Regal Cinema Hall - Please Dont Go Away .Concluding Part .

While in the University Hostel ,we normally took a bus to go to C.P .The bus used to start from Maurice Nagar  and go to Shivaji Stadium  (  Maurice Nagar – maybe the name has changed now!! ). I think it was  route number 101.!!

The things we did at C.P ,were monotonous. But each time we did it , we felt a new kind of high .We would meet around the “Cellar” , the Amitabh Bacchan of discotheques in Delhi those days .!! Its long since disappeared. It was where Pind Baluchi is these days .Next to it was Vadheras ( or was it Vaish Brothers???) – a famous tailoring and clothes shops .

I have some very vivid memories of the Cellar .Once you entered it  - it felt like you had entered a room which was on fire .The smoke , the music ,the gyrating crowds , the familiar food ( sizzlers thrown in to good effect ), and the latest music played by very good DJs – you could hear everything from Grand Funk ,Jethro Tull  and the Doors  to something softer like Don Mclean singing “ bye  bye Miss American pie”. !!

Just across from Cellar used to be another iconic  restaurant called Ramble .It was open air ( where Palika Bazaar lies buried now )Around Rambles was a stand from where one could get a “Harley Davidson, phut phut”. And beyond Ramble were the iconic eateries - Wengers and Kevintors .We would have the patties at Wengers  ( 1.25 rupees !!), and a big bottle of strawberry milk  at Keventors ( 1 rupee a bottle )!!. Sometimes we would eat “ chola bhaturas”  behind  Regal  at Kwality .And  nearly  always  we would have cold coffee at De Pauls   and chocolate éclairs at Annapoorna   on Janpath  .!!

 But this blog is about Regal Theatre .I saw many movies in it – including  2  with my late brother  Vijay .Dirty Harry and Soldier Blue ( with the amazing looking Candice Bergen in it ).I also remember seeing Garam Hawa ,Aakrosh  ,Bhuvan Shome .The last movie I saw at Regal  I think  was in 1983 ,when we travelled from Rai to see “Masoom” . I wonder whether  it was by chance or by choosing – but I never saw a movie in Regal which would   NOT find itself in my top 20s list  of best  movies I saw .

The really odd thing about Regal Theatre  was the numbers on the back of its seats .For example  ‘6’ comes after ‘9’. Then ‘11’, and so on. Like  a pack of cards shuffled before being dealt !!

Experts  say ,that Regal was the  first building that  was  built in Connaught Place in  1932, by Sobha Singh( Khushwant Singhs Dad),  and designed by British architect Walter Sykes George.. It went on to host, along with Hollywood movies, Western Classical maestros,- Russian ballet and British theatre groups.It screened the classics like “ Gone With The Wind”( 1939 !!!!), and Pride and Prejudice” . On the top floor was a restaurant called Davicos (later ‘Standard Restaurant’) that was the toast of the town.!! The corridors and staircase of the cinema hall are lined with large black and white photographic portraits of stars from the yesteryears. Dev Anand, Meena Kumari, Nargis, Raj Kapoor…

The high and mighty graced Regal .Jawaharlal Nehru ,Lord Mountbatten,  Dr. Rajendra Prasad, Dr. Zakir Hussain, Indira Gandhi, Sir Strafford Cripps ( yes of the Cripps Mission fame – he and Nehru saw a film together here ), Viceroys .Raj Kapoor premiered many of his films here .He would come with Nargis.!

By the time , we went to see the movies in REGAL ,the  palm trees at Regal’s porch back had dissappeared,.The foyer  which had chandeliers  had started to look old .The staff who must have  donned  dinner suits and, on occasion, bow ties were no where to be seen .. Scotch and soda that was available  was no longer served .Where once upon a time  everyone would stand in queue to buy tickets , including the Deputy Commissioner of Delhi, there  were jostling crowds , always feeling insecure that their pockets might get picked .A thick maroon velvet curtain would slowly rise and fall at the beginning and end of a movie .The red carpet ,that was laid out to welcome the dignitaries had vanished .

Regal , was clearly in the hospital ward during my University Days .And now it is in the ICU on life support which is going to be unplugged on the 31^st of March .

