When I met Sally

Sometime back, one of my friends had asked me, “Who is your favourite actor and actress?” Not a very strange and difficult question. Every movie-buff is supposed to have one.

So, I quickly replied, “Aamir Khan in Bollywood and Tom Hanks in Hollywood.”

“Great choice, but what about heroines?”

“Aaa …”, I stammered a bit, but then said disaffectedly,” It was Juhi Chawla earlier, but now-a-days it is …. Actually there are lots of … some sexy ones, some great cuties, some others. In Hollywood, it is Meg Ryan”. My reply was too formal.

He had guessed it by then. Guys don’t have favourite actresses??? Well, don’t get the un-obvious here 

I am actually smitten by some great beauties of cinema. As I told earlier, my childhood fascination was Juhi Chawla. When QSQT had arrived, Aamir and Juhi were the instant heart-throbs of every young suitor. Juhi, in particular, was such a veracious beauty. And even though I was a child, my enchantment with her was sown. It continued till she parted with Aamir, and also faded out of cinema.

As and when I started watching Hollywood movies about 10 years back, I had to decide on my favourite ones there. Tom Hanks was a very natural and obvious candidate. So, one slot ticked. I was watching ‘Sleepless in Seattle’ during one of those days. Poor Hanks, the widower- was narrating his tale of woes and singleness on a radio, and then… there she arrived- Meg Ryan, driving the car, listening to him. I knew it, I knew it. It was proverbial, ‘Love at First Sight’, or ‘Hopelessly in Love’ or the movie’s own ‘Magic Itself’. I had found her. I had found an analogous pair in Hollywood too ….

The whole above story was flashed to me, when I had declaimed my choices before my friend. But somehow it flustered me more. My favourite actress, Meg Ryan? And I have watched only ‘Sleepless in Seattle’, and the famous clippings of her in ‘In the Cut’. Not ideal…

So, I decided to celebrate a ‘Ryan Month’ where I had to watch most of her movies. I started with the easiest pick-‘You’ve Got Mail’. A lovely Hanks and Meg love-drama. She looked quite a part as a small BookShop Owner. Then I moved on to In The Cut, City of Angels, When a Man Loves a Woman, French Kiss. I couldn’t go beyond that, because of lack of time, and also because of overdose of ‘Romance’ and ‘Her’. “She is a doll, but too cheesy and monotonous doll”- I started feeling like that. Anyhow, the most famous one of hers was left- ‘When Harry Met Sally’. Gosh! She was so young then, but utterly toned-down too. It seemed she did the movie without make-up. Her chequered half-pants seemed such an anachronism. By luck or choice, the co-actor was another no-no Billy Crystal. The famous orgasm-screaming scene of hers too looked so fake. It was appalling. Oh my God! I am speaking sacrilege here. The legions of fan of the movie and her will kill me.

But that is how it panned out for me. I know it was surfeit that brought this repulsion or revulsion. But it was also the catharsis of new times. I gave her another chance, but just watching the cleavage-popping poster of her latest movie, “My Mom’s New Boyfriend”, I was estranged for ever. So, I am single again now. But thanks Meg for all those days of blissful fascination with you. Alas! You too went Juhi’s way.