Recently, my kid - Deep noticed an ad somewhere either in the newspaper or possibly in the mobile phone of the new movies that was released - 'Penguins' and was persisting us to take him to the same. I was finally lucky to avoid the same but the rest of the family did go and watch the movie while it made my thoughts go back several years back when we were in Hubli where I spent my initial years and schooling till 4th standard at Kendriya Vidyalaya Hubli. We used to live on Koppikar road which is probably now the commercial street of Bangalore, Connaugt place of Delhi, MG road of Poona / Bengaluru in HUBLI. We used to live in Kale Chawl a small bylane on koppikar road with several rows of independent houses almost joined together typical of the early urban cities. The place was even then surrounded by all the hotels and cinema theaters that were dear to me then ..
I remember spending long times engrossed in watching the live paintings being done by picture artists on huge canvas of the new movies ( used to call picture then ) that were going to be released in our neighboring theaters - Mohan and Mallikarjun ( which incidentally do not exist now and have given way to become malls ). I was recently reading the dying profession of the painters / artists who used to be busy with all the cinema theaters in the 70s and 80s ..I thought it was great talent to draw , paint for every movie at the time of the release..I'am not even sure if our next generation can fathom the efforts and talent of such breed of people..
I have to admit that I used to be a active movie goer during my early years than what I'am now and I also remember the verbal contract / deal that I had with Pappa of seeing 8 movies during summer holidays since we used to have 8 weeks of holidays ..Ofcourse the xmas break and Dasara break and its share of 1-2 pictures as well..I was a die hard fan of Amitabh Bachhan and would have possibly seen most of the movies of the 80's..I remember being teased, pestered and chased by other elders in my family for the same. The secret to my interests in movies and the easy access to new movies was with Pappa. His student / parents fraternity across Hubli consisted of all businessman and these also included some of the owners of the film theaters and one of the notable one was 'Apsara' theater , which was then and even now one of the best fiml theaters in Hubli..So, a small word with his students for couple of tickets to be reserved for us used to work wonders and I enjoyed and have fond remembrances of my early days of passing across the locked gates and the huge queues and hordes of people waiting for the tickets of the newly released movies. It also helped that our house was surrounded by theatres within a vicinity of 2-3 kms and 6-9 pm show and 9-12 pm show used to be the normal walking across the streets of Hubli with probably some packet of peanuts or Puff ..
It was so different than what exists now where we can book the tickets online, go in cars, look for parking and get frustrated by the time the movie starts ..Ofcourse the technology now is great , choice is more ..but still miss that breed of movies / actors and needless to say the - ' The angry young man - Amitabh Bachan in his youthful days and my father who used to get me the 'Tickets ' ....
I remember spending long times engrossed in watching the live paintings being done by picture artists on huge canvas of the new movies ( used to call picture then ) that were going to be released in our neighboring theaters - Mohan and Mallikarjun ( which incidentally do not exist now and have given way to become malls ). I was recently reading the dying profession of the painters / artists who used to be busy with all the cinema theaters in the 70s and 80s ..I thought it was great talent to draw , paint for every movie at the time of the release..I'am not even sure if our next generation can fathom the efforts and talent of such breed of people..
I have to admit that I used to be a active movie goer during my early years than what I'am now and I also remember the verbal contract / deal that I had with Pappa of seeing 8 movies during summer holidays since we used to have 8 weeks of holidays ..Ofcourse the xmas break and Dasara break and its share of 1-2 pictures as well..I was a die hard fan of Amitabh Bachhan and would have possibly seen most of the movies of the 80's..I remember being teased, pestered and chased by other elders in my family for the same. The secret to my interests in movies and the easy access to new movies was with Pappa. His student / parents fraternity across Hubli consisted of all businessman and these also included some of the owners of the film theaters and one of the notable one was 'Apsara' theater , which was then and even now one of the best fiml theaters in Hubli..So, a small word with his students for couple of tickets to be reserved for us used to work wonders and I enjoyed and have fond remembrances of my early days of passing across the locked gates and the huge queues and hordes of people waiting for the tickets of the newly released movies. It also helped that our house was surrounded by theatres within a vicinity of 2-3 kms and 6-9 pm show and 9-12 pm show used to be the normal walking across the streets of Hubli with probably some packet of peanuts or Puff ..
It was so different than what exists now where we can book the tickets online, go in cars, look for parking and get frustrated by the time the movie starts ..Ofcourse the technology now is great , choice is more ..but still miss that breed of movies / actors and needless to say the - ' The angry young man - Amitabh Bachan in his youthful days and my father who used to get me the 'Tickets ' ....
