I was recently watching a 2018 Hindi film about a young couple who are afraid of responsibility and standing up to their selves. Although they are considerate human beings and love each other passionately, their identity and relationship takes an emotional toll when they make several impulsive decisions.

In one of the most memorable scenes, the girl drives to the groom’s (not her lover) house a day before the marriage. A simple way to describe the scene could be: the girl just wants to tell the groom she won’t come to the gurudwara for the wedding, so he can save himself the embarrassment.

A detailed way to describe the scene would be:

After the lover sits in a dharna for a day, in regret of not standing up to her when he could have and as a statement of his love; the young woman changes her mind when he says that he is ready to live the responsible life she always wanted him to. That is when she decides to visit the groom and calls the marriage off. Right before she leaves, she struggles to start the bike and asks him to help her. The man is shocked but finds himself helping her and the girl is equally embarrassed at her bizarre request. The end of this scene is what I find incredible: before she leaves his house and also the frame, she is forced to take a U-turn and inevitably pass the insufferable groom sincerely in love with this girl.

It is noteworthy that while the scene could have ended at her declaring the wedding off, there is more to show and tell. Remember this character is a headstrong girl but also impulsive. For instance, before leaving, she even asks him that they be friends on Facebook as if that will compensate for her change of decision.

What I want to emphasize is how the smallest of details, be it the cancelling the wedding a day before, the friend request, the bike kicking and the U-turn make for a credible headstrong but immature character and overall scene. Had it not been for the same, I would not have liked it. I must quickly add that the film also shows the inner/deeper reason for the characters’ actions. For instance, the young lover fears responsibility due to certain events in his childhood. That itself adds to credibility.

It is natural that someone else may not have liked the scene. How we like something or not is to do with our perception. I always remind writers that while you may have no control over how others perceive your work, you can ensure credibility. And that’s where editors assist writers: ensure that everything is credible, big or small.

So, tell me what’s editing anyway?

All of us have consumed stories that have been edited even if we don’t ever see the editing. The idea behind ‘What’s editing anyway?’ is to bring awareness about editing, editors and its various applications.