Mumbai-Varansai Express is a short 30-minute film staring Darshan Jariwala. The film is about a successful business owner and Hindu, Krishnakant Jhunjhunwala, who learns he has colon cancer and has roughly 1-2 months left to live. As a result, as the title suggests, he travels from Mumbai to Varansai to live out his final days. Krishnakant meets several interesting individuals along his journey, including another business owner, a Muslim rickshaw driver, and a kid. Throughout the film, Krishnakant reflects on his life and things he wishes he had done differently. Without diving more into the plot, below are some notable quotes from the short film which relate to the meaning of life.
"I feel I have not lived, just existed." - Krishnakant Jhunjhunwala
"Bare body, we were born empty handed, only our karma remains forever with us." - writing on the wall
"Just like man discards old clothes and wears new ones, similarly the soul discards an old body and takes on a new one." - Kid in Varnasi
"I realized rather late, that just like our bank balance we need to start accumulating good karma (deeds) also, early in life so that we don't repent in our last days." - Krishnakant Jhunjhunwala
"The lust of worldly pleasures dies not, nor is there contentment all that dies is the body. The lust for life & thirst for riches dies not so says saint (poet) Kabirdas."
Overall, the 30-minute film will be well worth your time. We rate it the following:
Overall - 7
Meaning of Life Relevance - 8
Uniqueness – 8
Spoiler Alert: Krishnakant Jhunjhunwala gets betters, lives a year when his doctors only expected 1-2 months. However, one day while eating some street food sweets he sees his company in the paper. As such, he wants to return to Mumbai. His friend warns him not to go back. He doesn't listen... lesson to be learned is that we should invest in spiritual experiences, not worldly pleasures. If you are a foodie, like us, this film may hint at a grim fate.
What do you think? What is the lessons are to be learned? What did we miss?