I watched Dabangg in one of these dilapidated single-screen movie halls that charged 35 rupees for a ticket. It was a weekday evening, but the hall was almost full. The film kept an otherwise noisy crowd completely hooked throughout its duration. The visuals and the locations are clearly meant to match a good old western. However, since this is no 1975 (when
Sholay was released), there is absolutely no attempt at concealing the absurdity of the story; nor is there any attempt at over-sentimentalizing the love angle or the loss of central characters. This is Hindi cinema at its kitschy, over-the-top, campy best - so unintellectual that you cannot help but laugh along.
Going by the audience's reactions, I realized what a loss the average Indian crowd has had with the multiplexes and the metropolis-themed movies that are supposedly made for the young people of today. I hate watching films with those popcorn-munching, heavily perfumed rich brats who have paid hundreds of rupees only to watch the film while constantly smsing or chatting on the phone. This audience was a good contrast. I know why they flock to watch Salman Khan films. I feel a bit sorry for them, since I just don't see any actor in the next generation who can appeal to them in the way Salman does.
