'Here are 25 stories special to me for one reason too many,' says Sukanya Verma who scored 25 years writing about the movies last week.
It all began in September 1999, when a freshly graduated Xavierite stepped inside Rediff on the Net's bustling South Mumbai office and kickstarted her journey from fangirl to film critic.
Growing up on a steady diet of bazillion movies, believing in their magic and turning old scrapbooks into wannabe Filmfares full of cut outs of celebrity photographs and curious captions, it was as if I was subconsciously preparing for my journey ahead.
But it is at Rediff.com, where the mind is without fear and head is held high, I truly learned my passion could be honed into a craft.
25 years later, still learning, still loving.
25 years is a long time but my belief in onward and upward never made me realise the body of work I've accumulated until my kind editor asked me to compile 25 of my favourite articles from then till now.
There are thousands of features, countless specials, embarrassing blunders and pat-in-the-back moments to choose from.
All the writing I've done so far is a reflection of me as a constant work in progress -- growing, fumbling, soaring, stagnating, evolving, experimenting, slowing down, catching up, rebelling and raving, but it's quite something else to be the subject of a listicle.
Nonetheless, here are 25 stories special to me for one reason too many.
1.
One year into the job and I was already pulling my hair. I'd be lying if I said I took to film journalism like fish to water.
I wasn't prepared for starstruck nitwits cluelessly lurking about sets in search of a story yet having no clue who is who.
I had no idea how trivial minded my tribe can be what with their ever-ready arsenal of gossip. And these spontaneous rants of a 20-something is a furious proof of the same.
2.
Back when a story going viral meant the editorial desk's inbox getting inundated with mail, my Madhuri Dixit exclusive right after she became Mrs Nene would receive huge amounts of traction for her blushing acknowledgement of her significant other Shriram.
An interview that started out discussing her upcoming release Pukar and went on to give several glimpses of the girl behind the million dollar smile, it was quite a MAD moment for someone just a few months in the business.
3.
The first Kareena Kapoor interview to come out on the net (or probably any medium) was mine.
We met at her (then) Bandra office where big sister Karisma was dragging out a huge suitcase ready to travel out of the country.
Still remember Bebo looking fresh as a daisy in a light blue shirt and khaki pants, speaking from her heart, already a star in my mind.
A quote that she wouldn't do 'David Dhawan kind of movies' ruffled few feathers and would frequently find a mention in interviews to follow.
4.
A monstrosity called Mother starring Rekha is my first ever movie review. But it was around Munnabhai MBBS I found my own voice and the power of expressing views as I deem fit.
Every movie asks for its own reviewing rhythm. And for Munnabhai MBBS, it made perfect sense to convey my feelings in a touch of tapori.
'Bolega to Munnabhai MBBS ekdum solid film, kya? Phaltu mein rona-dhona nahin. Khali peeli bomba bomb nahin. Apun tapori log ko bhi feeling hai, aisa batayelai iss picture mein.'
5.
In these two-and-a-half decades, I've bid goodbye to so many beloved luminaries of Indian cinema.
Bits of my heart were lost in penning emotionally laced tributes to Farooque Sheikh, Shashi Kapoor, Shammi Kapoor, Basu Chatterjee, Kundan Shah, Sridevi, Rishi Kapoor, Vinod Khanna, Irrfan, Yash Chopra, Lata Mangeshkar, S P Balasubrahmanyam, Bappi Lahiri, Saroj Khan, Nitin Desai, Om Puri. But even I'm surprised at how loudly I cried on learning about Kader Khan's demise.
'The man turned wordplay into an art form. I didn't always remember his dialogues verbatim but their essence and metric style, always so unique in its imagery and playfulness, stuck to me. I'd play my own private game of crunchy quips and comical barbs -- the Kader Khanisms I'd call them -- as an ode to the master insulter and hyperbolic philosopher.'
6.
Some stories test your dedication. Writing about Asha Bhosle's 90 melodious chartbusters is a testament to her versatility and my appreciation for all those memories elevated by her 'tiramisu' voice.
7.
'Nightingale of India.
Greatest Indian Singer ever.
Goddess Saraswati incarnate.
Hyperbole becomes Lata Mangeshkar.
No amount of praise is lavish enough to describe the supremacy of her voice as it enraptured generation after generation, year after year and song after song.'
A special on 100 Lata Mangeshkar songs was quite a feat and worth every bit of it.
8.
Back in my toddling 20s, I wrote a weekly column called Sukanya's Corner.
As awkward it is to look back at the quality of one's writing from back then, I remember receiving a lot of appreciation, including from Rediff Founder, Chairman and CEO Ajit Balakrishnan's, for this particular column where I had fun imagining what sequels to Sholay or Andaz Apna Apna would play out like.
9.
One day I e-mailed my editor and suggested if I could go ahead with a photo essay idea wherein I handpick 25 screenshots from a movie and explain what renders it special in both creative and technical terms.
And that's how '25 beautiful frames of...' was born.
I started with Santosh Sivan's stunning photography in Dil Se.. advancing to the likes of Dil Chahta Hai, Parinda, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Asoka, Hum, Gupt, Mirch Masala, Lagaan and, occasionally, individuals like Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor, Aishwarya Rai, Karan Johar.
10.
