JANE KAHAN GAYE VOH DIN…

Till about two decades back, going to movie either with family or friends used to be fun. Every Thursday or Friday auto rickshaws fitted with loud speakers used to come in the mornings to announce the screening of a new movie.

Going to movie was not so easy those days as one had to stand in queue and buy advance tickets. But it used to be a different experience. It was more like a picnic. I remember how we used to pack our snacks, hire an auto as personal vehicles like two-wheelers and cars were still a luxury for the middle class families, enjoy snacks during interval, walk up to the counter to buy some soft drinks or popcorn and come back home with a feeling of having had a great evening.

As students, it was really a tough task to go to movie. One had to seek permission from parents, had to tell them who were the friends with whom we were going to the movie as they used to be more concerned about their wards losing focus from studies or going astray. The pocket money we used to get was also restricted which was enough for bus charges, buying tickets and, perhaps, a few snacks.

Today, if you walk on the same roads, most of those single screen theatres have vanished and have been either converted into marriage halls or malls. Where some buildings are standing they are either abandoned or waiting with a faint hope of return of the bygone days.

‘Old order changeth yielding place to new.’ Technology and lifestyle have changed. These are the days of OTT platforms, watching movies in the comfort of your house with huge TV screens and home theatre equipment. Another option is going to malls, do shopping, visit the food court, enjoy weekend lunch or dinner, watch a movie at multiplex theatres which have digital screens with high quality surround sound and 3-D view, and drive back home, not bothering about the money they have to spend which could be equivalent to their monthly grocery bill.

Despite great strides in technology and heavy dependence on graphics, which takes the viewer to a new world altogether, there has been a fall in patronage. The film industry, whether it is Tollywood or Bollywood, is passing through crisis. These days there are no big budget films with big stars and good story line. There are no movies that offer a wholesome entertainment. Even those that are being released on OTT platforms are either crime-based or ghost-related stories or are full of violence.

Earlier, every movie used to have a separate comedy track to provide relief to the audience. But now there is no role for the comedians. Even if some big budget films are made they are made in multiple languages and released simultaneously and they vanish within a week or so. In the past, there used to be top heroes and heroines whose shelf life used to be high and many of the yesteryear heroes including legendary actors Raj Kumar, Amitabh Bacchan, Rajesh Khanna, Hema Malini Vijayantimala, Meena Kumari and a host of others are remembered for many of their hit films. Even the old songs are still a pleasure to hear.

Compared to this, one hardly remembers any of the present-day actors or actresses or songs. Those days, lyrics were given importance, but today loud music has replaced it. This being the situation, it appears that it’s wrap-up time for single theatres in India.