Everyone loves movies, well at least most people do. And the thrill of watching a movie on the first day first show is all the more thrilling (well lot of people have told me about this).  I have been waiting for a very long time to understand what this 'thrill' is all about and to experience the excitement of first day first show. Being a student in one of the most prominent colleges of this city, making time out for first day first show was cumbersome.

My long wait finally bore fruit when our college declared a holiday on the occasion of Shiv Ratri on a Friday. My happiness knew no bounds as it was a Friday, THE DAY of a new release. And guess what, the much awaited Shah Rukh Khan- Kajol starrer My Name Is Khan (MNIK) was the movie to be released. What more can an SRK fan ask for? Being a mass communication student and knowing the way films work (actually you just have to be a movie buff to know all this, no need for a specialized degree), I decided to go one day prior to book my tickets.

On reaching the multiplex, a queer presence made me wonder what was wrong. A blue van was parked outside the multiplex, and my first guess- "Hmmm. Some VIP is around here." On second thoughts the 'VIP' presence did not sound very convincing. And then lighting struck (of course it was not raining, just a figure of speech). The blue van was here for security reasons, security for the theatre and the people who throng it, security against some extremist groups who were threatening to stop the screening of the movie, who were threatening to disrupt public life. My heart raced as I ran up the steps to reach the booking counter, hoping against hope that the screening not be cancelled. As luck would have it the ticket counter was of not much help. The movie had only tele-booking and also the officials could not promise the release of MNIK as charted. Trying my luck I kept contacting the multiplex to book tickets but every time I tried, the operation was not successful. I had to go back dejected but with a little hope that coming in person the next day would ensure tickets. But as fate would have it, the movie was not released, well not at least in the morning or afternoon shows.

My dream of ever making it for the first day first show was shattered. As I read through the papers the next day of the film running to packed houses in Mumbai and Delhi, my heart sobbed, but at the same time went out to the people who came out in solidarity to oppose fundamentalist groups trying to hinder others life and dictate terms. Why should we the citizens of India, whether we belong to the north or the south, or the east or the west, live in fear? Why should a group of lunatics dictate or control us? Why should we let this happen to our democratic country? It is time we voice and act against this injustice. Together we can prove that no forces-internal or external can force us to do what we don't want to do. Jai Hind.

Sangeetha Gopi is second year post graduation student in Mass Communication at St Aloysius College, Mangalore. Reading and writing is her passion. She hails from Kannur in Kerala and pursuing her post graduation from St Aloysius College, Mangalore. She has interned in All India Radio (Kannur), The New Indian Express (Calicut) and Headline Today (Delhi).