FANTASY MEETS REALITY

In an earlier era, fantasy was an escape. A vicarious view of the life we might have had; had we been allowed to dictate it. Tightly bound by the constraints of society, religion, economics, politics and indeed our own minds, reality was the life we looked to escape. Our attitude was fatalistic. One was born and could hope to die in very similar situations; sons and daughters pretty much filled the same roles that their fathers and mothers did. Where reality was narrowly defined, fantasy was imaginative and free.

Bollywood was built on fantasy. It presented the utopia we craved, the challenges we wanted to surmount, the rewards and respect that eluded us in reality. Ordinary men proved themselves and went on to live extraordinary lives on the screen, while the audiences went back to their ordinary lives, sustained by the glimpses of something totally out of reach. Fantasy was an escape and nothing more, a pleasant dream to soothe our eyes and minds. An interlude – a break from the monotony of real life.

Post liberalization as our reality has progressed; we have begun to fantasize of dreams within reach.

TV serials are built on accessible fantasy. They present the real problems, dilemmas and struggles of everyday life with a little glamour, showing us that reality need not always be so stark and depressing. Everyday life can be beautiful too, if we invite fantasies that thrive within our limitations. We may not have the red carpet but we can surely get red roses, we may not own the world but the exercise of power in our own sphere is still possible.

Reality shows are bringing fantasy down to real life. Real life transforms to celebrity life overnight. Not just through talent and hard work in competitions like Indian Idol & Dance India Dance, but also through outrageous & bad behaviour in shows like Roadies & Splitsvilla.

And anyone can get a ‘following’ on Facebook, Twitter or YouTube. Air your views on anything under the sun, publish your writing, show off your exotic vacations. Complain, admire, shock, criticize, like, friend, trash, protest, put down – all within sight of a global audience.

Video & Internet games allow us to ‘live’ in other dimensions that though made of fantasy, feel just as real. Get a virtual life, fight in a virtual war and even have virtual sex. Anything seems possible today.

Living one’s fantasies was once impossible – who could reach for a dream that was elusive, as far out of reach as the moon? Today even the moon does not feel out of reach with space tourism seeming like a distinct possibility. A moment’s fantasy transforms rapidly into reality in a relatively quick passage of time. Perhaps, there is no longer much difference between fantasy and reality.