Bollywood before it was Bollywood

With me running late as always, I wished the cab that I had called would still be waiting and had not bailed on me as they are infamous to do here. Well so I went downstairs and the cab was still there thankfully, an elderly Malay gentleman, the driver, greeted me with a plesantly with a smile.

So on this sunny morning when I wished there would be no traffic on the road or that the traffic light wont turn red everytime we approached it, I was going through the things to do in my head when the cab driver, Ismail uncle (its customery to call all elderly people uncle and aunty here) asked me a question "Where are you from?" and I got out of my thoughts, "India" I said. "So do you like watching Bollywood movies?", I almost burst out laughing, now what kind of Indian I would be if I dont like Bollywood movies, oh wait, there are people who dont like Bollywood movies.

So, "Yes" I said "I do like Bollywood movies". Then came a strange question, "have you seen the movie directed by Mehboob which was made in Hindi and also dubbed in English? Its probably the best movie ever made." Now that is strange isnt it, this got me curious, I am an Indian I should know more about bollywood and here is this person from a foreign country who dosent even speak the language asking me this question. But I was skeptical, now which movie could that be? Lagaan, Slumdog Millionair were made in multiple languages but not as old as could be directed by Mehboob. So I said "No, which one?". "I have asked this question to many people and most of them reply Lagaan, but the real answer is Mother India" came the reply.

After that I had the most engaging conversation with him, he told me how he liked to listen to Lata Mangeshkar and Mohd. Rafi songs directed by Shaker Jaikishen and R D Burman, how Nargis was the most beautiful woman in the world ever and Shammi Kapoor the most handsome guy. Why Dilip Kumar didnt accept the lead role in Mother India and of course the best movies ever made were, Leader and Mother India. He had a much higher Bollywood quotient than I do.

This was a walk down memory lane for him and a good history lesson for me knowing what Bollywood was before it became Bollywood, without a lot of violence, with real life issues, from family to social being portrayed in them and not the greed, the violence and bloodshed.

This History of Bollywood lesson was brought to you by a person who does not speak or understand much hindi and what ever he know he learnt watching Hindi movies with English Subtitles :)