Kaisa Hai Yeh Bandhan Anjaana!
1981. I am in 8th standard. Amitabh Bachchan is the god of tinseldom. Vinod Khanna, Rishi Kapoor, Mithun C, Shashi K, Dharmendra are the other he-men. Rekha, Hema, Reena, Parveen and a very sexy “Qurbani” avatar of Zeenat has hit the country like a RDX laden truck into the Marriott. My government issue wooden cupboard (in the government quarters of a government factory situated amidst Tadobian forests of Chandrapur, presently the seat of a very unique government concern, Naxalism !) has this very unique one leg bent pose of her in a multicolour sarong that works both ways, cover and uncover, much to my teenage disbelief. Laila mein Laila!
Into this cauldron steps in a movie, Ek Duuje ke Liye! The one and only pre-release hoopla platform, Binaca Geet Mala announces the arrival of Tere Mere Beech Mein, Hum Bane Tum Bane and Mere Jeevan Saathi in trademark Ameen Sayani baritone flourish! Ameen bhai takes it upon himself to say peerless slogans such as “Vasu aur Sapna ka anokha pyar”, “S.P. Balasubramanium ka nirala andaaz”, etc. Me, the quintessential braggart, take it upon myself to promote the heavily mushtachioed actor, the singer SPB and the songs that are anyway getting to be a rage very fast. The North of India knows nothing of this actor-dancer that has floored Tamizh audiences for the last 5 years and me, having just arrived from the scenic hills of Nilgiris had a fair inkling of the actor called Kamalhassan (pronounced Kamlaasan by me like fellow classmates in my school in Aruvankadu). The actor Captivates and completely floors the country saying “Apdiya!”
In no time, the countryside is flooded with heart signs on trees with Vasu Sapna written on it. My English teacher, from Hyderabad, has gotten himself a trouser with three steel buttons in front and with a bottom of 24 inches, we did not need a broom for quite some time in our class. My Biology teacher, who probably missed her actual vocation, spent all her free getting the line, “Kachche dhaage mein bandhtta chaala aaye”, right along with our Music teacher who got his “Maine nahin jaana” right. Pat!
I am not able to see the movie. Why? The movie is a hit and shall not arrive at such a mofussil town so fast. VCDs are yet to make an appearance in India (for Junta who do not know about the then India). So, in between my Gilli-dunda, impromptu Cricket matches and taking my cycle to the nearest culvert and catching up with friends (again, for the uninitiated, this is a very good pastime, here is where boys having no other pursuits converge, all the good girls going for tuitions pass by, all the new films are dissected and Kapil Dev is thought about), I keep my good ear cocked for that distant loudspeaker to play the opening bars of “Mere Jeevan Sathi”, I am completely taken in by the elusive magic of this movie. I buy a seat cover for my cycle with “Ek Duuje ke Liye” written at the back. I even ask the cycle shop. “Bhaiya, Yeh seat cover bahut bik raha hai naa?” His is an enthusiastic Yes!
Time Passes…
1984. I am in Nagpur. I have gotten over my EDKL mania. I mean, three years have passed. Many other passions have taken over my life. In between CBSE lovingly mucked up my score card in the Board Exams (X). Entirely faultless, I am! So, the parents, switch schools and environment, thinking Big. I think Big too. And subject myself to the “Torture Movies” of the 80s on a continuous basis. It takes a toll on my studies. But, is studies all! Cannot Jackie, Jeetu and Shakti-Kader build me a better character?!
I am in my prep class when a fellow geek arrives to breathlessly say, “Oi, Air Force Hall mein Ek Duuje Ke Liye lagaa hai aur Babua (our unfortunate warden) ko shayad khud dekhna tha tho woh hum sab ke liye ticket mangwa raha hai, abe chal raha hai naa??”
Neki aur pooch pooch!!
