QUAINT STREETS OF JAIPUR

 

Jaipur, the ‘Pink City’, needs no introduction. Perhaps everyone reading this has been there at least once. I, of course, proudly belong to that City and like to spend as much time there as I can.  Its history, palaces, forts, monuments, gardens and museums are well known to all and its ever growing tourist industry is busy adding exquisite hotels and lovely cafes by the day. But the soul of the ancient pink city lives on in its quaint streets.

Jaipur lays claim to be the first planned city in the world in the modern era. It is a grid of wide roads connected by a number of narrower streets. The roads have interesting names like ‘Johari Bazar’ meaning a market of jewellers as they set up their business there from the time the city was built. A parallel road is ‘Chaura Rasta’, literally meaning ‘Broadway’, a wide road even by present day standards. At the risk of being termed presumptuous, might I suggest that the Broadway of New York City took its name from here. After all, Jaipur was built in early 18th century and New York in late 19th.

Connecting Chaura Rasta and Johari Bazar is a comparatively wider street named ‘Gopalji Ka Rasta’ so named because of an ancient temple of Lord Krishna known in childhood as ‘Baal Gopal’. In the ‘50s, we could easily drive our Ford Prefect right upto the shops well inside the street. Apart from jewellery shops, the street has been housing ‘halwai’ shops known for fresh milk sweets like ‘kalakand’ and ‘misri mawa’ ever since we came to Jaipur and was the main source of ‘bhog’ offerings for Mataji’s ‘mandir’ at home. 

Right opposite on the other side of the road is Haldiyon Ka Rasta. I do not know how it got its name as ‘haldi’ actually means turmeric while the street has been famous for being home to many jewellers including their doyen, the late Bhuramal Rajmal Surana, who has a haveli there. Originally, that was his family’s residence which I visited often as his second son, Vimal, was my classfellow at St. Xavier’s. The original Surana showroom was also located in the haveli and is now home to artisans as the Surana sons have shifted showrooms and their residences outside the old city.

Just outside Gopalji Ka Rasta, on the main road is the entrance to ‘Purohitji Ka Katla’. ‘Katla’ means a portion or slice and the small area is full of shops selling wholesale dresses for weddings and festivals at bargain prices. It is a favourite haunt of Akhila to buy gifts for relatives and friends.

The next street down south from Haldiyon Ka Rasta is ‘Gheewalon Ka Rasta’. More than ghee, it is famous for special sweets such as ‘Gulab Sakri’ with its unique yummy rose flavour. Next to it is ‘Dhadda Market’, a centre for homeopathic medicines, both German and Indian. On the other side of the road is Laxmi Mishthan Bhandar which lays claims of being the most popular eating place in the old city.

Moving north towards ‘Badi Chaupar’, just short of it after Purohitji Ka Katla, one can see rows of typical multicoloured Jaipuri ‘safas’ and ‘pagris’ displayed on the rooftop of shops. These turbans form an essential part of the formal attire for weddings and ceremonial occasions.

Beyond ‘Badi Chaupar’ and the iconic Hawa Mahal, we enter the palace compound through a gate named ‘Sireh Deori’ and on to another one, ‘Dhundhubi Pol’ also called ‘Naqqar Khana Ka Darwaza’ where in days gone by the playing of Shehnai and Dhol (drum) preceded announcement of the Maharaja’s daily schedule. And so we arrive at ‘Jaleb Chowk’. In Persian, ‘Jaleb’ means ‘soldier’ and the site was so named because the Maharaja’s Army used to carry out its drills there. Later it became popular for being the abode of the sweet ‘jalebi’ which was exclusively prepared here. Pitaji was very fond of jalebis and used to send someone from his domestic staff to fetch hot and juicy ones fresh from the ‘kadhai’ to be had with hot milk for breakfast on Sundays.

A gate to the west leads to the City Palace and Jantar Mantar while one to the north opens the path to Govind Devji Mandir patronized by the Maharaja. It is said that the Maharaja could have his daily ‘darshan’ with powerful binoculars from the Palace’s balcony across the vast lawn between the temple and the Palace.

