- Cinema often portrays individuals striving toward their dreams, reinforcing the idea that pursuing one’s goals is a worthy purpose of life.
- Cinema rarely examines what happens after the dream is achieved.
- Perhaps this is where cinema can go further. Not only in portraying ambition and achievement, but in illuminating purpose beyond the self.
Cinema often portrays individuals striving toward their dreams, reinforcing the idea that pursuing one’s goals is a worthy purpose of life—that no one should be discouraged from doing so, and that the struggle itself gives meaning to existence.
In many narratives, there is an underlying suggestion that the purpose of life is to experience pleasure, success, and personal fulfilment—that happiness lies in achieving what one desires and enjoying its rewards.
At the same time, cinema also portrays the pain of those who feel they have failed—the sorrow of unfulfilled ambition.
This poses the question—are they unhappy only because they did not get what they wanted?
Yet, cinema rarely examines what happens after the dream is achieved.
What comes next?
Implicitly, many narratives suggest that achievement leads to lasting happiness. But this assumption is seldom explored. The story often ends at achievement, not beyond it.
To understand this, we must turn to life itself.
When we observe our own journeys—and those of others—we see that fulfilment does not always follow accomplishment in a lasting way. Goals are reached, yet new questions emerge. Satisfaction appears, yet rarely remains. Often, it gives way to another pursuit—another desire waiting to be fulfilled.
When seen from a broader perspective, life can begin to resemble a continuous cycle—the pursuit of one dream after another. This invites a deeper question—is this the highest use of the time we have been given?
This leads to an even deeper inquiry—
Where do our dreams originate?
If a single idea can command so much of our time, energy, attention, and resources, it becomes essential to examine its source and its worth.
Yet another question rarely examined is—
Why do human beings want what they want so intensely?
Why does a particular ambition, desire, or destination become so important that years are devoted to it?
Often, people pursue goals with deep conviction, yet rarely pause long enough to question why that specific dream became meaningful to them in the first place. And sometimes, no one can talk them out of it.
Is the dream truly ours?
At times, even without clear external influence, a person may hold onto a single aspiration from a very young age—persistently and with conviction. Often, individuals cannot clearly explain how they arrived at a particular path—yet they commit years of their lives to it.
In such cases, the question naturally arises—if the source of the idea cannot be clearly identified, can it truly be said to belong to us?
This suggests a subtle but important distinction—
Ideas may come to us, but they are not necessarily created by us.
What remains within our control, however, is choice.
While the origin of a dream may not be within our control, the way we engage with it always is.
This brings responsibility into focus.
Before dedicating our lives to any goal, it is worth asking—
Does the pursuit of this dream generate positivity or negativity?
Will its achievement benefit only ourselves, or positively impact others as well?
Does it contribute to harmony within society and the world?
Cinema, at its best, can offer an answer.
Some of the most powerful stories—across both Bharatiya and Western cinema—depict individuals working not only for personal success, but in service to others.
Films such as Taare Zameen Par, where a teacher recognises and nurtures a child’s inner potential, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, where truth and non-violence transform lives, along with The Blind Side, where compassion without expectation reshapes the life course of a young boy, Pay It Forward, where kindness is extended without expectation, and Patch Adams, where care and humanity redefine healing—illustrate how selfless service can transform lives beyond one’s own.
These narratives reveal something deeper—that contributing to the well-being of others creates a form of fulfilment that is more stable and enduring—as reflected in the film Anand, where even in the face of mortality, meaning is found in bringing joy and contentment to others.
This is not merely happiness—it approaches a sense of inner completeness that cannot be easily shaken. Such fulfilment is rarely understood in theory; it is realised only through lived experience.
Life itself further reinforces this perspective. Rarely do plans unfold exactly as imagined. Directions change. What once appeared as disruption often reveals itself, in time, as an unseen benefit.
This suggests another possibility—While ideas may arise within us, how we choose to act upon them defines the quality of our lives.
A dream, therefore, need not be rejected—but it must be examined.
If a goal generates positivity through its pursuit, and if its realisation can serve others, then it becomes worthy of committed effort. At the same time, attachment to a fixed outcome may not always be necessary.
One may strive fully towards a dream—while remaining open to whatever life unfolds along the way.
In this way, the journey itself becomes as meaningful as the destination, and there is often much to be learned through the process itself.
Across the span of human history, dreams change. Goals evolve. What remains constant, however, is the value of how that time was spent.
If one’s efforts contribute positively to others, to society, and the larger whole, then that time is not lost—regardless of the outcome.
Perhaps this is where cinema can go further.
Not only in portraying ambition and achievement, but in illuminating purpose beyond the self—stories where the highest fulfilment is found not merely in reaching a goal, but in what its achievement gives back to humanity.
Ananda Mathews, known professionally as Matthew David DOP, is a Mumbai-based cinematographer and author currently residing in Goa. He engages in psycho-spiritual counselling and social service throughout Bharat alongside his Guru Ji, Divine Colonel – Ashok Kini Ji. His first book In Quest of Guru and forthcoming Living Science explore the journey of human transformation. Views expressed are the author’s own.
Dr Mohmmad Rizwan 
Kumar Sheni 
Archita Gaur