And they say...my name is 'Khan'

First of all, no, this entry is not a review nor a synopsis of the new Shah Rukh Khan movie but rather a journey to my past. At times, I laugh out loud, as I ponder of my childhood days. Just recently, in my path down memory lane, I rediscover the joy of watching Hindustan movies.

Though it might not be 'man'ly of me to admit that I was mesmerized by the movies, my whole life has been influenced by it. I still remember those Saturday afternoons, when my father would call upon us to bring my mother a pail, as she would sit in front of the television, watching those hindustani flicks while pouring her eyes out... (this was one of my late father's sense of humour, as he would say, if my mom sat there long enough crying, the pail would actuall be filled up with her tears.) Though it seems hypocritic of me to provoke my mom of her love for these 3 hours long films, when I actually do enjoy some of them, it became more than a weekly routine that would make the whole family laugh.

Some of my fondest memories lies in movies such as 'Haathi Mri Saathi' (a movie about a boy who grew up with the companion of his beloved elephant and the bond that ties a friendship between human and animal. The tragic end of this movie sent tears rolling down my eyes.) and of course 'Amar, Akbar, Anthony'. (this film tells of a story of three brothers, who were seperated during their childhood and was brought up in three different religions. The story unfolds quite interestingly where all three of them are somehow entangled in an everyday occurance without knowing they were somehow related. A particularly touching moment was at the beginning of the movie where it showed all three of them, all grown up, unknowingly donated blood to their blind mother, who lost a lot of blood in an accident. Under a series of events, they were finally reunited as a family and their loved ones.)

Even as I grew up, names like Amitabh Bachchan, Rishi Kapoor, Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Preity Zinta and Salman Khan continues to color my everyday life. New movies like Kabhi Khushi Khabie Gham, Mohabbatein and the ever special Kal Ho Na Ho, also play an important part as I look upon life in a whole new perspective.

I used to ask, why my mother held these movies so dear to her, and it might just be just a hit in the wind to assume this, but maybe the way how the story is told, filled with family values and love, makes it hard not to relate it to her role as a mother. A strong woman, who is stern towards her children but beneath it all lies a loving and caring person. Whatever the reason might be, I hope she won't be offended if I was to tease her about watching Hindustan movies, cause to me it's a part of the family laughter that was left to us, the children, by our late father. To both of you, my derest parents, I love you both very much. (Mummy, hope you enjoy the youtube link that I post beneath. =P)



Cheerios
Munawwir Khan Yusoff Khan