Now for some interesting names of streets in the old city. Off Chaura Rasta, there is a lane called ‘Lal Ji Saand (bull) Ka Rasta’. The story is that Lal Ji, son of Maharaja Madho Singh from a concubine, used to reside here. He was of a huge build and fat, hence the name. 

Then there is ‘Jat Ke Kue Ka Rasta’ off Chandpole Bazar. I suppose it took its name from a well belonging to someone from the Jat community although the ‘kua’ must have been covered long ago. In fact, in my readings, I have come across ‘Bhoot Ke Kue Ka Rasta’ although I couldn’t find one on the map. However, Nahargarh Fort and Jai Mahal Palace are supposed to be haunted. 

Off Badi Choupar, there is a ‘Chatouri Aurton Ka Chouraha’ named after women who used to gather there to indulge in devouring delicious street food. 

An interesting site is ‘Barah Bhaiyon Ka Chouraha’ (twelve brothers’ crossroads), on Nahargarh Road where a dozen friends of different religions and castes used to meet regularly in a show of solidarity. There is a unique Ganesh temple here with one Ganesh idol on top of another. Presently, it is famous for speciality Jaipur bangles and cosmetic items. There is also ‘Bagruwalo Ka Rasta’ in Chandpole area so named for shops selling Bagru fabrics. ‘Bagru’ is a form of hand block printing, an old tradition of over 300 years.

Off Chandpole, there is a ‘Khajanewalon Ka Rasta’ which takes its name from caretakers of the Maharaja’s vault. The ‘khajanchis’ have long gone and now it has shops selling exquisite statues in stone, marble, plaster of paris, etc., as also garments.

A street named after artisans is ‘Thateron Ka Rasta’ in a locality known as Modikhana in Kishenpol Bazar. ‘Thaterey’ are utensil makers and the clan is as old as the city itself. 200 families of these artisans were invited by the Maharaja in 1727 to shift here from Amer out of which 80 still exist. They make household items like ‘lota’ for storing water, ‘paraat’ for kneading flour dough and items for storing food, out of a mix of brass and copper called ‘peetal’. The beating of the metal with a mallet to give the desired shape makes a sound which gave the name ‘thatera’ to the artisans. 

There are many more and this list is just indicative of what makes the pink city streets so interesting. In a small way, modern Jaipur is keeping the tradition alive. At the junction of Prithviraj Road and Sarojini Marg, there is ‘Aunty’s Café’ followed by a number of vendors of street food. Thus that end of the Marg is now popularly known as ‘Auntyji Ki Gali’. And right across on Prithviraj Road, just after the Statue Circle roundabout, there is a stall boasting of ‘Uncle Coffee’, hot or cold. 

WHAT IS 'OLD'?

 

“Old age isn’t so bad when you consider the alternative”- Maurice Chevalier.

On the golf course the other day, my partner and I were taking a coffee break when someone came to me and asked how old I was. When I gave him the number, he said I was an inspiration to him. Mindful of the ‘nazar na lug jaye’ syndrome, I quickly pointed at my partner and said, “He is 91”. The inquirer duly bowed and touched my partner’s feet.

We got talking some more and my partner said, “Marshal Of The Indian Air Force Arjan Singh was playing golf twice a week at 98. I told them of my father-in-law’s good friend, Shri Dharma Vira, who played till his end at 94.

Back at home, I happened to remember the ballad ‘What is Youth’ sung by a troubadour in Franco Zeferelli’s 1968 brilliant movie “Romeo and Juliet”. That led me to wonder ‘What is Old’ and I decided to look for the answer in what some famous persons have opined.

Jules Renard said, “It’s not how old you are; it’s how you are old.” Or “Age  is a question of mind over matter; if you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter” from Satchel Paige. The legendary boxer, Muhammad Ali formerly Cassius Clay, declared, “Age is whatever you think it is. You are as old as you think you are.”

Ingrid Bergman said something sweet, “Getting old is like climbing a mountain; you get a little out of breath but the view is much better.” A contribution from Eleanor Roosevelt, “Beautiful young people are accidents of nature, but beautiful old people are works of art.” On a truly positive note, a quote from ‘Unknown’ goes, “Age is simply the number of years the world has been enjoying you.” 

