Letter to Squadron Leader Veer Pratap Singh

Dear Veer,

In my opinion, yours and Zaara’s story was an exemplar of love. Whenever I happen to see Veer-Zaara or think about your love story, I wonder, are stories like yours and Zaara’s mere figment of writer’s imagination? Is love this pure beyond the world of films too?

Well, I think I have got my answer. In this day and age, when people are trying to find their life partners on matrimonial sites and dating apps, love story like yours is difficult to find. Mushkil hai janaab, Mushkil hai. Advent of such sites and apps have somewhat tarnished the purity and sanctity of love. Kamaal ki baat hai na log aaj kal sache pyaar ki talaash ek app ka sahara lekar kar rahe hai.

Well, a person like you, who didn’t even bat an eyelid before promising Zaara’s mother of safeguarding her reputation, is rare to find. When you told Zaara that Sarhad par ek aisa shaks hai jo aap ke liye haste haste apni jaan de dega. My heart had skipped a beat. You truly didn’t care about your life when it came to saving hers.

Tumne 22 saal jail ke salaakhon ke peeche kaatein sirf zaara ki izzat ki hifazat karne ke liye. 22 saal hawalat ke chakkar kaatein taaki Zaara khushi se jee sakein. Aur doosri taraf Zaara thi jisne apna ghar apna mulk chod dia, sirf tumhara khwaab pura karneke liye. Tum insaan ke roop mai khuda thay, ya khuda ke roop mai insaan?

Well, i try to look for you in every person i meet. But i have still not found someone like you. Maybe you were just writer’s figment of imagination. Well, I think love story like yours and Zaara’s can only come alive in 3hr 15 min feature film.

Tumhare jaisi mohabbat sirf filmon, kitaabon aur shayarion mai paai jaati hogi. Phir bhi na jaane ek aas rehti hai tumhare jaise kisi shaks ki jo mohabbat ke maine bhale na jaante ho par mohabbat nibhaana bakhoobi jaanta ho.

From,

A girl who’s not as beautiful as Zaara

To

A person who makes her heart skip a beat

Here, I am finding solace in words woven with love, with hope, and with heart of a hopeless romantic.

I have vague memories of the time when my parents took me to theatre to watch this love saga. I was kid back then (I am still one). I slept almost through the entire film. I wasn’t fond of the film in my school days. But as years passed by, I started liking the film. My fondness towards the film had increased over the years. Today, it is one of the films that I hold closest to my heart. It was through films of Yash Chopra that my fondness towards romantic films had increased (mostly due to Veer Zaara). The music, the dialogues, performances, the montages and the list goes on is just top notch. Well, someday i will write full fledged article on the film. Hopefully soon, Inshallah.