Nant's Ingonyama Bagithi Baba... - Circle of Life - Lion King #acnotes

A big twin-door, doorway and I was perhaps the 2nd last one in the queue to make it through. The doors were only partly open and everyone had to squeeze through into pitch darkness. Once in, I could barely see my own nose, but what put me at ease was the wafting aroma of popcorn that also squeezed itself into the darkness along with us 6th graders into a packed movie hall.

Walking sideways like crabs we bumped knees, stepped on shoes of those already seated and plonked into one of the empty seats as soon as we found one. The trailers of upcoming movies had all been played already. And a commercial rather a debate on a cream, if it was turmeric or cosmetic had just ended. Perhaps, they were only gunning for a limerick. Anyway, that's a topic for another day. There was a constant drone of kids chatter, then a chain of coughs triggered by someone from the front row, eventually the whole hall ended up with who-coughs-the-loudest contest.

Then there it was - the wide, grey screen turned coal black all of a sudden and the name of the production company appeared in a red font. Fade to, a gigantic sun emerging above the horizon. A silhouette of a tree on the landscape to the left. Thin slivers of clouds wafted atop. And a tribesman’s call, so loud, there was a screeching halt in the cinema hall. Complete silence.

“Nant's Ingonyama Bagithi Baba!”…

Perhaps, a snooze alarm in an African dialect. A rhino, some kind of deer, meercats on hind legs and a cheetah, if I remember clearly, poised and looked up towards the light emerging light. Followed by a flock of birds wading in the water, gracefully took flight and flew past a waterfall. This was it. Eyes widened. Jaws dropped. We were all at the edge of the seat, as the Serengeti revealed itself like we had never seen before. The wildlife, the marching ants on a tree branch, Zebras frolicking and running, elephants stomping and the words from Tim Rice and Elton John's music circling it all up to showcase a life in some parallel universe.

Screenshot from the opening scene of The Lion King (credit: Disney)

A King, a Queen, the royal family and a Jester swoops down from above and takes a bow. The subjects make way for a Trusted Adviser to walk through, he hugs the King, greets the newborn and introduces the now Prince and future King to the kingdom he would rule. A celebration and jubilation, unlike nothing we kids have ever seen before.

Cut to, the present, as I recall. Till date the song still manages to make me sit up and take notice. One addition, my 4 year old, sitting beside, sharing the same sentiment. In fact, he was introduced to this song when he was 3, and he would ask for this song to be repeatedly- “Appa, Aaaah potttyaaaa… play that song.” Needless to say, life comes a full circle. And we have found our place, at the moment, beside each other.

https://youtu.be/GibiNy4d4gc?feature=shared

#acnotes