Half a Movie, Full Adventure: The Unforgettable Quest for Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!

 

It was August of 1994, a time when India was buzzing with excitement, not just because of Sachin Tendulkar’s cricketing prowess, but because Hum Aapke Hain Kaun..!, the Bollywood blockbuster, had just been released. But here’s the kicker—it was the first film in India with Dolby sound, and most theaters weren’t equipped to handle this futuristic marvel. In the entire state of Odisha, the movie was playing in just one theater, in Cuttack, 25 kilometers from the capital, Bhubaneswar.

Enter our two heroes: two college students from Andaman, who were more broke than a dropped coconut. Living in Hostel 2 of OUAT, they spotted an ad in the newspaper about the movie and decided to embark on an epic quest to watch it. Why spend money like regular folks? They chose the path of adventure—and frugality. So, they set off at 10 AM, haggled their way onto a cycle rickshaw to the railway station, and, like true thrill-seekers, decided to hop on a train without buying tickets. “What’s life without a little risk?” they thought.

At the station, they saw a train heading towards Howrah and, without a second thought, jumped on board. After all, every train to Howrah stops at Cuttack, right? They settled into a 2nd class sleeper coach, feeling like kings of the railways. Their only companion was an older gentleman who was chain-smoking like it was an Olympic event—he’d light up, take a puff or two, then carefully place the cigarette in a tiny ashtray he carried. In 30 minutes, he’d gone through at least ten cigarettes, and our two adventurers were both impressed and slightly alarmed.

But after 40 minutes, there was no sign of Cuttack. Another 10 minutes passed. Still nothing. Panic started to set in. They finally asked a fellow passenger where they were, and to their horror, they learned they were on a Rajdhani Express—a non-stop train that wouldn’t halt until Kolkata! One of them, trying to stay optimistic, suggested, "Well, Kolkata must have the movie playing somewhere!" But even he wasn’t too sure about their chances of surviving this misadventure without getting caught.

After four and a half hours of speeding towards an unintended destination, the train suddenly stopped. Apparently, some stones on the track were causing trouble, and the driver decided to take a break. Seizing the opportunity, our duo jumped off the train into what seemed like a jungle. After a short trek, they stumbled upon a bypass road and hitched a ride on a truck, sitting on a pile of rocks like kings without a kingdom.

The truck dropped them off in Balasore, where they caught a bus to Cuttack. The conductor, perhaps as confused as they were, returned more money than he should have when they paid for their tickets, but they didn’t notice—they were too busy plotting the next leg of their adventure.

Finally, they reached Cuttack around 7:00 PM and raced to the theater like they were in the final leg of the Olympics. The place was packed, and the theater had sold more tickets than seats. But that didn’t stop our heroes—they squeezed in with the crowd, standing room only. The movie started… and to their utter shock, it was the second half! They had missed the entire beginning. But there was no turning back—they stood there, soaking in the melodrama, the songs, and of course, the epic family feud, all while knowing only half the story.

With the movie over, they made their way back to the station, waited for the Howrah-Puri Express at 3:00 AM, and snuck onto the train without tickets once again. By 4:00 AM, they were back in Bhubaneswar, exhausted but triumphant, having survived on little more than biscuits and sheer determination. They hadn’t spent much, didn’t eat a real meal, and only watched half a movie, but the adventure was unforgettable.

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, they did eventually watch the whole movie—this time with paid tickets for both the train and the cinema. But it’s safe to say, that half-baked cinematic escapade remained the best Hum Aapke Hain Kaun experience of their lives!