यादों के पिटारे से : एक भारत महोत्सव, भारत में भी हो

हाल ही में फिल्म "इमर्जेंसी " देखते हुए पर्दे पर कई बार पुपुल जयकर के क़िरदार से आमना-सामना हुआ. आज की पीढ़ी के कई लोग उनसे वाक़िफ़ नहीं होंगे. वह इंदिरा गाँधी की बचपन की मित्र तो थीं ही, प्रधान मंत्री बनने के बाद भी इंदिरा गाँधी का उनके साथ बहुत निकट का नाता था. फिल्म के दौरान मुझे उस बातचीत की याद आई जो मैंने दिल्ली में पुपुल जयकर के साथ की थी, और जो इंटरव्यू की शक्ल में ९ जून, १९८५ के नवभारत टाइम्स में प्रकाशित हुई थी. मैं उस समय नवभारत टाइम्स में बतौर उप-संपादक काम करती थी. अब वह दुनिया बहुत पीछे छूट चुकी है, लेकिन अख़बार के पीले पड़ चुके पन्नों पर अपने लेख आज भी मेरे पास सुरक्षित हैं. कुछ पन्ने जर्जर हो गए हैं. सोचा, क्यों न अपनी इन यादों को अपने ब्लॉग पर सहेज कर रखूँ.  तो यह है उसी कोशिश की पहली कड़ी, यानी पूरा इंटरव्यू जस का तस: 

पहला भारत महोत्सव लंदन में १९८२ में आयोजित हुआ था. उसकी परिकल्पना और संयोजन में श्रीमती पुपुल जयकर ने प्रमुख भूमिका निभाई थी. फ़्रांस और अमेरिका में हो रहे भारत महोत्सव में भी उनकी भूमिका महत्त्वपूर्ण है--वह भारत महोत्सव की सलाहकार समिति की अध्यक्ष हैं. श्रीमती जयकर लम्बे समय से हस्तकला और हथकरघा की दुनिया से जुड़ी हुई हैं और इससे सम्बद्ध महत्त्वपूर्ण पदों पर काम करती रही हैं. उन पर कृष्णमूर्ति के दर्शन का गहरा असर है. ७० बरस पहले उत्तर प्रदेश के इटावा में जन्मी श्रीमती जयकर आज भी अपने काम में सक्रिय हैं.

फ़्रांस और अमेरिका में हो रहे भारत महोत्सव को लेकर कुछ सवालों के साथ मैंने उनके निवास, ११ सफ़दरजंग रोड पर उनसे बातचीत की. बातचीत शुरू करने से पहले ही उन्होंने साफ़-साफ़ कहा--" तुम जो पूछना चाहो, बेहिचक पूछो. कोई भी सवाल मुझे बुरा नहीं लगेगा." वे आराम से, बड़ी तसल्ली के साथ, मुस्कुराते हुए बातचीत करती हैं और हिंदी के बजाय अंगेज़ी में बात करना उन्हें ज़्यादा आसान लगता है. बातचीत के कुछ अंश:

भारत महोत्सव के उपलक्ष्य में १९८५ में जारी डाक टिकट 

भारत महोत्सव का उद्देश्य विदेश में भारत की छवि पेश करना है. लेकिन कैसी छवि?

हम विदेशियों के सामने भारत की वास्तविक तस्वीर प्रस्तुत करना चाहते हैं. हम इसी की भरसक कोशिश कर रहे हैं. कई क्षेत्रों के लोग इसमें हिस्सा लेने जा रहे हैं. इससे वहाँ के लोग जानेंगे कि हमारा संगीत कैसा है, हमारा रंगमंच कैसा है, हमारा नृत्य कैसा है, प्रदर्शनकारी कलाएँ कैसी हैं... 

लेकिन यह सब तो एक आम भारतीय आदमी तक भी नहीं पहुँचता. उसे अच्छा संगीत सुनने या अच्छा नाटक, नृत्य देखने का मौका ही कहाँ मिलता है ?

यह बिलकुल सही है कि उसे मौका नहीं मिलता. मैं खुद काफ़ी अरसे से यह कोशिश कर रही हूँ  कि एक भारत महोत्सव भारत में ही किया जाए, जिससे हमारे लोग, हमारे युवा, हमारे बच्चे हमारी महान सांस्कृतिक परम्परा के बारे में जानें, उसे उसके सही रूप में देख पाएँ. मैंने सरकार के सामने यह सुझाव रखा भी है. 

इस तरह के महोत्सव के आयोजन में क्या ऐसा नहीं लगता कि हम अपनी "संस्कृति" को डिब्बाबंद किसी चीज़ की तरह बाहर भेज रहे हैं?

