What’s your definition of romantic?
During my grade 7 vacations, Dad hired a VCR player and rented out a few VHS tapes for us to watch. We were only allowed to watch 2 new movies every day. That meant we got to watch close to 14 new movies a week that would cover the most recent films if they had a copy available. Dad had budgeted for a limited number of movies and it did not include the recent films. But, he brought home quite a few Raj Kapoor films like Shree420, Aah, Aag, Awara, Madhumati, Woh Kaun Thi, Mary Poppins Nayagan, and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, among others. The rules were simple, we could re-watch a movie but all movies had to be watched by all first. And the movie time started at 7 pm.
We used to rush through our dinner so we could watch the movie uninterrupted. Dad started with Shree 420. Nadira made such an impression in her figure-hugging outfits and her slim cigarettes. My first new word during this movie run was Vamp which is what Nadira was in the movie. The juxtaposition of good vs evil was so obvious in this movie that it was a pleasure to watch it even for a 11 or 12-year-old. Dad had scheduled all the movies based on the viewability and the awara-aag series of movies would be screened first as they were not violent and while they were romantic movies, the romance was understated. I remember that Nayagan was a violent movie and Dad had scheduled to watch it later in the night because we would be asleep by then. The older siblings were allowed to stay up to watch the movie, but we kids typically fell asleep in front of the TV while watching the first movie.
“Pyaar Hua ikraar Hua” from Shree 420 was my first romantic number. I loved the visualization for this song. I barely understood the meaning of the song, but the melody stuck and what was even more fun for me was Dad and Mum singing this song as a duet when guests were over. In my young mind, this was love. This was romance. A couple so in love with each other that they were willing to sing songs to each other- with each other, this was the height of romance.
Almost every movie during this week was a movie with differing depictions of love. For instance, the blossoming relationship between Mr Potts and Ms Truly in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Or the love between Mrs Banks and Mr Banks who are so wrapped up in their worlds and have lost sight of the most important thing in their lives, their children. And Shree 420, where the hero and heroine fall in love but are reluctant to accept the responsibilities it brings. To be honest, I don’t know why Dad selected these movies to screen for us, but we loved them all. I was too young to understand the nuances of romance in its entirety but I still enjoyed the movies. I loved the fact that we all sat around and watched them together. That was love. For me, that was romance.
We used to listen to a lot of radio and these movies put a story around the songs we had heard and continue to listen to every day. It was around this time that I witnessed the budding romance between neighbors. So humming these tunes while they talked and giggled made it all just that much more real. I remember the local songs that continued to play during peak time all romantic numbers from movies like Ranadheera, Anjada Gandu, and Premaloka, that highlighted the blossoming romance.
Jump to a few years later when I was in college watching hormones going berserk, love was in the air. Love was every chart-topper sung by every boy band of the late 1990s. Uptown Girl by Westlife, Words by Boyzone, Maria by Ricky Martin, Nsync, and Savage Garden among others. Music and movies have always played an important role in my perception of romance. I have never wanted or asked for red roses, floating balloons, or heart-shaped cushions. A stroll together, a shared joke, a long drive, conversations, and exclusive time with the family make for interesting and memorable evenings together. And any combination of all of these makes for a romantic evening.
In all the world, there is no heart for me like yours
Maya Angelou
In all the world, there is no love for you like mine
Just a little more 