Chaithought: What keeps me coming back to the movie theatres?

Imagine stepping into a dim cinema hall. The movie starts playing, and suddenly, you're transported to another world. What is it about the magic of cinema that captivates us so completely? For me, this love affair began at a very early age.

Movies and weekends are synonymous for me. While waiting for the weekend is nothing new for adults who work a day job, I was hooked on "Saturday" right from the age of 5. I would be excited at school, telling my friends the movie plan for the evening. We used to catch a 6 to 9 show in a single-screen theatre almost every other Saturday at one point. As soon as I could read and understand, I took it upon myself to check the Friday newspaper and fix the plan with my Dad.

The movie would invariably be followed by dinner at my family's favourite restaurant. The restaurant has changed locations now, but we still go there (less frequently, of course, since I live in a different city now). The taste has remained the same over the years. Not only that, our order is also almost fixed. It is perhaps why my idea of a fun night, or even a date night, is and will always be, first and foremost, dinner and a movie.

My father got me into the movie-watching experience then, and I have done the same for my husband now. Slowly but surely, I have got him hooked too. He checks for new movies every other week when I forget to.

I remember falling asleep during one of my very initial movie outings (Border, 1997), but the experience has never failed to hold my attention since. One reason could be that I hardly "experiment" with the movies I give my time to in a cinema hall. It's a sacred right of passage for me every other weekend not to be marred by the cinematic equivalent of mindless chatter (I've watched my fair share of bad movies in the theatre; I just know better now). I only go if at least one of these conditions is met: I either like the trailer a lot, or the reviews are good. Occasionally, I'll also forgive a sequel that could not live up to the expectations set by the original.

The rise of OTT platforms means movie-watching has changed in a big way. Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Disney+ have brought the cinema to our living rooms, offering an almost endless library of content. There is the convenience of watching a new release from the comfort of your home without the need to dress up or commute. Moreover, the pause button means you won't miss any crucial scenes, even if life interrupts.

It's the perfect blend of solitude with social connection.

Despite all this, there's something irreplaceable about the traditional movie theatre experience. The shared laughter and gasps with strangers and the grandeur of a larger-than-life screen are elements that OTT platforms cannot replicate. I thoroughly enjoy the darkened theatre. It draws me right into the movie, and I forget about everything else (something I struggle with when starting a movie on OTT). It's the perfect blend of solitude with social connection.

Watching a film in a theatre is an event I look forward to, a break from the routine, a chance to escape into an altogether new reality, if only for a few hours. There's a certain charm in planning a movie night, buying tickets, and experiencing the film as it was meant to be seen—on the big screen.

Till very recently, if you had asked if I was truly "inspired" by a film, I would have been hard-pressed to come up with an answer. But a few months back, I went and watched "12th Fail". The well-crafted story along with its supremely relatable characters played by some very talented actors got to me. Not that I don't cry pretty easily at good performances in an emotional scene, but this was something else altogether—the struggle, the connection, the perseverance, culminating in a climax that made every person in the hall feel seen and validated. I confessed at the end of the movie that had I watched it during the more impressionable years of my life, I really would have decided to pursue a career in civil services.

On an unrelated note, this was right at the end of 2023. And I have been thinking of posting about my love for going to the movies since then. Safe to say, I won't be winning any speed writing contests anytime soon.

Until next time.

Hope you enjoyed reading. What would you like to read about next? Let me know in the comments.

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