तो इसका और कौन-सा तरीका हो सकता है?

विदेश से विभिन्न क्षेत्रों के जाने-माने लोगों को यहाँ भी तो बुलाया जा सकता है. वे अपनी तरह से भारत को देखेंगे और अपने देश लौटकर उसके बारे में लोगों को बताएँगे. या फ़िर पर्यटकों को ज़्यादा सुविधाएँ , सस्ते हवाई टिकट दिए जा सकते हैं. 

पर्यटक सुविधाएँ नहीं चाहते. वर्ना भारत के दरवाज़े तो हमेशा खुले रहे हैं. पर्यटक किसी भी वक़्त आ सकते थे. लेकिन उनके दिमाग़ के सांस्कृतिक दायरे में भारत की कोई जगह थी ही नहीं. पर हम जानते हैं कि हमारी सांस्कृतिक परम्परा जितनी प्राचीन है, उतनी ही महान भी. इसीलिए भारत की नई प्रगतिशील तस्वीर के साथ दुनिया के सामने उसकी प्राचीन परम्पराओं की तस्वीर पेश करना हमारी ज़िम्मेदारी है. 

और किसी देश ने तो अपनी संस्कृति के प्रदर्शन का ऐसा कोई आयोजन किसी अन्य देश में नहीं किया?

नहीं, इतना बड़ा सांस्कृतिक आयोजन पहले कभी कहीं नहीं हुआ. 

यह महोत्सव इतना लम्बा क्यों है? सुना है अमेरिका में १८ महीने  चलेगा.

मुख्य कार्यक्रम तो करीब इस दिसम्बर तक ख़त्म हो जाएँगे। फ़िर ४०-५० अलग-अलग प्रदर्शनियाँ अमेरिका के ६० - ७० शहरों का दौरा करेंगी. यह काफ़ी दिनों तक चलता रहेगा. फ़िर समापन समारोह के वक़्त एक और बड़ा आयोजन हो सकता है. यदि हमें विदेशियों को हमारा देश दिखाना ही है, तो पूरी शान के साथ दिखाना चाहिए, वर्ना ऐसे आयोजन का कोई मतलब नहीं है.

लंदन में भारत महोत्सव हुए काफ़ी अर्सा हो गया. उसका कोई साफ़-साफ़ प्रभाव नज़र आता है?

बिलकुल! वहाँ भारत की पृष्ठभूमि पर अचानक इतनी सारी फिल्में बनीं. महोत्सव ने वहाँ भारत के बारे में सोई भावनाओं को लोगों के मन में फ़िर से जगा दिया. 

वहाँ रहने वाले भारतीयों के साथ अंग्रेज़ों के बर्ताव में क्या कोई सुधार हुआ है? क्या वे भारतीयों की ओर एक अलग नज़रिये से देख पाते हैं?

देखो, यह तो राजनीतिक सवाल है. भारतीयों के प्रति अंग्रेज़ों के रवैये के बारे में मैं कोई टिप्पणी करना नहीं चाहती.

आप पिछले दिनों अमेरिका में थीं. वहाँ के लोग कितने उत्सुक हैं इस महोत्सव को लेकर?

बहुत! वहाँ अख़बारों -पत्रिकाओं में भारत के बारे में खूब छप रहा है. "नॅशनल जियोग्राफ़िक " भारत पर आठ फीचर तैयार कर रहा है. लोग अचानक भारत के बारे में जानना चाहते हैं. यह सब जो भारत को मिला है, वह तो लाखों डॉलर के बदले भी नहीं खरीदा जा सकता था. 

इस समारोह में हिस्सा लेने जा रहे और न जा रहे कलाकारों को लेकर पिछले दिनों काफ़ी विवाद खड़ा हुआ था?

हज़ारों कलाकार हैं हमारे देश में. ज़ाहिर है हर कलाकार नहीं जा सकता. यह सम्भव ही नहीं है. चयन समिति में अलग-अलग क्षेत्रों के लोग हैं. फ़िर हमें सिर्फ़ दिल्ली या बम्बई के ही कलाकारों को नहीं लेना है, मणिपुर और असम और मद्रास से भी कलाकार आएँ तभी तो भारत का सच्चा प्रतिनिधित्व हो सकेगा. अब इस सब में कुछ लोगों का नाराज़ होना तो बिलकुल स्वाभाविक है. 

यह इतना बड़ा आयोजन है. इसकी तैयारी तो काफ़ी समय से चल रही होगी. लेकिन इसके बारे में लोगों को अभी कुछ दिन पहले ही पता चला है...

