I began to consume audio-visual ‘content’ in the 90s. We get together for a week or month in the summer and other vacations. All cousins, uncle aunts spend time celebrating the togetherness for those few days under the roof of our ancestral home. Watching cinema was a big part of this celebration. That was the VHS era. We were middle class family and didn’t have the obsession of owning things then. We rent VHS player and cassette usually for the evening or night. The film selection process was the only thing for which I have seen my family members fighting – primarily because of varied taste. I remember one of my cousin sisters cried and remained angry for weeks because her recommendation was not welcomed and ridiculously laughed at. Some like art films, some like love-action-drama. Art films’ VHS were available scarcely back then, so we mainly watch Bollywood mainstream movies.

Then came the Y2K along with the crazy spinning VCDs and DVDs. This is when we were introduced to movies where characters speak languages other than Odia or Hindi. My father is a lover of adventure/mystery/treasure hunting films; thus, Indiana Jones was whipping his way into our living room in those years. However, it was no longer a whole family viewing affair. I was visited mainly by my cousins for few days. Other relatives such as uncle aunts continued their visit but only to see my ailing grandfather. They stopped staying for more than one two days, became way too less interested in watching movies; thus, watching movies all together did not happen after the 90s. We still did not have VCD/DVD player and rent both the player and CDs from the same rental shops whose shelves were now redesigned to hold the smaller and thinner sized video containing formats.

Only during 2004, I got my own CD player capable of playing VCDs and then in 2007- a DVD player capable of playing DVDs. But owning a CD/DVD player at home had lost its charm largely due to the fact that I also had a PC bought by my father (might be with a hope that I could pursue and do wonder in IT). I was capable of watching films on my PC whenever I wanted by renting CD/DVDs for 10 Rupees a day. Cinema watching at home together did not happen anymore and if, it did very rarely. I remember those CD/DVD players at home were gathering dusts more than playing CDs.

As the resolution of video improved from 288p to 576p (PAL), and then during 2010s- to 720p and 1080i, a new era began when I could count the numbers of facial hair of the actor on the screen. That was also the time when people did not have to rely on compact discs anymore; internet was the new messiah for watching films illegally. Renting CD/DVDs, however, was illegal in a sense that buying a CD doesn’t license you to rent, but the filmmakers and distributors were absolutely fine about this back then. Downloading movies over torrents, stocking and bragging about the collection you have became a thing in those days. These few years were freedom – one did not have to resort to the collection those CD libraries had. Anyone could get movies of his/her choice from the internet. I remember I was very much fascinated by Franz Kafka’s novel ‘The Castle’ back then, and tried to search and find if any films have been made on that story. I had no idea who Michael Haneke was, but watched his adaption of that novel after searching for few hours.

I did not have the habit of stocking up films even after the internet became affordable. Researching for a film for your mood and taste, getting recommendation from forums, blogs was quite an enjoyable process too. But then a new bug bit me when I started to earn. Blu-ray discs became the sensation. It was around 2014 where CD libraries had ceased to exist and most of us got the crazy idea to build our own Blu-ray libraries. It was like going to square one. One would not get blu-rays of any movies easily in India even today. What was available in both online and offline shops were the films that those CD libraries would usually get. But it was the obsession of owning things – I started buying available blu-rays of Hollywood flicks as per my taste and started maintaining a library. I was also interested in the extra features those blu-rays have and which were not available anywhere back then(YouTube was not this huge then). I remember some of online forum members and one elder film buff brother had suggested me to enjoy the films, not the medium but I was unstoppable. Each blu-rays were around 300 to 500 rupees back then, and today, though I regret those buyings and consider them unnecessary spendings, I must say these process of watching films were still enjoyable.

Then came the Jio 4G – with speed and price that Indians had never witnessed. With the fast internet, online film streaming platforms became active. We were introduced to a luxury called Netflix. Films became exclusive to platforms; content were made solely to meet the hunger of third world audience. There was a shift in watching habits of viewers. Binge-watching was innovated and glorified for consuming and combating those huge libraries of content. I acknowledge that I became a part of this habit too and certainly benefitted. Watching a film with a push of button without the trouble of searching, downloading, seeding(torrent), unavailability of subtitle is definitely utopian in comparison to those VHS days.

This is 2020. Am I still a mad film watcher! I watch, yes, but not that madly. It has been casual. I enjoy if I get to watch a good one, the process of ‘finding’ and watching is no more an exciting affair. I usually watch what is available on the Netflix, Amazon, Hotstar etc. I eat only what these giant OTTs are feeding me. If I search for a title and does not find it anywhere, I just leave it and move to what is available. Now it is – ‘just watch’; don’t care for what you watch. With the MUBI, the quality is little stable. But I no longer can remember what movies I have seen in the past week, just like food. I just consume. I remember there was a time when I watch a movie and like it, I search for other works of the same filmmaker. It is not happening anymore. And I am wondering what went wrong. Should I be worried! Is this receding passion for watching films a normal thing with the age!

Or there are other things at play!

I laugh when I recall some of the old and respected filmmakers were once criticising viewing cinema on 21 inch TV screen. Today, I am being continually instructed to produce videos keeping 4 inch vertical mobile screen in mind. Watching film has been turned into something very private. Nudity, sex, violence, foul words have redefined the once-used-to-be art of storytelling. The sweet and clichéd boy-meets-girl is now boy-sleeps-with-girl. Families can no longer watch films together. And I remember that expression – families that eat together stay together.