is fearless. Fearlessness would be the one thing that can be learnt from her. How many can be selfless enough to give up their freedom for others (easier said than done)? How many can give up their one chance of running away to save a beast that almost snapped her head off?
Tiny and itsy bitsy things that form a beautiful foundation for a lovely friendship which paves the way to the happily ever after. Accepting the shortcomings of another person and gently helping him overcome them.
Imagine seeing the world through someone else’s eyes and suddenly everything familiar looks different. Oh my..isn’t it dreamy?
If Cinderella made me believe in magic, Belle showed the magic is within.
There are moments in life when we find ourselves bogged down by what others think about us. A lot of self doubt slowly creeps in and we haven’t the faintest idea what the future holds for us. I have had that moment when the safe bet was extremely tempting but in floated Beauty with the scary Beast tagging behind. What hope did she have that one day he will change back or that there might possibly a life filled with happiness for her? What signs did she see that one day she will get her adventure and something more than the provincial life? None!! Other than a belief that it will work out in the end. While some may say taking counselling sessions with a fairytale princess is sheer madness, I say why not? All the pieces of the puzzle do fall in place and if it’s not happy, it’s not the end.
Till then hear the strains of music and sway gently to the tune, for its true.
Tale as old as time…song as old as rhyme… Beauty and the Beast…