Anand Mahindra reminisces about Lawrence, Lovedale’s cinematic past; netizens react

Recalling his time at the school in the late sixties, Mahindra reminisced about the vibrant film culture that thrived on the school grounds. He fondly recounted an incident from 1968 when the school transformed into a set for the Tamil film Nervazhi. Mahindra vividly described how he, along with his peers, were spellbound witnessing the process of filming.

Mahindra particularly noted the striking sight of lead actors Jaishanker and Vanisree adorned in cowboy attire, an unexpected twist that left a lasting impression on the young audience. “We were transfixed because the lead actors—Jaishanker and Vanisree—were in cowboy costumes! After the release of Italian Sergio Leone’s ‘Fistful of Dollars’ the genre of the Spaghetti Western was established. So naturally, when Tamil cinema started following suit, that genre was nicknamed ‘Curry Western!’” he wrote on X.

For movie buffs, here’s some trivia from my memory bank:

My old high school—Lawrence, Lovedale—seems to have become a hotspot for film directors. Recently it’s been the location of ‘The Archies’ and the OTT series ‘Big Girls Don’t Cry.’

But it reminded me that the beautiful,… pic.twitter.com/D6mG3sBECW

— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) May 2, 2024

He ended his post saying, “Frankly, I’m VERY glad that genre didn’t survive.”

One user responded to the post saying, “Anand sir always sharing some great info.” A second user commented, “Please share some more interesting movies / Series of your choice sir.”

A third user said, “Ha ha ha. Curry Western-that’s gold! The mental image of cowboys on the lush greens of Lovedale is quite amusing.” A fourth user wrote, “Wow, what a cool trip down memory lane! It’s amazing how your old high school has such a rich history with film. The ‘Curry Western’ genre sounds like quite the unique experience! Thanks for sharing your nostalgic movie trivia with us!”