All that we see or have ever seemed is but a dream within a dream.
-Edgar Allan Poe
…the frog is finally out from the shallow well
A year has past and I opened my dairy to check how many films I have seen. The figure here shows 400 + in numbers, this was the moment when I felt ‘silent happiness’ within me to realize that I have broken my own record, I have seen eighty films more then the last year… Every year during the first week of January I used to present myself a new dairy and dedicate the pages on writing my own reviews on each film I saw… Oh! Those fun days, no money in the pocket and a new film released in the nearest theatre… Well, let me divide my initial forays into film appreciation into two stages, In the first stage there was no pocket money and the only option of watching a film was an absolute dependency on family / friends — but that was rarer than a blue moon…The second approach was much more industrious and was more real life proof of the saying that ‘necessity is the mother of invention’, love for cinema made me look for my own ways… If I pause to remember then I can make a list of films, which I have seen without spending a single penny… there may be many ways but my way was somewhat unique… I used to wait outside a theatre till the half time, when people used to rush out of the theatre to catch some snack, tea and cigarettes, as soon as the recess got over I used to slip inside the theatre with the crowd… I knew very well about no checks after interval and taking that advantage I use to manage inside the auditorium then request someone to share his seat… the person use to do that because I was very small and this way I have watched so many films from half time…
Now stage two – I just need two rupees seventy-five paisa for the lower stall and either Mom gives me or steal from her purse which is actually on extreme level otherwise money to buy film tickets has never been a problem, the simple procedure of making money is to charge Mom for doing any kind of household jobs or not returning small balance, which end up savings to a ticket.
Another kind of experience to watch a film in the lower stalls in stinking atmosphere, the person sitting next to me scratching his groin and spitting in front of me through out and sometimes thanks to my lucky stars when the person sitting next to me is drunk and lot of foul language can be learned free of cost. I used to squeeze myself on my seating vicinity and made sure not to disturb my neighbor. Actually if you think about it, they are the same people who eventually decide the fate of a potboiler.
Those were the good old days of yesteryears but today when I look back then I think those were the days which essentially helped me to grow interest in films, my passion for cinema increased and I found my goal in life with a clear focus but only problem was – I never had any guidance. Since I was not a graduate it was pointless to apply for any film institution and hence I decided to learn practically, so I moved to Mumbai and after lot of struggle I got an opportunity to assist in movies.
After a year or so – one fine day my Boss ‘Shivendra Singh Dungarpur’ (now a leading advertisement filmmaker) asked me to attend a film festival in Delhi. On one hand going to Delhi, staying there, food & conveyance was completely out of question, obviously because of money issues but on the other hand I was desperate because I was not exposed to world cinema.
Looking at my hard work and dedication for eight to nine months since the time I joined him, my Boss decided to send me at his expenses. That day I will never forget when he confirmed it with me, it was indeed a very big opportunity because I was the only one among his five assistant directors whom he took interest – he not only paid for my tickets to Delhi but arranged my stay at his parents bungalow in Hauz Khas, which was just five minutes away from the venue at Sirifort Stadium. My excitement was on its peak because of two reasons – a) Visiting Delhi, and b) Going to attend an International film festival – and both for the first time.
I was taught why it is imperative to understand the importance to get exposed to world cinema. Film festival actually carries a particular goal:
- Quality films from different corners of the world promote understanding of world cultures, literatures and languages.
- Viewer becomes aware of the unique aspects of other cultures while being moved by the stories in the films to recognize universal human values and themes of hope and love.
At the same time open forums are held, pre or post screening of a particular film wherein one gets to meet the director of the film and know their viewpoints accounted with interesting debates amongst the viewers and the filmmakers. When a new filmgoer discovers that there is a bigger world out there by watching a foreign film, then events like International film festivals are worth. World films are a very powerful medium and most efficient way to get a culture immersion experience from the safety of individual viewer’s environment. World cinema also helped me to understand a film on a higher level as compared to what I used to understand otherwise.
During 10 days at International film festival in Delhi from 10th-20th January 1998, I saw 55 good films which includes —
1. Children of Heaven Dir- Majid Majidi from Iran
(Also an opportunity to meet the director after the show)
2. King of Masks Dir- Wu Tianming from Hong Kong
3. Paper Airplanes Dir- Farhad Mehranfar from Iran
4. Wind Echoing in My Being Dir Heon Soo Il from South Korea
5. Marco Polo – The Last Chapter Dir-Rafi Bukaee from Israel
6. To Love Dir- Kei Kumai From Japan
7. Mainly retrospective of Andrzej Wajda
After my first ever encounter there I found about myself – I was a Kupamanduk (frog in a well) and from then I always tried to come out of the swallow well, which I use to think I am the master of the water and lord of the shallow well and took a plunge into the ocean which is vast, which never grew less or increase whether there is drought or floods.
At the end it was a wonderful occasion when filmmakers and other film related people, viewers from all over the world get together and interact with each other exchanging ideas under one roof. In sort film festivals are meant for wider exposure and helps to find new horizons… - this kind of experience is very rare.
d during one such journey (for the first time) I came across with the real Tintin’s comic magazine, tucked against the transparent glass of A.H. Wheeler bookstall on the platform, it gave me wild goose and I wanted to buy a copy no sooner i saw it but my Papa used to put conditions for every small thing I ever wanted for my entertainment, especially during my childhood. Therefore one had to work very hard to fulfill them but in my case I gave up many desires for one simple reason – I don’t want to work hard and easily given up. 
