‘If the film reel got stuck, the audience would do bomabom’

The Australian cockatiel is the first thing we notice when we visit Mohammed Aslam Fakihrsquos tiny oneroom tenement at Tapia Mansion in Bhuleshwar Perched inside a cage the greycrowned bird begins to chirp relentlessly until we acknowledge its presenceldquoHe loves the attentionrdquo 75yearold Fakih says The bird he tells us just turned up on the window sill of the home one day and has ldquorefused to leaverdquo Unlike his pet bird Fakih who is a film projectionist with Regal Cinema is selfeffacingFakih was one of the projectionists when Regal Cinema ran the cult classic Enter the Dragon in 1973Working at the iconic Colaba theatre for the last 53 years he prefers to reply in monosyllables The only time he seems animated is when we mention movie reels Fakih joined Regal as part of an apprenticeship on August 15 1970 ldquoThey were playing Alfred Hitchcockrsquos Topaz at the timerdquo he remembers ldquoBack then Regal would hardly screen any Hindi movies People would only come to watch the latest Hollywood releaserdquoFakih has helmed the projector ever since His commitment to the movies has landed him a Lifetime Achievement Award nomination for Cinema Projection The award has been instituted by the Film Heritage Foundation and the winner will be announced at a function on July 26 The foundation works to conserve classic films and conducts workshops on the same Shivendra Singh Dungarpur who helms Film Heritage Foundation says that he introduced the award because he believes that the role of the projectionist is key to experiencing cinema ldquoMy understanding of the craft of projecting comes from my childhood visits to my grandfatherrsquos place he employed one Chandi Mistry who would project films for us so that we could watch them together as a familyrdquo he tells us over a call ldquoDuring my time at FTII Film and Television Institute of India I met another projectionist called Kokze I think the wisdom he imparted has been invaluablerdquo According to Dungarpur the projectionist is always ldquothis mystical creaturerdquo ldquoIn the earlier days we would look up at the projector in the movie theatre but wersquod never know of the man handling it I felt itrsquos high time that we introduce these men to the people they are truly the unsung heroes of cinemardquo Alfred Hitchcockrsquos Topaz played at Regal on August 15 1970 the day Fakih joined as an apprenticeFakih who is one of the two nominees from Mumbai is a heavyweight in his own right because of his years of experience as well as his mastery over projecting both 35 and 70 mm reelsldquoAfter six months of training I was taken on as full time staff I was ecstaticrdquo recalls Fakih The first movie he projected solo was Good Evening Ms Campbell featuring Gina Lollobrigida an Italian actor known for her comic timing ldquoThe film is one of my alltime favouritesrdquo he smiles He canrsquot remember the actor who played the lead We Google him up for Fakih When we mention Telly Savalas the name immediately registersRegal Cinema in Colaba was one of the four theatres that ran English movies back in 1970Savalas he says was one the most famed villains in the Bond movies playing Ernst Stavro Blofeld in On Her Majestyrsquos ServiceThe 1973 martial arts film Enter the Dragon was the longest running movie under Fakihrsquos reign as a projectionist ldquoIt ran for 35 weeksrdquo he says ldquoPeople were crazy about Bruce Lee There were no empty seats and the line for the tickets would spill over into the main Causeway marketrdquoShivendra Singh Dungarpur founder Film Heritage FoundationMovie goers at the time were notorious for their ldquobomabomrdquo ldquoIf the film reel would get stuck the audience would swear at us and create a ruckus Today people are a lot calmer and more subduedrdquo he thinks Though age is catching up with him Fakihrsquos romance with the movies has far from ended His shift on the day we visit was to begin at 3 pm he will stay till the last show that ends post midnight ldquoAs long my hands and legs are moving I will continue doing what I loverdquo