THAT RAIN

THAT RAIN

This thing about going to watch a movie, huh, with me, happens like this:

Earlier in school, I overhear one of my classmates praising Rahul Dev Burman and his music. I don’t know much about RDB or his music. I want to find out for myself.

The show is at 3:30 p.m. Matinee. Rather popular movie, The Train, and still in its first week run so better be at the theatre by 3. Just a stone’s throw away from home. Bricks walk.

3:01 – Entrance to Theatre Lavanya is crowded. Push through the crowd to the Dress Circle ticket counter. Some twenty three guys lining up. All of them seem to be from one group or one family. Though why entire families should come and watch “The Train”, I don’t know. Stupid families. It is something everyone knows about. Second largest railway network in the whole world, one engine pulling many coaches, to stop train pull chain and all that sort of thing. If you ask me, one senior member should watch the fleem and then relate the happenings to his family, friends, neighbours and well wishers over a leisurely dinner. Instead of wasting money bringing Abba, Ammi, Chuchha, Chucchi, Bhaijaan, Behaniya, Chotu, Motu and their neighbours Doosra, Saamy, Murgais, Super, Topi, Motte and Selva too along. The only one left behind must be their mongrel, Leader. Auto ka kharchaan, ticktaan lenaa, phir pop corn aur chipsaan aur mango juicaan ka kharchaan, upar se fleem mein dialogaan kya bhi sunneko, samajhneko sar phiraana, museebataan jhael leko, gaaliyaan de deko thak jaanaa, yeh kya ba pareshaani!

Still and all, having come so far, better not go back without a dekko. Itr lagaa ke line mein lag jaao.

3:10 – Stand in the line for Dress Circle tickets. Everyone is dressed and circling around like birds of prey.  No itr. Only fikr. Suddenly spot “Ondreˊ” Mani (Ondreˊ in Tamil = One and a half). His father is a fleem distributor so he should be able to do something and get me one ticket. Greet him like old friend which, in any case, he is. He understands what I want even before I aks. Just says “Weight hear.” I understand and wait there.

3:20 – Still no sign of OM. Yeh kya ho raha hai? From inside the hall I can hear an excited hum. They have begun to show slides I think. Lights are dimmed in the lobby. Meanwhile, the crowd outside has thinned. Whole families have shifted to one of the other neighbourhood theatres. These theatrewallahs have an arrangement, I suspect, to start their fleems at fifteen minute intervals, to make the left over crowd from one theatre spill over to the next. Bahut smart.

3:25 – There he is! Old friends don’t ditch their old friends. Walks up to me and presses a pass into my hand and says “enzoy”. I thank him and run in. The slides have just stopped and there is a lull. The usher ushers me to my seat and I slide in. Aisle seat, thankfully. Tanks ba!

3:30 – Gun time. Suddenly, there is the sound of curtains being drawn and doors being closed. The lights go off and there is an expectant silence. Time.

3:33 – Fleem starts to roll. Action! And soon there’s a song.

            Lallallalla la, la la la la la la la and so on.

            Bulaagi eyes.

Intermission: Come out and look at the notice board. Scenes from the fleem. Too much of a crowd at the snack counter. Get back inside.

Trailer of some fleem, followed by ‘nuther trailer of ‘nuther fleem.

5:45 or so – the fleem is over and I come out into the cool air. Nothing much to say except that the songs are good.

There was Rajesh Khanna. There was a Rafi solo which was too good and a Rafi-Lata duet which I liked. There was also an RDB-Asha duet which was enjoyable. A couple of other songs. Hummable. I don’t remember much of the story. Fleem dreckted by Ravee Nagaich. Uthaach. Let me watch it again and I’ll post a review. Weight hear.

-          © Shiva Kumar 1^st May 2017