When love and humility won our hearts
In the early seventies, when we were growing up, money was scarce but joy was abundant. Sources of information and entertainment were limited but fun was unlimited.
My mother was a primary teacher in a school in the suburbs of Amritsar and the administration occasionally arranged for the screening of movies for her students. My younger brother and I were always the first ones to jump at the prospect of accompanying our mother to these occasions of pure bliss. The first movie we got to watch with her was Jagriti. The story revolved around a spoilt rich boy in a boarding school who is reformed by his physically challenged friend. It had a muchloved patriotic song, Aao bachchon tumhey dikhayen jhaanki Hindustan ki (Come on children, let’s show you glimpses of Hindustan). The second movie I had the privilege of watching with the children of mother’s school was Dosti (Friendship). The plot focused on the close bond shared by two boys, one with impaired vision and the other with physical challenges. One plays the harmonica and the other sings. How they team up to earn money to complete their studies is depicted beautifully in this film.
Despite watching Do aankhen baraah haath (Two eyes and 12 hands) umpteen times I still can’t forget the thrill of seeing the movie for the first time. How a jail warden takes upon himself the arduous task of rehabilitating six hardcore criminals makes for an engrossing watch. Ae maalik tere bande hum (O’ lord we are your people) is still my favourite prayer in times of distress.
Another movie I enjoyed watching was Do boond paani (Two drops of water). This film focused on the efforts of some villagers to tackle scarcity of water and eventually build a dam.
Ghar ghar ki kahani (The story of every home) too is very close to my heart. Starring the legendary Balraj Sahani, it’s the story of an honest government employee and his children who run the household with meagre resources.
We watched these movies with unmatched interest and awe and were mesmerised by the actors’ performances, which stayed with us forever. The movies we grew up with were based on the harsh realities of life with a concrete message that left an indelible mark on our tender minds.
Nowadays, when I look at the movies that children prefer to watch, I am a bit perplexed. They are hooked to Avengers, Iron man, Spiderman, Batman, Baahubali and the like, which are full of mindless violence and special effects that take your breath away. The hero tries to destroy evil with the might of the sword and unrealistic prowess.
Then I remember the movies we fell in love with as children, which hinged on empathy, humility and love. Even people’s sworn enemies were won over with compassion and kindness.
Today, when hatred, insensitivity and intolerance are on the rise, I am reminded of Walt Disney’s famous words: “Movies can and do have tremendous influence in shaping young lives in the realm of entertainment towards the ideals and objectives of normal adulthood.”
THE MOVIES WE GREW UP WITH WERE BASED ON THE HARSH REALITIES OF LIFE WITH A CONCRETE MESSAGE