Zen And The Art of Mithun Movie Buying
Ever thought about the mechanics of actually buying a Mithun movie? Doesn’t seem like a big deal right? Let's see...
1)Locate ‘typical’ VCD/music outlet
2)Ask for desired title
3)Pay
4)Get the **** out
But as it turns out, it is akin to asking for a prophylactic at the chemist’s shop in front of a whole gang of your mother’s lady friends. Wipe that smirk off your face, and try saying
“Aapke paas ‘Charnon Ki Saugandh’ hai kya? Mithun ka?” to the VCD guy, maintaining eye contact all the while, WITHOUT tittering, and you’ll know what I mean. All this amidst classy to moderately decent (supposedly normal) people picking up some other worthless, regular ‘quality stuff’ and it can be a bit of a shock to the poor salesman. If you laugh, or even smile, you run the risk of being ignored as badly as the Sourav Ganguly of late.
I was on the prowl for some vintage Mithun movies along with a friend we'll call 'Cryptic Monu' who wanted to carry a motherload of them back to the US of A, and had got my heart broken repeatedly after playing my modified opening gambit. The below question invoked a lesser degree of horror on the salesmen’s faces.
Me : “Aapke paas Mithun ka purana movies hai kya?”
Most of them looked at me as if they knew I had worked on PowerBuilder and Pro*C.
Shopkeeper (sotto voce) : “Looks educated, dressed decently, mostly sober, but what could POSSIBLY be wrong with this guy?!”
The above standard reaction persisted till I struck pay dirt at one place near Borivli station (Music Junction, Chandavarkar Lane - contact me if you want the phone number). ‘Twas a watershed moment for sure when the above mentioned question was met with a knowing, beatific and empathetic smile bereft of the usual blank goggling stare, condescension, plain disbelief, or almost physical irritation…
“Haan…hai na!!! Ek minute”
I expected a couple of standard newer VCDs here and there (read Lucky, Elaan yaaawnnnnn…) but he surfaced with three whole stacks of Mithun movies. Three whole stacks of ONLY Mithun starrers. Get it? What are the odds of finding such a stash?!
Some of the RARE gems picked up…
Through watery eyes and a surge in my systolic and diastolic, I pawed (and re-pawed) stuff which I’d been looking for, for years and years. This guy was TOTALLY into the whole Mithun movie scene. The absolute zenith of our whole conversation was when he ruefully pointed out that not too many people know that there is a Mithun movie called ‘Loha’ and everybody asked for the older Dharmendra-Shatrughan Sinha-Karan Kapoor (“Abbe O Monkey Brand”) one.
As you might have inferred, buying a Mithun movie involves the destroying of the biggest impediment to your self-realization - the ‘Aham-Bhaav’(or ego if you prefer it). People will mock you, spit on you, possibly stone you, but if you stick to your correct path of righteous determination, you WILL find God.
PS : In the pipeline - a Mithun Movie review series, starting with that ultra-trippy masterpiece called ‘Loha’. As they say in Blog-La-La-Land,“Watch this space”(I’ve always wanted to type that someplace...)
1)Locate ‘typical’ VCD/music outlet
2)Ask for desired title
3)Pay
4)Get the **** out
But as it turns out, it is akin to asking for a prophylactic at the chemist’s shop in front of a whole gang of your mother’s lady friends. Wipe that smirk off your face, and try saying
“Aapke paas ‘Charnon Ki Saugandh’ hai kya? Mithun ka?” to the VCD guy, maintaining eye contact all the while, WITHOUT tittering, and you’ll know what I mean. All this amidst classy to moderately decent (supposedly normal) people picking up some other worthless, regular ‘quality stuff’ and it can be a bit of a shock to the poor salesman. If you laugh, or even smile, you run the risk of being ignored as badly as the Sourav Ganguly of late.
I was on the prowl for some vintage Mithun movies along with a friend we'll call 'Cryptic Monu' who wanted to carry a motherload of them back to the US of A, and had got my heart broken repeatedly after playing my modified opening gambit. The below question invoked a lesser degree of horror on the salesmen’s faces.
Me : “Aapke paas Mithun ka purana movies hai kya?”
Most of them looked at me as if they knew I had worked on PowerBuilder and Pro*C.
Shopkeeper (sotto voce) : “Looks educated, dressed decently, mostly sober, but what could POSSIBLY be wrong with this guy?!”