Getting back to golf, I like playing fast and often get frustrated by a slow, doddering foursome in front. I used to curse calling them ‘old fogeys’ till it occurred to me, hey, I am not so young myself. So I was encouraged by Francis Bacon’s lines, “I will never be an old man. To me, old age is always 15 years older than I am.”

Also relevant is an excellent one by the great George Bernard Shaw- “We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.” Michael Pritchard put a spirited spin on this by substituting ‘laughing’ for ‘playing’.

I don’t know what alternative Chevalier was referring to but Daniel Francois Espirit Auber said, “Ageing seems to be the only available way to live a long life!” Of course, in the delightful musical “Gigi”, Chevalier is content singing, “I’m Glad I’m Not Young Anymore”.

There are many songs about old age but for me the perennial favourite will remain Nat King Cole’s “You Will Never Grow Old.” His counsel as in the opening and closing lines-

‘You will never grow old, while there is love in your heart,

Time may silver your golden hair, as you dream in an old rocking chair.

So keep my love in your heart, remember the love tales we told,

For with my love in your heart, my darling,

You will never grow old, you will never grow old.”

To all my dear old ones, ‘Stay young’! 

NANCY-THE LESSER KNOWN SINATRA

 

Frank Sinatra was a legend even in his lifetime. It would be well nigh impossible for his daughter to reach those heights. To her credit, Nancy, his eldest child, did achieve a fair amount of fame with some unforgettable songs.

She came into the limelight in 1966 with the number, “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’” the disc of which sold more than a million copies, earned her two Grammy nominations and became popular for what enthusiasts called its iconic ‘Swinging ‘60s Look’.

Nancy’s best years were from 1966-68 when 10 of her songs were in the top 40 of US Billboard’s Hot 100. She acted in films such as “Speedway” with Elvis Presley and “Marriage On The Rocks” with Frank Sinatra in the roles of father and daughter. She was also sought after on TV.

In mid-‘70s, she slowed down on music and gave up acting to concentrate on looking after her family. There were some releases though including “Kinky Love” in 1976 which had controversial lines and was banned on radio till she revived it in 1998. A big recognition came in 2006 when she was honoured with a star on Hollywood’s Hall Of Fame.

Before I come to her outstanding numbers, those familiar with her would have heard other popular ones such as “How Does That Grab You Darlin’”, “Bang Bang” and “Sugar Town”. She also did many duets with her songwriter Lee Hazlewood including “Jackson”, “Did You Ever” and “Some Velvet Morning”. 

Now, to my ‘four fab’ which I consider as good as any by more famous and prolific singers. We start with her first hit I mentioned earlier, “These Boots Are Made For Walkin’”, which topped both the US and British charts and in many other countries. Songwriter Hazlewood was inspired by a line that Frank Sinatra used in a movie and Frank suggested to Hazlewood to give the vocals to Nancy. The lyrics are about a girl who feels that her lover is taking her for granted and is fooling around with others. She warns him that ‘these boots are made for walkin’, and that’s just what they’ll do. One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you’. Towards the end of the song, that day has arrived and the girl asks the boots to start walkin’ accompanied by simulated sounds of boots stomping presumably all over her cheating lover! 

After considering many established artistes like Frank Sinatra and Shirley Bassey, the famed composer John Barry, on Frank’s suggestion, decided to give the theme song of the Bond film “You Only Live Twice” to Nancy. She sang it brilliantly guided by Barry and accompanied by his superb orchestra. Many critics rate it in the top three of Bond themes and that’s an achievement Nancy can justly be proud of. I personally consider it as perhaps second only to Louis Armstrong’s “We Have All The Time In The World” from “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” revived recently in “No Time To Die’. 

Nancy did a lot of duets with Hazlewood the most popular of which is “Summer Wine”. The two singers combine beautifully in the role of the girl eyeing the silver spurs of the man and tempting him to drink more and more of her ‘Summer Wine’ while he gets drunk and awakens hungover to find his spurs and money gone but still craving for more wine! A delightful song.

