East is east and west is west and never the twain shall meet,” and that was at least what we were taught when we were assistants and learning the ropes to this place. I remember being in the story sittings making notes quietly sitting in a corner and I ventured a suggestion to the team if the hero and the heroine could be just friends. Scoffed I was. How can a girl and guy be just friends in a movie? Not possible. Now it is. Kuch Kuch hota hai and Dil to Paagal hai are examples.

The language was another. There was a time when producers would cringe and revolt at one line in English and now they want the “Hinglish” films. “Hinglish” is the new language of Hindi cinema. Correction, Hinglish is the new language of Multiplex cinema and herein lies the problem.

The great divide of the Multiplex and the Single Screen and the chasm in the middle. It is a more serious issue than we think, if it is an issue at all with us.

The divide is not about the languages or screens or even sensibilities but the divide is about the people of our country and the divide is everywhere. It started with the urban elite returning to theatres and with them came the need to watch English films in Hindi. The elite paid Rs 350 a ticket and the single screen man paid Rs 50

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