Jai ho has entered the Webster dictionary. Talk of the influence of films in our lives! I remember how me and my younger sister used to transform ourselves into Prem Nazir and Sheela religiously every evening from 7 to 7.30 pm. (there was no television those days ) We will enact all those romantic scenes , sing and dance mostly to one single dedicated audience ie; our mother. The moment we get into action my elder sister and younger brother will quietly leave the room with some pretext or other. They probably found our ‘entertainment ‘ quite silly. Although they had the decency never to mention this to us. So we danced along……… I was always the hero and my sister the heroine.
There was this old uncle of ours, “an almost sanyasi” who will be meditating in a corner. Prankster as I was, I will do the Menaka number in front of him from the then famous film “Shakuntala” imagining him to be Viswamitra. My mother and sister will burst into laughter and uncle will slowly open his eyes . By that time I would have vanished from the scene. He will innocently look around and then go back to his meditation again ! (Dear departed uncle, forgive me my trespasses ! )
Then came Chemmeen . Soon our 7 to 7.30 show turned to scenes of Karutthmma and Pareekutty. Those were the days!!!
Eventually I got married. Life took a different turn. But not for long. Came Sholay and our household was bursting forth with its dialogues. It was almost like a competition between me and my sons-to talk like Gabbar,Veeru or Dhannu at the drop of a hat, whether the situation demanded it or not. I can never forget S’s ( and his false baritone )“Kitne aadmi the ?” or “tera kya hoga Kaliya ?“ or “Sochlo Thakkur,agar Gabbar ko pata chal
I wonder if my sons and my sister remember those days, buried as they are in their hectic lives now. May be they will be embarrassed to read this. Or perhaps they are plotting to murder me ! Sorry folks , the news of Jai ho entering the Webster stirred up many memories. The nostalgia was deliciously irresistible…………