The above standard reaction persisted till I struck pay dirt at one place near Borivli station (Music Junction, Chandavarkar Lane - contact me if you want the phone number). ‘Twas a watershed moment for sure when the above mentioned question was met with a knowing, beatific and empathetic smile bereft of the usual blank goggling stare, condescension, plain disbelief, or almost physical irritation…
“Haan…hai na!!! Ek minute”
I expected a couple of standard newer VCDs here and there (read Lucky, Elaan yaaawnnnnn…) but he surfaced with three whole stacks of Mithun movies. Three whole stacks of ONLY Mithun starrers. Get it? What are the odds of finding such a stash?!
Some of the RARE gems picked up…
- Loha
- Charanon Ki Saugandh
- Swarag Se Sundar
- Surakksha (Gunmaster G-9)
- Wardat (Gunmaster G-9)
- Ghar Ek Mandir
- Cheetah
Through watery eyes and a surge in my systolic and diastolic, I pawed (and re-pawed) stuff which I’d been looking for, for years and years. This guy was TOTALLY into the whole Mithun movie scene. The absolute zenith of our whole conversation was when he ruefully pointed out that not too many people know that there is a Mithun movie called ‘Loha’ and everybody asked for the older Dharmendra-Shatrughan Sinha-Karan Kapoor (“Abbe O Monkey Brand”) one.
As you might have inferred, buying a Mithun movie involves the destroying of the biggest impediment to your self-realization - the ‘Aham-Bhaav’(or ego if you prefer it). People will mock you, spit on you, possibly stone you, but if you stick to your correct path of righteous determination, you WILL find God.
PS : In the pipeline - a Mithun Movie review series, starting with that ultra-trippy masterpiece called ‘Loha’. As they say in Blog-La-La-Land,“Watch this space”(I’ve always wanted to type that someplace...)
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, February 07, 2006 at 10:06 PM.
3:31 AM, February 08, 2006Dude, you've seen the light. However, no Mithun movie will ever surpass 'Jaani Dushman'. Now that is a cult classic.:)
Looking forward to 'Loha'...
10:06 AM, February 08, 2006
waiting to read your reviews on loha...
12:00 PM, February 09, 2006
boss...idhar comments mein daal de na the phone number of the mithun cd shop..may come to mumbai and get them.
also looking forward to the loha review...pine mein bewada...bhagne mein ghoda...maarne mein hathoda!!
it doesnt get better than this..although goonda is equally good.
5:10 PM, February 18, 2006
Waiting for Gunmaster reviews :-))
-EP
http://squashedbrain.rediffblogs.com/
11:50 PM, February 18, 2006
Aniket,
The phone number of the shop is 28905313. Go there and seek salvation, for you are sure to find it. I like to think of it as the Mithun Mandir :)
EP,
Dude, that's just next... the G-9 movies deserve a detailed and in-depth analysis, for they have been far too underrated for far too long. They are an important aspect of Bollywood's heritage. Do keep visiting!
2:17 PM, March 14, 2006
Mithun is my favourite actor.. In school, our favourite passtime would be making a list of all the Mithun movies.. Loved him so much!
I've seen Teesra Kaun 3 times! and loved it every time I saw it.. It always brought me an overwhelming feeling of being touched by God! :P
Mithun is God! :)
Keep writing!:)
Nirwa
10:54 AM, March 15, 2006
Nirwa,
thanks dropping by. Teesra Kaun is another brilliant movie...that title song is eerily haunting :D
Mithun IS God!
9:55 AM, April 17, 2006
i totally understand ur feelings in the first VCD store...
a few days back my flatmate to celebrate the newly found freedom (has moved out of parents house for the first time) went to teh VCD store in the posh lokhandwala and asked for mithun chakravarty film (classic dance of love), the store was crowded and everyone was buying subtitled films which go to various festivals.
and my flatmate and i look like lost unassuming girls otherwise so the readsure guy said ' jee...kaun dekhega? aap ke matlab ki nahin hai"
we got the film anyway
and still are giggling over the moralistic dialogues in the film and the mithun dance in chains...mindblowing!!!
10:29 PM, April 18, 2006
Silbil,
It's even crueller to the poor store guy. Just think of the trauma he must have gone through...as if guys asking for this stuff wasn't enough, now the ladies are doing it too. The times... they are a changing... :) And yes, Classic Dance Of love rocks.
3:53 PM, April 21, 2006
ah how can anyone not watch classic dance of love and yes the chain song :))
4:17 PM, August 11, 2006
discovered ur blog and loving it.
