Daily grief falls on them like steady torrential rain that does not let the sunshine of hope break through the brooding dark clouds.

I watched Guide for the first time when I was about twelve or so. Till then, all the Hindi cinema I had watched was predictable, comfortable, simple enough for a pre-teen to know what to expect. Or so I thought.

Edited excerpts from a book of essays on the 1965 classic, which stars Waheeda Rehman as the dancer Rosie, who leaves her husband Marco for Dev Anand’s guide.

An unintended blessing of Corona-enforced lockdown, I thought, was that I would be able to finish some half-read books and watch and rewatch some of my favourite films.