My introduction to the world of cinema
Whoosh, time sure does fly. When I think back to my childhood years, between 5 to 10, most of it seems a bit fuzzy. Random fragments of memories and experiences, nothing too solid really, except for movies. I grew up in this tiny town in the countryside of Bangalore, seriously so small you'd miss it if you blinked. And by small, I mean the headcount barely reached triple digits (spoiler alert: it's not that tiny anymore), the town didn't have much happening, so in the ample time available post-school, I found my escape in movies and sports.
My go-to pastime was watching movies on cable, the selection was somewhat limited, mostly local Kannada channels. But boy, did I binge on those Kannada flicks from the 80s and 90s. I must have devoured hundreds of them, easily. And I've got to tell you, I genuinely believe that the best Kannada cinema was created between the 70s to the late 90s. Sadly, the golden age seems to have passed, with just a few exceptions standing out in the current scene.
It’s been ages since I have seen the old flicks, but here are a few of my favorites from the top of my head.
“Yaaru tiliyaru ninna bhuja balada parakrama”
I was 10 when we got a cable upgrade. I was surfing through a trove of new channels, and that's when I happened upon an English movie that was larger than life – quite literally, thanks to the ginormous animals it featured. Even though I didn't catch a word they were saying, I couldn't peel my eyes away. There I was, bawling my eyes out for an ape that took a fall from a skyscraper. I mean, I'd never seen anything quite like it, the sheer scale of it, the incredibly realistic creatures... I just fell in love. That was Peter Jackson´s King Kong, my introduction to Hollywood movies. For the next few years, my days were filled with fictional worlds from movies like Back to the Future, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Narnia, James Bond, Pirates of the Caribbean... you name it. They were on a continuous loop at my place.
King Kong (2005), Directed by Peter Jackson
It's been an amazing journey of 17 years since my introduction to world cinema. Looking back, I'm truly grateful for having experienced such remarkable films throughout this period, from indie to Persian, French to Korean, and South East Asian to the rest of the world.
“Once you overcome the 1-inch tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”
Love to end this with a quote from Hossein Sabzian, in Close-Up Long Shot (Mamhoud Chokrollahi & Moslem Mansouri, 1996), which eloquently encapsulates my passion and fascination for films - I don´t know why, but I feel deeply connected with every aspect of this statement. I couldn't have put it better myself. See for yourself: