Latent hues..

Monday, November 16, 2009

Posted by Radhika

As I was flipping channels, I chanced upon a song from the directorial venture of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Saawariya. I stopped. The black and the dark blue shades of the movie seemed different, out of the norm. It potrayed the dark, gloomy side of life. I began to imagine our lives as a black and white reel where our clothes, bags, shoes and everything we possess reflected (or refracted!) only the tones of black-and-white. It was an uneasy feeling. I could not imagine how dull, boring and remorse our lives would be without the splash of colours, the different spectrums and the non-verbal communique that colours established.

Our subconscious is such an amazing entity that it is able to seep in umpteen signals of varied nature, among which colours also play an important role. The colours we wear are said to reflect our personality characteristics.They can also be established as mood-reflectors and mood-uplifters. Additionally then can help to shape perspective when it comes to shape and size. Infact, several ancient cultures, like the Egyptians and Chinese, practiced Chromotherapy or the usage of colours to heal.

Colour psychology is established as a strong communication tool especially when today everyone is looking to create a niche, to differentiate, to establish. I can almost imagine all heads turning when a Yellow car flashes by .. As an afterthought, I can almost recall the times when all heads turned towards my Yellow shoes!

There must be a reason regarding why a company chooses a certain colour to paint its brand.. A reason why some colours like blue, green and white are recurring.. A reason why the black colour is the colour for the night. So, next time when you pick up your favourite pink shirt from your wardrobe, pause to wonder if its a reflection of yourself, your mood, a complement to your complexion or just a pick which is baseless. Non-verbal communication such as these may not be the standalone entities for judgements but if observed as a whole package they may provide insights to read between the lines.

How dull would Bollywood be without Govinda.. How frustrated would a man be if his walls screamed a blazing red.. how would a Mac have its nose up in the air if it weren't for the royal white look... and how would people run after the pot of Gold at the end of a colourful rainbow!