And finally, a Frank and Nancy duet , “Somethin’ Stupid” which was a major international hit including the top in US, UK, Australia, South Africa and many European countries. It invited some silly criticism of incest as a father and his daughter were singing a love song but the beautiful rendition made listeners dismiss any foul thought and just enjoy the music. The lyrics are touching with the singer trying to think of something clever to say but ends up ‘’And then I go and spoil it all by saying something stupid like ‘I Love You’” and repeating ‘I love you’ over and over again.

Not as high as her father, but Nancy was tall enough.

JERRY LEE LEWIS - LAST SURVIVING PIONEER OF ROCK 'N ROLL PASSES ON

Jerry Lee Lewis, last surviving pioneer of Rock ‘n Roll music, breathed his last a few days ago.

Rock ‘n Roll music had its origin in the early 1950s. It was derived from jazz, rhythm and blues, boogie woogie, honky tonk, etc. Most people credit Chuck Berry as its inventor. But it was Bill Haley who brought it global recognition and popularity. His group, Bill Haley and his Comets, produced the first big R ‘n R hit with the release of ‘Rock Around The Clock’ in early ’55.

The timing coincided with my joining the NDA and I was captivated by the rhythm, beat and tempo of R ‘n R which helped relieve the tough grind of NDA life.

Right on top among the pioneers and my favourites was Elvis Presley. Who hasn’t heard of him! His singing style, thumping guitar, gyrating and hip-swinging performances made him a cult figure and he soon earned the title of ‘King of Rock ‘n Roll’. ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ was his first hit in January 1956 rapidly followed by ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, ‘Hound Dog’ , ‘Don’t Be Cruel’, ‘All Shook Up’, and the lovable, cuddly ‘(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear’.

He also had three hit movies in that time filled with his numbers including the title songs, ‘Love Me Tender’ (which though was not rock but a straight love song), ‘Jailhouse Rock’, and ‘King Creole’. In ’58, he was drafted for military service and I to the Navy.

Meanwhile, Bill Haley and his Comets continued providing hits notably ’Shake, Rattle and Roll’ and ‘See You Later Alligator’ which became a popular parting greeting and perhaps still is. Memories of a movie, ‘Rock Around The Clock’, featuring Bill Haley and his Comets, reminds me of the frenzy of the music of those days.

Next pioneer on my list is Little Richard. His unusual style of singing with raspy, shouting vocals, screaming and frenetic piano playing earned him the sobriquet of ‘Architect of Rock ‘n Roll’. His ‘Tutti Frutti’ was more flavoured than the ice cream itself! Sample the lyrics:-

‘Wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom,  

Tutti frutti, oh rootie (5 times)….

Wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom’, and then on to ‘I got a gal named Sue, who knows just what to do’, and Daisy, ‘she almost drives me crazy’. His other hits were ‘Long Tall Sally’, ‘Lucille’ and ‘Good Golly Miss Molly’. Too soon, he went into religion, Christianity, and gave up singing which saved us from being driven completely crazy.

Gene Vincent with his group The Bluecaps produced a smashing hit, ‘Be-bop-a-lula’. The breathless vocals backed by fluterring echoes made for a catchy song that became immensely popular. Vincent came up with other hits including ‘Bluejean Bop’ and surprisingly, a plain, emotional ‘Unchained Melody’. Drugs and alcohol got the better of Vincent and he died young unable to ever match the success of ‘Be-bop-a-lula’.

The genial Fats Domino, second only to Elvis in Rock ‘n Roll, captivated rock fans with his smooth, slightly nasal, rounded and rolling delivery, accompanied by gentle piano playing.  Singing in a honky-tonk mode, his most popular number was ‘Blueberry Hill’ and, of course, he had a large number of other hits. After ‘Blueberry Hill’, my favourites were ‘Ain’t That a Shame’, ‘I’m Walking’ and the pleasant and lilting ‘I Want To Walk You Home’. As against most R ‘n  R singers, Fats kept free of controversy and had a full life of 89 years. He passed away just 5 years ago on 24 October 2017.

A singer whose life was cruelly cut short was Richie Valens whose R ‘n R adaptation of a traditional Mexican wedding song, ‘La Bamba’, was loved by all and remains popular todate. Alas, he died in an air crash at the age of 17!

