First day first show

I admit it was foolish, what with my age and the fact that I hadn’t done something like this for years. But I felt like doing it. So, I did it. I caught a first day first show, leaving aside my work. It was just like I used to do during college, cutting classes, some donkey’s years ago.

It had been a while since I’d seen a film on the big screen, my work keeping me busy and my mind unsettled with all the travelling I had to do between Calicut, Cochin, Mangalore and Bangalore. ‘Blood Diamond’ was probably the last one, sometime in January. So, when I saw the ‘Spider-Man 3’ poster stuck on the walls of Calicut, a secret desire arose to see this film and I kept an eye on its launch. It was on 4 March.

As the days approached, I became more resolute. I just had to see the film. I wanted to be one of the first guys to see the film in Calicut. I checked in which cinema halls it was likely to run and was relieved to find one, ‘Crown’, the only one to run ‘Spider-Man 3’ in Calicut, near my client’s office. I decided on the first day first show. Now, the question was, how do I suddenly break off from work and rush off to see a film without antagonising my client?

Came 3 March, and I announced my intentions to my team in my client’s office. They looked at each other, uncomprehending, thinking it was a joke. They couldn’t imagine a 47-year-old man craving for a film so much so as to want to catch the first day first show, leaving aside his work. On top of that, they had known me to be diligent, putting in long hours everyday, concentrating on my work.

Questions erupted all over: Why, sir? What happened, sir? Why so suddenly, sir? Why this film, sir? Etc. To which I replied that I just felt like doing it.

They all started talking in Malayalam amongst themselves and I couldn’t grasp any of it. Of course, there were bits and pieces like ‘Spider-Man’ and ‘Crown’ and ‘12 noon show’, but most of their conversations were beyond me. However, later that afternoon, to my surprise, they presented me with a ticket, upstairs in the Balcony, first day first show of ‘Spider-Man 3’ in ‘Crown’. They wouldn’t take the money. Said it was a treat.

That evening, I informed my client, the managing director, about not being available at work the next day for 3 hours or so around lunch. But, I needn’t have worried about it. He already knew and hoped that I enjoyed the film.

Next morning at work, everyone checked if I had the ticket ready with me, giving me directions to the cinema hall, telling me how long it would take to travel there. At 11:30, they all stopped work to remind me to shut down my laptop and be on my way. I shouldn’t miss the first 15 minutes, they encouraged. So, off I went, to see ‘Spider-Man 3’, first day first show.