Before I end – let me narrate a incident at Regal .We had gone to see a movie and were waiting outside the foyer .Just next to the foyer was a cigarette shop .And next to the cigarette shop , used to sit a cobbler who made money by polishing peoples shoes .And guess who we saw getting his shoes polished ? It was Jalal Agha , who was a fairly well known actor ( he became really famous after he was picturized in the  song “ Mehbooba ,Mehbooba” from Sholay.) We went to him and got talking .He told us ,that he always came to Regal and hung around it whenever he was in Delhi . “ I love seeing the crowd  passing by.” He said .He also told us that the cobbler was a personal friend of his .He  then  pointed to the cigarette shop and told us that he had been buying cigarettes from him for donkeys years .He added “ You guys are young – don’t smoke “

When I look back – neither the cigarette shop is there , nor the cobbler , nor Jalal Agha , and shortly there will be no Regal .

At times – one feels lonely .!! But tomorrow will come .And life will go on .

Regal Cinema Hall -Please Dont Go Away ! .Part 1

Memory is a powerful instrument  .All talk of forgetting the past and moving on is in the realm of rubbish .You can never ever get away from your past – which is a aggregate of memories .Some good ,some bad !! A person without memories - is a dead person .Thats why Pablo Neruda wrote " You start dying when you start forgetting ". !!

Good memories are like wine – they linger and encompass you with softness and finesse .Whenever one comes across a name , a incident , a street , a place , a friend – one also tends to  look back at times as they were when one  first encountered them .The older the memories – the more romantic they get .As I just said – they are like wine .Age makes them better .Or more forgettable .

I read that Regal Cinema in Delhi is closing down .I also read that 31^st March will be day when the last  shows will be screened .I don’t  know whether to believe it or not .Its not for  the first time that such news has leaked its way into the press .Every spring – the owner comes up with the idea of closing down .

But this time it seems more real than  at anytime before .Which will be so sad .Because it will bring and end to one of Delhis most iconic places . Regal will disappear . The memories wont .Certainly not from the mind of a man in his sixties who walked the streets around Regal from the age of 16 or 17 .

My memories of Delhi are very powerful .I was neither born , nor brought up in it  .But I studied in the University there .Those days Delhi was not like what it is today .We could easily get a ticket in a bus and find ourselves a seat of preference to occupy ( unless it was a University Special – called a U Special - , or the rush hour ).

We made our way to C.P very often ( I was in the Hansraj  Hostel  ). Most of the times we would see movies in the movie halls around the University area or within easy reach .Amba , used to be a favourite which was a walking distance of 10 minutes from my hostel .There were also other movie halls which we frequented – Alpana in Model Town , Filmistan  near the Subsi Mnadi , Ritz  and Minerva in Kashmere Gate ,Novelty and Shiela ( slightly further away ).We would also make our way to Golcha in Daryaganj .Chandni Chowk had a number of movie halls – Moti ,Excellsior , Kumar and many more .Most of them have died .Look at what happened to Minerva - i remember seeing so many movies here .....sigh .......!

There was another “movie hall” if one could so call it .It was the darling of all Delhi University  hostellers .It was nothing more than a slightly sophisticated “tin shed” .The chairs could be moved around at will ( like in a “shaadi” !! in a tent house premise ). It was called Robin .It was a free for all movie hall !! People would in with beer bottles ,or  get up and start dancing or clapping .At times brawls would break out when goons form Malkaganj or Kamla Nagar would barge in to bully the sophisticated “hep”  ganja and weed smoking long haired freaks !!. Ticket would cost 25 paise .I am told that it was not demolished .It was razed to the ground in a storm !!

But when we had our best attire on ,and wanted to impress a girl with whom we were going out ,or to show off to our relatives or friends who came from small towns - we would make our way to Regal !!. And what a amazing place it was . More of that in my next blog .

Schools - Why They Are In A Mess In India - Part 1 .( The Macro Picture ).

The greatest problem about schooling in India is that everyone who knows A,B,C,D  and can count ,thinks that teaching is the last refuge of people who can do nothing else .Everyone thinks he /she can teach !!.There is no mystique about teaching – there are no high sounding words like cytosine or psoriatic arthritis !! Or for that matter section 302 of the Indan Penal Code !! Its all about cat ,rat ,ohms law ,noun , Brussels etc – don’t we all know about them ?!!

