The Lion King

L of #AtoZChallenge

Lion King has changed the Sunrise for me!

It's a forever change.

There are rare times when I have seen a rising sun.

But whenever I have seen one,

'Naaaaaachiii baingyaaaa,

baba bi chiwawaaa....'

rings in my ears!

I am that sun who rises on that screen,

I am that ant who walks on the twig,

I am those bisons who run,

I am that leopard,

I am that bird who flies across the huge waterfall,

I am the mighty elephant who slowly walks past the wide mountain,

I am also the flamingo who flies over the beautiful river basking in the early sunshine.

I am the antelope hopping to reach in time,

I am that little giraffe who runs with his mum,

I am also Zazoo who glides and swoops down at Mufasa's feet,

and bows to him.

And then Mufasa smiles.

Oh that smile!

That kind, wise smile!

It is then when I knew that I wanted to BE kind like Mufasa

and REMEMBER him for the rest of my life!

I have dreamt and imagined my parents holding me up on the cliff,

allowing the world to see me.

And that's how I have imagined introducing my offspring (human and animal) to the world,

when I become a Mum!

And yes I will play the track in the background from the part,

'From the day we arrive on the planet,

And blinking, step into the sun,

There's more to See,

Than can ever be Seen,

More to Do,

than can ever be Done....'

The Lion King has been my life's FIRST EVER animated movie that I have seen on the BIG screen.

I do not remember how old I was.

Maybe I was five or six.

I still remember the golden lettered words on the glossy white background square-ish invitation card, that we were given in my Vaze School.

They had a special screening for kids and their parents in Deepmandir in Mulund West.

I remember the entire Animal Kingdom come to life in front of my eyes.

For the first time in my life, I felt what it was to truly lose myself in a story.

And now that I think of it, I never really came out of the story.

Lion King, the animation and Disney impacted my life and me to such an extent that I still am reeling in it!

It was since then, that I think I got the ability to visualize my stories 'in animation!'

Or it was Lion King that gave me a voice, a hope that what I think and see, exists and can be done!

The Lion King opened up a new world to me.

The moments and dialogues in the movie aren't mere dialogues.

They became my beliefs and mantra!

'Hakuna Matata'

'You have gotto put your behind in your past!'

'Past can hurt, but you can either run from it or learn from it.' And here I can imagine Rafiki hitting on my head; and me putting my paw (not my hand) on my head, in pain!

'When the World turns it's back on you, YOU turn YOUR back on the World!'

And the most important one, when I feel lost,

Mufasa bellows from above,

REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!'

Mufasa has given me hope,

Simbaa has taught me to fail, and that it's okay to trail off and do nothing for a while.

But together Mufasa and Simbaa have taught me to get back on my feet and to BE what I truly am and Do what I truly can!

Thank you, Lion King!

Thank you for being there for me :)

(When I had my Lion King moment in Triund.

Thanks to my friend Saleel Pednekar for this picture :)

(Lion King poster image courtesy: Google images)

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