seems like yesterday, I was in that theatre
with creaky chairs, broken springs and all
fan whirring out the dialogues on the screen
buxom heroine dancing around trees
the pudgy hero looking nonchalently
for all predictable story lines, it was still
a pleasure to visit the olden days films
much planned ahead, funny that it feels
now when we have multiplexes, reducing
the screen, taking away half the fun of outing
"I still remember how a friend got stuck on
chewing gum left on the seat by a prankster"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hindi movies are full of songs and dances..
Very sweet poem. I agree, being young makes a movie outing seem much bigger than the screen shows.
ReplyDeleteIt didn't seem like yesterday for me, was too long ago - until you evoked memories. Funny, I remember the advertisements and newscasts that preceded the films, the narrator had such a distinct voice. Thank you, Gautami.
ReplyDeleteThere was something magical about watching a film in a theatre -- the stage, the curtains...the immense screen...so much fun...and I laughed at getting stuck on gum!!! I've done that -- it's such a pain!!! ;)
ReplyDeleteMust have been quite an experience to watch Hindi movies in those days ... rendered vividly by you.
ReplyDeleteHere's a shorty about a dramatic relationship.
I spent hours in the cinema as a kid. Loved the films.
ReplyDeleteI love the story, gautami. I've seen a few Hindi movies, so the images of the actors was very real to me, and funny!
ReplyDeletei love movies full of songs and dances...
ReplyDeleteAh the memories of youth. I recall going to theatre watching old monster moovies and such that I thought were so cool. I see them now and I scratch my head. But you are correct, it was more than just the movie, it was the entire experience of going "somewhere".
ReplyDeleteyou mean to tell me you aren't a bollywood watcher... come on... what else do single lady teachers have to do????
ReplyDeleteI love "Bollywood" films
ReplyDeleteLove the gum! Been there! And the creaky chairs are great. Well done!
ReplyDeleteA great reminder of childhood , with Indian film ....And the music and dresses ..Was something back then
ReplyDeleteThe experience of film has certainly changed over the years. I netflixed Lawrence of Arabia last month so my boys could see it, and I had to explain what an intermission was. And some of the movies I loved as a kid they just scoff at because those movies were before Spielberg and Lucas, and the special effects were... well, special.
ReplyDeleteHappy Wednesday!
this was very nostalgic.
ReplyDeleteNostalgic poem for me due to the fact we had one of the old theatres where I lived. Red velvet walls...ah! I'm a HUGE movie buff. ;)
ReplyDeleteI love the feel of old theaters, but I never have liked the feel of sitting in gum!
ReplyDeleteI can remember the first time I was taken to a movie, I got to sit with the seat folded- I probally sat in gum and didn't know it.
I still remember the days before multiplexes. The local theater near me had elegant red velveteen curtains - nothing like the multiplexes today. Your poem makes a very good point.
ReplyDeleteI love this, reminds me of back in the day.. and the movie houses out here that show the re-runs decades later. What' we called show, now called bohemian life.
ReplyDeleteOh, no, that ubiquitous gum wad. Love this post!
ReplyDeleteI don't really 'get' Bollywood but I guess it's the median theatrical common denominator for 1 billion people...
ReplyDeletestop prancing around already and just let them KISS and get it over with!
Wait... didn't you say you've never been to a theatre?!? Could've fooled me!!!
ReplyDeleteI loved where you described the main characters - spot on!
yes, those were the days my friend... another song... that is so true... as a child there was the fox theatre right on the beach... it was huge and grand... long gone... thank you for the remembrance...
ReplyDeleteI LOVE the juxtaposition of the lines:
ReplyDelete"the pudgy hero looking nonchalently
for all predictable story lines,..."
Where they go together when read one way, and are independently unrelated when read a different way. Fun.
This brought back pre-adolescent memories of Friday nights at the movies. Well done!
ReplyDeleteHehe shows the theatre experience is same regardless of country.
ReplyDeleteI have noticed that you are practically always the first to comment on 3WW!
Chewing gum on seats...it happens everywhere.
ReplyDeleteI didn't do 3WW this week, but now that I've read yours, some thoughts have come to mind.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I did write a poem today and so I'm inviting you to stop by and take a look. http://collectingmythoughts.blogspot.com/2008/04/new-poem-poem-came-to-me-this-morning.html
I've only seen Hindi movies on DVD, but I've seen some very good ones.
ReplyDeleteNice poem. It is very cute. I love how you ended it, with the gum thing.
ReplyDeleteHave a great day
Jane
muliplexes taking over here, too... but i liked the atmosphere of the old cinema halls much better
ReplyDelete