Standing Tall Like The Himalayas (A Movie Review)

 #Movie_Uunchai

Bollywood has always made me go bonkers (in a good sense)! Even when I watched a simple film like #MainePyarKiya by Sooraj Barjatya back in the school days on a Diwali night. While others often commented on why Barjatya films were different without much style and aplomb, I often found Barjatya's films not just a family entertainment but also sending out a lesson or a teaching to mull over.

This Barjatya film I was refusing to go for initially (as 'movies' stopped ringing a bell for a long time since 2008) was indeed a family entertainer which goes on to depict- where there's a will, there's a way. Lot of firsts- I got to know that another Tara has a birthdate of May 10 (other than my childhood friend Tara Roy). Tarachand Barjatya, the late grandfather of Sooraj Barjatya was born on May 10, 1914. Dates have ALWAYS been important to me. 

While movies in the past under the same banner (Mahaveer Jain Films) have usually depicted Marwari or Rajasthani families and cultures, this one took me very close to my own culture as it celebrated the UP-ism of Kanpur and Gorakhpur. In some ways it even made me like and fall back in love with my own native being, my hometown Kanpur and in general the multiple hues of being a UP-ite. From Banaras ka pan popularised by Amitabh Bachchanji in the song 'Khaike Paan Banaraswala', there's a dialogue about Kanpur paan when caring Amitabhji (as depicted by his character) chooses to buy a paan for everybody else as they are travelling by car from Kanpur to Lucknow.

The most interesting part was that Danny Denzongpa, who usually plays the 'bad guy' and has played a 'good character' only in five films (Baby, Boss, China Gate, Khuda Gawah and Asoka) is seen again in a special appearance as one of the four friends who can't live without each other. The movie is essentially about friendships and how four male friends never give up on each other, even encouraging Amitabh to complete the trek to the Everest base camp as he struggles with his health issues on the way.

As the movie begins with a group of people heading out for a trek to the base camp, along with actress Parineeti Chopra leading the way, Amitabh goes into a flashback mode reminiscing the events that propelled them all to take up this journey- in remembrance of their deceased friend, Danny. How other characters- Boman Irani, his 'jealous wife' (jealous at Sarika travelling along with the men on this trek), Anupam Kher, Nina Gupta's daughter and son-in-law- make up the whole plot and keep us glued to our seats is worth a mention.

Last film I saw by the same director was 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo' which was also a family entertainer and was full of the rich cultural heritage Barjatya often visualizes. While I thought that the film 'Uunchai' would be metaphorical (in terms of showcasing success and power) it was about nature and Mount Everest standing tall at such high altitudes to attract awe and commanding us to 'never give up'. It reminded me of a song from my school song book 'Surdhanu' which I still have (I strangely enough have lot of possessions from my high school)- 'Khada Himalaya Bata Raha Hai Daro Na Aandhi Paani Mein, Khade Raho Apne Path Par Sab Kathinai Toofani Mein'.

हिमालय की ऊँचाई से सीखना है 

रुक रुक कर उठना है 

झुक झुक कर खड़े होना है 

विनम्र रहकर आगे बढ़ना है 

देख इस पर्वत को हम 

खो जाते हैं कहीं गुम 

वाह आकार ! वाह नम !

हैं नहीं हम किसी से कम। 

A Wedding So Sombre

 It was my brother's wedding. Although I am a supporter of court marriages, my brother always wanted to have a grand function and he was getting married to a girl from West Bengal. So it was going to be a traditional Uttar Pradesh-cum-Bengali wedding ceremony. We were all very excited and the dates and venue was decided.

As we reached Kolkata (my third visit ever), Nibedita (the bride) and her mother were waiting to welcome us. We had almost a trolley full of luggage, so they requested their helpers to assist us in getting the luggage loaded onto the taxis that waited for us outside the railway station.

The drive to the hotel where our stay was arranged was an hour away from the station. Hotel Monotel (http://www.monotel.com/) was situated at Bidhan Nagar in Salt Lake, opposite Indian Institute of Hotel Management and tall building of 'Eco Centre, Ambuja Neotia'. As we checked in, I was overjoyed to find out I had an entire room to myself. This meant I could have my own privacy and carry on with my own activities (mainly the online FTII course which would go on till July 14). 

As we went to their restaurant for lunch I was really excited to find some scrumptious Chinese and Singaporean cuisine there. Post-lunch we rested and went to meet my brother Dhruv, who was down with flu. We made our plans for the next few days uptil the wedding with him, Nibedita and her mother.