हाँ, पिछला एक वर्ष हमारे देश के लिए बड़ा दुःखद रहा. और ऐसे समय उत्सवों की बातें नहीं की जाती हैं. फ़िर  ३१ अक्तूबर के बाद तीन महीनों तक मेरे दिमाग़ में महोत्सव का ख्याल तक नहीं आ सका. यह तो वाक़ई एक जादुई करिश्मा ही कहिए कि हम निर्धारित समय पर इस महोत्सव का आयोजन कर पा रहे हैं. 

इसके लिए होने वाले खर्च का क्या हिसाब है?

कलाकारों की हवाई यात्रा और कलाकृतियों, वाद्यों आदि को वहाँ ले जाने की ज़िम्मेदारी हमारी है. वहाँ हमारा सारा खर्च वे ही लोग यानी फ़्रांस और अमेरिका की सरकार उठाएगी.

भारत महोत्सव के लिए इतना खर्च उठाने में अमेरिका या फ़्रांस की क्या दिलचस्पी हो सकती है?

शायद वे भारत से और ज़्यादा दोस्ती करना चाहते हैं. 

क्या महोत्सव के दौरान भारतीय चीज़ें, जैसे कपड़े या हस्तकला की अन्य वस्तुएँ बेची जाएँगी ?

नहीं, महोत्सव तो व्यावसायिक नहीं है लेकिन हथकरघा और हस्तकला निर्यात निगम कुछ चीज़ें बेच रहा है. फ़िर अमेरिका की एक बहुत बड़ी व्यावसायिक श्रृंखला, "ब्लूमिंगडेल्स" अपनी १९ दुकानों में भारतीय सामान बेचेगी. और भी कई दुकानों में ये चीज़ें बिकेंगी. तो इस तरह से २० से ३० करोड़ रुपए तो सीधे इस बिक्री से ही मिल सकते हैं. औद्योगिक क्षेत्र में अमेरिका भारत से सहयोग करेगा, यह उम्मीद भी है. 

महोत्सव में प्रदर्शन के लिए कई अनमोल कलाकृतियाँ बाहर भेजी गई हैं. उनकी सुरक्षा को लेकर आप चिंतित नहीं हैं?

चिंतित होने का सवाल ही नहीं उठता. पहले भी हम ऐसी वस्तुओं को विदेश भेज चुके हैं. और उन्हें विदेश भेजने पर किसी को क्या ऐतराज़ हो सकता है. खतरा तो कोई चीज़ मद्रास से दिल्ली भेजने में भी है. और फ़िर जिन संग्रहालयों में हमारी कलाकृतियाँ जा रही हैं, वे दुनिया के श्रेष्ठ संग्रहालयों में से हैं. मैं आपको यक़ीन दिला सकती हूँ कि वहाँ इनकी पूरी हिफ़ाज़त होगी.

मैं चिंतित हूँ तो हमारे ही देश में कलाकृतियों, प्राचीन मूर्तियों, पुरातन भवनों और स्मारकों की सुरक्षा को लेकर. ये सब अनमोल हैं और देश में जहाँ-तहाँ बिखरे पड़े हैं लेकिन उनकी क़द्र नहीं की जा रही. लोग पुराने भवन देखने जाते हैं तो उनकी दीवारों पर अपने नाम लिख देते हैं. पुरानी मूर्तियों की अक़्सर चोरियाँ होती रहती हैं. 

देश में सांस्कृतिक मूल्य की प्राचीन वस्तुओं की सुरक्षा और रख-रखाव के उद्देश्य से हमने एक ट्रस्ट बनाया है--"इंडियन नॅशनल ट्रस्ट फॉर आर्ट एण्ड कल्चरल हेरिटेज". हमारी सांस्कृतिक परम्परा की रक्षा करना बहुत ज़रूरी है. यह परम्परा सिर्फ़ कलाकृतियों में ही नहीं होती, हमारे आचार-व्यवहार, हमारे रहन-सहन, हमारे मूल्यों में होती है. इसलिए यह बहुत ज़रूरी है कि अपने बच्चों के लिए इसे सहेजकर रखें, उन्हें यह सब सिखाएँ.

एक और बात बता दूँ. जनता शासन के दौरान एक प्रदर्शनी फ़्रांस गई थी. और आज जो कुछ लोग इस महोत्सव को लेकर सवाल उठा रहे हैं, वे उस वक़्त उस प्रदर्शनी से जुड़े भी थे. 

इस महोत्सव के दौरान यह भी तो हो सकता है कि हमारी बेजोड़ कलाकृतियों की प्रतिकृतियाँ बना ली जाएँ ?

