The thrill of single screens and multiplexes

- How are your memories of Kaman of Kachakadi Patti as a teenager in Pan Nalin's film?

- Vidhya-bhaven Kachchi

- Late settled in India from America. After 'Shalimar', Krishna Shah made a documentary 'Cinema Cinema' which takes a journey through the Hindi film industry.

Pay Nalin's Oscar entry from India 'Chhello Show' is a digital film that captures the extraordinary affinity and pull of an inner village teenager's gritty comedy film.

A few months ago, when an article on the film used the word 'Kachakda's world', a reader who had grown up watching a film full of VFX technology on the multiplex or IMAX screen called and asked, 'What is Kachakda? You have described the film as the world of Chakkada. I don't understand anything.'

We have realized that we have to connect digitally with the new generation, but just as many things that were used earlier have become obsolete forever, there are countless words that seem natural to us but the teenagers and young world do not understand their meaning. However, if the art of communication is mastered, autobiography can bridge the generation gap in any age group and prove to be motivating and engaging. In this way, Pan Nalin's 'Chello Show' is about his own teenage passion for film - 'nostalgic'. However, at the international level, this film itself will become the 'archives' of the journey of film making and the filmic demand of a village-dwelling teenager. The word 'Paan' is used to express unity in diversity as well as to touch the hearts and minds of the entire country of India. 'Pan' means 'Presence Across Nation.' Oscars only give awards to films that are 'Pan International'.

If the jury feels that 'The Last Show', which has an English title of 'The Last Film Show', can connect audiences from Ethiopia to America with the same sentiment, it will increase its chances of winning an Oscar.

Yes, citizens who have grown up watching movies on a single screen knowing about the theme of 'Chhello Show' and now enjoying the thrill of the digital world must have turned the memories of their teenage to youth film frenzy like a roller coaster. Think on.

A few years ago, Vandan Bhai Shah, the owner of 'Rupam' theater near Ratan Pol, Ahmedabad received a call. He said in a tone of final farewell to Aptajan with his voice wet with emotion that 'Our Roopam now closes forever as a single screen. Some have two shows for friends like you. The last show of the currently running film (Irrfan Khan and Aishwarya starrer 'Jazbaa') will also be the last show of Rupam Single Screen Theater this Thursday.'

However, this was not a situation where the veil had to be pulled down prematurely. Most of the single theaters in Indian cities, including Gujarat, had closed down simultaneously during the multiplex era. The owners of Rupam had to try their best but finally had to take a practical decision. As if they had unsuccessfully tried to push back the date of death.

When we went to watch Saparivar Roopaman and the last show of our life on a single screen, Vandan Bhai said, 'Look at the projector room and the film reel too.'

Immediately this writer reaches the Liberty Theater in Junagadh as a child in a flash back. The projector room at the Liberty Theater was a single-story theater downstairs. During the show of the film, the current film and the photos of the upcoming film are mounted in the glass cabinet and can be seen inside. However, photos like this seem to pass the time for those who have come to watch the later show. But some idiots like me, with the same face as if they had come from a drought-stricken area in search of a morsel of food, would stand on the pretext of going to the theater and watching the pictures. When the three-to-six show is on, the theater at four o'clock is very busy in that section. The original intention was to listen to the sound of 'Dhisum.. Dhisum..' while the fighting is going on in the film from the projector room on the pretext of viewing photos. Even today, when the song of the film 'Bombay to Goa', 'Shagird' or 'Hamjoli' comes on, the eyes become wet. Movies were also watched. Even so, the door keeper could be seen around the theater with insulting language and would take the opportunity to look at the photos if the fire returned.

A mysterious plan was also made for a film's dialogue or fight sounds to be heard in Liberty, but a scene from the film could be seen in Haresh Theatre. Visitors to the upper stall could enter from the lobby where the film stills were kept in a glass cabinet. Sometimes it takes only five minutes to watch a scene, sometimes it takes fifteen to twenty minutes. After doing so much penance, if you look at the doorkeeper, he will give a shout. Sometimes this daily insatiable soul is allowed to stand in the lobby. At that time, the main door of the hall was not closed while the film was playing, but there were thick black curtains to keep the hall dark. Some viewers would go out to drink beedi or go to the bathroom when a song or mujro came on in the film. As soon as they move the black curtain and come out, I grab the black curtain and enjoy a song or a scene from the film. Many times I stand inside the hall. Similarly, a glimpse of the song 'O Maji Chal' from 'Aya Sawan Zoomke' was seen. Dharmendra sings while sitting in a boat. In the days that followed, a break from the film's title song was released. If you take too long, the door keeper will threaten you with obscenities. After a few days, he would start doing this again. I don't know why but the door keeper took pity on me and let me stand for a few minutes or ignored me.

The surprising thing is that even at the young age of 11-12 years, no one asked us where we roamed, one and a half kilometers away from home. When we rented a bicycle and went around, the house did not pay much attention to the peeled goat. Come back barking and fighting with street dogs.

At that time in Junagadh, small size hodags of films playing in different theaters were placed at fixed places. If you get a chance every Thursday night or Friday morning then go out to see this board. It is a good habit to go to the library so you will see all the boards on the way. I would be disappointed if the watched movie was not released. The excitement of new movie posters and boards used to be endless. Most of the time, even if the movie was to be watched with parents, it was not possible to watch all of it.

Even as a teenager, Jamag and Chitralok were fans alike. After Junagadh, Bhavnagar theaters and played Santa Kukdi with its door keeper.

The early morning bhajans on the radio while passing through the plank or in the hair cutting salon started with a loud volume that the pedestrians could hear and the film music continued throughout the day. Life without films and cricket is unimaginable.

In Ahmedabad, at a young age, he felt as if he had become a millionaire just by seeing the number of theatres. In that too, the multi-storied building of two theaters called Ajanta Ellora on Ashram Road created a sense of humor. This is how Apsara-Aradhana was built in Maninagar. English or mostly art films are shown in Advance and Madhuram.

Some Swachh films were also shown in the common plot in the society. Rent a projector and film reels. A curtain is arranged on the wall and the residents of the society sit down and enjoy the movie in the common plot.

Most of the children liked the film to such an extent that during the production of the film some strips were also wasted. Even after the release of the film went into the bin, there were collectors of its tapes. Even for viewing through binoculars, they used to get film tapes or photos of Kachakda. To promote the film, horse-carts with boards of the film on both sides roamed the roads. Pamphlets containing the film's songs, story, photos were distributed free of cost. Walking a kilometer or so behind such a horse-carriage and returning home would cost one's life. Hair style, fashion, body language, flirtatiousness and acting like the film hero and heroine should also be seen by all.

Krishna Shah, who settled in India from America, made the film Shalimar with Dharmendra and Zeenat Aman and foreign actors. It was he who made a documentary film called Cinema Cinema, a journey through the Indian film world. Cinema on cinema is not special. From a poor village teenager, his irrepressible attraction to film and the growing psychological struggle between the family and the society that considered film-watching to be uncivilized at that time, not only every rural but also urban and educated family must have experienced to a lesser extent.