Not long ago watching movies in theaters was one of the things I looked forward to. I was born in 1968, and probably acquired some aesthetic sense to enjoy and appreciate good films in 20 years. Passionate remarks or casual discussions about the great movies of the earlier era by relatives or elders would make me eager to watch those movies. Being a chip of the old bloc, I would talk to my Dad and Uncles who were my sources of information about yester year classics. Those days we had to depend on Re-Runs or hire video cassettes and CDs to watch old movies.
The fall blast of YouTube and the possibility to browse content on the internet has made life easy for searchers of old movies nowadays. During days of copyright protection and rigid rules on access, I had to depend mostly on Re-runs to watch old movies. For this I had to visit old worn out theaters or single shows at odd times. Discovering the magic of Hollywood classics like The Guns of Navarone, Mc Kenna’s Gold, Ben-Hur, Five Man army, The Ten Commandments in rare re-runs was a real delight for me.
In 1992, I watched Kanya Sulkam in a special re-run which was screened in Ravindra Bharathi. Discovering old Telugu classics like Bhoo Kailas, Devdasu, Maya Bazar, Paatala Bhairavi, Missamma, Gundamma Katha, Manohara, Raja Makutam, Pandava vanavasam, Paramanandayya sishyula katha, Jagadeka veeruni katha, Gulebakavali katha,Nartanasala, Sri Krishna paandaveeyam, Chiranjeevulu, Velugu needalu, Todikodallu, Dr.Chakravarthy, Mooga manasulu, Manchi manusulu, Nirdoshi, Katha nayakudu, Gudi gantalu and many more was an arduous affair. One had to wait for the films and also watch them patiently.
Watching re-runs was like reliving the past. When the movie Devudu chesina manushulu was re-released with a lot of aplomb, I watched it on the first day amidst fans who celebrated the presence of their screen gods. Similarly the third or fourth re-run of MGR’s Aayirattil Oruvan was an occasion for me to discover the charm and adulation this actor commanded.
Now the digital world is waiting, only for the click of a mouse or a tab to discover and watch most films of your choice. When there was no possibility of re-runs, we would hire videos. I watched all Chaplin movies; City lights, Modern times, The Great Dictator, Kid, Gold rush and many more hiring the cassettes. After Chaplin, it was time to watch all the acclaimed Raj Kapoor classics starting with Awara. This was because of my Uncle who was an avid Mukesh fan.
While looking for re-runs of old movies, I would scout for film posters and P.A. announcements in the by lanes of my town. The posters and stills were an invitation to know more about the film. When the curiosity reached a point, it was time to watch the film. After all these years, if I were to be offered a ride back in time to watch my favorite film, I would ask for a screening of Ben-Hur on a big screen, to enjoy the complete cinematic experience and watch again and again, the apocalyptic scene in which Jesus offers a drink of water to a parched and emaciated Zudah Ben-Hur.