The first superstar.

In the programme, 'Total recall', this afternoon it was the narrative of the Rajesh Khanna phenomenon of the '70s. He was the first superstar of the Hindi movies.

My favourite has always been his 26 minute appearance in the movie, 'Andaaz' immortalised by the peppy Kishore Kumar number, 'Zindagi ek safar hai suhaana.......!' And the subsequent words became the 'sine qua non' of my life and I quote,

         'Hansthe gaathe jahaan se guzar
          Duniya ki tu parvah na kar.....
          Muskurathe hue din bithaana
          Yahaan kal kya ho kisne jaana....'  

Subbu's blessings and a youngster's brickbats!

It has been some time that I'd seen Subbu at the railway level cross after I'd got his admission arranged at the nearby old age home. Since I'd not seen him for a while, I'd surmised that he's happy in his new surroundings and I must admit that I'd not done any follow up visit thus far. So, I was surprised to see him on his old beat this afternoon.

To my query as to why he was back on this demeaning trudge, his sheepish answer was that he was getting thoroughly bored, doing nothing, at the old age shelter! I didn't know as to whether I should get angry with him or shoo him away or forcibly have him sent back to the shelter. I had also begun wondering as to whether my eagerness to put him into a shelter was actually to his liking because my act could be viewed as an infringement on his free will to live the way he liked! Wasn't it a misplaced feeling of philanthropy, on my part, to help the needy!!

As I was required to be back at my office, I gave him my usual tip and he touched my car a number of times as if to tell his God to take care of me. No sooner had I started negotiating my car forward, a young lady on her two wheeler, hailed me to a stop and said, "Sir, it's people like you who spoil these guys. You mustn't do it". She was right and I did tell her so but the words that I stammered subsequently surprised even me, 'You know, I've accepted him as family and hence, this act'. And I really meant it!

She gave me a dazed look and shook her head. Somehow, I get this impression that it's not gonna be the last time that I see her. 

Adieu Dara Singhji!

Dara Singhji has passed into the mist of time. I've always considered him to be the original brand ambassador for India's rural simplicity and naivete.

During my childhood, I was fascinated to hear the stories about the 'Dara Singh - King Kong' wrestling matches where he used to pin the latter with relative ease on many occasions.

And I'm sure that there would be a generation, in this country, who'd definitely conjure up Dara Singhji's visage when anyone talks about Hanuman of Ramayana, known for his undying loyalty to his master. Ramanand Sagar's teleserial has had that big an impact on the Indian psyche!

RIP Dara Singhji. My humble prayers for your eternal peace!



Tailpiece.

This is just in jest and not in any way am I laughing at the departed soul's efforts on celluloid. But I must let out a secret that used to be the cause of mirthy laughter among me and my course mates.

In the movie 'Sikander-e-Azam', Dara Singhji as Sikander in an emotional outburst comes out with this statement, "Selucus, mera koda le aa". And after that the camera pans him on horseback where he's shown without any further emotions!

    

How we tempt fate - a case study.

I'd my cousin, Harilal, giving us a big surprise when he fetched up at home this evening. We're seeing him after a gap of almost six months after my dad's funeral. It's not that he keeps in touch with me regularly as he has a standard excuse in that he doesn't even own a cellphone! His words, as he entered the house were, "Chetta, I was passing through and felt the urge to meet you and so, here I am".

Harilal has extraordinary intelligence, a photographic memory and is a stickler for details. He's an additional secretary in one of the south lying panchayats of the state and holds enormous clout in his area of responsibility, with his professional competence. He has the gift of the gab and thanks to his outgoing nature, he makes friends with people with the least amount of fuss. He's endowed with enormous patience and is a good listener which endears him to people!

Having said all about him thus, he has a problem within his immediate family. He's philosophical in his reflections and to quote him, "You don't get everything in life and I do not have any cribs about it". To ward off the inner pain, he frequently withdraws into his shell and remains incommunicado and it's during those times that he seeks the help of alcohol or at times, even smokes pot! It has taken a toll on him, in that, from the handsome young man that he was once upon a time, he now has a withered look. But he's quick to assert that he doesn't take any medicine unlike many of his counterparts!!

He's in possession of a hip flask, always filled with his favourite spirit and finds nothing wrong in taking a swig at any time of the day or at any place, for that matter. And his explanation, "Chetta, I do not like to get tied up with restrictions on my life. I like to be a free bird".


Tailpiece.

I've heard of geniuses with peculiar behaviour that doesn't toe the line of established or socially accepted patterns. Harilal, perhaps, has his share of quirky behaviour but is a genuinely likeable guy. May God take care of him and it's my fervent prayer that no harm comes his way!

