Why Do I Always Watch a Movie on 'A Monday'?
The Monday Morning is here, so is my ritual—I watch a movie, because, its the perfect mix of hope and delusion needed to survive and I have my way of settling scores with Mondays for stolen Sundays.
Why & when should I watch a movie?
I asked DeepSeek the same question before penning down my perspective. This was DeepSeek’s response:
Movies entertain, educate, and inspire, offering a break from stress while exposing you to diverse cultures, stories, and perspectives. They foster empathy, creativity, and personal growth, making them a versatile way to relax and connect. 🎬🍿
I asked it/her/him if there was a particular day when I should plan to watch a movie:
There’s no set day to watch a movie—it depends on your mood! Many enjoy films on weekends, holidays, or cozy Friday nights, but any day works if you’re in the mood for it. 🎬🍿
Now, moments like these make me believe AI won’t be replacing humans anytime soon. Had someone asked me the same question, I would have had a different and much more precise response.
You should watch a movie on a Monday, especially during the day or afternoon. 🎬🍿
Picture this:
You're sprawled out on your couch, recliner, or bed—comfortably sinking in. In one hand, your favourite breakfast, lunch, dessert, or a cold beer. In front of you, a timeless classic playing, pulling you into its world. No deadlines, no rush—just you, the film, and the perfect moment.
How did it feel? I’m willing to stake whatever is left of my sayings that the thought itself brought a smile to your face. If not, it at least ignited a small spark in that dust-covered corner of your heart. Maybe it’s because of all the wars, battles, and scars Mondays bring. It’s hard to pinpoint a happy memory. If I had to describe it, it felt like the worst—like killing a part of yourself every Monday morning just to drag out of bed, battle traffic, endure your manager’s tantrums, and survive office politics. But for what? Was it worth it? The dreams put on hold, the exhaustion that never seemed to fade? Instead of just searching for the answer, try writing about it sometime—you might be surprised.
For me, watching a movie on a Monday has always been worth it. It’s my quiet rebellion, my act of poetic justice, and my way of patting myself on the back, saying, “You did good. I’m proud of you.”
But why only a movie?
A movie doesn’t demand anything from me. It doesn’t need me to participate, explain, or perform. It just lets me be. Movies for me hold pieces of us—fragments of past selves, forgotten dreams, the emotions we don’t always express. Or maybe because a movie, in its two-hour span, gives me a little bit of hope, a sense of escape, and a reminder that life, just like movies—no matter how messy—finds its way to a good ending. And if it doesn’t, then it’s not the end yet. Like the legend Shahrukh Khan says,
Meri filmon ki tarah aant main sab kuch thik ho hi jata hai, aur agar na ho to ye aant nahi.
But my love for movies is deeper than that—it’s complicated.
Let me start at the very beginning: my childhood. That’s how far back this love affair goes. I don’t know if Gen Z or the ones after them can relate, but watching a movie used to be a privilege, not a given. As kids, we had to earn our screen time. Study for three hours every day, including Sundays, and only then did we get to watch the Sunday evening movie on Doordarshan. I still remember the time my brother and I were punished and forbidden from watching that week’s premiere—‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.’ The crime: My mother caught my brother throwing away a chapati he didn’t want to eat. I was devastated. All those evenings spent lying in the garden mud, pretending to be Salman Khan from one of his movie songs, felt like a complete waste.
I fought with my brother a lot—not just over this, but also because he was a die-hard Shah Rukh Khan fan. He loved provoking me, but more than that, he loved irritating our grandfather. Just for fun, he would light incense sticks in front of Shah Rukh Khan’s poster, pretending to pray, whenever our deeply spiritual and traditional grandfather was around—watching his reaction with pure mischief in his eyes. One day, I decided to get even. I locked the door from the outside, leaving my brother trapped inside—just in time for him to get caught. I could hear my brother’s screams and that day, I felt victorious. But to balance the scales, as a compensation treat, we bunked school together and went to watch ‘Kaante’. At that moment, all was forgiven. We walked back to catch our buses—slow motion, full swag, like the heroes of our own story.
Movies have been woven into my life from such a young age that I cannot imagine myself as anything but a hero. Sometimes a villain, but always the lead.
And when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.
We all read this in The Alchemist, but my first encounter with this kind of hope was when actor Shah Rukh Khan said it in his move ‘Om Shanti Om’:
Kehte hain agar kisi cheez ko dil se chaho … to puri kainaat usse tumse milane ki koshish mein lag jaati hai…..
Did I believe it? Absolutely. I watched Om Shanti Om five times in the theatre. I bunked classes, had an accident one of those days, but still made it. In my head, I had already imagined meeting Deepika Padukone—slow music, us walking toward each other, a gust of breeze, hair flying. I lived it all. I’ve played out my fantasies through Hera Pheri and Lootcase, imagining myself stumbling into millions by sheer luck. I’ve lived my struggles through The Secret Life of Walter Mitty and Tamasha, waiting for that quiet whisper: “All of it will be worth it.”