Differential is left on the side. Cadmium experiment forgotten. I am all agog about this oncoming experience. It is surreal. I am never so excited about a movie. I reach my dorm at the appointed hour to dress up in my best. Terylene Navy Blue pants, chocolate brown Bangali kurta with embroidery at the collar and a “green and black” woollen muffler draped Mithun style, front to back! The whole hostel is going. Naturally, the boys are at the back and I am farthest at the back in secure distance from the three teachers who have prodded the girls to go ahead in the front.
We reach the hall. My friend, Ashim, wants to have a smoke (oh yes, smoking had arrived in the dorm that year, though I had not yet experienced its richness). I accompany. Babua, disgustedly hands us two random tickets to get in later. Ashim likes his movies with fights. I do not have the heart to tell him otherwise. Anyway, we get back into the hall when it is dark and the censor certificate is showing on screen. Ashim is directed by the usherer to a seat far in the distance and I to a seat beside a very demure looking girl from ninth standard in our hostel. I know her name but have never in my life spoken to her.
I flop down in my chair. Babua barks from behind “Aa gaye Majumdarji!!” giving me the riot act for no particular reason. The movie begins. The energy of Kamal, the lissom Rati, the breezy songs, the separation, the sign language through lights, the widow Madhavi, Kamal crying…I am struck, there is a king size walnut in my throat. I silently wipe my tears. The demure one beside me has the Narmada flowing. The Hanky is a mess. The chair, having a common arm, makes it very cumbersome for both of us to use our sleeves to wipe tears. You know, we both get to know!
Then, the climax, the Sunil Thapa rape and the suicidal jump. The demure one is crying openly and has clutched my arm. Of course, I do not realize then as I too was quite taken up. The Love and the Sacrifice.
That night, most of us were quiet. We sneaked back to our cots. We are teenagers and this is overwhelming. But, not as much as that I should forget the demure one’s hand on my arm!
My first affair. “Kaisa Hai Yeh Bandhan Anjaana…….”
|
No related posts. |
Anurag Kashyap
Abhay Deol
Dibakar Banerjee
Hansal Mehta
Khalid Mohamed
Kundan Shah
Anish Kuruvilla
Jaideep Verma
Manish Gupta
Navdeep Singh
Bhavani Iyer
D. Santosh
Onir
Ashvin Kumar
Ramu Ramanathan
Sudhir Mishra
Pankaj Advani
Revathy
Saurabh Shukla
Shilpa Shukla
Sujoy Ghosh
Suparn Verma
Santosh Sivan
Shashank Ghosh
Shivajee
Pavan Kaul
Partho Sen-Gupta
Prroshant Naryannan
Sam Langoria
Satish Kasetty
waaah…..
a very interesting anecdote…….
did “Hum Bane tum bane Ek Duje ke liye” followed..?
Great post! You have wrapped the innocence of your bygone years so splendidly – Just one apple of discord – Rishi Kapoor He Man! ???????
PS: are you still in touch with the demure one?
Wah!
Indraneel, we’re waiting for a sequel to this!
Phir kya hua?
In those days holding hands while watching a movie in a crowded theatre was considered as ‘the affair is progressing’.
Empty multiplexes offer more adventurous opportunities now!
@Ashwin..Thanks,there was no Hum Bane tum Bane forever..they usually don’t, ah! but the magic of the moments remain!
@Sudhir..Thanks but no, not in touch with the demure one..lost touch in 87..but, isn’t that the better thing to do??
@nillohit..Thanks
@Arun..no sequel really..alas, we live in an unforgiving era, where the luxury of such bonds do not last…adventurous, Yes!!
I still remember evryone in my bank, right from the security guard, the peon , the cashier and the customer, humming the same song” tere mere beech main” when i walked in at 9 in the morning.
The songs really created a buzz in Bombay
Haven’t seen much of the 80’s movies but I am planning to watch them 1 by 1. I can still remember some faint glimpses of movies which I watched when I was very young.