As we sit and listen to the songs from the man-boy’s new movie, we are amazed on how much the world has changed since our childhood. We dreamt of being someone wonderful. We wanted to play cricket for India, we wanted to be like superman. We wanted to be like Vyomkesh Bakshi . Heck, we were so fascinated by a Lorry driver or a bus conductor who had this cool whistle. So many characters were thought of. But not even in our wildest dreams had we thought that our life would be nothing but sitting in front of a computer. When we listened to songs we remembered another song picturized on man-boy’s uncle. It was “Papa Kehte Hai Bada Naam Karega” then. We hated that hero. Now it’s “Daddy Mujhse Bola Tu Galti Hai Meri”. We hate this hero also. So may be the world has not changed much in some ways.It also weird how even an unrelated hip song can make you nostalgic.
Life was so simple those days. We used to go to school very early so that we can play cricket before the school opened. Play till our teachers come and open the doors. We did not go to a rich school. The students used to most of the work. No peons or aayahs you see. The school pupil leader would be the most powerful person. He and his friends would control all locking/unlocking rooms, getting drinking water for the entire school, ringing school bells. We were the SPL. We know how good that responsibility feels. Only glitch was we had to supply water to teacher’s toilets also. Of course students did not have a toilet. Literally the world was our urinal.
The teachers used to come around 9. The keys would be given to the SPL. He would open all doors. Then at 10 the whole school would stand up and sing the state anthem in chorus. We were never a good singer but in chorus nobody noticed how bad we were. Now when we recall it, we feel fascinated. No not by our singing. But the way the school worked then. Classes one to four had only one teacher. And she used change the subject depending on the hour bell. And when one of the teachers is on leave, there was no concept of substitute. The SPL or some studious person would go and look after the kids for that day. We loved that situation. No class to sit through and bossing around the smaller kids.
Classes five to seven were a bit different. That’s when you get promoted from pencils and slates to pens. And Fifth standard is where two new subjects are introduced. English and Hindi. We studied in Kannada medium school. All one teacher per subject stuff began there. Anyway, the morning classes were till 1PM. Then lunch time. The elder kids helped the rest of the kids cross roads if they are going home. Or distributed water to wash hands if they have got lunch boxes. We went home had lunch ran back to school to play some more. Classes started at 2 and went on till 4:20. Then it was PT till 5. It was called PT but we could do pretty much whatever we wanted. After that entire school assembled on the ground and national anthem was sung. Then elder students helped little ones cross the road again, SPL and friends locked the doors and secured everything and the day was over.
Our school was on a small hill. It was near a bungalow which was later converted to an Christian orphanage. All orphans from there used to study in our school as well. It was the bungalow where Rev Kittel wrote the famous Kannada Dictionary. Our school was called “Gudde Shaale” or “Bangle Shaale”. It was not a school as such. It was a huge hall. Each class separated by wooden screens. When it got too hot inside, teachers used to take the class outside. We had classes in the ground or somewhere on the hill. Imagine studying amidst trees. We liked it then because we could see vehicles on the road or just for the fact that we were outside during class hours. Students had to carry the portable blackboard. It was definitely a poor man’s school. But the teachers were wonderful and there was no bias.
As we said earlier, our school did not have servants. Students used to do the work. The teacher would sound a bell calling the SPL or whoever is available in the last bench of the class next to the head teacher’s room. He would go and obey her commands. It would mean that you can skip the class till that task is done. Bell after each hour, sending messages to each class, calling some student or teacher from the class, going to the nearest hotel and getting tea/snacks, going to post office and getting some work done. We have been there. We are not complaining mind you. We loved every moment of it. We also refuse to consider it as child labour. The school was like that and nobody could help it. This is just wonderful nostalgia washing over us.
Of course doing these tasks had its own perks. You would be teacher’s pet. Also, when they send you to a hotel to get something, obviously you would get some commission. For a twelve year old, that was awesome. And our house was very near to school. So if they sent us to post office for some work, we used to go home have something and then go back to school. But we were a good student then even though a little naughty. So we got lot of attention from teachers and they usually forgave us for whatever we did. Plus we used to go to all these quizzes and stuff. Our teacher had given us an apple when we came second in the very first quiz we participated. We treasure that moment as one of the best trophies. We respect them and like them more than any of our college and high school teachers.
Its been more than a decade since we last entered that school. Once we go back, we will surely go and so how much changes have happened. It feels strange that the way things were when we were a little one seem so different and archaic now. We see TV and we struggle to find some sense in what kids watch. May be what they watch makes them more mature earlier than needed. Is it necessary to show them so much violence or push them to harsh world of reality shows? We had good shows which taught us the moral (well.. yes. ) values. Can we compare the charm of the robot Vicky to Hannah Montana? No. Can we compare the fun we had when we watched “Crystal Maze” to the game shows now a days? Never. Forget about that. Can anything ever be compared to Mile Sur Mera Tumhara? You know the answer.
We wanted to talk mainly about the movies and TV shows but spoke about the school instead. We had such amazing TV shows and DD was a treasure back then. DD started with Hum Log and followed it up with Ramayana and Mahabharatha, the greatest of all tele serials we have seen. Believe us. We are a huge fan of the idiot box. We have seen plenty. But none as effective as Mahabharatha. Surabhi was another one we loved. And the aforementioned Vyomkesh Bakshi. There was another crime fighting series which we liked. It was called Tehkikaat. It was much before CID came and it was much better as well. And how can anyone ever forget Circus. Look at the wide range of shows we had in DD. Those were the good days.
Then there were all the dubbed Hindi versions of classic series’. The Lawson Family in “Small Wonder” or “Silver Spoons” or “I dream of Genie” and numerous others. There were wonderful cartoons as well. Disney hour was something we used to wait for. “Duck Tales”, “Tailspin”, “Aladin”, “Darkwing Duck”, “Rescue Rangers”. You name it. We have seen it and loved it. We still sit and watch whatever possible on Youtube. We would advise that to whatever that is on TV these days. OK. We need to end this abruptly. We feel we have dragged this post too long. We will stop praising the old serials. If you are from our generation, you know what we are talking about. If you are from the younger generation, you do not know what you are missing. We will end it with a statement that may make us sound older than what we are. But that’s fine. Ah. Those were the days.
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