Bollywood diaries - Seene Mein Cinema!

Bollywood. Sigh...!!!

Everyone who knows me well knows how much I love Bollywood. My conversations are peppered with movie dialogues and references to scenes and characters. Only those with a similar love can catch on. The simplest most inconsequential dialogue when used in daily interactions add so much zing simply because, suddenly you are transported to the magic of that movie.

Yes, 'Magic' it is, indeed. For if not, it would never have stayed with people for years.
When 'Jab Harry Met Sejal' didn't work, SRK said that the magic did not come through to the audience. That too, a movie from the director who gave one of the most magical movies of all time - Jab We Met. Every scene and dialogue of that movie is beautiful. A lot of that credit goes to Kareena too. She brought it alive! I am guilty of watching that movie every weekend for almost a year. :-D

Another movie thats crazy but awesome is Chameli Ki Shaadi. I first watched it with my grandfather on Doordarshan on a Sunday evening. I was 7 or 8.  I did not even understand the title, he had to explain it to me. But as we grew up, my sister and I enjoyed watching it. Our favourite dialogue in that is, 'Mere paas bahut paise hain' by Chameli when they all go to the restaurant for the second time and Charandas is unprepared and has no money. It frustrated my mother no end that we watched this every time it played on television. We used to joke that we would gift her this DVD.

A couple of weeks ago, Bombay to Goa was on and I wanted my daughter to watch it. Have to show them classics! I eagerly waited for each character's dialogues and some of those precious moments in that movie and made sure she got the essence of it all. Pakodaaaa and the Snake incident with Kashibai are real gems! A few days later, my daughter referred to Kashibai's mannerisms while we were talking about something else. It took me a while to understand what she was saying but once I understood.... Oh! The joy I experienced!

And to top this cinematic experience, the next movie that started playing was

Padosan. Aaaaaaaa!!!! 

Neeche Se, Bhola! Neeche Se!!

......

Pair upar! Awaaz Neeche!!

........

Hee Haw Hee Haw!!!

(and here, everyone looking around for the source of this new sound is hilarious and absolute genius!!)

Its an absolute favourite with us cousins!!

Recently, while watching an old Hindi song at my in-laws place, I gave some titbit about that song or movie. (That's a habit I've picked up from my mom and aunt). My FIL looked at me and said,  "We all watched these movies when they were re-released in theaters. How is it that you have seen these movies?". I had to sheepishly admit that when we got Cable TV, I started watching a lot of movies, especially old ones since my mother was very happy to catch up on classics and get her dose of entertainment.

This family trait or addiction is a gift from both parents. My sister, cousins and I grew up listening to stories from my mom and aunt about how they used to save and scrimp to manage tickets for a much anticipated movie. The love for Dev Anand was sowed into my heart by my dad's family. I watched QSQT when I was four or five. Then came MPK. Then a whole lot of Dev Anand movies. That's how it happened - Seene Mein Cinema, Seene Mein Cinema! 

Now, I'm in Mumbai. I've gone so crazy that I should'nt miss spotting any celebrities and I'm always craning my neck to look into these luxury cars we pass with tinted glass (Hmmrph!!) or trying to peek into the compounds of celebrity homes, that my neck hurts by the time we are back home. :-(

But the fun lies in this anticipation. 

As I now roam the streets here and try to map it out in my brain, this song is always playing on my mind. Tumse jo dekhte hi pyar hua, zindagi mein pehli baar hua... tum itne din thi kahan, mein dhoondhta hi raha... Kahan? Kabhi Linking Road, Kabhi Warden Road, Kabhi Cadell Road, Kabhi Pedal Road...