Sunday 23 January 2005

Mee soup and Bollywood Fantasy on a Cold Winter's Day

The temperature dipped a few degrees further and wild horses couldn’t drag me out of the house. I’d rather be watching winter from the warmth of the house then be out there and later suffer the consequences. And of course, there’s the unfinished essay – a great excuse to anyone who try to entice me out. One thousand nine hundred and twenty words already with about two thousand more to go!

A switch of the button on the i-mac and I was well on my way.

The chicken defrosted and boiled, I proceeded to make the most out of very little that I had in the fridge. Mak used to be able to conjure a feast, even without chicken. And I was sure I could do that. There’s the packets of sup tulang and plenty of dried noodles – enough for mee soup.

I knew it was going to be that kind of a day, when you just want to eat and eat and watch whatever rubbish on offer on TV. And today, I decided it was going to be Kabhi Kabhi, yet again. And I heard the children groan and sought refuge in their rooms.

But it was just the right combination – mee soup and Kabhi Kabhi and I was going to give myself this treat before the madness of Monday starts.

I must have watched Amitabh Bachchan in Kabhi Kabhi a million times. Don’t know when I became a Bollywood fan, but I remember my mother dragging me to a neighbour's house - the only one with TV - on nights when Hindi movies were screened. Of course, now you do notice that even Bollywood directors, or especially Bollywood directors can be so ‘tak logik’.

Tak logik or not, I sat with my bowl of mee soup – yet again glued to the TV. I am not quite into Amitabh Bachchan ‘cos I think his thick mop of hair looked kind of plastered to his head and his eyes and thick lips somehow made him look better in a Thunderbird set. Well, not until I had a good look at him, personally!

That was a few years ago, when Selfridges had a two week long Indian summer, with a few Bollywood stars thrown in. On the day AB was signing autographs, I joined the mile long queue of Sweeties and Preeties from Southall and Alperton just to get a glimpse of this Bollywood heartthrob.

After an hour long of waiting, we were told that Bachchan was no longer signing autographs and we had better disperse. No one moved. The woman in front of me protested that she had come all the way from Fiji and was not about to move until she met her idol.

Security finally gave in when they saw the army of forty-something women, armed with their Kabhi Kushi Kabhi Gham albums, about to cause a riot and they opened the door, but only for photographs.

It was sheer luck and only a plot in a Bollywood movie could have directed me to the front of the queue right in front of the star.

Camera in hand, Kabhi Kabhi in my ears, hair flowing in the wind in true slow motion Bollywood style, I pushed my way forward and in between hefty security guards and frantic fans I saw those smouldering good looks as he lifted his heavy-lidded eyes and stared straight into my camera.

Suffice to say, it had the same devastating effect that Sean Connery had on me; namely, I could not operate my camera. Thus this very badly taken one!

Worse still was the effect on my knees. I mentioned this to a friend who cruelly suggested it was merely the onset of osteoporosis and a bad case of midlife crisis.

Well, one can always dream and you can rely on Bollywood movies to do just that on a dull, cold and wet winter afternoon.


And, oh, the essay? Well, at the last count it was past two thousand words – but that was only because one of the cats had tiptoed on the keyboard.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

have you watched bride and prejudice?

fokd said...

Kak Teh:

Salam Aidil-Adha to you & family. I did enjoy hindi movie too.. my fav ones are Bobby, Sanggam & Kabhi Khusi Kabi Gam. I don't recall watching Kabhi Kabhi.. the last hindi movie that I watched was Hum Tum.. During my mum & auntie time, I do recall they went going to cinema after maghrib..panggung Lido KB is just 'sepelaung' from our place. It will be 'pecah panggung' phenomena when new hindi movies were released & that was the time lots of people make money buy selling black-market tickets.

One of our neighbours, Moh who sold 'goreng pisang' for living did have day off on saturday not on friday because of hindi movies were shown on every saturday. And I always fighting with some of my aunties who live next door because I kept switching channel to watch cartoon 'gaban' while they were watching 'hindustan'. Finally, my mum bought me a black & white tv to keep me quiet. You entry remind me to watch 'Veer Zaara' since I got the VCDs which were given by one of my friend since last aidilfitri.. did u happen to watch it in London last time since it was widely advertised esp of the body of the London buses?

I bet you are very familiar with inspector Sahab.. and the Kapoor clan too, rite?..

Cheers,
SK

Kak Teh said...

