Monday, September 10, 2007

Childhood Stories - #4

I was just listening to this song and all of a sudden this incident popped into my head:

This happened around the time the music for the film Bombay had just gotten released. The songs from the movie were on everyone's lips. The song "Hamma hamma" was especially popular with kids.

My cousin K was around 10 years old at that time. One evening, his dad (my uncle C) was returning from work when he spotted K outside a neighbor's closed door saying what sounded like "Amma, amma". Uncle C looked extremely upset and asked K to return home immediately. As soon as uncle C and K entered the house, uncle C called out to my aunt S: "Do you know what K was doing today?"

Aunt S was puzzled and said, "No."

Uncle C said, "He was standing outside a neighbor's house and begging Amma, Amma*. Why do you let him do such things?"

At which point K indignantly burst out, "I was not begging! I was singing the Hamma, hamma song!! You have absolutely no knowledge of the latest Tamil music!"

Uncle C looked abashed for a moment and then grumpily said, "What nonsensical lyrics songs have these days!"

And of course, the story got added to the annals of our family history :-D!

* Amma, thayey (mother, mother in tamil) is a popular begging phrase in Tam-land.

8 comments:

Thanu said...

I remember going with dad, mom and sister to watch Bombay in theater like a week after it was released... def did bring back memories...

SK said...

:--D Funny!

Vishesh said...

lol :)

Anonymous said...

Funny! :)

Anonymous said...

ooo, i know the song and how cute Arvind Swamy looked *sigh
so what's the scoop on why he fluffed up the way he did?

Thansk for the welcome, as u can tell all hell broke loose and I shut down comments, so came here to say 'thank you!' when I do have a party, shall call you, pls do bring in the music :D

rads said...

I tagged you! *wicked grin*
check wordpress

Archana Bahuguna said...

The only thing I remember of Bombay is Arvind Swami. In fact that was the reason I watched that movie after I first saw him in Roja... :-)

Archana said...

Thanu - I went to the theatre with family too :-)!

SK - :-D!

Vishesh - :-D!

Anon - :-D!

Rads - ah, tel me about it. I heard it is due to a life of full eating and no exercise :-P! Not to worry, I shall do all the singing myself *evil laughter*. Ah tag - seriousaa, tag edho newsweek interview range-kku irukku!!

Archana - I know - he looked so darned good in Roja!