Took mother and her girlgang to watch #GangubaiKathiawadi and to celebrate the sisterhood of #InternationalWomensDay
They wanted to pose with Alia but her poster was nowhere to be seen. They had to make do with Ajay Devgn.😎 Review soon.👍🏽
Half time. The girls take a Kit-Kat break.
Shipra maasi says: Sheela maasi marr gayi!
Simmi laughed throughout the bathing scene.
Lakshmi says daaru peeke ladki aayi, accha laga.
Mother wept when the girls elected Gangu girlboss.
Girls just wanna have fun.❤️
Film khatm.
"Ab taxi milegi ki nahi?"
"Bhookh bhi lagi hai."
"Bathroom bhi jaana hai."
"Khichdi banani padegi."
Back to life, to chatter, to the usual.
Mother's review of the reel vs real.
Film begins with Begum Akhtar's Yeh Na Thi Hamari Qismat.
"Yeh Shobha Gurtu hai?" She asked
The review was going to be at the mercy of her diminishing hearing and seeing abilities.
I quickly asked, "Should we sit ahead?"
We were sitting close to the end of the theatre.
That's how far one has to sit from a Bhansali spectacle. Watching a Bhansali film is like going to a planetarium.
"Nahi," she said, "Sab dikh raha hai. Sab real jaisa set hai."
The candle-in-hand scene, she said, was unreal.
Artistic flourish.
I found it beautiful. Reminded me of painter Haldankar's works, though am not saying it was inspired.
Mother chucked at the 'bhaag ke jaa, daud ke aa' dialogue.
Aise hi toh bolte hain, she said.
Devgn beating the badmaash reminded her of a dada whose help she had sought to thrash a scoundrel.
Dada called her didi.
No one harassed her after that.
@aliaa08 reading Ghalib's Hazaaron Khwahishen Aisi made her recall a funny incident when she wanted to invite Ghalib for a mujra, not knowing he was the president of the dead poets society.
Dev Anand was a favourite.
"I saw him at Hare Ram Hare Krishna mandir," she said.
"Why didn't you go say hello?" I asked.
I knew the answer before she could respond.
"Izzatdaar logon mein beizzati lagti hai."
About the kothe se doli uthegi scene i said it was in reference to Pakeezah.
"Par usme bhi toh last mein doli uthti hai."
She remembers.😎
The train shot like Pakeezah.
The across-the-street window conversation. Pakeezah.
The reclining on bed scenes. Pakeezah.
In the gorgeously shot qawwali Shikayat, nothing to complain.
"Huma ne theek kulha (hips) chalaya hai, jaise hum log karte thay."
Check the mujra twerk movement in the end of the song.
Also, the tearing of the gajra was reserved for a khaas raees.
Since everyone was raving about Dholida, we counted the golchakkar.
Alia did 14-15, but with intervals.
"Mai toh dus-barah non-stop kar leti thi," says mother.
I can vouch. I've seen it.
Still, impressive for Alia to attempt. 👏🏼
Now you count.🙏🏽
"Haan, kabhi-kabaar juloos nikalta tha, hamey be-ghar karne. Phir koi meeting hoti thi."
"Did you attend these meetings?" I ask mother.
"Nahi, time nahi milta tha. Hum bas paise bhar dete thay."
One of my favourite scenes is when the self-confessed prostitute meets the generalist (journalist).
This is why i wanted to watch the film with mother.
She has been a courtesan. I am a journalist.
I am trying to tell her story. She's trying to understand what i write.
@jimSarbh photographs @aliaa08 puts Gangu on the Aaina magazine cover. I couldn't manage a cover, but picture of mother in this week's Outlook magazine wasn't too bad. Mother feels seen, not invisible anymore. 🙂 And like Jim says in the film, the world is reading and accepting.
By the way, Shashi Kapoor's son Kunal Kapoor took photographs of mother and the other tawaifs in the 80s. So Twitter folks, if we can trace them to him, great! Although, isn't Karan Kapoor, Kunal's brother, a professional photographer? Mother is certain it was one of the sons. 🤔
Make the connection if you feel like. I did. In a good way. 🙏🏽
Ok last one now, so that we can all go to sleep.
Mother loved the film. So did Sheela maasi, Simmi, Laxmi.
This saree, mother's last thought was: "Mere paas bhi aisi same thee, safed silk par laal piping. Rekha ki saree dekh ke banayi thi."
From one Rekha to another Rekha.❤️
Apne time ki girlboss Rekhabai. Same to same, bindi, goggles, hairstyle, the pallu tuck in the blouse, plus the dhamakedaar sass. 😎
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