जब हम अपनी कलाकृतियाँ स्मिथसोनियन और मेट्रोपोलिटन म्यूज़ियम ऑफ़ आर्ट में प्रदर्शन के लिए भेजते हैं, तो हमें इस तरह के सवाल नहीं पूछने चाहिए. फ़िर हमारी कलाकृतियों की प्रतिकृतियाँ बनाना कोई आसान काम थोड़े ही है. 

क्या इस तरह का कोई आयोजन दूसरे ग़रीब देशों में किए जाने की कोई योजना है--यानी लातीनी अमेरिकी या अफ़्रीकी देशों में?

यह तय करने का काम तो सरकार का ही है. 

Footprints of Indian Freedom Fighters in London: 3

Photo by Lata

The house which  sports Lokmanya Tilak's blue plaque is next on my list. The address said 10, Howley Place, Paddington. I reach there after walking along the canal in the beautiful Little Venice area. The neighbourhood has some lovely houses in Maida Vale. The quiet residential street called Howley Place features large houses with tall trees and lush vines in their front yards. I walk up to house number 10. The house stands behind a white boundary wall and most of it is hidden by the dense foliage in the yard. I look for the blue plaque, but to my dismay, I do not see it anywhere. Perhaps it is obscured by the overgrown vegetation. Disappointed, I pay my respects to the memory of the great patriot and leave.

I look up for the blue plaque online and find a good image. When Tilak was described as "the father of Indian unrest" by the Times correspondent Sir Valentine Chirol, he went to London in 1918 to file a defamation case against Chirol. Unfortunately Tilak lost the case. But his stay in London was fruitful in a different way. He led a campaign for Home Rule in India from the front and was instrumental in mobilising support towards this cause. As a result, his residence at 10 Howley Place was nicknamed "India's 10 Downing Street"!

Today London remembers him in the form of the commemorative blue plaque (hopefully something will be done to make it visible from the street) placed on his house. According to Peter Pendsey of the Tilak Memorial Plaque Committee, "It took us four years of active behind-the-scenes work to get the plaque erected". Glad to note that their efforts bore fruit.

photo by Lata

I happened to visit the house at 49 Bedford Square bearing Raja Ram Mohan Roy's blue plaque just a few days after his death anniversary on 27th September. I found flowers placed outside his house by Raja Ram Mohan Roy Remembrance Society. The tag on the flowers mentioned "191st Death Anniversary Tribute" to the social reformer. When sati and child marriage were the norms in society, Roy made significant efforts to abolish these cruel practices. He was one of the founders of Brahmo Sabha in 1828 which later developed into Brahmo Samaj, a movement that brought about social and religious reforms in India.  Looking at the plaque and the flowers filled me with a sense of pride and gratitude towards this visionary who was so much ahead of his times. 

Indian freedom fighters have left many more footprints in London. And London has preserved and maintained them with due care and respect. I managed to cover only these during my stay this time. Hopefully I will get an opportunity to visit more later.

Read previous posts in this series here:

Part 1

Part 2

Footprints of Indian Freedom Fighters in London: 2

Encouraged by a very fruitful visit to Ambedkar House, I researched for places associated with other Indian freedom fighters in London. I found many and visited several of them. First among them was the house situated at 65 Cromwell Avenue, Highgate. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, fondly called as Veer Savarkar or Tatyasaheb lived here from June 1906 to July 1909.

Savarkar was active in the freedom movement from a young age. He went to England on a scholarship arranged by revolutionary fighter, lawyer and journalist Shyamji Krishna Varma with additional support from Lokmanya Tilak. Savarkar enrolled at the Gray's Inn to study law. 

Krishna Varma founded India House at 65 Cromwell Avenue in 1905 with an aim to use it as a hostel for Indian students. It also functioned as headquarters of Indian Home Rule Society, soon becoming a centre for visiting Indian activists. 

Today the house stands quietly in a beautiful residential area. I visited it on a lovely day and spent a few moments looking at the blue plaque bearing Savarkar's name, imagining all the events this house must have witnessed in those times. It was quite overwhelming!

 

Another blue plaque that aroused my interest was the one put up at 23 Aldridge Road Villas in Ladbroke Grove. First deputy prime minister and home minister of India from 1947 to 1950 Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel resided at this address when he went to England to train as a barrister in 1910. This was a modest boarding house then. Patel was funding his own education using money he had saved working back home in India. He used to walk to the Middle Temple where he was enrolled for his studies. He completed his course in good time and returned to Gujarat in 1912 to start practising as a barrister.

Photos by Lata

He got involved in the freedom movement as one of Gandhiji's chief aides. He had very good organising skills. Also, he was an exceptional leader. This quality earned him the title Sardar. His contribution towards the unification of India earned him another sobriquet: Iron Man of India.