An R ‘n R movie I recall from those days was the musical comedy, ‘The Girl Can’t Help It’ starring the buxom blonde Jayne Mansfield. The film featured a number of pioneers of R ‘n R including Little Richard with the title song and ‘Ready Teddy’, Gene Vincent with ‘Be-bop-a-lula’, Fats Domino singing ‘Blue Monday’ and a comic ‘Giddy Up A Ding Dong Giddy Up’ by Freddie Bell and the Bellboys. The movie was a treat for R ‘n R fans. My best song of the movie though was one of my all-time favourites, Julie London’s ‘Cry Me A River’, a non-rock emotional number.

And so, back to where we started, Jerry Lee Lewis. He firmly got on the road to fame with ‘Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On’ closely followed by ‘Great Balls Of Fire’. His style was in the boogie-woogie rapid fire genre and his piano playing was outrageous which would have had Chopin and Liszt turn in their graves. He would pump the piano keys hard with his left hand providing a fast tempo and the frenzied right hand going all over the keyboard rapidly. He would sometimes pound the keys with his feet, sit on the keyboard and stand on the piano. All this with his good looks and enticing voice earned him the nickname ‘Killer’ and he was often referred to as ‘R ‘n R’s first great wild man’.

At the height of his popularity, he fell in love with his 13-year old cousin and married her. He himself was just 22 and already twice married. This caused a huge public uproar and Lewis fell from grace. Some years later, he made a comeback but in Country music where he again made a name for himself. In fact, he kept singing well into the 21st century and in May this year, was inducted into the Country Hall Of Fame.

Once he had reestablished himself, he did make a partial comeback into R ‘n R and I loved his ‘Chantilly Lace’. He continued to perform in public and what caught my attention the other day was a video on YouTube of an old performance in company with Tom Jones in which the latter seems awestruck by Lewis. In fact, Tom Jones has spoken about his admiration for Lewis and his desire for 'Great Balls Of Fire' to be played at his own funeral! 

In my NDA years 1955-58, these pioneers of R ‘n R provided me with much needed comfort on many hard days’ nights.

SARONIC ISLANDS

Demis Roussos, Greek, and Udaipur, travel destination, brought to mind a visit to Athens in 2014 and the delightful boat trip to three islands in Saronic Gulf. I had written about it in a piece published in Outlook magazine which I am posting here for those interested and who might not have read it earlier. 

                                                          

                                                       SARONIC ISLANDS

During a trip to Athens this summer, my wife and I decided to take a day’s cruise to the picturesque Saronic Islands that one had heard so much about. 

Our yacht departed from the port town of Piraeus at 8.30 a.m. and set course for our first destination, the island of Hydra or Idhra as the Greeks call it. We were soon into the Saronic Gulf which was blue, serene and calm and the weather was clear with the sun bright but not too hot. A cap and sunglasses were nevertheless desirable. The passage to Hydra was about two and a half hours which passed very quickly as apart from taking in the beautiful scenery all around us, there was a two man combo on the upper deck playing and singing nostalgic old songs including the ever popular and appropriate Zorba the Greek!

All too soon we entered Hydra harbor which is shaped like an amphitheatre or a crescent moon. Greystone mansions are constructed on the slope of a hill dating back to the 17th and 18th century. Hydra has been a favourite resort of the international jet set since the 1950s when it was popularized by Henry Miller’s Colliseus of Marousi. Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd have all rubbed shoulders with the average tourist here. The Monastery of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary with a marine museum is right on the waterfront as you disembark from your boat. Hydra permits no automobiles on the island but boasts of over 500 donkeys which help the locals transport heavy loads. The waterside is full of busy cafes and boutique hotels and shops selling souvenirs, clothing, silverware and other handicrafts. You can venture inside the meandering, narrow cobblestone paved lanes for better bargains. 

It was time to embark and proceed to the second and the smallest of our three islands, Poros. This was a shorter passage of about an hour. Somewhat like Venice, the town of Poros is on a little strip uniting two minor bays with a small canal separating it from the rest of the island. In ancient times, Poros was actually two islands, Spheria and Kalavria, till the explosion of a volcano in 273 B.C. gave Poros its present shape. It has a distinct appearance with its white houses and red tiled roofs. On a hill is a prominent clocktower inviting tourists to climb up for a breathtaking panoramic view.  Poros is famous for its seafood and the yummy gelato which we could have only two of as the time on the island was restricted to 45 minutes!

