📣 For more lifestyle news, click here to join our WhatsApp Channel and also follow us on Instagram
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Chance encounters are highly valued and special. That’s why Hrithik Roshan vividly remembers his meeting with the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, in 2008 during the shoot of his film Kites. “I was in my makeup room. Two bodyguards entered the room. Behind them, a frail-looking, thin person walked in with long hair and white skin. I looked at the reflection in the mirror. I am wondering…this guy looks like Michael Jackson…and he comes to me and says, ‘Hi, I am Michael, nice to meet you’.”
In a conversation with actor-writer Farhan Akhtar on his talk show Oye, it’s Friday, Hrithik added, “He shook my hand. He went. I went back to my makeup. Suddenly, after two minutes, I realise what I am doing. What am I doing here if Michael Jackson is in the next room?”
“It took me time to absorb the fact. When it hit me…I caught up and we took some pictures and all. Big fan of his dance…” expressed Hrithik.
During the same conversation, Hrithik told Farhan that the late artiste was on a recce of the same bungalow for a shoot with his team.
Taking a cue from this interesting incident, let’s explore how chance encounters often become cherished lifelong memories.
It’s not just about admiration or fame. It’s about emotional resonance. “These moments remind us that the stories, teachings, or songs that once held us through our darkest nights were always anchored in real, breathing human beings. And when we meet them, the distance collapses. Something shifts. We feel seen,” said Delnna Rrajesh, psychotherapist, healer, and life coach.
The emotional intensity stands as the central element, said Sheena Sood, psychologist and counsellor, P. D. Hinduja Hospital and Medical Research Centre, Mahim. “The sudden rush of joy and awe and excitement creates a strong emotional impression that floods our minds at once. Such neuropsychological events activate the reward system in the brain, which triggers dopamine release to create enduring vivid memories,” said Sood.
According to Delnna, such moments live on and can “become permanent imprints in our memory”. “Not because it was long or photographed, but because it was real. It was felt deeply,” reflected Delnna.
The unplanned nature of these meetings intensifies emotional responses and strengthens memory retention, shared Sood. “The uniqueness and unpredictability of these events make them truly special,” said Sood.
Years later, you may not recall every word that was said. “But you will remember how you felt. Safe. Inspired. Connected. Alive,” concluded Delnna.
