I must have been about 10 and was at boarding school at Lawrence School, Lovedale. One of the highlights of boarding school life for me was when films were screened occasionally for us students. I would sit totally focussed on the events unfolding on the screen, happily ignoring the inconvenience of reel changes on the projector and other disturbances. In my early years at Lovedale, I remember watching movies like Rikki Tikki Tavi, Lorna Doone, An Office Affair and among others, Anne of the Thousand Days based on King Henry VIII and his relationship with his second wife, Anne Boleyn.
The last named was a special film for me. Having watched a British serial on Henry VIII and his six wives in the early days of television in the 1970s before I joined Lovedale, I was already somewhat familiar with the story of Anne Boleyn. Of course, I had absolutely no idea then that I was watching a film based on Maxwell Anderson’s play with big stars like Richard Burton (Henry VIII) and Genevieve Bujold (Ann Boleyn) playing the lead roles. And I didn’t care. But what I did feel was a sense of power watching the film as unlike most of my friends, I already knew what was to unfurl on the screen.
I knew that Anne was beheaded and my dark, psychotic side was feverishly waiting for this scene to see how they would show the head being severed from the body. As the moment came closer and closer, the suspense and excitement was unbearable…only for the film to cut elsewhere at the crucial moment… I didn’t know what had happened at the time but I do remember that I felt totally cheated and let down. And later on in years as I thought more and more about it, I felt it must have something to do with the way films were made. Thanks to that cutaway, my filmmaking journey had subconsciously begun!
Thanks Mr. Shekhar! That’s as good a compliment as any. Appreciate it.
A nice pip into the dark secrets of your filmmaker’s soul 🙂 Wonder what would have happened if you had seen ‘Nightmare on Elm Street’ in your tender age 🙂
I love this one, but I feel totally cheated and let down: I wish it was longer!!
So, that’s how your romance with silver screen started…..No wonder why you made that 10 min pyscho thriller with Irrfan Khan as your diploma at FTII ! 🙂
Oh yes..this explains the genesis of your 5 minute… psycho continuity film with a STAR playing six different roles!!! 🙂
🙂 Sanjivan got there before me! Now what do I say? Should have been longer, yeah!
Hmmm Sanjivan, Batul,
Will have to now think twice before I let in on other skeletons in my cupboard!
Yes Monish,
I too wonder what…But guess that cutaway was destiny!
Ram,
Very true. From being cheated to cheating others – such is one’s progress in life! 🙂
‘Cheating’ is what filmmaking is all about… isn’t it? *S*
We do it all the time…
Hey Irene,
Ditto what I’ve told Sanjivan, Batul in the earler comment! 😀
Now I know the whys and hows… of your being a psychopath!
Hey Leenus,
Freud or Jung (Yung) you ain’t. (I’m sure Sagir Ahmed will bear me out on that one!) But yeah, when I saw Claude Chabrol’s Les Bonnes Femmes at FTII, did have a thought that Chabrol had cast the character of Jacqueline perfectly – Clotilde Joano with that long, slender neck!
Just wondering what would have happened had they shown the severing of the head ? May be we would have a better balanced personality than a hidden psychopath among us. Now I understand when those socio-psychologists say that films influence children. When you meet a person where do you look, Karan ? Do you actually look at their neck wondering if and when it is going to fall off?!!? Do you crave to grab a knife???
Take care….
Hmmm…Mr. Sivaraman. And maybe that’s why I shot my last corporate on the RED camera!
Hmmmm. that explains the need for all that RED wine….