But more than anything, I’ve lived through movies because they offer hope. They remind me that no matter how many times life knocks you down, you stand up again. That every fall, heartbreak, and setback is just part of the journey. And that’s enough to make me a hopeless addict to these doses of hope and delusion. If you think about it, isn’t that exactly what we need? A little hope, a little delusion—just enough to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and keep going. Because there’s always another battle to fight.
Notable Movie References
I have a movie reference for every chapter of my life. These films have been my silent companions through every triumph, heartbreak, and transformation:
The Pehla Nasha Moment – My first crush. Grade 3. Her name was Karishma. In my head, I was Aamir Khan from the Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar—dancing across corridors, sweater in hand, jumping on benches, lost in my own Bollywood romance.
First Love (Grade 11) – This was my Mera Pehla Pehla Pyaar Hai moment. Back then, I was still innocent—untouched by the corruption the world was yet to throw my way. But I was also smart. Smart enough to meet her mother and ask for permission to marry her.
Breakup Phase – Turns out, her mother didn’t like me much. She found someone better. Enter Dev D. And I was the lead.
Rebel Phase – At some point, I convinced myself I was too good for everything. Society didn’t deserve me. Rang De Basanti, Paan Singh Tomar, and 3 Idiots played their part in fuelling the fire.
The Comeback – The formula was simple—50% Rocky, 50% The Dark Knight Rises. That’s how Abhishek, the hero, made a comeback. A near-dead car accident, six stitches, unlimited scars, a Ghajini-like look, and three months of bed rest later, I made it to IIT. A turning point in my life.
New to the City – First job. Bangalore. I went all guns blazing, straight into my Go Goa Gone phase. Everything was a blur. Weekday parties that ran until sunrise, yet by 7 AM, I was standing at the bus stop, ready for work. Never late, never absent. Even if it meant vomiting in the office washroom, getting caught sleeping by my manager during lunch, or faking dizziness to get a couple of hours of rest in the office clinic. I was living it all.
Corporate Life – Hera Pheri. Like in the movie, we were a team of three, working on something not-so-legit—direct selling, aka Multi-Level Marketing. I was their lawyer, and I learnt a lot—the art of emails, lying, bluffing, fooling, corruption, meeting even greater cartoons than myself, office politics, and, most importantly, corporate survival.
New to Startups – People running around in circles, each lost in their own world, chasing the million-dollar plan, trying to woo VCs. It felt like I had stepped into a different variant of cartoons—geniuses in their heads, yet often ending up as clueless as Maru in the movie Dhol. I watched from the sidelines, amused. And sometimes, I was one of them.
For Reference: A snapshot of the distinct phases of a startup employee. When I Thought She Was ‘The One’: We’ve all been there. And for me, it might have been more than once. But this time, I was sure. So when it ended, I went to extremes. Movie Kabir Singh was the season’s blockbuster, and I lived it for a while—until 500 Days of Summer and Kabhi Haan Kabhi Naa reminded me that love stories don't always follow the script we want.
Life Came Full Circle – An engineer, a lawyer, a confused small-town boy, a not-so-old man—trying to make sense of it all, trying to write a new ending to his own movie. Tamasha plays on repeat in my life, scene by scene—whether in the office or my personal life. The story’s final act? Still unwritten.
Fantasies, which helped me survive –Harry Potter Movies, The Dark Knight Trilogy, and The Matrix. In my own weird way, I’m convinced we’re all living in a Matrix
Conclusion
It’s 4:30 AM. I’m sitting on my balcony, shivering, questioning everything. What difference does any of this make? I wonder. Does anything I write even matter?
But then I remember what movies have taught me:
I need to get up and push through. This could be the moment—that one magical snap, the turning point written just for me. I’m the hero of my story, and heroes don’t stay down—even when they’re unsure and afraid. The secret to bravery? Just good acting—convincing the world you’re brave, even when you’re not. And that’s what movies have taught me.
There’s another lesson too—timing is everything. And if I’m being honest, I haven’t always been great at it. But today, I’m going to get it right. I’ll watch a movie- On a Monday.
I never used to step out on Sunday evenings. Instead, I’d order the junkiest food and dessert, sink into the couch, and binge-watch movies until I passed out right there. It might sound a bit depressing, but to me, it was a ritual. So I decided to create a new one—dedicated to all the Sunday plans I canceled and all the gloomy evenings spent dreading Monday. A quiet act of poetic justice against every Monday morning that tried to break me.
And today, the movie of choice is Inception. Because maybe, just maybe, it’ll help me find my own ‘Arthur’s Totem’—a reality check in this endless loop of dreams and uncertainty I’m going through.
P.S: I know this piece is filled with Bollywood movie references—but so is my life. You won’t find synopses or explanations here because I wanted to write from the heart, without breaking the flow. If you’ve made it this far—clicking on the hyperlinks, piecing it all together—I truly appreciate your time. Also, these are solid movie picks—choose any one, and you won’t regret it. That’s a guarantee!
Before I wrap up, I have to mention two legends who have deeply influenced my thinking: the late, great Irrfan Khan and Robin Williams. Some of the finest artists I’ve ever watched. Their wisdom, presence, ability to make you feel. I still go back to their words and performances, again and again. And I can’t help but wonder—how much more they could have given us if they had lived a full life?
This was a fun read. Keep writing.
Loved reading this