Titanic

The movie released in India on March 6, 1998. Isn’t it incredible how I remember a detail like that? Well, to my defense, it’s the only movie release date I remember. And I probably remember it because it coincided with both Vyoma’s and Riti’s birthdays, and also because I clearly remember seeing the ad in the papers and telling myself that I’m going to watch it as soon as my board exams finish.
I was dating Shareen back then, and really wanted to watch it with her. In hindsight, I’m probably glad I didn’t..
The movie release date was not the only thing I remember. There are many more details. And that’s why the reason for blog actually titled “Titanic”.
10th Board exams finish sometime in March-April (don’t remember that date), and the moment it was over, the entire class made a plan to go and catch the movie. I had always been a chief organizer for most things my class did back then, and I was surely not going to be one to miss out on this – although my original plan was to watch it only with Shareen.
Unfortunately, I began church classes as soon as exams were done, which I needed to take before my first Holy Communion. I don’t remember the point of those classes, just as I don’t remember the point of any of Sunday school I ever went to, but did it anyway on mom’s insistence.
So there was this day when we had planned to watch the movie, and I was out with Shareen for almost the entire day. But by evening, I had to drop her off at the cinema along with the rest of my friends, and I had to get to church for my class beginning at 6:30p.m.
Felt real lousy for doing that. Maybe even a little sad that Shareen still wanted to go along with the rest for the movie, rather than hold out on it to watch it with me later. But I never asked that of her. I was a very understanding boyfriend back then. Had minimal expectations out of the girls I dated, and expected the same in return. So I felt it completely justified that she should watch it with the rest, coz the entire class was there. I still remember that the only people who actually missed out on the movie that day was Bala and Buntu. And they were the 2 guys that I eventually ended up watching the movie with!
Of course, after the entire class watched the movie on that day, I tried asking Shareen to watch it again with me. Didn’t really work out – and we were anyway drifting apart soon as school got over.
So I pulled Bala and Buntu, and still remember clearly sitting on the left corner of the 3rd row from the screen to watch the movie at Plaza (a theatre that has now been so sadly shut down in Bangalore).
It’s quite funny that I watched the movie with Bala in fact. Coz the one romantic movie that I remember giving me a gulp in my mouth earlier was DDLJ, and even that one I watched with Bala and Battery – bunking school that too back in the 9th std.
Anyway, so I watched the movie, and remember it really moving me back then. The movie buff that I am, I actually allow some movies to have that sort of effect on me, and this was one of the few to have done that.
But the experience was solely mine to enjoy. I never shared it with anyone. And this is why I am glad I didn’t actually watch it with Shareen. I still remember seeing her off at the cinemas and feeling so bad for not being there with her when I knew she would want me during some of the emotional moments. But just imagine how I would have felt right now! I may never have been able to get myself to watch the movie again, if it actually reminded me of Shareen. This is why I’m glad the experience was only mine to keep, and that I never shared my feelings about the movie with any girl I know.
Years later, some time in April 2012, the movie re-released – in 3D this time, and I wanted to watch it again. This time with Geeta. But as luck would have it, once again never worked out. In fact, I didn’t even have guys like Bala, Buntu or Battery to accompany me. I watched it alone.. didn’t matter though, the Titanic experience was always just mine to keep. Left me with a lump again, albeit a much smaller one, and glad I don’t share this emotion with anybody else – would not have been able to handle it, especially if it reminded me of Shareen..
I still remember the day Vyoma broke down at a party when the Celine Dion song began to play. Coz she was reminded of Jeetu that time. She was dating China, and yet, broke down when the song played. That’s how she had felt back then. Don’t think she feels any of it right now. But I can somewhere empathize with her, and only makes me more glad about the fact that this was simply my experience to enjoy..
Thank you James Cameroon 