Yeh Dosti Hum Nahin...

Visuals of Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra on that Bullet with a side car attached, humming this very popular number rendered by Manna Dey and Kishore Kumar move at the speed of 60 frames per second as I write this post. An iconic image from an equally iconic movie, which set the cash registers ringing, replete with unique characters, the biggest villain Indian screens have seen, the most creative use of a water tank and alcohol and the decisive two headed coin.

Sholay set the standards for masala movies and made Amitabh Bachchan, Dharmendra, Hema Malini and Sanjeev Kumar superstars overnight. Need we say anything about Amjad Khan?

The reason why this song came up was a post on facebook I saw between two close friends, people who have been staying together for a number of years. One did not know the other was pregnant while the other did not know the former got married a month ago. It was sad to see themcongratulate each other on their respective walls. Their friendship had reduced to indifference bordering on formality.

My entourage runs eclectic and deep. Theres the bunch I grew up with, the idiots from kindergarden, Her from 5th class, the boys from middle school and the monkeys from high school. College happened with the pookies, tinku, BP, Paddy and KMC. Significant individuals, so near yet so far, who have made life a whole lot different in so many ways.

This is a first in a series of posts dedicated to these wonderful people who are still a very integral part of my life. 

I look at it as my way of humming those lines from Sholay..:)

Tintin Boy

I was an enthusiastic little kid in my kindergarten, reading a lot, running around, stealing lunches and making them ladies cry. The teachers hated me and punishment was sitting in the front row, which I detested. Tintin boy joined us in 2nd grade and one day when I was all over the place during hindi lessons, I was pulled down to earth by my left ear lobe and made to sit next to him. He was the smartest kid in class and knew everything, I fell hook line and sinker and we hit it off. His mom and dad ensured the best for him and his sister loved him dearly. We used to spend Sundays at each others place, where lazy afternoons were spent reading Tintin and the Hindu newspaper. His dad transferred to Delhi and they moved. We tried getting in touch with him but in vain. A few months back, Moviegirl and I were talking when she mentioned about Tintinboy. I got his contact details from her, wrote to him immediately to find out that he finished a Masters degree in Biomedical Engineering and is currently working at a Neuroscience Startup in California. Our man recently got hitched and is as enthusiastic as he was in the 2nd standard.