The intelligent idiot box
Bahut Purana Janam:
This is a story of a love-sick girl. 1950’s ki baat hai. Ek thi Manju. A young 16-year-old living in the narrowgaliyaan of Ballimaran. Flaring saree, round face and two plaits. Loved golgappe and rickshaw rides. She loved her pitaji and her maa. But more than anything, Manju loved Dilip Kumar. She would dream of him day and night, night and day.
Let his movie release and our young dreamer would wrestle to buy a ticket in black. Even if it cost her a month’s savings! Her pitaji and maa would be furious with jawaan ladki cinemaing. So, whenever a new movie released they would lock her up for a day or two. Poor Manju – before she got unlocked, the movie would be gone. She could never watch what she wanted. She’d dream of jumping off a cliff only to be saved by her pyaara Dilip at the edge. Alas, her dreams remained unfulfilled behind closed doors and life passed on…