Me and Cinema - Part 1

Posted by Vee

When I first watched Cinema Paradiso, I could not believe it. I saw initial days of my life there. For uninitiated Cinema Paradiso in essence would be a story of an eight or nine year old boy who is fascinated with behind the screen happenings at a theater. Loading the reels, focusing, aligning and projecting enthralled him.

The first ever movie (that I remember) I watched in a theater was Silsila (Amitabh-Rekha-Jaya) from the projector room. I remember standing on the stool and peeping through a hole to see a big screen of an open theater. Soon, I came out and stood in the lobby next to the projector room. I was mesmerized. I wish I knew the word love then.

My father worked for Indian Air Force. Those days almost every defense unit (Army, Air Force or Navy) had a mini-theater or an open theater. When he was transferred to Air Force Station Rajokri (Delhi) from Air Force Station Jodhpur (Rajasthan) I was three years old. He was given the charge of an open theater. My mother tells me that technically my first movie was Rocky (Sanjay Dutt) when she carried me along with my twin brother for the first ever screening under my father’s supervision. Of course, I do not remember. However, I saw Rocky much later, bought the DVD and see it once in a while out of ‘missed’ nostalgia. So, Silsila it was, and the coincidence is both these movies were released the year I was born (1981).

I entertained my father’s colleague with an enthusiastic dance whenever ‘Rang Barse’ came on the screen. I saw the last two shows back to back daily for three days, making it six viewing of Silsila in three days. Thereafter, almost all movies had at least three viewings by me.

There were no Fridays release decrees in the Air Force. It was two different movies in a week regulation. Every Tuesday a movie would release which will run for three days and Friday another movie was screened that went till Monday. I was hooked to it. Most of the times the movie would get screened six months after their India release (this I got to know much later) as prints were not directly available to the defense units in those days. Elders knew but no one cared. Defense people were by and large known to be cut off from the world then. There were no updates on new releases anywhere whatsoever which a child could get hand on. I got into a mild depression thinking how I was cheated with the fact that I am the privileged one to see a movie the moment it is made is a different story. I was thinking people who made movies knew my father and are sending those reels directly to him to screen it.

Nevertheless, I also realized I have had an experience of a lifetime. I could touch those reels, feel them, could pause the various stages of the movie right in my hand. I wasn’t allow to load the reel or fiddle with the projector as per my father’s strict orders to his employees but I did start the projector, positioned the focusing light through the hole and adjusted it accordingly on the screen whenever father was away with the help of his subordinate. I spent my time after school drifting around in theater than playing with my friends. I did play few sports but I was a better spectator of them.

The seeds of frenzy for cinema were sown.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 14, 2009 and is filed under Cinema, Cinema Paradiso, Rocky, Silsila, Vee . You can leave a response and follow any responses to this entry through the Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom) .

Filed under Cinema, Cinema Paradiso, Rocky, Silsila, Vee

43 Pointless but Viscous Comments.

Ava

April 14, 2009 at 7:25 AM

Wowie.. this is great. I have only looked longingly at the projector room, never entered. I guess your apetite for multiple viewings of a movie was whetted right then !

eye-in-sty-in

April 14, 2009 at 8:19 AM

what a lovely childhood! I'm jealous :-)

Anonymous

April 14, 2009 at 12:20 PM

Wow Vee, it sure would've been amazing. I remember, a friend of mine used to own a theatre so whenever we used to go there to watch a movie, I used to feel so honoured and previliged to be able to enter the Projector room.

Pure nostalgia...

Now I know why you're such a filmi keeda...

Bouncing-Bubble

April 14, 2009 at 5:53 PM

No wonder ur such a movie freak. Good experience. Ur lucky.

Anonymous

April 14, 2009 at 7:29 PM

Nuovo cinema paradiso also invoked deep buried sense of nostalgia in me as well...not strictly in the sense of watching movies but the friendship between the kid and the old man. Brought back sweet memories.

Smita

April 14, 2009 at 10:38 PM

As I said, one of your best posts :-)

There is a sweetness which I never knew existed in you :-) Just kidding :P

You reminded me of my days, when we were in Gorakhpur we too used to have similar kind of screening in clubs...alag hi maza ata tha.

Mujhe to yaad bhi nahin meri 1st movie kaun si thi :))

PS Am getting exploding mangoes for a steal :D

Vaudevillian

April 14, 2009 at 11:24 PM

woah.. beautiful post! I remember to puting my hand in front of the very low projectors once to make shapes with my hand until I got shouted at!

Shayari

April 14, 2009 at 11:31 PM

Now we know the reason behind the passion for movies. Good post there, Vee!:-)

Biju Mathews

April 14, 2009 at 11:43 PM

How sweet! Glad you liked and saw "cinema paradiso" considering the moview fan you are... I actually loved it...

Silsila through a projector room :-)

Rocky the first movie? :-)

vimmuuu

April 15, 2009 at 2:33 AM

This is like the 'making of Vee' !!! Glad you came up with such a sweet post. Waiting for the sequels !

Blessed Curse

Me and Cinema - Part 1

43 Pointless but Viscous Comments.

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