In the evening we stepped out for a stroll and dinner at a cafe. I figured Salt Lake was an IT hub with various Chinese companies also having their offices in the vicinity. There were lots of eateries around with people even sipping hot tea/coffee with piping hot pakoras. It felt nostalgic to see yellow taxis still plying the roads.

As we prepared for the big day, we got our act together ahead of Janeu, a traditional sacred thread ceremony so necessary for all Hindu Brahmin boys. By the River Ganga, at a Kali Temple, Dhruv, Mama, Papa and I were present along with two pundits to tie the sacred yellow thread around my brother, Dhruv.

We made a lot of videos and clicked photographs as the Hindu priests chanted mantras and shlokas to make my brother ready for the wedding ceremony for which this sacred thread ceremony is essential. We remembered how our other male cousins- Utkarsh, Shikhar, Manu and Vaibhav had their sacred thread ceremony when they were still young (around 7- 8 years old). 

Almost everyday our lunch and dinner was arranged at Monotel's ground floor restaurant. Soon all other guests arrived and festivities began with much aplomb and fervour. While Sheetal Bhabhi seemed to have great knowledge and interest in rituals, Manu-Kuntal as a 'never-to-part' couple remained quiet and sobre, while Shweta-Nitin always stayed very active, sleeping late and waking up early.

I remained drowned in my FTII Film Appreciation course, occasionally peeping out to find out what's going on. I felt lucky my mother did not drag me into all the wedding festivities, something that didn't interest me much.

As the 'festive' days drew closer, we all decided what we were going to wear and I stacked up my wardrobe with loads of tissues, lipstick, lacto calamine, cleansing milk, nailpaints and Lakme 9-to-5 foundation. 

It was a three-day affair with Haldi on the first day, Aiborobhat on the second day and the Bengali wedding on the third day. I, as the sister of the bridegroom, had to first anoint Dhruv's face with haldi and touch different parts of his body with haldi taken on a leaf. I then took this to the bride's house where her haldi was being held. Aiborobhat was meant to be a bachelor feast for the boy and the girl. All the relatives were invited where the bride/bridegroom was offered a huge plate of food with the fish-head in it. Everyone ate the feast after the bride/bridegroom was fed. Finally came July 10, the wedding day. 

My brother likes vintage cars, so he decided to mount a vintage car to make his grand entry at the wedding venue. As he reached Hotel Tangerine, we were served starters and food while the bride was called to be seated next to him at the mandap. Dhruv was given a 'topor' (white-crowned headgear) to wear throughout the wedding. The bride looked beautiful with a colorful face and a crown like tiara on her head. She was lifted by several of her uncles and moved around the bridegroom. Later they garlanded each other followed by taking the seven rounds around the fire (feras). This was followed by Sindoor and Mangal Sutra ceremonies. Finally at Hotel Monotel there was a ceremony called 'Baashor' (which I missed as it was my bedtime) where the bride's friends spend time knowing the bridegroom's friends/cousins and the night is spent in fun, joy, games and merriment. 

Finally it was time for us to travel back to our hometown, Kanpur along with the bride. While my parents and brother, along with Nibedita were in one compartment, I was in the other compartment with cousins, uncle and aunt (Mama-Mami). I had bought a cake for Utkarsh's birthday celebration in the train. The morning that Nibedita reached the house, there was 'parchhan' (where the bride dips her hands in red-colored water or 'alta' and makes an impression of the full palm on the walls of the house).

On reaching Kanpur, everyone got ready for the celebration there. Reception was on July 15 and before that guests were invited for Katha, pooja and other engagements. At the reception Nibedita sang lovely songs and we all clicked photographs.

I left for Delhi soon after while Nibedita and Dhruv stayed behind to meet and greet other family friends and relatives.

A Flight In the Clouds

 It was the most beautiful experience I ever had- a flight in the clouds. My flight from Delhi to Mumbai via Indigo Airlines was one full of adventure, awe and delight. I was flying for a business trip and that too all alone, without any colleagues. Last business trip I had made was when I was working with NDTV and was travelling to Simla for a weather report on unusually heavy snowfall. At that time I was with a cameraperson and the OB van. This time I was alone to be present at a conference by Economic Times.