PS.

He'd kept me regaled with his renditions of poems from classic Malayalam literature because he's aware of the fact that I'm fond of them.

What a shame!

Shantiniketan, the cradle for nurturing the finer feelings in human beings and where genuine artistes are encouraged into the world of art has sprung into the news for all the wrong reasons. I'm sure its founder, Rabindranath Tagore, would have never even imagined that such an ignominy would ever befall on the haloed institution!


The ignominy.

A teacher of the institution had decided to make a specimen of a student who'd urinated on her bed while asleep. She made the young student lick the stained bedclothes.


My take.

Now, what sort of barbarism is this? I've a serious doubt as to whether the teacher was of sound mind and analytical thinking. I mean, there're so many ways to deal with such situations which require careful analysis of the problem and handled in a matured manner. How could such a tactless person, with primitive ideas, be given students under her charge, in the first place? And how did she pass through the stiff selection process to be part of the instructor fraternity, when it's clear as daylight, that she's a serious psychological flaw in her persona? 

Back to Kochi.

It was an early morning departure from Nasik and the gleaming red Innova hit the highway in right earnest. The distance of a hundred and seventy five odd kilometres was devoured in just two and a half hours. It was rains, rains all the way but lacked the fury that Bombay rains are known to have.

Before that, there were emotional scenes at the time of the farewell and I shall never forget Kochachan's words and I quote, 'you gave us an anniversary bash to remember and we never felt the absence of our own children because you were there, as both organiser and participant!' The four of us, who'd fetched up, were only too glad to be part of the celebrations.

The train journey through the Konkan rail is a sheer delight and I've always enjoyed the lovely sights that the nature has arranged for us on either side of the tracks. While doing so, one cannot help but doff one's hat to Mr. E Sreedharan and his team for this engineering marvel which was once dismissed as a non-viable and ecologically disastrous project - the few and far between landslides during monsoons, notwithstanding!

Rajasree and her family came to look us up as we transited through Goa, just before midnight. It was a delightful meeting as we're seeing each other after what seemed to be a long time. The smses that came in, one after the other immediately after, showed that we'd touched a chord deep within her through that short tryst!!

Tailpiece.

It's the expression of the finer feelings that are priceless in life. This trip was yet another one that has given me lasting memories and it's humbling to know that one's simple acts mean so much to the others.

Recap of an event 50 years later!

1047h - Ramadasan kochachan and Sarojini chittamma relived the 'muhurtam' of their marriage which took place 50 years ago, at the Chengannur devi temple. Garlands were exchanged and I'd the privilege of draping shawls to honour them for having achieved this milestone! Gifts were given and sweets distributed to all those present at the devi temple near their home at the Trimurthy chowk.

The ceremonies at the temple were followed by the cutting of the anniversary cake at home and we'd the entire neighbourhood observing the chain of events as they're witness to something unique! And the final icing on the cake was the traditional lunch served on banana leaves.

It was in the afternoon, that the immediate family had taken off to Shirdi as Rema and Achu had never been there, before. The 'darshan' was comparatively easier and for me and Lekha, it was our second darshan after a gap of four years.

PS.

I'd begun the morning with the first few lines of an old, popular Malayalam song - in my guttural voice, of course - to describe my uncle and aunt's relationship and I reproduce them below:-

     "Vrischika thoniyil akkare pokaan ethidaamo penne
       Chirayankeezhile penne........

       Ninne kandaal mayangi nilkum thoni
       Ninne kaanaathirunnaal madichu nilkum thoni........."

They're eternally in love, which is the fantastic thing about them and I simply adore them for that!


Tailpiece.

VIP @ Rs.100/- At Shirdi, after showing my Identity card, I'd to pay Rs.100/-  for the VIP pass and consequently, shown a separate passageway to reach the Baba. Two things struck me during the whole exercise and they were:-
       (a) whatever be the passageway, the melee that one has to go through to reach the sanctum
             sanctorum remains as complicated as ever despite the presence of the trust's volunteers.

       (b) is the Rs. 100/- per VIP pass, thrust on unsuspecting pilgrims, a fraud being perpetuated by
             unscrupulous guys of the security apparatus or is it a way to discourage short cuts? None
             of the trustees were available/able to answer!

 PS.
I must admit that to be a VIP @ Rs. 100/- is damn cheap. I felt 'soiled' after the entire episode and wondered as to why I'd taken the easier path. Sad! And I shall never forgive myself for this lapse!!