Mirrors and Reflections

When I was a boy [12 yrs old], one of the toys I used to play games with was something which I discovered myself! Nothing but a simple mirror. My game too was a simple one. I used to place the mirror at my waist level and walk around the house looking into it!! What an incredible thrill it used to give me... As if I am walking upside down hanging on the roof. It was as if I could alter the reality!

Before this play with the mirror, when I was studying in 6th standard, I had another use for the mirror. That was to direct a parallel beam of sunlight into the water-filled electric bulb [which was part of a makeshift 'magic lantern' made by my own hands] placed inside the darkened room to project that very precious 'film frame' that I collected from the local cinema theatre - Bhavani Theatre.

Behold, there were these black and white images of stars from popular Malayalam films of sixty's looming out into the whitewashed wall of my room. That was pure magic... probably, for the first time, I was also falling in love with those images. Possessing those little pieces of celluloid made me feel like a king... I used to have 'projections' for other kids in the neighborhood too. It was no wonder that my first occupation in the cinema industry was as a projectionist when I was 16 years old... - to be continued