Cinema Paradiso or Lakshmi Theatre

In my childhood I have to feed the cow to get permission to watch movies from our nearest country Cinema Theatre. After laboring with the lazy cow over our green pastured mountain tops I went to Lakshmi Theatre to watch the matinee show. Normally I got 2 Rupees from Amma to take the first raw ticket. There were no chairs and benches in the first raw, the spectators should sit in the mat. In those days Lakshmi Theatre was a thatched one, it walls were covered with bamboo mats for sound proof, and there is no fan to beat the heat for the first raw sitters. Still I remember the thrill of my first film. It was a Mohanlal hit, Irupatham Nootandu, the story surrounds with a under world don, Sagar Alias Jackey, emerged from a down trodden life he became the don and finally the hero turns to be a oppressor of evil forces. There is particular background score in the movie
Tu…Tu…Tudotu…Tu..Tu…Tu..Tudotu………………. For the entire movie time the first row sitters should raise their eyes and torso to catch the film. First row sitters was the perfect film buffs, they shrill at every twists and turns of the cinema. Once I had seen, when our movie house played Ahashadootu., an iron-built man sobbed with full heart.
That was the first moment I had realized and wondered that screen can make a man sob.
As a boy I had thought that these actors are acting behind the white screen, one day, after the show I went to the backside of the theatre to check the reality, but I had only found the brick wall. Lakshmi Theatre was a strong presence in our life, at nights its jarring speakers emitted hit Malayalam music, traveled through Rubber tree tops these music reached our home, lullaby to infants. My first encounter with sexuality was happened at Lakshmi Theatre, screen had showed me the enigma of white women flesh, and I shuddered. After this great revelation I revolved round to see more white flesh, screen pacified my thirst.