Days gone by

As the age catches up, nostalgia becomes a predominant feeling. One frequently tends to get nostalgic about even very mundane and trivial things that have really no bearing on today’s reality.

The other day, while going through the plight of the film industry, especially theatres and multiplexes, I became nostalgic about how watching movie in a theatre used to be a big event. For a big movie like Trishul, Deewar, Amar Akbar Anthony releasing on Friday, booking plans would open on Monday morning with film buffs queuing outside the booking counters by 8 AM. I distinctly remember, to watch Sholay, my dad had to take a few hours off from his office to buy the tickets and by that time the movie was well into its 3rd month of release. I don’t think this generation would ever experience that orgy associated with watching movie on a big screen with deft advanced planning.

And what about queuing up for the opening any booking of an awaited event – DDA or MHADA flats, Reliance IPO, admission forms of a sought after college, Bajaj Chetak scooter, last date of deposition of electricity bill et al! Not a cherished event but nostalgic nonetheless.

Denizens of any city always lament about the good old days that their city had seen and this is especially true of eating joints where we had our best meals in our hey days. While Mumbaikars miss Purohit’s Thali, Samovar cafe and those good old Parsi- Iranian joints, Delhiites seem it hard to get over Madras Hotel ! Kolkata’s Indian coffee house is still surviving at the College Street though only the God knows for how long?

Ambassador, Fiat, Bajaj Chetak, Vijai Super, Delite biscuit, Jai soap, Dalima and J.B Mangharam biscuits are some of the brands of my childhood that couldn’t survive!

Philosophically, we all try to make ourselves understand that in this world change is the only constant and we should adapt to change to succeed in life. However, to my mind, nostalgia is an involuntary feeling that repeatedly comes to remind you of the days gone by.