When we were in school and college, Diwali and some other festivals were occasions for watching the new films that would be released during the festive days. These films were awaited by all of us as a special treat that would make our festivities more colourful and exciting. Till now, we can remember the films that we went to see with our families, cousins or friends during the Dussehra or Diwali holidays.
Whether it was a new film or a re-run which was a great favourite all these were welcome as there were hardly many movies shown on TV those days (only on weekends).When we were in the Doon valley, Kanak cinema and also Orient were great ones for old classics being shown in the mornings. For three consecutive years, we landed up watching Mughal-e-Azam in the morning re-run shows at Kanak in our summer vacations! No surprise that we still know the dialogues by heart.
Whether it was Diwali, Eid or Guru Purab, we just had to watch a film a day before the festival or a day after. If an aunt or cousin got married, the couple would simply have to take the cousins from both sides for the most popular movie running in town.Without this, the marriage ceremony would not be considered complete! Nobody was going to settle for less than this .I saw Don (the original one) as part of one such wedding. I saw Ham Kisi se Kam Nahin (starring Rishi Kapoor and Kajol Kiron) during one Diwali holidays in the Doon valley at a posh cinema hall called Chhaya Deep . What a treat this film was, with its melodious songs and stylish dances. As young ones, we watched it more than once and even now, when I catch it on any channel on TV, I surely watch it.
The charm and fascination watching films in the cinema halls had was something which I miss greatly now. Everything is so easily accessible that it hardly has any attraction. Moreover, even festivals are now not celebrated as they were in those days. The excitement and joy that was evoked by them is a thing of the past. Commercialisation of the festivals has taken away the soul from them. Rarely do families and relatives get together and go for outings during the festival vacations. Even the shopping is being done online. Greetings are online, sweets are sent online.
I would like to mention here that the films we get to watch now are absolutely different from the films we associate with our celebrations. The themes may be more varied and many new ideas may be projected by today’s cinema. However, the music that we had in those time-the lyricists, the singers and the music composers- can never even be dreamt by people today.
Each song was a gem which is as fresh today as it then was. I can challenge anyone who claims that the film music of today is half as good as that of the years gone by.Take the example of the film Aashiqui.The original Aashiqui of 1990 created history with its sweet melodies composed by Nadeem-Shrwavan and sung by Kumar Sanu and Anuradha Paudwal. Till today, we listen to these songs and enjoy their beauty. The songs of Aashiqui 2 were nice too. Yet when they are compared to the music of the earlier film, they instantly fade away.
So, Diwali was about music, movies, shopping in the crowded bazaars and creating memories that would last one for years. The shine that festivals had then is surely missing now. There are more resources, multiplexes, shopping malls and people have the money to order everything they wish for, online.
No excitement in the preparations can be seen .Things are more technical or even technological. Memories of all the uncles, aunts and cousins going with us to watch Chupke Chupke a day before Diwali are still fresh in my mind. That sense of being together and sharing the happiness the festivals brought is something I yearn for. I would be happy to know from people that they still experience this feeling .That would make me realise that perhaps what I have lost is still existing in the world somewhere. Then I would be able to nurture the hope that it may come back into my life too someday. After all, Ummeed pe duniyaa kaayam hai.
Meanwhile, I pray that there is some film which I can look forward to seeing this Diwali!