Growing up in the pre-television era, cinema was the only audio-visual entertainment available. But then, watching a film was in the theatre was a privilege to be earned by acing the academics-‘get first rank and be rewarded with movie tickets’, was the family rule. Thus, though I did not realize it then, movies steered me towards academic excellence.
Cinema to me meant not just entertainment
but education and awareness as well. It was my window to the world of
literature, aesthetics and performing arts. Fascinated by my mother’s
recounting of scenes from the movie Pride and Prejudice and Gone with
the Wind, I would binge-read the novels. That marked the beginning of my
voracious reading habit leading to a degree in literature. I developed an ear
for music too, thanks to Binaca Geetmala on Vividh Bharati.
Encouraged by a family that allowed me to watch ‘good’ films and discuss them
at the dinner table, anecdotes of our movie experiences are part of the family
lore. A family that sees movies together, stays together for sure!
I have been a
regular delegate at the Pune International Film Festival for several years now
and have enjoyed watching regional and international films. What I enjoy, I
value and wish to share the joy wherever and whenever possible. As a soft
skills trainer and English Language Instructor, I have incorporated snippets from movies to embellish
my training sessions on interpersonal skills, office etiquette, gender
sensitivity, body language, ethics, confidence and team building, language
proficiency and the like. Going beyond an enduring interest, my love for cinema
has proved to be a support. I maintain a bilingual blog with musings on movies
among other things. I also host quizzes on movie trivia in social gatherings.
Efforts are on o launch a YouTube channel exclusively on movie reviews as an
amateur critic (if I may dare call myself so). There’s also the possibility of
having discussions around movies with the participants of my training workshops
by helping them understand and analyse their own perceptions and personalities
through their reaction to the movies. There is so much to look backward to
with pride and so much to look forward to with hope. The anticipation of
embarking on the Film Appreciation Course is exciting because picture abhi
bhi bakki hai, dost!