Riza, do you mean Pride and Brejudice? Ya, I saw lots of reviews on that but have not seen it it - a must! Went to see Bombay Dreams three times - totally enjoyed it.
Wan A - no - not seen any of the ones you mentioned - but I know the Kumars - not the Kapoors.
Ispector Sahab? Nahi, nahi, nahi!

atiza said...

Somehow or rather, the camera doesn't work when you need them most, eh?

Kak Teh said...

ya, atiza, quite annoying! But I can try and find those blurry, out of focused ones - well, this is pre-digital days. watch this space!

Ruby M. said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Ruby M. said...

Alamak kak teh! We must be in the same season, Mashaallah, I just watched Dev Das yesterday and cried a bucketful of tears next to my husband who was unsure whether to stop the movie or let me continue watching. Last weekend some friends were raving abt kabhi kushi kahbe gam, and so we decided that its time to let ourselves be affected by the soapiness of bollywood. poor husband, he only knows Amitha Bachan and expected to see him in no less than a hero's role. But Amitha has grown up and playing Rich Daddy now... and the heroes now are sooo goood looking, although Rishi Kapoor used to be my favourite actor long time back. Oh, oh and I miss Junglee!

Bustaman said...

After being subjected to countless screenings of "Khabi Kushi Khabi Gam" I have decided to let Mimi have her own VCD player so she can watch Hindi movies in her room.

Blabarella said...

Thankfully, I've outgrown Hindi movies. Even as a child, the only reason I watched them was because my dad (note: NOT my mom!) LOVES them!! And still does!! The television on Saturday afternoons was off-limits to everyone because Papa needed his Bollywood fix!! When I asked him recently why he enjoyed watching Bollywood movies so much, he said it was because the plots were always very simple. Girl meets boy.. Girl comes from rich family and boy from poor family (or vice versa).. Girl's parents disapprove of relationship.. Boy's parents try to talk him out of the futile relationship.. Girl's parents send thugs to give boy a good whalloping and then sends girl far far away.. After some time, girl's parents realise mistake when their chosen suitor for girl is a prime jerk.. Girl's parents, boys' parents, girl and boy all cry together in a chorus setting and then everyone dances on the slopes.. Happily ever after... and THIS, was my dad's own deduction! LOL

Oh and yes, AB is MUCH handsomer in real life!! I think he looks better with age. The white beard does wonders! He came here with a whole bevy of other Bollywood actors and actresses about a year or two ago when the Bollywood Awards was held in Genting Highlands. I saw him when I was walking past the Ferragamo store in KLCC, and there was this whole group of makcik2 outside the store squealing, giggling, pointing and saying "Eh, eh!! Amitabh Bachan!! Hensemnye dia!!! Kih kih kih!! Pergilah, pergilah, masuklah!!" .. but of course, none of them did. :)

Berisman said...

I still remember a few songs in movies like April fool,Sangam,Dosti...

Peminat Shammi Kapoor dan Saira Banu:-))

Kak Teh said...

Pok Ku, baiknya beli VCR khas untuk anak...yes,, I supposed dads do that to their children. My father bought us TV, cos all of us would disappear when there was a good movie on. My mum, who was despateched to collect, would also go missing. So, waht is a VCR, eh?
FG - Kuch Kuch Hota Hai?? Ya, I cried my eyes out too. Yes, I did watch KKKG - understood the storyline only after three sittings and a desperate phonecall home to my sister.
Pak Adib - I like Saira Banu too - isn't she in Kabhi Khabi as well?
Blaberella, ya , the plots are quite predictable - always a love triangle, and there's always a village idiot as well. But, hey, we watch nevertheless!!!

Atok said...

i only watched one or two; coz they're all the same... tukar nama, lagu and baju je, the rest of the story, sama je lah. hahaha, jgan mareee.

Ruby M. said...

kak teh! i think bustaman said, VCD, not VCR.. they are wayy different. One came from the 80's and the other in the late 90's... VCR - Video Cassette Recorder (Tape), VCD - Video Compact Disc :), but of course, nowadays, DVD (Digital Video Decorder) is a must have!

about the plots..i think they too have changed considerably since the last 10 years or so. The endings are no longer 'happy and predicted', now its more dramatic and ironic. But it's still no less than 3 hours long!

atenah said...

kak teh i admire yr going all out to see ab. that's the spirit yeah

Kak Teh said...

atenah, it'd take more than those hefty security guards to stop me. Actually, after that, a few friends and I booked tickets to see Bollywood in the park as Shahrukh khan was supposed to be there. Alas, that was cancelled! Kalau tidak berbangra di park pulak!