Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Lines like “May the force be with you” have become part of everyday parlance. Even Prime Minister Modi uttered these words on his first official visit to the United States. And we have the Star Wars franchise to thank for that. And now its latest instalment, Star Wars: The Force Awakens is ready for release.

However, what’s adding to the #nerdrage in India is that the movie will hit screens in the country a week later than its international release. Cue: all spoilers will be out, and we’ll be left with just that—leftovers. Popular comic Lunarbaboon has even come out with a strip that urges people not to share spoilers. Some Indian dailies have taken out Star Wars specials. And fans of the franchise can find Darth Vader cake moulds and even band-aids online.

If you’ve been living in a silo all your life, Star Wars, which first made its presence felt on Planet Earth in 1977, is divided into two trilogies, released in reverse order. The first trilogy is about the good guys and their battle against Darth Vader and the Empire. The next trilogy explores how Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader—making it the most interesting storyline a Star Wars nerd could hope for. You may even have heard of the Jedi— who are peacekeepers—and the most famous of them, Yoda, a name that has become an epithet for someone who’s inter-galactically enlightened.

Ever since creator George Lucas gave us the fantasy of a ‘galaxy far far away’, film lovers across this planet have come up with their own memes, souvenirs and force-inspired dialogues. Many have allowed Star Wars to become them. Nobody complains. What’s not to savour about a duel of light sabers?

Anakin SkywalkerDarth VaderGeorge LucasLunarbaboonStar WarsThe Force Awakens