I was getting butterflies as I had done my flight bookings, hotel bookings and airport parking booking for the first time on my own. So far my brother had been booking my travel tickets. It was a challenge for me to also reach everywhere on time so I may attend an ongoing webinar which I did not want to miss. As I drove down to the Indira Gandhi International Airport (domestic terminal) I was very nervous, frightful and excited at the same time.

I parked my car where the parking officer was very kind and guided me to the terminal departure gate. As I headed towards Indigo Airline kiosk, I was told that if there's no check-in baggage I could directly proceed to security and wait at the gate for departure. He gave me a slip which I kept very securely in my sling bag. I ensured that I carried light luggage and don't face problems carrying it around. While the security-check guards and ladies were very polite, I quickly found my departure gate and waited there with my webinar login. Today's class was with Mr. Sabu Cyril, the legendary art designer for films.

As the class went on lot of people went past and several flight announcements were made- to Ladakh, Srinagar, Patna and Lucknow. I asked a question at the webinar about the use of Artificial Intelligence in Indian films and soon the webinar ended. I walked uptil the gate and the flight to Ahmedabad was boarding. Soon our gate was opened and I took the bus to the aircraft. Our aircraft had been changed in the morning so my seat was changed from 27E to 28E.

The moment I entered the aircraft the aeroplane looked beautiful from inside as thin cloud-like smoke appeared on the ceiling of the aircraft as we all boarded. There was also some room freshener which had been sprayed. This gave it the feel that thin clouds were floating inside leaving behind a light, dewey smell. The aircraft was perfectly lit. As I walked uptil my seat I realised there was no luggage carrier above my seat as it was close to the emergency exit. So I put my cabin baggage in the overhead carrier behind my seat. I was also told by Fariji, the air-hostess, to put my sling bag in the overhead carrier for take-off and landing.

As the plane did push-back and took off, Fariji sat on the chair at the emergency exit so my fears were allayed and we had a smooth take-off into the sky. Once afloat in the clouds, Captain Amit Singh gave us a 'good feel' by rocking the plane from top to bottom and shaking it from side to side like a toy-plane.

Soon the serving trays were moving around and I requested the air-hostess to prepare my Poha. She immediately pulled out a box of Chiwda, put some hot water in it and asked me to open it for eating only after 5 minutes. The Meal of the Moment (MOM) Bhujia was delicious, too. As I finished my meal, it was time to land and Fariji again sat at the chair on the emergency exit. We had a smooth landing and I almost got late for my evening webinar. I hurriedly took a Meru cab and checked into Sahara Star close to the airport. This was the venue for the ET event as well.

As I headed to my room I realised it was the most beautiful room I had ever seen. The room number was my roll number in school- 4091. After entering there were steps which made the beds feel like they were on a landing. The twin beds faced the window which opened onto the buildings on the other side. There were lampshades on either side of each bed. At one corner of the room was a glass study-table with a table-lamp that lit up the entire place in a gorgeous yellow light. The study-table too faced the windows. They were actually window walls which I kept open throughout my stay for two days.

As soon as I checked in I felt famished and ordered some Vada-Pav, so quintessentially Maharashtrian. I gulped it down with a cup of coffee as I attended the ongoing webinar. Since I was tired with the day's travel I immediately went to bed to be ready for the conference the next day. 

On June 30 I attended the conference, about which I have written later, and went back to my room for an eventful day the next morning. On July 1 I checked out and reached the airport well in advance so I could attend my webinar from there. 

As I attended the webinar I comfortably took down notes that Mr. Indrajit Neogi gave on sound design in films. As the webinar ended it was time to board the flight. I took some pictures of Chhatrapati Shivaji Mumbai Airport (Terminal 2) since it left me mesmerized with its architectural pieces sculpted on walls. Even the entry was more organized with every airline having a separate entry. Like last time I smoothly sailed past security and waited at the gate. On board the aircraft, I had pre-booked some Veg Biryani which I relished. Upon landing I looked for a place to sit at the arrival as I had a webinar to attend.

I found a corner and requested airport security to allow me to wait there for some time. As the webinar began I relaxed a little before hitting the road for terminal 2 parking and picking up my car from the parking lot. I had already paid online for it so there was no problem in taking my car away. As I drove I listened in to the webinar and stopped by on the way when I pulled over to ask a question.

As I saw 'Gaur Atulyam' written from far at the top of my building I heaved a sigh of relief and picked up some milk and bread for the next day. I felt indebted to God for giving me the BEST PHYGITAL experience on this tour for work.

