PLAYING FIELDS NEAR RAINVILLE

around this time,every year,i start to play around with my thoughts, alot,more than in any ohter time of the year.monsoon will be here anytime,and rains,my god,even the thought excites me to an extent such that,i start behaving like a child,playful,naughty,unabashed.the thoughts with which i play around before the rains arrive are like,i metamorphose into a shepherd,and the skies are the meadows and those dark,brown,moisture laden clouds like the sheeps that i am heralding to some unknown destination,where there's just the lovely rains and me,nobody else.monsoon have always enticed me no end, and even today i can float around numerous paper boats,in a near by "nullah" if i find one.

there are vivid enthralling memories attached to the rain,the earliest one's while growing up,as a kid, my mom would push me out in the first rains, to get all drenched up,in order to get rid of the prickly heat pimples,"ghamori" i mean.and to tell you the truth,the prick that first rain drop induces is magical.the thrill of cold water hitting you on face is like no other bliss,in this living world,apart from the bliss i obtain,in my mothers embrace.

the whole feeling itself is like god is showering us,human beings,mean mongers,with his blessings in form of rains.i guess,in my last life, i should have been either a shepherd or a farmer,or a "chatak" bird,which keeps its mouth open for ages,looking towards the sky,in anticipation of the first rains.i would never know.another memory of rains,dates back to 1994,when my hometown was flooded, and we had no power,or food,anything for couple of days.i remember we would walk for a few kilometres to get "paani zyada" milk for exhorbitant prices,still i thought we were in a better condition because in those floods,lot of my classmates in school,had lost their notes and books,as they stayed near a canal,which flooded so much that it destroyed all their labour for study.nevertheless,this not supposed to be poignant account about the rains.

last year,me and my buddy set out for an excursion in torrnetial rains,on malshej ghat,on the western ghats.innumerous waterfalls,all further stunning than the earlier.carpet like pieces of farming land made the experience more scenic,and at last the matheran visit,and the thunder lightning and heavy rains that ensued.
all these memories will remain well etched out in my memory, and keep me yearning for more rains throughout my life.

i wish it rains well this year.

CHANGING TIMES

ajoba(grandfather) always appeared to me as a very strong man,through my visits during school vacations,and lately through brief visits while i was working.yesterday,i was at his place,after 13 days,since my aaji(gandmother) passed away.but,around this time,the scene was apalling.he appeared very vulnerable and weak.and i realised of the negligencies,i had,performed.i seldom called up them,when aaji was suffering and ajoba was getting overworked.when i left nasik,early this morning,i could not hold up my tears,when i saw,the man himself,sobbing like a child

all this seems so,so,.....strange,in a way,the strange questions,life throws up,have answers,so blatant,so acceptable,yet so painful.imagine,losing your soulmate,when you need,him or her the most.suddenly their new appartment appeared just a residential compartment for him, and not the power centre he used to rule.

i fear such separations now,i confess,i never paid any importance ,to these relations,of mine,but now when,i have witnessed these changes,i make vow that i will be in touch with my grandpa whom i have always adored for his sense of humour,his unending energy levels,and his precision in handling events.

may aaji's soul rest in peace and salute to this man of a very special"ordinary" grit.

