A History Of The Indian Movie Thermos

Here at Planet BollyBob we occasionally stray from the well-traveled path to bring you information that is thought-provoking, shocking and trivial. Sometimes we even manage to shock ourselves with our discoveries, but that doesn't happen very often because we are (after all) professionals.

We love what we do, but let's face it: everybody and their grandmother is reviewing Bollywood films nowadays, and most of those people are reputable folks who'd never get kicked out of Anil Kapoor's dressing room and charged with trespassing. If we can't become reputable -- and therefore get the latest scoop on Ashwarya's favourite colour -- we can at least discuss the things that OTHER reviewers shy away from. Like the sexual habits of my upstairs neighbours or the hitherto-unexposed water-drinking habits of Zsa Zsa, my cat.

But while most of our projects rely very little on "hard facts" and an awful lot on "unfounded assumptions," our examination of the history of the Indian Movie Thermos involved a bit of research. We had to watch Indian movies, of course. We also had to keep our eyes peeled for Indian thermoses, which usually share the scene with something much more exciting and relevant. But after years of practice we have become quite adept at spotting Indian Movie Thermoses in the most unlikely of places, so we feel that we are the foremost (and perhaps only) authorities in this particular field.

Here is what we've found! Please keep in mind that our research is ongoing and we have no intention of resting on our laurels. We at Planet BollyBob never sleep, never falter, and are never, ever satisfied.

This is our "Indian Movie Thermos" timeline, outlining the thermoses we've recorded during our studies so far. The middle portion of the timeline -- between 1960 and 1987 -- shows what we consider to be "the reign of thermoses in Indian films," though we cannot give 100% accurate starting and ending dates...we assume that there are more thermoses out there still waiting to be found. That's why we left some space at the beginning and the end of the timeline. We don't want to be caught with our pants down.

The earliest known Indian Movie Thermos appeared in 1966's "Teesri Manzil," hidden in the background of one of the sets. It did not have any sort of role in the movie and remained stationary throughout, garnering approximately one minute of screen time. Like most thermoses it appeared to be primarily for storing hot liquids, and it may have come equipped with a shoulder-strap. We consider this thermos to have been a sort of "test" to see how audiences would feel about seeing thermoses in their movies.

They must have responded with enthusiasm ("Please to understand that we love Asha and Shammi, but we wish to see them with more thermoses.") "Sawan Bhadon" (1970) was the answer to every thermos-lover's prayers. This film not only had TWO identical, very large thermoses in it, but those thermoses were essential to the plot. They had handles and pouring-spouts and appeared to be intended for both hot and cold beverages.

We consider 1966 to be the "Golden Age Of Indian Movie Thermoses." This was probably a great time to be a thermos in Bollywood, and I expect that many of them experienced an intense (but fleeting) fame of a kind not seen since.

After this triumphant time the Indian Movie Thermos went into a decline...presumably the producers of Bollywood films had found other ways to entertain their audiences. In 1982 a functional, stationary thermos appeared for a few moments in the film "Disco Dancer," but it was entirely incidental and was never handled by any of the actors. It may have even been accidentally placed there by one of the crew members during a tea break.

The disco-loving audiences of the 80's must have loved that accidental thermos, however, because the following year showcased Agar Tum Na Hote's "Plutonium Thermos," a device containing a core of detachable compartments, each one holding a different element of the typical Indian meal. This thermos was allowed at least one full minute of screen time, during which it was manipulated by the hero of the film and served as a suspenseful focal point. A small, barely-seen "auxiliary thermos" was visible during the movie as well, but the nature of that item remains a mystery.

What caused the Indian Movie Thermos to die out? Perhaps it became too large and difficult to operate, confusing the audience and causing an unwanted distraction during the scene. Perhaps an asteroid crashed into earth in the early 80's, destroying the Indian thermos factories and creating a cloud of dust that blocked out the sun for several years.

Until we get more information we will be unable to know exactly what happened. But rest assured that our research continues and that we seriously believe -- in our desperate, valiant little hearts -- that the reason behind the Mass Thermos Extinction will one day be revealed...and that we will be the ones to reveal it.