Movies Without Popcorns

July 27, 2015

Yesterday’s expedition to watch Bahubali at a theatre unknown to me all these days brought back memories of all the strange movie going / watching experiences one has had over the years. From the time I can remember I have been watching movies – despite being an orthodox family, my father, his mother and her sister were all great movie buffs.

It was very selective, the kind of movies we would be taken to as kids. Grandmother had taken us as elementary school kids to watch some of the Russian circus movies, African Safari and likes. She was my long time movie watching buddy.

Sridhar was a preferred director, of course of the era when I started watching movies, while there mixed reactions to K.B at home. Dad hated Bharatiraja, in fact the only time I remember he lost his cool on me for watching a movie was when I accompanied someone to watch Kizhakke Pogum Rail for a second time. He watched Sigappu Rojakkal with his friend at Kutralam and that sealed his dislike for Bharatiraja.

So, paatti (we called her Sarojamma) had to select the movies to watch – her benchmark then were Vikatan reviews. I had to wait forher to read all the reviews, then choose the movie to watch and also an appropriate day when we can quietly slip out of the house. Movies then won’t hit our theatres the same day it released. Sometimes it would take months fora new movie to come to our town. That gave us a lot of time to select and be ready.

Paatti had her preference – second class which then cost around rupee and fifty paise and that too only in two theatres which took just three to seven minutes to walk to. Movies should have lot of songs, good ones, and they were appreciated. I watched Ninaithale Inikkum with her, and she loved it.

Sometimes hit Telugu or Hindi movies too would come to town– there was substantial Telugu speaking population and Hindi movies around Id times would ensure good amount of Muslim audience.

That is how one saw Kabhi Kabhi with paatti at Prakash theatre. It became the most memorable Hindi film for me…probably the first Hindi movie that one saw in a theatre.

I was in high school then – while walking to and back from school saw the posters of Sirisiri Muvva, starring Jaya Pradha….the posters screamed about all the awards the movie had won. I was fascinated with the visuals from the posters. Kept hyping up the movie with paatti as must see. Paatti spoke good Telugu and loved Telugu movies and songs. It was not very hard to convince her. Sirisiri Muvva was watched at Karpagam theatre, and were returned fulfilled.

There would be afternoons when paatti and I decided to watch a movie and there wasn’t enough cash at hand. Quick disposal of raddi at home and we had money for the evening show!

There was one theatre that was a mile away and paatti wouldn’t go there unless it was compellingly good movie. We had to hire a jatka vandi or cycle rikshaw for they journey. Devi theatre had screened Thever films Aattukkara Alamelu…I was allowed to go with an old lady, Aachari amma from the opposite house. She took half a dozen of us kids on a scorching afternoon sun for the matinee. Unlike these multiplexes today then movie timings were fixed.10 am show which was a novelty in the late 70s, matinee at 2 pm, evening show at 6 and night show at 10.

Aachari amma was illiterate, and not even an usual moviegoer. But, for some strange reason that day we were going to watch a movie with her. We reached the theatre to be only told no tickets available for matinee, and the lady decided we will wait, buy a ticket later for the evening show, watch it and then go home. With no phones, forget mobiles, there was no way people at home knew what we were upto.

Another strange matinee was going to Karpagam theatre… Arakkonam summer and Shivaji’s three role extravaganza Thirisoolam. I was once again with the kid lot from the street and we had to settle for a tharai ticket (sitting on the floor, cheapest ticket – 50 paise). There we were sitting on the front row, on the floor watching … no I can’t describe that experience. Today, I recall it with a great disbelief.

I remembered the Thirisoolam moment going to watch Bahubali at a theatre in Navi Mumbai. The movie was already into its third week and not like the 200 days of Thirsoolam kind of records expected these days. Most of the time after the first however big a blockbuster doesn’t continue…These days the record is opening across the world in some 20,000 screens and packs up with record collection over the weekend.

So, when I decided to watch it the original that is Telugu version saw Book My Show list only two theatres across Mumbai region, one in Thane and another at Sanpada. Sanpada is the closest and I was carried away by the Fun name in the theatre name and the address as Sanpada railway station complex. Navi Mumbai railway stations are known for the design and “cleanliness” compared to Mumbai railway stations. Ticket cost a little over 100 rupees including the Book My Show charges. On a rainy day one went alone to the theatre – the approach to the theatre in the station complex was one of Mumbai’s typical, dirty, pan stained staircase. The theatre itself was unremarkable. A portly man in blue uniform stood behind the grill gate that was locked. I showed him my mobile phone that was taken to a counter across the door and he got me an old, coloured printed theatre ticket like the old theatres. He handed over the ticket to me and asked if I am going to stay there or going down. I thought of looking around for the only litti, chokka stall in Navi Mumbai at the station complex. But looking at the condition of the place, I decided against it. I told him, I am not going down. He opened the door and let me in to take a seat. There were walls plastered with peppermint plywood, bath room tiles and a strange smell.

One waited alone till a few more customers walked in – a Telugu lady sat next to me. I asked her if she had seen movies there in that theatre before. She said no. Almost all who came in later were Telugu speaking and I am sure all of them landed up there for the same reason as I was there. We were ushered into the “mini” theatre of the two screen multiplex.  It was a cramped space….one couldn’t locate the seat as numbers had gone missing. I was for a minute scared I would be asked to take the extra steel chairs that were in the front. Thank God I was shown a seat which was the actual first row. I had to really strain my neck for the next three hours. I was too close to the screen for my spectacles to be effective. I was not sure if I should watch the film with or without them.

The last film I had gone to watch for the mere spectacle of it was Lord of the Rings, and I didn’t like it.

Loved the grand visuals and the idea of imagining what look like the Himalayas. The hero and villain were superb, so were most of the cast. The killing and bloodshed was too much for my liking. What redeemed it was the hero’s gesture of letting go of the bali and the idea of doing away with animal sacrifice. Only thing I hated was the music, very disappointing, especially the songs where they simply did not match the period feel of the film. Especially the female singers all sounded in their Telugu like the modern television presenters. One did not buy popcorns or even a cup up coffee for the rains. It was like the good old days, we never ate popcorns while watching movies in Arakkonam.