What is it with the number 30 that gets women all worked up? Filmmaker Alankrita Srivastava's "Turning 30" deals with this touchy subject that some people term a psychological issue while others see it as a new phase of life.
The film, releasing Jan 14, features former beauty queen Gul Panag as a woman who deals with a heartbreak, and a crisis in her career around her 30th birthday.
Gul, who herself touched the 30-mark last year, says apart from the physical changes that one experiences, a lot of self- assessment starts poking women in the head too!
"The skin starts showing the age, the glow might start fading, the tightness and firmness on the skin starts to feel the change. Expectations begin to hover in a self-assessment procedure and also by your near and dear ones, " Gul told.
But the people "who are stable in their lives don't really realise much of these things. But the ones who haven't been able to establish themselves go through this phase more than the others, " she adds.
Critically-acclaimed actress Vidya Balan, 32, proudly says that "turning 30 has been good" for her. And why not? She did two of her best works - "Paa" and "Ishqiya" only after she touched 30.
According to Samir Parikh, consultant psychiatrist at Max Healthcare, "the turning 30 anxiety is a psychological fear which people let grow on them".
"The transition that a human being goes through is a constant change and requires self-orientation from time to time. Transition happens at every stage - from a child to a teenager to an adult; the concern of settling down, balancing work and family are a few worries that people at the age of 30 begin to feel. But it's not a generic statement and is present in men as well, " Parikh told.
If the issue isn't such a big deal, one wonders why Alankrita Srivastava chose the subject for her directorial debut?
"With turning 30, one starts to feel the pressure of life and people feel loaded with responsibilities, especially in the urban milieu, " said Srivastava, who assisted filmmaker Prakash Jha on films like "Gangaajal" and "Raajneeti".
"Usually people in rural settings are settled in their lives with their family, work, and just have an aim to earn more and live a happy life. But in urban settings, we are so disorganised. Women are not married, might be unemployed, they have no permanent accommodation at times and on top of it the physical changes start worrying you....so it is something to be anxious about, " she explained.
Parikh advises it's best to be prepared to deal with any and every age.
"Preparation is a constant process. There is no specific age when an individual needs to start preparing himself or herself mentally for the changes that come with turning 30. A responsible person always stays ready on their toes and plans the next five years in advance, " he said.
He also suggested five things one should consider for a constant, easy flow in the graph of life.
"Remain calm; keep yourself occupied; set new goals; talk to people and don't go in a hibernation mode; and last, but not the least, enjoy yourself to the fullest. Take care of these things in full spirit, " Parikh added.
So, as late American comedian Jack Benny rightly said: "Age is strictly a case of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter."
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