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The saga returns
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Hyderabad holds a mixed bag of emotions for the magnum opus
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K.ASIF'S MAGNUM opus is set to storm the twin cities again. And this time with many old memories.
If Maratha Mandir in Mumbai had 100 per cent bookings for seven weeks, Hyderabad did not lag behind, apart from the fact that Jodha's Bai was borrowed from Salarjung Museum here.
"There used to be incredible queues in Abids, in front of Zamarrud Mahal and Palace Talkies. People stood from morning till evening for a ticket. At that time cinema was the only source of entertainment. Then there used to be the craze among people to see the first show," recollects Shafat Ulla, a businessman.
"At that moment Dilip Kumar was at the top with Naya Daur and other hits. Plus, the rumour of Madhubala-Dilip Kumar affair and marriage was rife," he adds.
Apart from the dazzling cast, the dialogues were a hit with the Hyderabadis. "The clash between Prithvi Raj Kapoor and Dilip Kumar with Bade Ghulam Ali singing in the background and the works. And the fact that ultimately Madhubala has to die, was very touching," remembers Ali Hassan, 60, who saw the movie twice.
About a month later, the movie had people flocking again. The colour reel, dance sequence of the sheesh mahal, was added. "Pyar kiya to darna kya became very popular. In fact a girl eloped, leaving the song lyrics for a note. This fact made newspaper headlines then," recollects Shafaat Ulla.
Decades later, the romantic tale makes a comeback amidst sizzling love stories and partition sagas, for a crop of Generationext fed on mushy popcorn drama. And the day before the release finds a mixed bag of response.
"I'd appreciate Naach more. But Mughal-e-Azam is a classy movie. And with new colour prints and digital sound it will do well compared to the other releases this week," says Nishant Singh, working in a MNC.
And there are many from the gen-now who'd rather see a Terminal. "I don't know if this is the kind of film I would want to watch. I don't think I would want to sit through a musical though I might see Veer-Zaara for social reasons," says Suneeta, a management pro.
Old timers are equally sceptical of the new print. "We would like to compare for one. The recent Devdas was a mockery of the earlier Dilip Kumar starrer," reflects Ali Hassan.
Will it be a SRK, AB Jr or the king of tragedy to rule this season in the twin cities?
The box office holds the answer for one.
SYEDA FARIDA
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