It seems I want to repeat this experience again to be able to better understand my country, its culture, its achievements and delicacies. It was the most enriching Maharashtrian experience I ever had.

#ETBWS #AmchiMumbai #Indigo #AirTravel #Clouds #Sun

Lockdown Effect: The Gamechanger!

There is an immense polarity in this world- to every negative, there's a positive! Every downslope has an uphill. Every sad news has a positive news. Every white has a black. Every darkness has a light. Every rudeness has a kindness. This is what lockdown taught me. How to make the best of what you have. 

I had developed the habit of always hankering for more- being greedy about more clothes, more gadgets, more perfumes, more slippers, more shoes, more food, more stock in the fridge, more of so many goods and items. However, just living quietly indoors for so long has resulted in me giving more and asking for less. I always thought what else can I offer? More help to my mother, more help to my father, more reading habit, more work in the house, more cooking, more cleaning, more organisation, more systematic living. Few things that I learned were developing my skills and the mantra- more you give, more you get is so true.

Every morning beginning the day with some Yoga, cooking breakfast for the family, starting online classes for children, making them well-versed with new concepts and ideas, introducing them to new English words and grammar rules, laying the table for lunch, eating together, reading during the day, walking with the family in the evening, making chapatis for dinner, eating and watching television together are some of the few ways in which I feel I connected with my parents. Occasionally we visited my grandfather's place where I also met my uncle and his kids. Spending time with cousins who are otherwise busy was a fun practice.

This phase of Corona virus and its aftermath has resulted in increased family camaraderie and wellbeing in the family. As we spend more time with each other, we also got more time to spend on ourselves- develop our own reading and writing skills. I have to thank God for helping me turn this pandemic as a 'boon in disguise' where I learnt to place my priorities right, for the family and for myself. 

Apsaras or Yoginis

My recent school trip with Yoga students to Ranchi in the state of Jharkhand that was carved out of southern Bihar in 2000 was indeed a memorable one. It once again took me down memory lane when I had travelled alone for work to Simla to report on 'unusual winter' in North India. I remembered how my cameraperson Manoj was a huge support when I shivered under my leather boots from 8 a.m. till almost 9 p.m. doing LIVE OBs (Outdoor Broadcasts) from the Town Hall and the Mall. I stayed up all night in the room at Naldera (where the golf course was) as somebody told me a man-eater visits the area every night. Then I also remembered how I almost slipped while going to the public toilet as the snow was melting and the passage was very narrow. Then of course the best part was the gift (Khadi jacket) I bought for my mother from the local Khadi Gramodyog and some souvenirs for colleagues and friends.

This trip was way better as I had the company of another male colleague who was managing most of the trip. I only had to hang around with little ones, trying to fend for themselves and partially succeeding in the process. Each one seemed like a mini-adult with their own suitcases and belongings and managing everything in the hotel room from calling the housekeeping to get the room cleaned, to making tea for everyone, to practising Yoga intermittently to even waking up at 5 a.m. for the early Yoga competition. Hats off to them for such Yoga Ninjas, something I never was as a child. Frankly speaking, my Tittibhasana was so poor at 9 while now, at 39, it is better and my knees are more straight than ever while in the pose. The inspiration comes from the girls. Briefly my 'Virabhadras' (my little warriors) even became media students clicking multiple photographs, taking slow-mo videos and modelling for the camera. As I wrote my diary at night, one of them innocently asked, "Ma'am, do you share your secrets with your diary? Who do you share your secrets with?" and I had to answer, "No way. I share my secrets only with God." There were many such incidents based on my interaction with the kids that left me thinking about my philosophy of life and inspiring me to rethink the way I have been living so far.

Then came the D-Day and the event unfolded with cultural programmes, musical chants, religious and wise sermons and a splash of colour. It all went smoothly where we got some selfies clicked with the budding Yoga stars like Anushka Karmakar who bent their bodies with agility and flexibility. Our girls were no less with immaculate precision, unflinching dedication and sharp focus in each of their performances.

However, Yoga here was done as a sport and girls were dressed more like Apsaras than Yoginis, at least a few of them. What intrigued me was the way in which girls bent like gymnasts and danced like acrobats, too. Yoga, of course, is much more, as I later had a long conversation with a local school staff who was a Christian and asked me, "Is Yoga for the body or for the mind?" It was yet another enlightening interaction with the gentleman, who later became my Facebook friend (:))!