Classics revisited is another dear feature that allowed me to flaunt my nostalgia to the hilt.
Guide, Silsila, Ghayal, Arjun, Taxi Driver, Chaudhvin Ka Chand, Kal Aaj Aur Kal, Umrao Jaan, Amar Prem, Mili, Abhimaan, Half Ticket, Khubsoorat, Lal Patthar, Khamosh, Party, Dastak, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Sikandar, Ram Aur Shyam, Teesri Manzil, Chaalbaaz, Salaam Bombay, Yaadein, Aag, New Delhi, Jab Pyaar Kisise Hota Hai, Khel Khel Mein, Chandni, Lamhe, Mohra, Anand Math, Daddy, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, Saaransh, Jawaani Diwani, Jaane Bhi Do Yaaro, Kala Bazaar, Shaukeen, Priyatama, Mr India, Saudagar, Mandi, the list goes on... often I am asked to turn it into a book.
I've had the pleasure to pen my thoughts on so many diverse subjects while keeping track of changing trends and social behaviour through films. But it was right after I wrote about Bimal Roy's Parakh, I was awarded the Best Film Critic at the 5th Jagran Film Festival.
11.
One of my earliest movie memories is Ramesh Sippy's Shakti.
To gush about what it means to me in much detail and nostalgia brought me tremendous joy. And, luckily, to many fellow Shakti buffs too.
12.
When your review speaks to the people who've made the movie as much as those who've watched it, it takes a life of its own. And my heartfelt letter to Shoojit Sircar's relatable Piku is one such precious experience.
13.
I was still a teenager in college when Rediff gave me my first ever assignment -- Kuch Kuch Hota Hai's music review.
Sadly, that section of the Web site is no longer accessible, but I can't tell you how elated I felt to keep that steeply priced CD and receive 450 bucks as remuneration.
Bottomline, music reviews were always my gig and I wrote many more of those until MP3 culture took over. But A R Rahman's perfection personified soundtrack of Delhi 6 always opens a floodgate of sweet memories.
14.
One of the few good things to come out of the pandemic. My weekly fun and filmi quiz was my way of pulling ourselves out of the gloom, keeping things light and blithe in the absence of hope and Friday releases.
15.
When the world was caught in COVID-19's grasp is when I understood the true meaning of survival of the fittest.
With everybody locked in their homes, no movies coming out, no happenings in the world of movies, we appeared to be heading towards indefinite dull, dry spell.
That's when my lifelong love for the movies really showed the extent of its powers as I found myself creating stories out of trees, balloons, trains, theatres, chandelier, jhoolas, torture tactics, introductions and opening scenes.
16.
Too bad not many people caught the virtues of this riveting underdog story. But I loved writing about Amitabh Bachchan and his influences in Nagraj Manjule's Jhund.
17.
Before there was social media, we had Rediff's message boards.
My full on Andaz Apna Apna gush fest as part of the newly launched Mad About Movies special contains tons of quips and anecdotes penned down purely from memory in a pre-YouTube era.
Years later, I did a far nuanced writeup, as part of a guest column for Mayank Shekhar but this one's super special as it introduced me to a whole world of fellow Amar Prem fanatics.
Mark idhar hai, forever.
18.
Being born in the same week as Amitabh Bachchan means every birthday is sacrificed in elaborate dedications to the Big B. And so I went all out and delivered the baap of them all in my four-part 80 glorious moments of the towering legend:
Par 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4.
Seeing his whistle-worthy action in Kalki 2898 AD though, I guess I will be updating this space soon.
19.
There are fluff fashion stories. And there are ones take up hours in looking for that perfect picture from various eras and blending them into attractive collages to express the history within a seemingly superficial story.
When a Web site blatantly ripped off my labour of love documenting the changing face of hairstyles in Bollywood over the years, I had no choice but use social media to point out its pathetic plagiarism.
20.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.
This movie buff can be quite the cricket cheerleader too. It was such a thrill to give my ilk a voice in this enthusiastically penned column.
21.
I am not curious enough to interview cagey individuals, least of boring actors controlled by PR machinery and image conscious entourage of advisors. But for my Mithun Chakraborty special, gaining a deeper understanding his one-of-a-kind cult, I made an exception and spoke to his various fans and film-makers.
It's a profile I'm rather proud of.
Koi shaq?
22.
Once upon a Super Filmi Week...
For a couple of years, I compile a weekly column where I'd spiritedly spill the beans on how all things filmi imprinted the seven days of my week.
It was fun while I lasted and revealed facets of me if not the whole. Sometimes this sound boarding with the self would provide me ideas for future features, sometimes a record of memories.
23.
Like I mentioned in my review, 'in nearly 24 years of my career, I've never witnessed such a tsunami of enthusiasm for a Shah Rukh Khan release -- advance booking surfeit, police bandobast outside the theatre et al.'
It was something to watch Pathaan surrounded by a crowd that couldn't have enough of him. It didn't feel like a movie. It felt like a revolution.
Box-office records are regularly broken but history is created just once.
24.
This is Mera Wala SRK. Is he yours too?
25.
Clearly, silver anniversaries hold a special place in this '90s kid's heart. But my time travel isn't limited to 25 years ago.
Be it 1978, 1990 and, above all, 1983 get rich ode in my effusive ink.
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