The blue plaque displayed on the house in his memory fills me with gratitude and respect for this venerable statesman. The plaque was put up by the Greater London Council in 1986. It got damaged due to some construction work. Later English Heritage replaced it with a replica in 1991.

Footprints of Indian Freedom Fighters in London: 1

During a recent visit to London, while looking up something online, I came across some interesting information about Ambedkar House, a building where Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar, the architect of the Constitution of India had lived in 1921-1922. The house comprising a basement and ground plus two floors was purchased by the government of Maharashtra in 2015 to turn it into a museum. Later in 2023, the central government took control of the property. It is being maintained as a memorial to the great crusader, and is open to public for visits. I was thrilled with this information and made a plan to go there soon. 

It materialised on a bright sunny morning. The house is situated at 10 King Henry's Road in north London in a leafy residential neighbourhood. Standing outside the house and looking at the blue plaque (according to Wikipedia, a blue plaque is a permanent sign installed in a public place in the United Kingdom, and certain other countries and territories, to commemorate a link between that location and a famous person, event, or former building on the site, serving as a historical marker) displayed at the entrance, I was filled with awe. 

Ambedkar arrived in London somewhere around 1915 to study at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He also enrolled at the Gray's Inn to study law. In 1922, he was called to the bar by the Gray's Inn and became a barrister-at-law. Later he returned to India and started practising law in Bombay.

His stay in London, his education and his experiences must have certainly played a role in shaping his personality. This house and the well-maintained museum inside offers us a peek into his life and times. The house has a lovely garden at the back which is accessible through the basement. But unfortunately this part was closed due to maintenance work. I noticed from the first floor window that a bronze statue of Ambedkar stood in the garden. Railway tracks run just outside the boundary wall of the house.

An attendant ushers us inside the house on the ground floor. This floor features a bronze bust of Ambedkar against a large window. It is adorned with garlands and flower pots. Pictures from various events in his life are on display on the walls. It is a bright day outside and the sun streaming through the windows fills the house with positive vibes. 

We take the wooden staircase to go to the first floor. The room facing the street outside has a comfortable sofa in it. The walls are lined with shelves where books in blue covers are arranged neatly. The fireplace and more pictures on the walls give a warm and cosy feel to the place.

The other room features a large dining table. It is strewn with bound copies of the Constitution of India and laminated copies of letters written by Ambedkar to friends and associates in English and Marathi. The letters offer us a glimpse into the ideas and thoughts of this stalwart. Going through some of them gave me goosebumps. In a letter written from London on 30th December 1932 in Marathi to someone called Bhaurao, Ambedkar has expressed his deep disappointment and sadness about the fact that back home, people belonging to community A thought that he favoured community B, while people belonging to community B felt that he sided with community A. Another one addressed to the same person and written in English on the 29th October 1930 mentions the upcoming Round Table Conference on November 12. The collection of letters is quite fascinating!

Photos by Lata

The Second floor houses Ambedkar's bedroom and his personal belongings like writing pad, spectacles and clothes. A bed occupies the centre of the room. One of the pictures on the wall mentions a silver ink pot that was presented to Ambedkar by Lord and Lady Mountbatten when they had invited him and his wife for lunch. The ink pot has a portrait of the Queen of England carved on it. The House along with important documents and pictures, contains such interesting trivia giving visitors a well-rounded experience.

We leave the Ambedkar House fully satiated and impressed. 

There are many more blue plaques in London commemorating several Indians who were a part of the freedom movement decades ago. More on them in the next post!

Light And Sound At Rajwada!

Dusk is falling rapidly around Rajwada, the stately palace built by the Holkars in the 18th century in Indore. The structure stands tall in the old part of the city, dominating its skyline. Once the seat of power in this region, today it is surrounded by shops and houses separated by narrow lanes.

I am here to see and listen to the light and sound show put together by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism very recently. Eager to enjoy this new initiative in the city in which I grew up, I make way for the ticket window. It is in a makeshift booth just outside one of the side gates. There is hardly anybody there. I buy my ticket (Rs.100) and am told that the show will start at 18:45, instead of 18:30 to allow people to come and settle down. The event has just been introduced in the city's social calendar and not too many people are aware of it yet.

I enter through the side gate, and after a little walk; find myself in the courtyard just behind the main gate. The imposing facade looks impressive even from inside. Some 50 plastic chairs have been arranged in the open space, but we are only about 15 people. As we sit facing the backside of the main gate, an army of mosquitoes descends upon us. They attack from all sides, making me wish I had carried a tube of repellent with me. My dupatta comes to the rescue, and I wrap it around my head, shoulders and arms tightly.

