Thus, though Day Jee had a separatist aura around it, Pune proper too [ mostly Sadashiv, Shanwar Narayan ] tried hard to project its elan especially when it came to, Nana, Guruwar or Vetal Peth. Camp always was different, as if it was never a part of Pune on this side of the world. Neither Day Jee nor Proper Puneites lagged behind in looking down upon east Pune but prided when they went to watch a Hollywood flick at the West End! It was THE thing to do! It was my long-cherished dream too, to visit 3 Coins restaurant on East street. It materialized late, late by 20 years but the pressure [ I am in 3 Coins !] was almost palpable.
Pune, east of Budhwar chowk was considered backward by Day Jee and Pune Proper! Maybe, it carried caste undertones too! If somebody answered in accent from Satara or Sangli with a distinct drawl, it was met with 'You seem to be graduated from the University of Vegetable Market [Mandai in Marathi] ! ' an encounter full with typical Pune sarcasm!
The speciality of Day Jee was, Cozy bungalows lining Prabhat Roat and Karve Road. By lanes of Apte Road and Model colony were its rich cousins!
It was an abode for all that Marathi diaspora who, after toiling in cities like Mumbai and Delhi life long, wished to be cremated at Omkareshwar after the last breath.
As if it was THE road in the entire universe, 80 Ft road, aka JM road now, was a piece of pride! So much so that Puneris used to sing a song, specially written in its praise !.
The words went something like these,
' Shama let's take a stroll on 80 feet road with poise and go to Sambhaji garden !'
Another soft point for Day Jee was cinema theatre 'Hindvijay'! Built in the 40s in Art Deco style of Miami's or Mumbai's Marine lines, but losing its battle with time in due course! Why only Day Jee, entire Pune was in love with that handsome structure. Painted in faint pink it had two towers on sides with a spacious decorated porch at the entrance. Doors had etched glasses and foyer had huge Belgian mirrors, like today's Liberty or Maratha Mandir of Mumbai. What it prided in, is lost in today's multiplex era. Screens in today's multiplexes are naked, nothing to hide. Hindvijay boasted in having pure velvet curtain in Burgundy red with golden circles at the lower border, covering the silver screen with due respect! It used to move sidewards with the grace of Cleopatra before the real show started in black and white. Eastman colour was years away!
In 57 Mutha flooded Pune beyond limits and waters reached Hindvijay too. I distinctly remember a visit to Hindvijay then, with the elders as it was a fashion in Pune in those days to visit flood-affected areas. I remember vividly that it was showing, Madhumati, starring Dilipkumar and Vyjayantimala, with its poster pasted on the side walls.
Being prestigious cinema hall of Pune in those days it screened many hits from Hollywood as well as Bollywood. Though totally washed out in Panshet deluge, it rose like a phoenix again and showed big Hindi Hits like 'Sangam ' Waqt' for months together. It opened 70 mm screen for the 1st time in Pune with Shirley McClain starter, 'Can-Can ' a Hollywood flick with said dance as the theme. Now it had a curtain in Pure Gold colour that rolled upwards in elegant semicircles, again 1st in Pune ! 6 tracks stereophonic sound too was a novelty then. I simply can not forget the train whistle of 'Where Eagles Dare' or the ear-splitting sound of planes hovering over the head in 'Battle of Bulge' even after 50 years. In the 70s it changed the hands. Shindes from Bengaluru renovated it and new 'Natraj' stood in its place. It neither had the charm of Hindvijay nor it was that good, it was just an adulterated copy of their 'Nartaki' cinema Hall at Bengaluru. Today that too has been erased from Pune's topography.
Down went Shrinath, Aryan, Minerva also. Once Alpana was Known as Shirin or Ratan as Paramount hardly anybody knew or cared.
Not only these structures went down with the time but they took away a slice of Pune's history along with them.
Today Pune has everything that a normal modern city has. But that old world charm is lost somewhere along the lines. Once backward East Pune has gone much ahead of Day Jee and Pune Proper with its Multiplexes and Ultra-modern malls like Amanora, All season's mall or Phoenix city. But that's plastic. Real worth probably got washed away in Panshet deluge!
Pune, east of Budhwar chowk was considered backward by Day Jee and Pune Proper! Maybe, it carried caste undertones too! If somebody answered in accent from Satara or Sangli with a distinct drawl, it was met with 'You seem to be graduated from the University of Vegetable Market [Mandai in Marathi] ! ' an encounter full with typical Pune sarcasm!
The speciality of Day Jee was, Cozy bungalows lining Prabhat Roat and Karve Road. By lanes of Apte Road and Model colony were its rich cousins!
It was an abode for all that Marathi diaspora who, after toiling in cities like Mumbai and Delhi life long, wished to be cremated at Omkareshwar after the last breath.
As if it was THE road in the entire universe, 80 Ft road, aka JM road now, was a piece of pride! So much so that Puneris used to sing a song, specially written in its praise !.
The words went something like these,
' Shama let's take a stroll on 80 feet road with poise and go to Sambhaji garden !'
Another soft point for Day Jee was cinema theatre 'Hindvijay'! Built in the 40s in Art Deco style of Miami's or Mumbai's Marine lines, but losing its battle with time in due course! Why only Day Jee, entire Pune was in love with that handsome structure. Painted in faint pink it had two towers on sides with a spacious decorated porch at the entrance. Doors had etched glasses and foyer had huge Belgian mirrors, like today's Liberty or Maratha Mandir of Mumbai. What it prided in, is lost in today's multiplex era. Screens in today's multiplexes are naked, nothing to hide. Hindvijay boasted in having pure velvet curtain in Burgundy red with golden circles at the lower border, covering the silver screen with due respect! It used to move sidewards with the grace of Cleopatra before the real show started in black and white. Eastman colour was years away!
In 57 Mutha flooded Pune beyond limits and waters reached Hindvijay too. I distinctly remember a visit to Hindvijay then, with the elders as it was a fashion in Pune in those days to visit flood-affected areas. I remember vividly that it was showing, Madhumati, starring Dilipkumar and Vyjayantimala, with its poster pasted on the side walls.
Being prestigious cinema hall of Pune in those days it screened many hits from Hollywood as well as Bollywood. Though totally washed out in Panshet deluge, it rose like a phoenix again and showed big Hindi Hits like 'Sangam ' Waqt' for months together. It opened 70 mm screen for the 1st time in Pune with Shirley McClain starter, 'Can-Can ' a Hollywood flick with said dance as the theme. Now it had a curtain in Pure Gold colour that rolled upwards in elegant semicircles, again 1st in Pune ! 6 tracks stereophonic sound too was a novelty then. I simply can not forget the train whistle of 'Where Eagles Dare' or the ear-splitting sound of planes hovering over the head in 'Battle of Bulge' even after 50 years. In the 70s it changed the hands. Shindes from Bengaluru renovated it and new 'Natraj' stood in its place. It neither had the charm of Hindvijay nor it was that good, it was just an adulterated copy of their 'Nartaki' cinema Hall at Bengaluru. Today that too has been erased from Pune's topography.
Down went Shrinath, Aryan, Minerva also. Once Alpana was Known as Shirin or Ratan as Paramount hardly anybody knew or cared.
Not only these structures went down with the time but they took away a slice of Pune's history along with them.
Today Pune has everything that a normal modern city has. But that old world charm is lost somewhere along the lines. Once backward East Pune has gone much ahead of Day Jee and Pune Proper with its Multiplexes and Ultra-modern malls like Amanora, All season's mall or Phoenix city. But that's plastic. Real worth probably got washed away in Panshet deluge!
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