As a kid, when I visited my Periyapaa's house at thiruverkadu (at outskirts of Chennai), we went to see a movie of T.Rajendar called "Thangaikkor Geedam" (a song for my sister). I remember that the Ticket counter was a walled, fenced serpentine structure - it went around, turned like a maze etc - I learned why that day. We stood in a line of atleast thousand people. People were climbing on the top of each other, and travelling horizontally overhead powered by others human hands - Woodstock festival would have been a small dent before that crazy crowd. I almost suffocated in the middle - u can neither go forward or backward. If you have not seen craze in Chennai for "top politicians as actors" movies, you have not seen crowd yet. Then, nineties came and the ticket situation eased - Delhi is anyway not crazy at all in that relative sense. Now, we can book online.
Then, no one commands that frenzy, except Rajuni (not Rajini), the Super Star. Screening of Kabali, in south, india, malaysia, and the West, drove such a frenzy as I saw in 80s. I am glad those suffocation days are over (though, in Dubai, I remember standing in a line - a lot smaller- still a line - unheard for a film in Dubai- to get "Chandra mukhi" ticket with desert sand blowing in my face).
A sweeter thought amidst this - Even in 80s, sitting in a "tarai" ticket (u get to sit near the screen on the floor, usually sand) in an obscure theater in Tiruchendur (a few relatives there, whom we would visit for, believe this, two months in school summer vacation), i remember the Rajini craze when "Bokkiri Raaja" (the laidback king) was released. With the Murukku (only two rings), palarasam (all old fruits etc mixed with sugar in a cocktail of fruits), kadalai mittai etal - and those whistles and arti - man, waht fun it was.
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