State of a Cinema Theater
After a long time (3 years exatly), i got a chance to see a movie(Fanaa) in Sujata ( the best theater of Ranchi). The original planwas to go for 11-2 show. We( I and my friend Kunj) reachedthere around 11 and neither we nor the black ticketwallahs could meeteach other. We left to do a little job only to return back by 12.After all we were determined to see the movie that day.I went to ticket counter and was the first one to stand there.Kunj was near the vehicle and he saw black ticketwallahs abusing eachother that they failed to sell around 30 DC tickets. Perhaps theywere beginners in this business as when we had tried to find them wefailed to hear the familiar voice of "x ka y"!! Now it is just toohard to find them by their face unless one is a regular movie buff.Anyway I observed the ticket counter.

I first went to see amovie in Sujata with my uncle in 1986 . It still was the same afterso many years. Maybe they did not found any need to change as it wasdoing its job of selling tickets properly. It ishardly of any concern to them that in which environment it is beingsold. I was under the shade but there was no respite from the heat.Infact there was a cold breeze coming from inside the ticket counter.I do not know how as there was no fan inside. It tookaround 1 hour and people start coming in groups. Earlier people willcome and go away saying there is pleanty of time left and thattickets will be sold from 1 PM. It never started fromthat time but yes people were gathered and it became very tough tostand there.Tickets distribution started from 1.15 PM but the mantra of ladiesfirst was applied. There was a seperate queue for them. I had to waitfor 20 minutes before it started at my place. And of course theperson who was giving away tickets to ladies and not caring to startat our place got his fair share of abuses from people behind me. Theywere saying this is a daily routine. At one side woman say they areequal to men and on another side they never oppose the specialprivileges given to them. Lots of other points were said. I was a muteobserver. Being first in line i got my ticket soon but not withoutany drama. There was a single way through which money and ticket canbe exchanged at the counter. I gave my money and took my hand awayonly to find that it was a blunder. Others put their hand to givetheir money and were not allowing me to take my ticket. I had toargue before i got my prize possession. It took around 2 hours to getit. I was quite tired. Lots of drama happened later on which i sawfrom a distance. People stand on each other to get tickets at the lastmoment. I was saved from those horrible experiences.

To enter the hall was not an easy task either. there was a long queuewhich was lathi charged at the last moment so that there is no chaoswhile they enter. I keep away to enter very late. Who want to getlathi after already tired for getting tickets!! ladies were allowedto enter from a special passage made for them.The hall was at its worst this time. It had more heat and humiditythan outside and if the film had not been good, i just don't know howwould i spent 3 hours there. Although Sujata boasts of having AC itwas never felt. People said if u sit near to walls you may feel it.Aaamir and Kajol acted according to their repute and the film wasgood overall. The ending was a typical Aamir movie ending. I canrecommend one to see this movie but not at Sujata.One may ask why didn't you took advance ticket by tele-booking whichis available at Sujata, i will say it is because it is very unreliable and one may never get tickets by it.

At multiplexes the experience is just the opposite. You just go,take the ticket (no queues there) and see the movie having goodworking AC. Ticket costs around 4-5 times more but then you not onlysave time but also saved from such bad experiences. If the film is aflop( common thing these days) you can sleep peacefully in AC atleast!! The good news is that there is chances of multiplexes beingconstructed at Hinoo, Ranchi very soon.

TV Today

These days it is just a nightmare to see TV programs. I am virtually
forced to check each one of them these days (as i am waiting for my
joining letter)with great patience and verify whom to give my time.
so here is a brief description of the famous ones and what
they offer.

Honestly I do not see the saas-bahu serials. What i do see is a short
glimpse of them during the so called prime time(torture time for me)
when all popular channels show them. Star TV stands on top in their
defence and it is simply boycotted by me alone. My mother sees them
with great interest and so no chance mates than to leave the TV room.
The director feels no shame in projecting a good 30 year old lady as
one of 80 year grand mother. Worse that lady wears saaris ( poor
saari must be feeling ashamed in the body of 80 year old), good
black hair, excellent make-up(to look young!!). The grand-daughter of
that lady looks older than her in contrast. This pattern is visible
in all of them. Men (projected as grand-fathr) look older by their
greyed hair(thank god), and by wearing clothes suitable for
their age. The stories are worse. A lady marries 5 times, dies and
escapes umpteen times and often the actors are dumped and new actors
are brought which makes this all thing very messy. A story runs for
good 5 years and they add all kind of twists and turns to see their
TRP ratings falling like a castle of cards.


Some channels have brought new concepts.Majority fails badly as the
story length is increased without any reason( remember Jassi jaisi
koi nahin). Some add hit numbers in between and the actors dance and
wear clothes which is really shocking to see. Other fails bcoz the
cast is no good and neither is the story. All in all very poor
situation and there is no hope of any great change.

Horror shows are really comedy shows. Comedy shows become horror
shows. I really think there is good shortage of writers in TV
industry. There was a time when ulta-pulta, with its
limited resources was a big hit among masses. Now with so good
infrastructure and so many advances they have lost the basic touch
that really matters. Nothing more to say here.


News channels. The less we say the better. Some 10 years back Aaj tak
was shown at 11 PM for about half hours and was seen by masses with
gr8 interest. It is now 24 hour channel with extensions channels like
Tej and Delhi Aaj Tak. It is not seen with even 10% of interest.
Worse to check the authenticity of its news we check the other
channels. Reporters of all the channels ask questions even a big
idiot won't ask. Like when akshardam temple was attacked and lots of
people were badly hurt, what they asked "Aap kaisa mahsoos kar rahe
hain". What rubbish reporting. NDTV is using films as a medium to
project themselves as News channel no. 1. It can be done with
authentic news, good reporting and use of new technologies as they
come. They fail in basic areas and think can woo viewers.


The cartoon channels show cartoons i never heard of during my time.
Most of them are blind copy of Chinese and Japanese versions and
don't raise the adrenalin. It is very hard if not impossible to see
them and know what is happening. The story line is very poor and
they fail in their basic idea( to make one laugh or feel relax).


Movie channels shows the same movie many times in a week. Good movies
are shown rarely and i don't want to be tortured by the bad ones. I
check the news paper to see if today i can spend any time on them.
Otherwise it is of no use really.

Sincerely speaking only these channels are seen by majority of
viewers. Fed up with them i take refuge in Discovery Channel and
family. Most of the time they are good except the fact they
all are pro-US. Nature shows are the best thing. One feels relaxed by
seeing the beauty, gets humour by seeing the behavior of animals and
we came close to nature for which we give least time from our time
table. Science stories, Detective stories, History and all are also a
treat to watch.