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Are our childhood favourites finding new fans at home?
Shabana Azmi in a still from Makdee
“My daughter was a little scared while watching Makdee because it has some dark scenes in it, but she enjoyed it nevertheless,” says entrepreneur Shaharsh Bhushan.Like him, several parents are introducing their children to films and shows they grew up watching, hoping to share a little of their own childhood with the next generation. From Mr India and Koi… Mil Gaya to The Jungle Book, some of these favourites are finding new viewers at home, while others don’t quite strike the same chord.What happens when a parent’s nostalgia meets a child’s first viewing?PASSING ON THE OLD FAVOURITESShaharsh’s children have also watched the Harry Potter films, which remain a favourite at home. “I think Harry Potter is still very loved in my household,” he says.But some of the shows his daughter enjoys are ones he remembers from his own childhood. “She also enjoys watching the Panchatantra tales and Ramanand Sagar’s Ramayana, serials we grew up watching. Those she ends up watching with her grandparents. I would say she prefers those kind of shows to our generation’s films.”For Shaharsh, what children end up watching also depends on what their parents introduce them to. “I think it also depends on parents and what they want their children to watch, what they introduce them to. Otherwise how are the kids supposed to know that such content also exists?” he says.The family has also introduced the children to Peppa Pig, initially to help their daughter pick up English. “As a result she ended up enjoying the show as well as enhancing her language skills.” The Lion King and Finding Nemo are two other films they enjoy. “Wo bolte bhi hai ki ye kaafi mazzedaar hai.”Former actor and content creator Sameera Reddy says her children love Tom and Jerry. “I thought they would think it is outdated, but they enjoy it so much. I also found a link to BR Chopra’s Mahabharat, and they were bewildered by the graphics. They seemed to have fun with it. With all the AI stuff that is going on, I think the simple thing really works.”‘THEY ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT THE FILMS WE GREW UP WATCHING’For Priyanka Sinha, the experience has been particularly encouraging. Her eight-year-old son has watched Shaktimaan and Koi… Mil Gaya, while both her children enjoy Shah Rukh Khan’s Kuch Kuch Hota Hai and the Anil Kapoor-starrer Mr India. “They don’t seem bored at all, and ask questions about the kind of films we grew up watching,” says the homemaker.Her son, in particular, enjoys the parts of Mr India where Anil Kapoor’s character Arun turns invisible using his watch. “He is also fond of the song It’s Magic from Koi… Mil Gaya and is intrigued by Jaadu the alien.” It is not necessarily the same nostalgia that draws Priyanka back to these films, but the stories and characters seem to have found a new audience at home.Homemaker Smriti Jha, too, has managed to get her 10-year-old daughter to watch Koi… Mil Gaya. But her attempts to introduce her to some other childhood favourites have not been as successful. “Even if I say watch the things we grew up with, be it Sound of Music or even Tom and Jerry cartoons, they would just rather scroll,” says the former educator.She finds that the children are more willing to watch something when they have company. “They do take interest when the kids are in group, but if they are on their own, they don’t. I also find them creating their own fun routines and games if left to their own devices, but unfortunately, that doesn’t happen too often.”SOME CLASSICS TRAVEL BETTER THAN OTHERSNot every film from a parent’s childhood necessarily finds the same connect with the next generation. Richa Singh, a lecturer, says her eight-year-old daughter is drawn to The Jungle Book for its warmth and endearing characters. But she finds that her daughter is more inclined towards films made for children today.”Some stories they are able to engage with, like my 8-year-old enjoys The Jungle Book. She likes that it is so warm and cozy. But I do think she connects more with whatever is being made for kids today. Because she sometimes feels disconnected with the larger story when watching the older stuff. She likes Frozen and Moana more, because the animations are brighter and perhaps more relevant,” she says.
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However, Richa recalls that her daughter liked the Aamir Khan film Taare Zameen Par, particularly its protagonist Ishaan, but prefers its sequel, Sitaare Zameen Par. “Maybe it is the language or the way the story is presented, the nuances of that era get lost,” Richa adds.Dr Shraddha Rani, a dentist, has found that watching a film together can make a difference, even if the children are not always immediately interested. “I think it is difficult to control what children watch, and they do take an interest in older films and shows when I sit down with them and say, chalo let’s watch a Disney movie, it is Friday night or something. But even during those sessions, they will say things like slow hai, mazza nahi aa raha. Boring lag raha hai.”For parents, then, passing on childhood favourites is not always as simple as pressing play. Some films become shared family favourites, some find a new audience through grandparents, while others don’t quite hold a child’s interest. The nostalgia may belong to one generation, but the memories being made now belong to another.– Anvita Singh
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