Om Shanti Om - Ticket buying Indian Style
Trip Start
Oct 09, 2007
1
36
42
Trip End
Nov 16, 2007
Mumbai (Bombay),
India
Thursday, November 8, 2007
On our first day here, we headed straight for Bandra to do some shopping for Donovan and Alan. At Globus (a shopping chain) while Alan was trying on a shirt, the sales assistant made me panic when he said that tickets for the Diwali releases are sold as far as 2 weeks in advance. "This is a Shah Rukh Khan movie we are taking about, it will be sold out by now."
I felt completely numb and Alan could tell
01. Darde Disco (Disco Fever) from Om Shanti Om
. He immediately after buying me a Diet Pepsi with John Abraham on the label said "Okay - let's go book some tickets." We took a taxi to Wadala IMAX which is one of the biggest cinema complexes here only to be told to come back the next day as the advance tickets had not yet been released because of a distribution rights dispute. That night Shah Rukh was being interviewed on TV (for the umpteenth time) and in it, he said that the tickets had been released. It was 10 pm and Alan was just about to have his shower. He immediately got dressed again in his sweaty clothes and said he'd walk to the closest cinema in the Fort area (about half an hour walk)
When he got there they were closed, but he was told to try Metro Adlabs. Some woman on the street then told him he'd never find it so she offered to walk with him there. Hmmm .. funny this story. She tells Alan that she wanted to do a good deed as she was a Christian. She was widely travelled as she had worked on a ship and was waiting for her Green Card. After about a 30 min walk, by which time Alan was drenched in sweat - they got to the cinema only to be told to come back at 6pm the next day. Only the internet tickets had been released (this part of Shah Rukh's interview was left out by the STUPID news channel)
02. Om Shanti Om Movie Poster 1
.The woman then told Alan she was thirsty and nicely took him around the corner to a cafe! Sat down and ordered a drink! Alan was thinking "Oh shit!" ahahahahahahah So he kept talking about me all the time and finally managed to convince her that I would be concerned for him as he had been away so long. Alan insisted they got into a taxi so he could quickly drop her off at her train-station. She then nicely asked Alan for Rs10 or Rs20 (that's like 40 - 80 cents) - so much for a good deed, hey? Poor Alan!
Anyway the next day - to cut a very long story short we ended up queueing from 5pm along with other excited locals. At 6pm the air was thick with anticipation, sweat and heat - they still refused to open the Box Office. By 6.10pm people were getting irate and started shouting for the Manager and then banging on the glass. At 6.15pm someone came out and said all the tickets were sold out from Fri - Mon thru internet bookings. People were livid and passed on the information to those further on in the queue. We had all been told to queue and wait until 6pm. The management had already known the tickets were sold out yet did nothing to inform the public. One woman got hysterical and started shouting and screaming, others were also aggitated - there were loud angry voices and the police were called by one of the angry patron so that we could complain to the police and get tickets - as if!
03. Om Shanti Om Movie Poster 2
! Alan and I both understood then, how mob violence can come about here - due to people in authority not bothering or having the courtesy to inform the masses with correct information promptly. You should have heard all the screaming that was going on! Over a movie! We could have left but we hung around because we were so intrigued and had to know the outcome. Nobody got their tickets. People were very, very upset. The screaming woman looked like she was going to burst a blood vessel. The girls who were near me were feeling embarrassed for her. One said " If my mother saw me like this, she would die of embarrassment - such terrible behavior, we all upset yaar - but to be shouting like this?" another said "You can blame Shah Rukh and his 6 pack abs for this hysteria."
Anyway .... finally we walked away and one of the girls had mentioned another multiplex to try. We found it and we got tickets for Monday's show!!!!!!!! Yaaaaay - cannot tell you how happy we were. Alan being Alan and kiasu - when we got back to the hotel actually kept the precious tickets in the safe in the room cupboard! ahahahahahah
Such is the story of what it is like just getting tickets for a Shah Rukh Khan Diwali release. An older lady in the queue had informed me that "It's always like this only when Shah Rukh has a release, especially at Diwali. The queues will be snaking around on the streets outside and the people will be screaming." She seemed resigned to the fact.
Comments
OSM with SRK
OMG, I'm having such a good laugh about your little stories, adventures and all the mishaps, like the bird story leaving for Mumbai. Yes, you should have just booked on the internet otherwise u would be so upset not being able to see it as that was the plan. Please come back with raving reviews okay. Choti
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There was an article in our newspapers today about the opening of the show and the long long queues in Mumbai. But your story about the queues was more hilarious! I'll send you a copy of that article, cos of course it has a pic of your hearthrob! Have a great time at the show on Monday! Savour it!
love jacq