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All in all, a brilliant 'learning experience'!

My First 'Win' As A School Teacher

I hadn't tasted victory since school or maybe since college days. The recent turn of events got me flabbergasted. I didn't know how to react when my Yoga team was announced the winner of Under-17 Girls' Yoga Championship; especially when the girls' names were announced for clinching various titles across Athletic Yoga and Rhythmic Yoga categories. My first four Yoga girls will go down my memory lane as the ones who taught me how the younger ones can make you feel proud and raise your stature in public- I owe it to you girls for making me feel happy and contented at the same time. 

The first day at this two-day Yoga tournament was one of curiosity, diffidence and trepidation. Curiosity because I had never viewed Yoga as a 'competitive' act. I always practised it as a spiritual and a therapeutic balm to soothe my mind and nerves when in anxiety or distress. So the word 'Yoga competition' got me all anxious about how was this event going to turn out. Diffidence because this was the first time I had trained the Yoga team, although not to my satisfaction as my 'Yoga sessions' with the kids were often interspersed with dialogue, chat, discussion and lots of fun and laughter. I was keeping my fingers crossed and hoping they will be able to perform their best with full confidence. I was actually very excited to see the confidence in the girls. Trepidation in me was due to the fierce competition that existed at this event with lot of new comers showcasing their talent with finesse, skill, flexibility and expertise. Young boys and girls bent their bodies like rubber dolls and the older ones jumped around like Tarzans-in-the-making! My heart skipped a beat when Aastha Singh was doing Uttanapada Asana and the chief referee would not stop his stop-watch. It felt like the longest Uttanapad Asana at 45 degrees!! Whoa, Aastha cracked it!!

However, once the girls finished their performance in the evening, I was a bit satisfied with the kind of training I had imparted (although I felt girls pretty much trained themselves and were quite self-disciplined). I gave them all a huge hug and after a quick chat with their parents wrapped up for the day, ready for the next morning’s event of Rhythmic Yoga.

On the second day it was Pragya Sharma’s event and other girls Elisha Singh, Parnika Shukla and Aastha Singh soon came along to lend a helping hand. After the usual girly decking up in the small room allotted to us, we all got ready for the dancing spirit. Performers from Lucknow, Varanasi, Allahabad and Jhansi were present. I was surprised and saddened not to see any participation from Uttarakhand, considering there are such great Yogis in and around Haridwar and Rishikesh and the hills in general. Pragya’s performance was good but could have been better. Anyway, the event soon came to an end as special guests and principals of various schools started arriving for the closing ceremony.

The Yogic dance-tunes that played reminded me of my ‘Yoga Group Dance’ on the Archies 1969 original ‘Sugar, Sugar’ (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9nE2spOw_o) where we had even created a Yoga-Television (YTV) in the end. The resplendent performances by school kids were finally followed by the moment that just took me aback.

The girls’ parents were waiting with baited breath to hear the results as were all of us. Gradually, the winners were announced and there was loud cheer and lots of shouting. I was surprised to hear Pragya’s result, nevertheless elated that she was not going to be left behind for the Nationals where the entire team would be going to Ranchi for the mega-event. A great photo session followed with final goodbyes with the trainers, coaches and teachers.

It was a moment for me to get to know the girls better and peek into their sportsman spirit. While Elisha was a very active girl cautious about not ever hurting her teacher (so unlike her elder sister Elishiba who was always the mischief-monger), Parnika was like the ‘obedient junior’ to others and Aastha and Pragya led the pack, Aastha leading by example and never giving up on asanas (always challenging herself to try new ones instead of dwelling on the oes she was comfortable with) and Pragya being the ‘vocal’ leader of the group. It was a super evening, something to be always cherished!

मोह - पाश

एक ओर से झोंका आया
भंवर जाल की तरह
माया का जंजाल
मोह - पाश का मायाजाल

आकांक्षाएं आकाश  छूती हुई
सपने फिर से मंडराते हुए
माया का जाल है
अथवा मोह - पाश जीवन का ?

विश्वविजेता जैसा अनुभव
रंगों भरी एक दुनिया
हिमालयों को छूने का जज़्बा
मोह - पाश का छल

अथक परिश्रम करने का हौसला
सब कुछ पा लेना  एक सांस में
एक ही क्षण में  समा जाना
यही है, यही है मोह - पाश ??