Photos by Lata

The show starts at 18:45. The commentary in Amitabh Bachchan's rich baritone is informative and engaging. The story of Malhar Rao Holkar-- the first prince from the Holkar family which ruled the state of Indore--comes alive with the help of lights, sounds and drawings projected on a huge wall in the courtyard. We are still in the first few minutes of the narration, and suddenly there are loud fireworks just outside the main gate, their lights and sound dominating those of the show. I wonder if they are part of the show, but they do not seem appropriate at this point in the story. It is not yet time for Malhar Rao's coronation or wedding in the script. The illuminations and bursts continue for a long time, marring the lights and sounds of the show all along. There are single blasts, multiple blasts in a long series and other different crackling sounds all accompanied by a shower of colourful sparks in the evening sky. Maybe it's a wedding procession, I tell myself. Being a hub of activity in the old city, this area is likely to have wedding processions, political rallies and demonstrations frequently.

The show goes on. I lose quite a bit of it to the noise from the crackers, but manage to get the gist anyway. Malhar Rao and his worthy successor Ahilyabai (his daughter-in-law) form the main fabric of the story. It touches upon the lives of all the other nobles who ruled the princely state of Indore until it merged with the newly independent Indian states in 1948. The story is rather well told, opening a small window to the history of the royalty for residents of Indore as well as visitors. 

How to make the experience more enjoyable for the viewers and listeners? Spray some powerful insecticide in the courtyard every evening before the show begins. And ban firecrackers in the Rajwada area for the entire duration (45 minutes) of the show.  The buzzing of mosquitoes and the incessant bursts of crackers take away the sheen of the production in spite of all its richness.

When I come out, I ask a policeman what the hullabaloo was all about. He tells me that they were celebrating because Indore is going to be a Smart City. Become smart, stay smart Indore!

Bajrangi Bhaijaan: Brotherhood On The Border

According to the box office figures, "Bajrangi Bhaijaan" (BB) has been a very successful film, a blockbuster. Loved by audiences in India and Pakistan alike, this film has managed to walk the tightrope of winning viewers over on both sides of the border. Full of cliches, stereotypes and naivete, how does BB manage to do that? Easy. By pulling on the viewers' heartstrings at the correct places. Often, when addressing people's emotions, one runs the risk of being overly sentimental and weepy. BB's magic lies in the fact that it serves the potpourri in the right proportion. So, what you get is a delicious mix of emotion, humour, drama and patriotism; all rolled into a very palatable dish, ready to be savoured by one and all.

Another feather in BB's cap is that it does not claim to be arty or intellectual. It is a mainstream film with all the baggage that comes with a commercial motion picture. So, it does not shy away from a long and at times rambling first half, having a leading lady when none is required and the ubiquitous song and dance. But this masala goes hand in hand with the tale of the speech-impaired little girl Shahida/Munni from Pakistan who is separated from her parents, and her magnanimous saviour: the affable Pawan Kumar Chaturvedi aka Bajrangi (Salman Khan in a softer role, a clear departure from his image).

This Hanuman devotee is polite, truthful, honest and belongs to the category of people who listen to their heart, not mind. Our little visitor from across the border is fortunate to be in his company. She is in the safest of safe hands. In spite of not knowing how to go about it, and not having any resources; he takes it upon himself to reunite the child with her parents across the border.

From then on, it is a sequence of several situations that the mind may question, but the heart gives a thumping go-ahead to. We meet many lovable characters along the way: the blunt and practical Boo Ali who knows the border inside out (pun intended!), the affectionate Maulana (Om Puri in a special appearance) who is an important link in the whole operation, the bumbling TV news reporter Chand Nawab (Nawazuddin Siddiqui in another memorable role) who joins Bajrangi's cause, and many others representing the army and the police in Pakistan. 

I particularly enjoyed some lines that came out of the blue, said little, but meant a lot. For instance Chand Nawab says, "nafrat bechna aasaan hai par mohabbat..." when TV channels refuse to air his story on Bajrangi, the person playing Kareena's dad says, " doosron ki madad karne se pahle apna mask theek se pehno" when Bajrangi brings home the lost Shahida, and the Maulana says, "Kashmir...thodasa hamaare paas bhi hai" when Bajrangi thinks he has to go back to India in order to visit Kashmir.

The climax at the border, though a bit long-drawn, has been shot quite well. You kind of "know" that such a situation involving so many people on either side of the border is not possible in real life, but you "wish" it happened! At that point in the story, it does not matter which side of the border you are standing on. You become a part of the collective euphoria and exult in the happenings unfolding on the screen in front of you. Certainly a "winning" moment for the director and his team!

