Movie Magic: Then and Now
I love watching movies in a theatre. In my younger days, my grandmother took us to the films. The occasions were festival days like Sankranti, Ugadi, and Dusshera. On the last day of the exams, I went with my friends to watch a movie. Theatres then offered three seating options: ground, bench, and chair. We usually opted for the ground class — the most affordable choice that allowed us to stretch out comfortably. During intermissions, I would eat home snacks and sip water from a brass container, a simple pleasure amidst the cinematic magic. There were no ‘concessions’ those days, and I had no money to spend on peanuts, ‘colour soda’ or coffee. We went to Telugu movies as Telugu was my mother tongue. I needed permission from my father to watch Hindi and English films on a Saturday. Translators ( usually my teachers) translated the dialogue verbatim on the go during screening.
My 18th year marked a significant shift in my movie-watching journey. Father’s retirement led him to a job at a film distribution company, where he quickly rose to prominence in the town. This change allowed me to watch any movie, any time, for the ‘chair’ class free and also provided me with a complimentary beverage. The perks extended to our relatives, who could also watch movies for free, making us feel like part of a special group.
When I joined my first job in Bangalore, my brother-in-law generously took me to movies on his Vespa. He was in charge of O&M of the government utility and carried much ‘weight’. He walked into any theatre with an ‘aura’ around his head, and the theatre management feared his presence. He was the electrical inspector and could disconnect the power to the theatre without a “rhyme or reason.” We got special seats and snacks during the intermission, with the theatre owner personally attending to us, making us feel like VIPs.
Marriage and children ushered in a new phase of my movie experiences. I fondly recall my younger daughter’s fascination with the snacks more than the film. Her joy in picking her favourite snacks and eagerly waiting for the intermission added excitement to our movie outings. I also remember when I missed a flight to Tokyo because of a movie, a testament to the power of cinema in my life.
In recent years, I’ve found myself watching films alone, catching morning shows in Bangalore for discounts, or taking advantage of AMC subscription deals in New Jersey. While OTT is a good option, the movies have been terrible lately.
After several years, my daughter drove me to a movie yesterday because the weather was freezing, and I may not have been able to go to the nearby AMC theatre.
Watching a new Telugu movie with my daughter brought back so many memories. Although the world has changed from sitting on the ground with my grandmother to sharing popcorn with my daughter, the joy of watching movies together remains the same. No phone or streaming service can match the magic of laughing and talking about a film with someone you love in a dark theatre.
