Recently I moved to the Doha ,actually it’s my 3rd week in city. And still I am some what nostalgic about my home city.
Last weekend my friends took me to Doha Cinema for late night show of Movie “Singh is King.”The experience was memorable n exciting.
We drove around for 30 Min’s or so to get a parking. Lots of Indian crowd was trying to get a ticket first and then a seat in the hall. When I entered the hall then only I noticed that there are no pre allotted seat numbers and hall was jam packed. We needed 3 seats and apparently there was none available. Some how we got hold of torch men and he was helpful and took pain to find 3 seats for us by adjusting some people here and there. Seats were in the middle of row and reaching there was again a very skilled task . After taking lots of glares and mute crushing finally we managed to occupy our seats. Movie was already started and people were thoroughly enjoying the movies.
I had the somewhat pleasure of sitting next to LOUD Indian men who laughed all through the movie. In front of us was Arab family , who also laughed n thoroughly enjoyed the entire movie.”
The noise, the loose shaggy ambiance, public whistled and laughed throughout the movie. The happy vibes and joy when the songs come on (which everyone already knows and can sing along to because they’ve been playing on Indian TV Channels for months already), the uncontrolled laughter and comments on funny scenes, the sight of Indian families, parents, children all together, all of these things are part of what would makes me venture out to watch a Bollywood film here in the Doha Cinema again n again. It is really fun to watch movies in this kind of Environments, So we talk out loud unlike in multiplexes where it’s just movie watching.
This Doha cinema experience took me back to 12-15 years, when there were no multiplexes in India, all the Hindi movies would show at real fleapit, grindhouse cinemas, and we’d take samosas, peanuts and patties in paper bags it’s all part of the fun. (This is not possible in Multiplex’s, cos if they allow outside food, all the desis will start bring their own food and nobody buys popcorn! )
I believe earlier it must have been considered as an important event going to Doha Cinema for a Hindi masala movie. My friends told me that things have, however, been better for the past 2 years. Now most of the multiplex chains screen bollywood movies regularly. We can choose the nearest cinema and have a good time.
I am pretty sure that people working at the popcorn bar or ticket counter (of multiplexes ) on weekends patently unhappy at seeing such large number of people at desi movies coz hollywood movies generally do not attract such large crowds.
Yesterday I went to see to Bachna Ae Haseeno at City Center multiplex and trust me I really missed the ambiance of Doha Cinema. There was no chit chat, no whistle and clapping. Our Indian surrounding was missing.
Next time when ever I will go to Doha Cinema I will defiantly carry in a packet of moong dal or bhujia from home. I guess I will get some curious looks , but I will try to ignore. 🙂
For me, Doha Cinema is a fun social outing.
Being an Indian- And so what if we do things our way — we are emotional, heart-on-our-sleeves people, and this is one of the few things that living in the gulf we can do together with our families, across generations, hold hands and share something and be united in the drama and joy and dance and sadness we see on the screen.” It happens only in India”
Cheers
Fursatnama 
kya baat hai….mr writer…aise hee jaoge toh …books likhne lagoge aap toh….vadhiya hai….apne desh se itni dur…kuch toh hona chahiye…for enjoyment…gudd…looking frwrd…to see mor from you…abt videshi cinema…tc…GOD BLESS
hi sir,,shi hai sir, kuch to accha exp ho rha hai aapko doha mei kuch dubai ke baare mei bhi likh dete abki baar aapko dubai mei bhi aise hi theater mei movie dikhayege jisme seats ke liye ladna padega…vaise shi hai yaar aapne to india ki yaad dila di….gud work…likhte rho…
hi sir,,shi hai sir, kuch to accha exp ho rha hai aapko doha mei kuch dubai ke baare mei bhi likh dete abki baar aapko dubai mei bhi aise hi theater mei movie dikhayege jisme seats ke liye ladna padega…vaise shi hai yaar aapne to india ki yaad dila di….gud work…likhte rho…
hazur aarz haiHar taraf khamoshi ka saya hai,Zindagi me pyaar kisne paya hai,Hum yaadon mein jhumte hai tumhari,Aur zamana kehta hai”Dekho phir pikar aaya” Really there always come some moments in the life when these type of things happen.and more over this is what we call life sometime with us sometime without us. i am very happy that you have started writing as i was knowing this inborn talent of urs.. keep it up and best wishes for the Future.Mr. Philospher (Nawab Sahib)
Hey Writer Babu….Hm… awesome writting!! Yaar aise hie tu.. tohda.. pagal type ka aadme hain.. aur writing shaiting.. karne lago ke toh… NSN ka kya hoga huh??Jokes apart… really through ur words… can feel how a person.. away from his family and friends.. feels in videsh..Most imp thing is that every one cannot convert their exp and feeling into words… I liked it very much….Write smthng… on ur Tour E Dubai also :-))God Bless U!!
kya thakur,itna jhoot!!!!siddhivinayak mein samosa aur patties kub se milne laga?
Hello ji,Good start, should have done long back but its never too late. Keep it up.I think you have rightly put emotions into words how a person feels away from their home country…..I terribly miss all those moments.Keep sharing and writing:)Good luck….
Good start abhi,Should have done this long back but its never too late.You have rightly put emotions into words as to how a person feels when he or she is away from their home country…..Missing all those times…now keep it up and good luck with it.
Awesome writting Bhai !!!Achcha likha hai,it's a good one..also share something abt life style & culture of Doha !!Keep writting..Best wishes & GOOD LUCK !!
Hey you summed it up pretty well..just for a moment I felt like I was in Doha Cinema..For Hindi movies Doha Cinema is good…but for English movies.. City Centre Cinema is the place to watch English movies.Didnt know that you write this well…never seen you posting anything in QL. Nice expressive writing… I liked it… Keep writing…
Good writing. As someone else stated, write in QL as well. But from my personal taste, I hate Doha Cinema to the core 🙂 Sorry don’t mean to be rude to your feelings. Its just my personal choice. Whenever I visited Doha Cinema, I found it to be disgustingly unclean with the peanut shells scattered all over the ground. The seats are unclean and I hate this type of a place. Normally Bongiyo Parishad helds their functions here, but I make it a point not to attend the functions which are held here. I went to watch Singh is King in City Center Multiplex but yeah, if there is any good movie that is only shown here, Doha Indians have no choice but to go in here :)So, do I do.
Hmmmm,so you have quite successfully discovered a writer in yourself.I suggest you pen down your feelings and experiences more often and I am sure in the process, one day u might give quite a few comtemporary famous writers a run for their money.Who knows!A good writing need not bear exceptionally flowery language or an extraordinarily rich Vocabulary.It should touch ones mind which your one most definitely does.It seems your being alone and far away from home has granted you scopes of introspection within.And see the result is brilliant,keep up the good work……..!
nice ! you have a flare for writing , why’d you stop Thakur sahab ?
keep writing and keep sharing