The Kashmir landscape has been captured beautifully. Equally stunning are the desert views. Purani Dilli is colourful, chaotic and charming. The shots of the Samjhauta Express that runs between Delhi and Lahore are magnificent. Cricket, the favourite game in both the neighbouring countries has been woven meaningfully in the story. And Harshaali Malhotra as little Shahida is a great find. She emotes with her lovely face and large eyes, without saying a word. Kareena Kapoor Khan has nothing much to do, other than dancing to a mediocre "chicken" song, looking pretty in exquisite stoles and huge earrings, and handing a mosquito repellent coil to Bajrangi saying "yahan machchhar bahut hain". Wonder if she was plugging any particular brand!

This is the first Kabir Khan film I saw, his earlier ones being "Kabul Express" (2006), "New York" (2009) and "Ek Tha Tiger" (2012). Will be looking forward to seeing more of his work.

On Akshaya Tritiya, A look At Child Brides and "Rehaai"!

"Rajasthan gears up to prevent child marriages on Akshaya Tritiya*", screams a headline in one of the papers I was reading the other day. The accompanying report goes on: The Annual Health Survey for 2012-2013 says that over 14 per cent of the girls in the state were married when they were below the legal age of 18. According to Health Minister Rajendra Rathore, Accredited Social Health Activists and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives, paramedical staff, health workers and NGOs have been asked to prevent child marriages in their areas. A massive campaign in the state is making people aware of the fact that not only parents and guests, but all those involved in child marriages like priests, tent-house owners, caterers and band-owners could be booked under the Child Marriage Restraint Act, 2006.

With these measures, hope the figures for child marriages are much lower in the current Annual Health Survey. No doubt, the issue of child marriages is a serious one; but what made me realize its gravity is a Pakistani drama "Rehaai" that I watched recently. Just 15 episodes of intense drama drive home a social message so effectively that no other medium could possibly have. A child bride is not merely a statistic here, but a living breathing adolescent who undergoes the trials and tribulations of this social evil. And we, as viewers are left red-faced looking in the mirror it holds to the after-effects of this custom that thrives in parts of India and Pakistan alike.

Photo: UNFPA/Stephanie Sinclair

The story of "Rehaai" deals primarily with child marriage, but several other issues are woven beautifully into it. Like the desire for male offspring, pregnancy at a young age, polygyny and the insecurity it brings with it for women, confining women to home and hearth under the notion that it is against a man's pride to send his woman out for earning money, and domestic violence. But in spite of all this, it is not a weepy, depressing tale. It is a superb portrayal of grit and resilience shown by a bunch of women who are ill-prepared to handle situations that they find themselves in. If seeing them as targets of atrocities makes your blood boil,  looking at the way they face and fight the difficulties warms the cockles of your heart.

Kudos to the team of this wonderful drama. This is meaningful television at its best. The more I see of Samina Peerzada, the more I like her. She is brilliant as the troubled matriarch of this family, struggling to deal with the ways of her wayward son. Her talent is matched in equal measure by Noman Ijaz, who plays her headstrong son. Another significant feature of this drama is that it is played out in a lower/lower-middle class neighbourhood. The language, the dress sense of the characters and the whole ambience reflects their class with a blunt honesty. No opulent mansions, no flowery language, no fancy cars and definitely no designer clothes or jewellery. There is a certain "rawness" about the way it is presented, lending it its authenticity and credibility. Farhat Ishtiaq's story is accentuated by Mehreen Jabbar's nuanced direction. Watch out for her attention to detail. It brings the location alive on your screen.

Tailpiece: I watched this drama when Deepika Padukone's "My Choice" was doing the rounds on social and news media. The glossy women appearing in that video and the lines they were mouthing sounded inane, and paled in comparison with what the women did and said in "Rehaai" in terms of women empowerment. And no, being in that situation was not their choice!

*Akshaya Tritiya falls on April 21 this year.

The CEO's Family Celebrates!

The newly appointed Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella's parents refused to entertain any questions from the media. You may read about it here. But it is a different story with Satbir Narela's folks. Read about it here:

 

New Delhi: The newly appointed Microsoft CEO Satbir "Sat" Narela's parents are ecstatic. When this reporter went looking for the residence of Sat's parents in an upmarket neighbourhood in Delhi, she could feel the hustle and bustle almost half a kilometre before she arrived at the sprawling bungalow. The area wore a festive look, with colourful balloons and festoons fluttering in the mild breeze.

