Sixty: Word Prompt

 

                                                        

 Wrote this based on a word prompt given by my writing group. The word was sixty and it triggered a certain memory of a movie which had released in 1960. 

 

 

It was during Diwali 2004. I had given up bursting crackers a while ago and had restricted my intake of sweets. So, the new releases by the Indian film industry added a sparkle to my festivities. Most of them lived up to the expectations, at least in terms of the entertainment quotient. 

 

There were 4 such releases that year. I had accompanied my mom to one of the movies on her insistence. She seemed unusually eager to watch that one. It was an old black and white movie that had released again in the theatres in colour. We seated ourselves and watched the screen transport us to the historical era of one of the most powerful emperors. His son falls in love with a dancer much to his chagrin. The emperor strongly opposes their love and imprisons the dancer. 

 

The film spirals into a drama of love, song, dance and tragedy. One particular song elicited goosebumps in the manner it was choreographed. The actress was a beauty in her days who had met a tragic end. The actors were powerful and renowned just like their roles in the film. Their demeanor exhibited a certain class which clearly showed in their reel roles of playing royalty. The song evoked a myriad of emotions with its haunting lyrics. It seemed to question the reason to fear when you are in love, indicating unabashedly that falling in love is no crime. The leading actress was sweet, coy yet defiant in her mannerisms as she swirled around the court, her feet and hands moving in a rhythm. Her numerous reflections captivated the audience, mesmerizing them with her charm. It was hard to believe that she was no more. She looked so alive on her screen and could give the current generation of actresses a run for their money. 

 

With moist eyes, we walked out of the theatre. My mother had a faraway look as she reminisced her time when she had watched the film. Never has a film had such an impact on her. Apparently, it had released in 1960. It was gratifying to still see several people flock to the theaters to watch this film, despite having a movie starring Shahrukh Khan release around the same time. Time may be elapsed but Mughal-e-Azam still managed to capture the minds of the audience, despite being of a different generation. That famous song is still hummed by people. 

60 no doubt is a special number as it was considered the golden era. 1960 was the perfect year to release a film that captured the Golden era of the Mughal period which was what Akbar’s reign was known as. Incidentally in August 2020, Mughal e Azam clocked 60 years.