1998- what an amazing year! That was the year we moved to Mumbai. Everything was new for me. I remember my very first visit to Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum and meeting a painter there. She signed a photo of one of her paintings displayed in the gallery there. I was a wide-eyed 10- year old girl in awe of all the new sights in front of me. We also visited the Nehru Planetarium and Chowpatty on my first Mumbai visit. But, most of all, what I remember from that year is the introduction to some amazing kid movies I had the opportunity to see on TV. Earlier, before moving to Mumbai, I wasn't much interested in movies or TV and also, there was a limited access to DD programs.
Star Movies, I believe, broadcasted kid movies on Sundays. I watched The Parent Trap, Father of the Bride, Honey I shrunk the kids, Richie Rich on a Sunday movie marathon that spanned weeks. I vividly remember being glued to the TV set and still recall visuals of the light and colors from these movies. The swirl of the costumes, orange leaves, and lilting music is still fresh in my mind as if I saw them a few moments ago. I even remember my Dad asking me once to switch off the TV because some guest arrived home during my movie marathon. Oh! Those lazy summer days of growing up in a quiet little town. Before I sail on another nostalgia ship and cross eons, I will dig into my Parent Trap memories a little more and get away with these tears that sting my eyes right now.
How I wished to be a twin after watching The Parent Trap! For all the fun, the mischief and adventures the girls shared since my little sister was only over three years old at that time. I felt more like a guardian towards her since she was so little. I did not know the names of the actors who played the characters but I was irrevocably in love with the twins' mother then, portrayed by Natasha Richardson as we all know. Her refined beauty and charm imprinted me delightfully as a kid. It was, I think now, my first self-realization of the glamour of filmmaking and movies. The lights, the wide angled streets of London and green views of Napa Valley were a beautiful mirage to my young self then. It was an introduction to a new world. I recall watching Natasha Richardson and Hallie/Annie's photoshoot in the movie, their swirling poses, the bride with her hat and huge gown and the shots that froze on the screen. I might not get the technicalities right here but the vivacity of those moments is still as fresh as dew in my mind. The plot of the movie itself appealed to a lot of us. I remember hating the woman their father played by Dennis Quaid, was about to marry. The girls' pranks on her were so justified in my head. I loved when their parents finally meet each other fleetingly as the elevators close. Oh! I remember everything with such clarity. The girls playing fencing with each other in their shiny silver suits in the summer camp is an amazing scene. Also, when they are closed off together in a cabin on a rainy night. They realize they are twins and that unforgettable moment of joining two ends of their torn photo together that had their mom and dad. I loved it. That's one of the nicest photo memories from any movie for me. As a kid, I cherished it. As a grown-up, I appreciate the finer aspects of the filmmaking now. Years later, I saw Natasha Richardson in more movies, but her allure always had me in awe each time I saw her on screen. Her beauty was unparalleled. She was a classy woman. Pray she rests in peace.
Such lovely memories of that time from my childhood! Hard to believe it is 20 years to seeing this movie. How time flies away! Childhood was precious and an unforgettable cherished part of our lives. I long for their warmth on endless nights of adulthood.
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