----- Forwarded message ----- From: gopala krishnan <[email protected]>To: Iyer <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]>; Kerala Iyer <[email protected]>; Venkat Raman <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]>Sent: Thursday, 24 June, 2021, 4:29:00 pm ISTSubject: PATAM PART 1 PATAM (PICTURE) PART 1
Dearfriends, PATAM,the Malayalam word has its first meaning as a picture either drawn or taken by camera and printed. Patam isalso used to mean film screened in theatres in local talks. Patamalso indirectly mean the boasting nature of a person. These typesof postings from me are just for relaxation among serious discussions, if notboring. Let me goto Patam details. Sincerely, Gopala Krishnan24-6-2021 1. Petti vanilla (Box has not come) On thosedays cine film rolls were packed in steel trunk boxes and transported throughbuses. For reasons still not clear, these boxes were not painted. It was a scene to see many trunk boxes on thetop of transport buses. In each station, it was unloaded by waiting porterswith cine representative. Later thepractice was changed to special vans bringing to theatre itself. Now the film isbroadcasted to theatres at specified times and received at that time anddisplayed using their set box type arrangement. On thosedays we could see boards in front of theatres displaying- Box has not come, old picture iscontinuing. With disappointment many might see old film, having goneto theatre all the way with family members. 2. Stills display Theatresused to display the pictures of coming film as well as current film in bigglass framed showcase type display in the entrance area. Duringinterval it was a practice to go there, see, the stills covered already and yetto cover as well as of the new film to come. Next film need not be of the oneof which stills are displayed. But it was an attraction. 2A. Posters and notices Theinteresting scenes were displayed in posters and they were pasted in importantlocations, many times on walls or their own boards. Before tea shops, largeboards were kept by theatre people. (Probably paying some money) In citiesand front of theatres there used to have big banners with interesting scenes especiallyof young beautiful heroine in a happy mood. Big advertisementsin papers were there. Now too paper advertisements are there, but justproviding information mostly in colour fonts. 3. Interest in seeing films. It wasdifficult for many to go for evening show, or special interest was there to gofor night show without missing night meals. Returning was very difficult manytimes but it was not a big botheration. Latenight buses were not there as to day. In Chennai and Trivandrum, I had theexperience of waiting for auto rikshas. I recollectafter seeing night show in midland and globe theatres in Mount road, Chennai,returning by walk with friends to lodge in Parrys – Thambuchetty Street in myearly days, not getting autos while I was a bachelor. 4. Valyachanntae patama ( Photo of the elder brother of father) On thosedays in the front Veranda or main room, either drawn pictures of elders orphotographs displaying was a practice. Our school photograph and college photographused to have a good place. It was memory to see later. Elderswho have become “Late”, their photos were enlarged and framed and hanged. Amark of sandal wood or kumkum or a garland distinguished they were the late. Normally one used to go through these pictures whilevisiting the house for the first time. There could be wedding photographs,small children moving in knee or schoolgoing stage, the one holding a degree in the convocation dress etc. The hostused to identify the not familiar pictures. 3. Patametukkan ippo aaluvarum-Pokanda (Photographer is expected - Don’t go) On thosedays after finishing their routine works, the photographer would come for our functions and take 3-4photographs maximum when sun light is there. Taking Photographwas a costly affair. Hand camera was not familiar. They would come with box type camera. Keep it on a standand ask people to stand in line, sitting etc. He would come to each, adjust, change their face thisway, that way, go to the box, and put his black cloth and view. Again come andadjust faces of many. He would ask tosmile. Not to close the eyes READY. ONE, TWO THREE…... Again askthe persons for one more snap. The better of the two was selected-The one which has important people not closed the eyes and smiling was selectedand photo printed from film. So guestswho wanted to go were asked to remain, for photograph. Both guests and hostwill anxiously waiting for the photographer. What a reception he had on thosedays. Even mymarriage photograph was taken, going to studio, though, photographers used tocome and take in marriage halls with costly cameras. It was very costly to calla photographer for middle class marriages on those days. After marriage I wentto famous photographer Vaman Brothers in Chetput for our marriage photo. What achange now- Black and white film, later colour film, hand camera, camera withflash, Camera using memory card, Still and video camera, and mobile camera andstill more. Today our children would ask- Developing film in black room- whatis it? 4. Story of my training centre batchphotograph. Mytraining centre batch photograph in Black and white in 1967, got damaged withwhite patches, speciallywhere I was standing. Even 1/6th of my face was not clear.My other photographs with friends were perfect. I was a little bit worried. Butnothing could be done. While I joined the training centre in 1991 as lecturer, I found Batch photographsframed and a few not framed being 2ndcopy and kept in bureau of the library. I just went through just like that.What a wonder- There was a photograph of my batch notframed. My co lecturer in charge oflibrary with a smile gave me the not framed one- double confirming the framedcopy is there. I showedmy wife how beautiful and handsome I appeared in it . She nodded telling inthat age everybody might be like that only. I immediately framed it. Nowtoo at least once a month I take it , clean, and keep back inside the table almirah. I will continue more in next posting. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Thatha_Patty" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/900247779.2797445.1624532599843%40mail.yahoo.com.
