I don't think it's Bollywood per se, but the shared experiences that watching movies create.
Back in the day, the local cable companies would often illegally relay new releases on Friday or Saturday night. From a very young age, I would gather around the TV with my grandma and aunt to watch movies. Sometimes the whole family would gather. When we would visit extended family in Goa, it would be a room full of 10-20 people of multiple generations - infants, toddlers, teens, parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, just gathered around a tiny tv. I actually couldn't watch a movie or show alone until ten years ago. I always saw cinema as a shared experience for connecting with people.
My grandma has always enjoyed watching movies. It was one of her pastimes. She and another old lady friend of hers would often plan an outing to watch movies. I am very attached to my grandma so I would always be the uncool kid who went to the movies with two old ladies.
My dad, like most desi dads never did anything with us. Somehow he decided to come to Karan Arjun with us. There is a special love I have for Karan Arjun because it was the one movie we watched as a whole family with my dad.
The first movie I saw with a group of friends was Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. We went on opening day in the afternoon after school. Many of us were ditching hockey practice that day to go see the movies. And after the movie, we ate dinner at a nearby restaurant. And we were swooning the whole time imagining going on a Eurail vacation ourselves and meeting the man of our dreams. One of my friends loved "Zara Sa Jhoom Loo Main." And our spiel was singing the song, mostly her singing and me doing SRKs "na re na re na." And sometimes she would kiss me on the cheek after "aa tujhe choom loo main" and I would get all tingly. But back then I was convinced it was 100% for SRK only.
So for me, my love for movies is more of a love for the people we share them with.
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