When I met Bala Saheb Thackeray...

The year was 2011 and I had just come back from watching the movie X-Men:First Class with my friends. I was told to reach Kalanagar directly and my parents would pick up from there and we'd go and meet Bala Saheb Thackeray. I lived in blissful oblivion and even though I had  deep interest in politics, I never bothered to look up how great this man was.

We finally entered the hallowed gates of Mathoshree and were greeted by a string of bodyguards,waiting to frisk us.I thought to myself, Oh yes! I am going to meet Bala Saheb and I am carrying guns with me. The minute my mother saw him she broke into tears and a cry of joy emerged. This cry was very similar to that done by Jaya Bachchan when she sees Shah Rukh in Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham. So I went and touched his feet while Uddhav Sir stood took pictures of us together; a good photographer that he is.So Bala Saheb asked me where I was coming from. I told him about the movie and I was thoroughly amazed to know that he had already watched the movie. We discussed about the movie and he told me that I need to do a lot of self pondering to realize what I am meant to do in life and how this movie can be taken up as a case study to understand how human minds work. He told me that he loved Wolverine and the movie was definitely as the name suggests, 'First Class'.

Tea was served and we sat down discussing politics and I told him about my inclination of getting into politics and someday heading the country.We decided to test ourselves and undertake a test to see if what we were doing was really what we were meant to do. We drew up a model which we fondly called,

'The X-Men Self Realization Model’. He drew the sketches of the different characters in the movie while I made a list of things.I agree it wasn't one of the most earnest and intelligent discourse. But Bala Saheb was really fun to talk to and he was very engaging. Very cogent, Trust me!

Given below is the model and I'd like to ask everyone to pick up 2 characters from the one's given below. The results are posted below the picture of Bala Saheb Thackeray- Shiv Sena Supremo.

• Charles Xavier: The telepathic leader and founder of the X-Men.
• Erik Lensherr / Magneto:A mutant capable of manipulating and generating electromagnetic fields.
• Sebastian Shaw:He has the power of absorbing and redirecting kinetic and radiated energy.
• Mystique:A shape-shifting mutant and Charles Xavier's childhood friend.
• Beast:A scientist who is transformed into a frightening-looking mutant in an attempt to cure himself, but is kind at heart.
• Sean Cassidy / Banshee:A mutant capable of ultrasonic screaming,
• Gambit: Gambit possesses the ability to mentally create, control and manipulate pure kinetic energy to his every whim and desire.
• Wolverine: Do I need to describe him?

RESULTS:

1. Charles Xavier: Highly intelligent but reserved.You define a person who is in no need to show how smart he is. Simply brilliant with your work and very humble.
2. Eric Lehnser/Magneto: Raw and the need to control, dominating and very vengeful. Highly commanding and needs people to adhere to his demands.
3. Sebastian Shaw: Arrogance is a characteristic of your personality. You know you have everything but the fact that you can control something makes you wonder you can control everything.If you come down a bit at the level of general mass it would do real good to you.
4. Mystique:Feel the need to keep changing yourself?Not happy with how you are? May be that's why you chose this character.Also, a constant hunger for change is a dominant characteristic of this person.
5. Beast:A people's person and loved by most.You too have the urge to be powerful yet you're very happy with your inner self. You're that person who values one's inner self more than what you see outside.
6. Banshee: Very very creative. Chooses to go by the path nobody would want to go. Not crazy about power but wants to stand out in the crowd.Unique!
7. Gambit:Here comes the stylish one.Who is very conscious about one's appearance. Not a valedictorian, perhaps love for stardom. Women are definitely mad about you! 
8. Wolverine:Hurt and brooding looks.You stand for the raw sensuality that most women look out for.If a woman has chosen this character then you're that person who's just fancied by the way he carries himself.Its not the need for power that dominates your personality but the want for good to triumph over evil.

So I asked Bala Saheb which one he had chosen and I was indeed bewildered by his choice of characters. Bala Saheb chose Banshee and Magneto! Surprised aren't you? Now I was completely sure and our claims that this model is effective were validated by Bala Saheb's choice.

What you saw on the stage was exactly what Bala Saheb was in real life. His characteristic speeches, which were intelligently peppered with substance and laced with wit and sarcasm bordering on vulgarity which finds no parallel in the political spectrum, mesmerized the youth. Just when I was about to ask him to say a few lines from his favorite speech, I was rudely awaken by my mother. Her morning quarrel with Manisha (Our maid) awoke me from my deep slumber.And the dream of sitting next to Bala Saheb was shattered. Today being 18th of November, Bala Saheb being no more...

Respect to the man whose one call would awaken lacs of people in Maharashtra and ring bells all the way up to Delhi.
An Enigma I shall never forget!

Don't know which speech of his to listen? Just check out his oratory skills in this video.Bala Saheb Thackeray Speech

PS: The X-Men Self-Realization model still stands true as I have already experimented in on at least 30 people with about 90% accuracy.
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