I am booked for the 1.45 p.m. flight from Bombay to Delhi to attend the special public screening of Adivi Sesh starrer Major on 30th May. ‘Special’ because, as part of Sony’s promotional strategy, one show of the film for the public is being organised in different cities of the country even before its scheduled release on 3rd June. In Delhi, though, there are two shows on 30th May — one for the public, and the other for the Armymen including chief of the army staff. I am scheduled to attend the show with the public and thereafter head to the Armymen’s screening along with hero Adivi Sesh, director Sashi Kiran Tikka etc.
But man proposes, God disposes.
Our flight is first delayed by half an hour. But no reason to fret because the first show is to start at 6 p.m. while the second is scheduled to commence at 7 p.m. However, the 30-minute delay was only the beginning of my miseries, it would seem. Cloudy weather on route to Delhi gave us a bumpy flight but thankfully, the scary bumps lasted less than ten minutes although some of them were horrifying. The scheduled time of landing was 4.15 p.m., but we were mid-air till after 5 p.m., making the passengers wonder what was going on. Finally, the pilot announced that due to a thunderstorm in Delhi, the aircraft was being diverted to Jaipur. What? Quick calculations followed in my mind, and I realised that I would never reach in time for the 6 p.m. show. In Jaipur, the announcement that the flight would depart for Delhi within 30 minutes came as music to my ears. Quick calls to and from Mehul Thakkar of Sony (who was in Delhi) followed. I was now to head straight to PVR ECX at Chanakyapuri for the Army show instead of PVR Priya for the public show as the Chanakyapuri show was to start at 7 p.m.
But the flight landed in Delhi at 7.15 p.m. and by the time I reached PVR ECX, it was around 7.50 p.m. Luckily, the show had started late and so I managed to watch the film. But before that, I must let you in on how Adivi Sesh, Sashi Kiran Tikka and Mehul Thakkar reached PVR ECX from PVR Priya. After the thunderstorm, there were traffic jams galore in Delhi. All the three persons had to hitch rides on motorcycles from passersby as their car would have probably taken a couple of hours to reach. Can you imagine, hero Adivi Sesh sitting pillion with a mobike rider?! Typical filmi scene, I’d say.
Anyway, coming to the film, it moved the viewers to tears at several places. After the show, there was a standing ovation given to Major and to Adivi Sesh when he entered the auditorium to thank the army persons. Among the audience, there were colleagues of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan whose biopic the film is. They couldn’t thank Sesh enough firstly, for bringing Unnikrishnan’s story to the screen and secondly, for portraying the braveheart Major so wonderfully.
Sesh revealed to me in a brief conversation how the response of the army personnel meant the world to him. “I’ve never been a figures person,” he smiled, referring to box-office collections. Now that the public response in the free public shows in Pune, Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Vishakapatnam, Kochi and Delhi have been phenomenal, does it mean that Adivi Sesh is calm and composed days before the release. “No, that’s not true,” smiles the star, adding, “I am still nervous about how the paying public will react to the film.” Before the public reaction, Sesh is quite nervous about a show in Bangalore (being held today, May 31) for the parents of Major Unnikrishnan. “I hope, they find the film authentic,” signs off Sesh.
Incidentally, the National Security Guard Bombay presented Sesh a medal after the NSG personnel saw the film in the metropolis as a mark of appreciation for the way he had played the NSG Major in the film and for the way the film had been made. No small appreciation, this!