Cinema, Cigarette and Cycle

During our childhood days on India the troika of Cinema, Cigarette and Cycle (later motor cycle or bike) was regarded as paraphernalia of a CHHATARA, a term in Odia meaning Vagabond with a tendency to be a girl chaser.

Watching Cinema, along with Hippie Hair style was considered as a ticket towards unsecured future for men during the 1970s. A well mannered boy was only supposed to watch occasional movies, preferably family oriented - JAI SANTOSHIMA or VEER HANUMAN kind of movies, only after the culmination of major academics exams. 

Keeping long Hippie style hair was considered to be rude and bad manner of presenting oneself in front of elders. As a 10 year old I was anything but a CHHATARA. Yet the overgrown hair inadvertenly curled around my ears lead my grandfather soundly chastise me -  "HIPPIE BAALA KAHIKI RAKHICHU ? CHHATARA HABU KIRE" (Why have you kept Hippie style ? Are you planning on becoming a Vagabond ?". I had no such intention, but promptly had a hair cut.

Cigarette start with curiosity in teenage days as many get their hand in smoking. Some slowly fall addicted to it. Smoking was considered as another tell-tale sign of going wayward - another step towards being a CHHATARA. The movie actors of those days, including stars like Amitabh Bachhan in Bollywood and Rajnikanth in the South glamorizing the bad habit. 

Smoking in front of elders and seniors was considered a sign of utter disrespect (same as talking looking downward without an eye contact was considered as respectful). So the teenagers smoked in hiding until they be came a slave of their habit to come out of the veneer of secrecy and do it openly. Interestingly chewing PAAN or Chewing Tobacco wrapped in Betel wasn't considered as bad as smoking and need not be done secretly, though it was no less harmful than smoking. Though tobacco is less popular with the youth today with alcohol taking over, the stigma remains. 

Cycle in Odisha defaults to Bicycles, a common mode of transportation for the most young and old alike in 1970s, until Scooters and motor bikes started becoming more and more common and affordable in the 80s. Either way, whether pedalled or motorable, bikes were sign of Freedom for the young to travel far and wide beyond the controlling territory of their parents. It also served as a fast gateway after playing teenage pranks or convenient escape mode post chasing girls - both typical trends of CHHATARA.

Time have changed. Cinema can be viewed at swanky Multiplexes rather than CHARAPOKA (Bedbug) infested movie theaters where the bloodsucking parasites had a feat at the expense of the cine goers. The ubiquitous sight of the audience scratching their private parts in public was not uncommon - thanks to the bedbugs hidden inside the Coconut coir chairs inside the theaters, always chosing to bite the right places in wrong time.

Cigarettes are no more the fad they used to be, with the movie heroes preferring to put lips on their female opposite's than on cigarettes. Bicycles have been long replaced by trendy bikes. The ever transactional CHHATARA has gone through metamorphic transformation in the age of cellular and social media.