DRAWING PARALLELS

HAVING SEEN "HAZARON KHWAHISHEIN....." FOR THE SECOND TIME, I FEEL, I AM IN A POSITION TO DRAW COMPARISONS,BETWEEN FEW BOOKS AND MOVIES, I HAVE SEEN,OFF LATE.LETS PUT IT LIKE,I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN FASCINATED BY THE COINCIDENCES THAT LIFE CATAPULTS US INTO.FOR EXAMPLE,A VERY BASIC ONE.I SEE "SWADES"(ONE OF MY FAVS) THE SAME YEAR WHEN I AM STUDYING SOCIOLOGY,BY CHANCE I GET THROUGH THE CREDITS AND CATCH HOLD OF A BOOK NAMED"BAPU KUTI" WHICH ASHUTOSH GOWARIKER ACKNOWLEDGES FOR HAVING TAKEN IDEAS FROM IT.I PURCHASE THE BOOK,AFTER A LOT OF SEARCH AND RESEARCH, AND FIND IT THOROUGHLY INTERESTING,THROUGH THE STORIES PUT ACROSS, ABOUT ORDINARY PEOPLE DOING EXTRAORDINARY THINGS.JUST IMAGINE,THIS SUCCESS STORY,IMAGINE THE LIFE IN THIS VILLAGE ,THAT MARS,TOLD ME ABOUT,WHICH IS FULLY SELF RELIANT,SOMEWHERE IN THE HEARTLAND OF GUJARAT."BAPU KUTI" HAS SEVERAL SUCH STORIES,OF AN IAS OFFICER WHO QUIT HER PRESTIGIOUS JOB AS A DISTRICT COLLECTOR,JUST BECAUSE SHE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO WORK THE WAY SHE WANTED TO.SHE QUIT AND DID WHAT SHE DREAMT OFF.OF RAVINDRA SHARMA,OF ADILABAD,WHO AS A KID,CHERISHED THE DAWN SINGERS,THE HYMN SINGERS AND LOCAL PERFORMERS,BUT AS HE GREW UP AND MODERNISATION SWEPT THROUGH THE TOWNS AND VILLAGES,THESE FOLKS VANISHED IS SUCH OBLIVION THAT,EVEN THEY THEMSELVES,WOULD NEVER COME TO KNOW.
"SWADES" WAS REALLY INSPIRING,I LEAVE APART,THE VIEWS OF FEW PEOPLE,WHO SAY IT WAS DOCUMENTARISH AND ALL THAT BORROWED SHIT.I BELIEVE IT WAS A STORY WELL TOLD.WHILE I WAS GOING THROUGH ALL THIS,I WAS ALSO READING,SHASHI THAROOR'S "INDIA-MIDNIGHT TO MILLENIUM"(MARS WILL JUMP OUT OF HIS SEAT I KNOW,IN PRAISES OF THIS BOOK,OF COURSE).THIS BOOK WAS ABOUT SOCIO-POLITICAL CHANGES THAT CAME ABOUT IN OUR ENORMOUS COUNTRY IN THE 50 YEARS AFTER THE INDEPENDENCE.I FOUND IT VERY INTERESTING,BECAUSE HE HAS JUST PUT EVERYTHING SO WELL,IN AN IMPECCABLE"ENGLISH".

EH,AGAIN A COINCIDENCE,WHAT IS IT WITH THIS "CHE GUEVARA" YAAR?
I SAW HIS IMAGE IN "HAZAAROON...",SUDHIR MISHRA'S INTERVIEW,AND WHAT THE HECK,KIDS ARE HAVING HIS NAME TOO THESE DAYS, LONG LIVE,THE COMMUNISM.I WONDER,WHAT IDEOLOGY,DO I BELONG TO?JUST KIDDING.WE'LL CONFIGURE THAT WHEN WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO DO.RIGHT.GEETA,COINCIDENCE OR JUST PLAIN THING,ARE BOTH CHARACTERS IN "SWADES" AND "HAZAAROON....." WHO GO TO VILLAGES AND TEACH IN SCHOOLS,AND HAVE GOT VERY FIRM BELIEFS,BELIEF IN THEMSELVES AND THEIR WORK,FORGET ABOUT THEIR IDEOLOGIES.SECOND,BOTH EXTREMELY BEAUTIFUL,TALENTED AND PROMISING.GAYATRI JOSHI AND CHITRANGADA HAVE IMPRESSED ME SO MUCH THAT,SECRETLY,BUT SURELY,I MAY TELL MY MOM TO FIND A GIRL FOR ME,WHO TEACHES,AS WELL.JOKES APART,THE QUESTION THAT HAS PLAGUED ME SINCE,I HAVE WATCHED THESE FILMS,IS THAT,WILL GOWARIKER AND MISHRA BOTH STAY UPTO THE STANDARDS THEY HAVE SET THEMSELVES,WHEN "JODHA AKBAR" UNFOLDS AND MISHRA CHURNS OUT ANOTHER FLICK.