A large shamiana had been erected in the lawns of the mansion. At the entrance, some people were dancing to the beats of a dholak. When they realized that this reporter was from a reputed daily with a photographer in tow, they made way for the duo immediately.

Inside, floral garlands hung from the balconies, doors and windows of the house. Electricians were busy hanging series of coloured bulbs to be lit at dusk. Kids in their party clothes were running around, ladies in their finery sat occupying the plastic chairs that had been rented from a local tent house for the day, while men stood here and there in small groups. Some were talking to one another, but most men and women were busy sending messages or chatting to others on their cell phones.

It wasn't difficult figuring out who Sat's parents were. They sat on two decorated chairs, the kind used for the bride and the groom at wedding receptions. As soon as visitors entered the shamiana, they walked up to the couple to congratulate them on their son's success. The couple sat on their thrones beaming, hugging their guests first and putting a laddoo in their mouths later.

This reporter was greeted in the same fashion by Sat's mother. When the formidable matriarch learnt about the purpose of the news team's visit, she informed her husband, whispering aji sunte ho in his ear. He got up from his chair, welcoming this scribe affectionately. He began rattling off his son's achievements right from the kindergarten. He then called out to Ramu Kaka who had been with the family for decades asking him to also get the driver, the cook, the gardener and other help from the house. Soon, so much was being told about the prodigal son that this reporter had a tough time keeping pace with the details.  Everybody wanted to pose for pictures and the photographer went on a clicking spree, capturing different groups in his frame.

When this activity reached a frenzy, the duo could not take it anymore and decided to leave the venue. On their way out, they paused to talk to some guests. Almost everybody they talked to, claimed to be a cousin, friend or teacher of Sat and were eager to tell how close they were to him.

Even the balloonwala outside the gate was not to be left behind. He said he used to bring a balloon for baby Sat every evening!

This is a satire and please take it in that spirit. I do not mean any offence to any community.

My Cup Runneth Over With Joy

We will continue to exult in the afterglow of the World Cup victory. The gleaming cup will provide us with happiness for years to come. It is amazing how a simple game that requires minimum gear and is played in practically every street in India, can unite the nation in a way that no other glue can.

On Saturday, when India and Sri Lanka were making history on the cricket ground in Mumbai, every Indian heart was beating for Dhoni and his boys. It did not matter whether you lived in India or left the Indian shores generations ago to make a new life elsewhere. If you called yourself Indian, you longed to see the Cup in the Indian skipper's hands. Whether you were Mukesh Ambani sitting in the VIP enclosure at the Wankhede stadium, or a daily wage earner eking out a living in some remote village, you yearned to see India win that evening. From toddlers barely out of their prams to grandparents confined to their wheelchairs, everybody dreamt of the Cup.

On that fateful night in Mumbai, when the captain hit the winning stroke, the thud was echoed in billions of hearts across the globe. What followed was sheer madness. People ran out on the streets in celebration. There was complete chaos. It was an emotional moment for a land that had been waiting for this conquest for a long time. And when it did happen, people had tears of joy in their eyes and lumps in their throats.

What is it that makes cricket so popular as to transcend all barriers of class, caste, gender, age and language ? Its reach is widespread and its connect with the masses phenomenal. But that does not make it any less classy either. And therein lies the magic of cricket, a game that is the darling of not just India, but the entire subcontinent.

When your TV screen fills with images of a handful of strapping men who are epitomes of strength, stamina and fitness, you feel elated. Middle-aged men with paunches, balding and toothless seniors, obese males who are forced to stay indoors because of the nature of their work, students who are too tied up with their studies to go out and get a breath of fresh air, ageing women with bad backs and painful knees, homemakers who are wedded to their chores...almost all of us get a certain pleasure watching these men run, jump, stretch and fall on the ground playing the great game of cricket.

Perhaps we enjoy seeing them do things that we could not do because of other compulsions. After all how many of us get a chance to lead such an outdoorsy life? Maybe we fulfil our wishes through them, just like parents do through their children. We take pride in their achievements because they are real heroes. We are aware of the hurdles they had to cross and the stiff competition they had to face before reaching where they are today. We know that each one of them has put in years of hard work while pursuing the game. We love them, we admire them, we dote on them because they are powerful icons of hope. They bring a lot of cheer to the people of a country that is generally starved of good news.

And who would not be happy to see their side steadily climbing the ladder of success, vanquishing legendary teams that were considered great at one time? That is precisely what happened and as India took on Sri Lanka in the finals, a nation waited with bated breath. If we jumped with joy when they inched towards victory, we fell silent when the other side seemed to dominate the game. No other entity is capable of having a hold over the collective mood of the nation as cricket is.

That is why we need cricket. It is a symbol of our oneness.