4:38 AM, September 12, 2006
Your website is loads of fun!, and that's before I read the articles...Yep, especially the RAIT pieces have left me with a rare disorder of rolling on the floor and laughing uncontrollably. I am finding it very difficult to type cause of this...
- Shashank
1:50 AM, January 03, 2007
Hey Tapan,
Heres are movies on my wishlist which I hope to enjoy in my liftime, its tough to get hold of them and any help for the same would be greatly appreciated.
Classic Dance of Love (2005) .... Dr. Ram Gopal Acharya
Marshal (2002) .... Manohar Singh/Marshal
Titli (2002) .... Rohit Roy... aka The First Monsoon Day (International: English title)
Bengal Tiger (2001) .... Inspector Prashant Verma
Bhairav (2001) .... Bhairav/Rakesh Pandey
Aaj Ka Ravan (2000) .... Shankar
Billa No. 786 (2000) .... Shankar
Jodidar (2000)
Sultaan (2000)
Phool Aur Aag (1999) .... Zamindar Deva
Aaag Hi Aag (1999) (as Mithun Chakraborthy) .... Insp. Ajay Singh
Aaya Toofan (1999) .... Arjun Singh Toofan
Benaam (1999) .... Prakash
Heeralal Pannalal (1999) (as Mithun Chakarborti) .... Pannalal
Yamraaj (1998)
Ustadon Ke Ustad (1998)
Millitary Raaj (1998)
Gunda (1998) .... Shankar
Hatyara (1998) .... Advocate Mahendra/Surya
Hitler (1998) .... Jailor Siddhant Kumar Sharma
Krantikari (1997)
Jeevan Yudh (1997) .... Dev Prakash
Daadagiri (1997) .... Ajay Saxena
Gudia (1997) .... John Mendez
Kaalia (1997) .... Kalicharan
Loha (1997) .... Arjun
Shapath (1997)
Sher-E-Hindustan (1997) .... Inspector. Kranti Kumar
Jung (1996) .... ACP Arjun Saxena
Angaara (1996)
Apne Dam Par (1996) .... Ram
Bhishma (1996) .... Bhola/Inspector Bhishma
Jurmana (1996) .... Inspector Vijay Saxena
Muqaddar (1996)
Nirbhay (1996)
Diya Aur Toofan (1995) .... Amar
The Don (1995) .... Davendra/Daven (The Don)
Guneghar (1995) .... D.I.G. Ajay Thakur
Ab Insaf Hoga (1995)
Ahankaar (1995) .... Prabhat
Jallaad (1995) .... Amavas/Vijay Bahadur Kunwar/Police Inspector
Nishana (1995)
Ravan Raaj: A True Story (1995) .... ACP Arjun Varma
Yaar Gaddar (1994) .... Shanker Verma
Naaraaz (1994)
Cheetah (1994)
Kranti Kshetra (1994) .... Major Barkat Ali
-Guru
2:56 PM, April 05, 2007
tapan,
i have seen 91 out of 204 mithun movies released. Please write a review for " Charnon ki Saugandh".
8:25 AM, July 19, 2007
Alright, next time I am in Mumbai, you and I are going movie shopping. I wanna meet this guy!
And I'm with SEV - how can anything be worse than Jaani Dushman? Urgh.
4:37 PM, October 24, 2008
dude...u liked LOHA?
then u shud check out gunda... its d savior of the poor and god of the religious minded. the 4 villians in d movie dont let u get off ur seat.
check it out n comment on it if u make it thru successfully.
n keep in mind they ve used d same 4 backdrops for al d scenes...lik a port , airport, chaal n a mining area.
3:02 PM, September 19, 2009
There is another shop outside Kandivli station (E), which deals with such gems ( also a popular haunt for rickshaw wallas looking for bhojpuri classics ).
10:58 AM, October 24, 2009
What's wrong with watching Mithun films? I don't get it? Do you folks have any idea how big he is abroad? If its hard for you all to find films in India that he has done, imagine what we NRIs face. I'm dying to see Avinash, Guru (1989), Mrigaya & Aakhri Insaaf (who can forget that song "Yaaron Who Has Seen Tomorrow?") just to name a few. Everyone talks about the three Khans, but they forget that before the Khans were even born. Well to paraphrase in Hindi would be better.
Arre unke (the 3 Khans) paida hone se pehle unke baap vadesh mein raaj karte the aur abhi tak karte hain (i.e. Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar, Guru Dutt, Amitabh Bachchan & last but certainly not the least - Mithun Chakraborty!).
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