SOME FINE DAY,I WOULD LIKE TO GO TO "SEWAGRAM ASHRAM",OR EVEN "SABARMATI ASHRAM" TO LIVE THOSE MOMENTS OF THOUGHT AND PEACE WITH MYSELF AND SEE WHERE DO I BELONG.SOMEDAY,I WILL ALSO LIKE TO ENLIST ALL THOSE STUPID COINCIDENCES,WHICH HAVE MADE DEFINITELY SOME DIFFERENCE TO ME,SOMEHOW.MORE TO COME SOON.....

FOR BEGINNERS CHE GUEVARA(ISKO TO MEIN NAI CHODUNGA!) IS A MARXIST WHO WORKED ALONGSIDE FIDEL CASTRO,TO SHAPE UP A REVOLUTION IN CUBA,THE SUGARLAND.TIME TO REVOLUTIONISE,SOCIALISE,COMMUNALISE,POLITICISE,SLEEPISE,EATISE,,,....
SHIT,BRAIN HAEMORRHAGE,DOCTOR KO BULAO....BACHAO.

going ga ga over radio

RECENTLY READ ABOUT OUR I&B MINISTER BEING IN THE PROCESS OF GIVING PERMISSIONS TO SOME 108 PRIVATE FM STATIONS,THE ISSUE OF MUMBAI UNIVERSITY'S FM STATION STILL NOT GONE ON THE AIR THOUGH IT WAS SANCTIONED COUPLE OF YEARS BACK,PUNE,HYDERABAD AND BANGALORE UNIVS GONE ON THE AIR,AND COMMUNITY RADIO BEING THE BUZZWORD OFF LATE.AND ITS GOOD THAT THIS CHANGE HAS BEGUN,I MEAN,THE WAVE OF RADIO STATIONS COMING UP.

RADIOCITY,RADIO MIRCHI,RED FM,WIN 946 WERE ALL ON AIR WHEN I FINALLY GOT A JOB IN MUMBAI,BUT INITIALLY BEING OUTSIDE THE GEOGRAPHICAL BOUNDARIES OF MUMBAI,I COULD NOT CATCH THE WAVES.BUT ONCE I STARTED TUNING IN,I WAS SELDOM UNINTERESTED.THERE ARE VIVID MEMORIES CLINGED TO THESE RADIO TIMES.AND AT A CERTAIN POINT OF TIME,I WAS SO IMPRESSED BY THIS NEW ENTERTAINMENT THAT,I EVEN TOOK A SHOT AT A RJ HUNT.

GROWING UP IN LATE 80s,MY EARLIEST MEMORIES ABOUT RADIO IS THE SHEHNAI RENDITION OF VANDE MATARAM,EVERY MORNING ON ALL INDIA RADIO,THEN FEW FUNNY TUNES ON VIVIDH BHARATI WOULD MAKE ME IMMITATE THEM AN WHAT NOT.
ABOUT THE RADIO PROGRAMMES THAT I GOT TO LISTEN IN MUMBAI,ALL HAD A YOUTHFUL FLAVOUR TO IT.I LIKED JAGGU AND TARANA,FOR THE SAME.THE ARE VERY CONTEMPORARY IN THEIR THOUGHTS AND HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOUR.