That’s the real problem – teaching is considered so easy that it is not taken seriously by anyone else who is not in the teaching profession  .The greater problem is – that if we don’t take it seriously , then we are slowly setting fire to India .Everything starts from schools .A healthy school system – leads to a healthy nation .

Just by way of a simple question – how many of you reading this blog  know the about the  total number of schools in India ? Or as to how many students study in these schools ? Or for that matter , what are the different kinds of schools ? How many are affiliated to the State Boards or the CBSE ? How many IB Schools are there in India ? What is the average salary of a school teacher who will shape the thinking of your child for the rest of his /her life ? How many schools are there in the private sector ? How many of them are in the public sector?

All the above are important questions and you may say that it is not important  to know these “trivial” facts .Yes you could be justified in saying so – but then please don’t air your views as if you  know everything about schools .Dont  start whipping the schools for the fees they charge ,the quality of teaching and  please be prepared to understand the obstacles they face as they evolve . Don’t call all schools that charge high fees  “ money making machines” .Nothing comes free in todays world .A teacher is a professional .He /she comes with a price .Infrastructure comes with a price .Land comes with a price .Electricity and water come with a price .Buses come with a price .Furniture comes with  a price .Everything comes with a price .!!

Let me answer some of the questions that I asked . Please dont think ,i am dumping statistics on you.The statistics have been taken from government sources and Ernst and Young .
The total number of schools in India is approximately 1.5 million (15 lakhs ). About  250 million children are enrolled in them ( 25 crore)- that is just 69 percent of the school going age of children .Both the US and the UK  HAVE 100 PERCENT enrollment of the kids who are in the school going age – 3 to 16 years .We  in India ,cant provide education to the remaining 31 percent because the govt  does not either have the resources to build schools ,and even if it were to have it – would not invest in them .We spend a measly 3.7 percent of our GDP  on our schooling system .Thats why there is a urgent need for the private sector to involve itself in a big way into the educational sector .

 Of these 1.5 million schools – only 1 percent are afilliated to the CBSE .The rest of the 96 percent are affiliated to the State Boards ,CISCE , AND ABOUT 400 ARE IB Schools .Some schools are run by local bodies  and Municipal Corporations .

Lets look at the number of private sector schools ( like our own DPS JAIPUR ).There are only 4 lakh private schools – from nursery to Class 12( cumulative  - primary ,middle and secondary and senior secondary )Of these 4 lakh schools ,the maximum are in the primary( 57  percent ) ,and then in the middle sectors .The least are in the secondary and senior secondary level( 14 percent ) . This is so – because as the children  grow , they tend to drop out of schools for a variety of reasons .) Of these 4 lakhs ,only 18600 or so schools are affiliated to CBSE .The rest are under State Boards . The government  spends  a measly 3.7 percent of our GDP  on our schooling system .Thats why there is a urgent need for the private sector to involve itself in a big way into the educational sector .

The most important thing to understand  is that though there are only 25 percent schools in the private sector – they account  for 40 percent of the total student force in schools .This clearly means that the quality of education is better in private schools than in government schools .This is also reflected by the fact that states with the highest number of private schools have high pass out rates than the ones with state run schools .

And yet , year after year , the government hammers the private schools by creating roadblocks .There are so many obstacles in the way of running a private school efficiently ,that only the very dogged and determined continue to stay optimistic .Clearly – there seems to a shift to other sectors which get battered less and are also prone to less scrutiny .There are 18 clearances to be obtained to just start a school .And the most important thing is – that once you get the clearances , the battle does not end .It begins 

 Ask me .I started 3 schools from ground zero !! I remember waiting outside the Secretatriat in my car with Sangeeta nursing my 11 month old son .It was hot .And by the time , we had got back home ,Pratique had suffered a heat stroke and the file had not moved a inch from the desk of the Under Secretary to that of the Deputy Secretary .!!

Later that night we asked ourselves - were we in the right profession ? 

The answer was to unfold itself slowly over the next 3 decades !!

( Part 2. The Problem Beyond What  The Statistics Reveal ).