“It must be more than 40 years ago that I watched a movie in a theatre,’’ says 85-year-old Seethalakhsmi. It was Gemini Ganesan’s ‘ Konjum Salangai’ she remembers having watched with her husband.
Eighty four years old Shanmugavalli’s last movie outing was in the mid-60s when she watched Karnan starring Sivaji Ganesan at New Cinema.
But both of them joined in collective cheer with two dozen more friends of their age (all between 65 and 85 years) and took a bus ride to one of the landmarks in the city – Vishaal de Mall – to watch Baahubali at the INOX. And, they were left speechless.
“I felt cold inside the auditorium,” says 85 years old Dhanalakshmi Ammal. “The sound effect was great,” says Lalitha, 68. If Shankari liked the coffee, Shakunthala had popcorn for the first time.
For most of them it was their first trip to a cinema hall in decades and each of them was amazed by the experience.
“In our times tickets were cheap and rated differently as per the seating arrangement,” recalled one. “Theatres did not have so many shops that time,” said another. “The dazzling lights everywhere and the sound system inside the auditorium simply hit me,” beamed the third. “Even the toilet experience was different,” chipped in the fourth.
All these women have been adopted by the Sharanya Home for the Old started, maintained and run by the Sharanya Trust since 1996. Many of them have been at the home for more than 10 years.
The extraordinary outing was initiated by the Rotary Club of Madurai Metro in collaboration with the Trust. “Considering their age, we mostly take them out to temples,” says Ashalatha Subramnaian, the president of the Trust. “The idea to provide them some fun and entertainment came from the Rotary this time and we feel very happy and satisfied for taking it up, she adds.
“Everybody has preconceived notions about how the older people should be or what they like. But we never ask them what they actually want, what is really in their heart in that age,” notes Varsha Guna, whose husband is the president of Rotary Madurai Metro.
“The moment we disclosed our plans for a movie and told them the story of Baahubali, they were all excited to go,” notes Sridevi Baskar, the Trust secretary.
So August 6 turned out to be an unusually busy day at the Home. All the ladies were up and about and ready before time in their best saris. The Rotarians sponsored a bus to ferry them.
Some of the elderly citizens were barely able to walk. With assistance, they boarded and alighted from the bus. They got into elevator for the first time. Once inside many of them wrapped themselves in shawls and put on woollen caps.
The staff at the theatre was very courteous giving them way, providing wheelchair and in serving snacks inside the auditorium.
Though they were all taken in by the movie and its technical brilliance, it was the whole experience of watching it in a modern theatre that beat all emotions.
Battered by personal circumstances, for these women in their twilight years, it was a journey of sheer enjoyment. They turned mini-celebrities for the moment inside the mall as many people stopped to look at them or help them.
“My children could not take care of me. But I do not feel let down.
The staff and my friends at the old age home is my family,” says Dhanalakshmi who went away for two years to stay with her daughter but again returned to the home.
“Aged people need lot of understanding and tenderness,” says Ashalatha. “Indifference and neglect hurts them the most and that is why at the Home we have integrated the local neighbourhood into our activities.”
While the Rotarians celebrate every festival with the Home inmates and several school and college students come and spend time with them or put up some entertainment programme, every evening they attend yoga, classical music, prayers and shloka chanting classes with the children and housewives from Karuppayuruni (where the Home is located). “Different people volunteer to take a variety of classes every evening,” says Ashalatha, “and that has helped these women find their lost selves.”
Age does not matter. When people get the opportunity they have the desire to connect in a deep emotional way and that is what under the love and care of Sharanya Trust, the aged paatis are able to achieve. (Making a difference is a fortnightly column about ordinary people and events that leave an extraordinary impact on us. E-mail soma.basu@thehindu.co.in to tell her about someone you know who is making a difference)