AS OF NOW,THIS THING ON RADIO HAS TAKEN A LONG TIME,SOMETHING ELSE SOON,MEANWHILE GO GRAB YOUR RADIO AND TUNE INTO YOUR FAVOURITE FM.
BYE.























































































































]

countryside calling

IT WORKED SOONER THAN I HAD EXPECTED,BUT,STILL,THERES A LOT OF TIME,TO START CELEBRATIONS.I AM HAPPY FOR I HAVE GOT A TRANSFER TO A PLACE CLOSER TO HOME,BUT AS OF NOW I DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER WAY OF SHOWING HOW HAPPY,I AM.I AM HAPPY FOR I WOULD BE HOME,MAKING UP FOR ALL THE YEARS I HAVE LOST NOT BEING AT HOME.NAVSARI,SURE HAS GOT A LAIDBACK LIFESTYLE,BUT THAT WOULD HARDLY CHANGE MY LIFESTYLE,BECAUSE MOST OF MY TIME WILL BE SPENT TRAVELLING FROM BARODA,IF AT ALL,I CHOOSE TO DO THAT.NAVSARI HAS GOT A BEACH,ITS CLOSER TO SAPUTARA,IT HAS GOT A LOT OF PARSIS AND BOHRAS SINCE AGES.I WANT TO EXPERIENCE,WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE WITH THEM.MUMBAI'S MADDENING PACE AND PEOPLE GETTING TOO CLOSER TO YOUR COMFORT SOMETIMES IRRITATED ME,BUT THERE ARE LOT OF THINGS WHICH MUMBAI HAS GIVEN ME,AND I WOULD SURELY MISS THEM.

FIRST,THE GETAWAYS THAT MUMBAI OFFERS,I WONDER WHETHER NAVSARI OR EVEN BARODA HAS GOT THAT MANY.MATHERAN,LONAVALA,KHANDALA,KHOPOLI,FORT AREA(FULL OF BOOKSHOPS),GORAI,NARIMAN POINT,NEW MULTIPLEXES,OR EVEN SANJAY GANDHI NATIONAL PARK WERE SO MUCH WITHIN YOUR REACH THAT YOU NEVER NEEDED TO PLAN TO VISIT THEM.THE HIGHWAYSIDE COFFEE,CHURCHGATE'S CHEESE-JAM-MASKA PAAV,EXCELLENT SEAFOOD EATERIES,SOME SWANKY MOCKTAIL OUTLETS OR EVEN CANNON PAV BHAJI AT CST,ALL THESE JOINTS WERE PAISA VASOOL AND ARE INTEGRAL PART OF MY YEARS IN MUMBAI.THE PACE AT WHICH I COULD MOVE IN MUMBAI IS AMAZING.PARTICULARLY,I AM FOND OF THE BUSRIDES I TOOK FROM DIFFERENT PLACES,GAZING PAST VARIOUS LANDMARKS OF MUMBAI,THE LAST WAS FROM BANDRA TO BORIVALI FOR RS.12 ONLY,WHEN I FOUND THE SHOW OF HAZAARON....TO BE HOUSEFULL.JEHANGIR ART GALLERY,NGMA,NCPA,NEHRU CENTRE,AND VARIOUS OTHER CENTRES OF ART ALWAYS TOOK ME INTO A MESMERISING WORLD OF PLAYFUL COLOURS,THOSE COLOURS WHICH COULD THEMSELVES SAY A LOT.

I WILL MISS THE RAINS OF MUMBAI,THE SPLASHING SEA WAVE AT MARINE DRIVE,THOSE NASIK DHOLS AND THE NIGHTS OF MUMBAI,THOUGH I HAVE SEEN ONLY A FEW.I WILL MISS MY FAVOURITE RADIO JOCKEYS,MALISHKA IS ALREADY GONE,BUT JAGGU AND TARANA ARE STILL THERE, AND SOUND SO MUCH LIKE ME,THAT......KYA BATAU HOW MUCH LIKE ME?MORE OF IT NEXT TIME,SOME THING ABOUT RADIO,IS THERE A MOVIE BY THIS NAME,I THINK THERE IS,UNRELEASED!C YA