Back on board and heading for our third island, the Aegina, which is towards Athens, it was time for a sumptuous buffet lunch. It was a mix of Greek and Continental food with rich desserts accompanied by live music. A sip of coffee and we were at Aegina which has a neoclassical and modern look. Due to time constraint, we were given the option to take a drive around the island or go for a swim on one of its famous beaches. We opted for the island trip. 

Close to the harbor is the ancient temple of Aphaia dating back to 480 B.C.  We were shown the house where Nikos Kazantzakis wrote Zorba the Greek.  A brief stopover was made at the majestic Church of Agios Nikolaos, the saint protector of fishermen and sailors. But Aegina is most famous for its pistachios. My wife and I had never seen a pistachio tree but here we saw them in thousands as they are abundant all over the island.  The harbor is full of shops selling pistachios and we bought a lot for family and friends. 

By now, it was 7 p.m. and time to sail back to Piraeus, a 75 minute ride. Durimg this passage, a memorable song and dance session was organised with full audience participation. We were literally pulled out of our chairs by the performers inviting us to join in the Greek dances including the Zorba once again! A great time was had by one and all and the cruise was by far the high point of our summer tour.

UDAIPUR 1949-51

 

The Rajasthan High Court was inaugurated on 29 August 1949 and Pitaji was sworn in as a High Court Judge at a ceremony in Jodhpur and transferred to Udaipur to head the bench there. First week of September, Pitaji, Mataji and I took the long overnight metre gauge train journey involving two changes to Udaipur. We were initially put up in Laxmi Vilas Guesthouse perched on top of a hill close to the City Palace and overlooking the Pichola lake. 

Udaipur, capital of the old Mewar Kingdom and founded in 1553, is a picturesque city located around a number of lakes, Pichola and Fateh Sagar being the main ones. For us, it was a welcome change from the dry and dusty Bharatpur. One of the first things I noticed, there were no fans anywhere. When I asked I was told that Udaipur, with its temperate climate as a result of water all around, was classified as a ‘hill station’!

Two islands on Pichola with impressive structures were visible from our Guesthouse. I was keen to visit them and luckily, Pitaji himself had tourist blood in his veins and we went to the islands on the very first weekend. The first was Jagmandir named after Maharana Jagat Singh I and completed in mid-17th century. It was the Lake Garden Palace of the Maharanas. It is said that Shahjehan, then known as Khurram, took refuge on the island during the fight for Jehangir’s successor and the unique floating marble structure of the Palace was his inspiration for the designing of Taj Mahal.

The second island we visited was Jag Niwas built by Maharana Jagat Singh II 1743-46 as his summer palace. This lavish piece of marble architecture with its terraces, gardens and fountains is now the Taj Lake Palace Hotel.

Udaipur is a tourists’ paradise and our weekends were all taken up by seeing new places. We visited the City Palace where I was amazed to see a garden on the rooftop of the 5-storey, 100 ft high monument. Then there was the Saheliyon Ki Bari, an ancient park with colourful fountains and marble elephants. Located on a hill by the side of Fateh Sagar was Sajjangarh, the Monsoon Palace of the Maharanas, which afforded a bird's eyeview of the entire city. An hour’s drive away on the winding road through Aravali hills, we visited Jaisamand which is the second largest artificial fresh water lake in Asia.

We are devotees of Lord Shrinathji whose idol is housed in the famous temple at Nathdwara, 48 kms. north-east of Udaipur. Shrinathji is a ‘swarup’ of Lord Krishna as a 7 year old boy who saved a village, Goverdhan, near Mathura, from torrential rains and deluge by holding up a hill with his left hand to provide shelter. Actually the idol was initially installed in Goverdhan but moved to Nathdwara in 1672 to save it from destruction by the Moghuls. A special ‘rath’ was constructed from wood without any nails for the transfer of the holy idol. The ‘rath’ has since been kept on display inside the temple complex. 

We first visited the temple during Diwali holidays that year. During 'darshan', one was being constantly pushed from side to side. On enquiring, I was told that it was done intentionally to simulate waves of the river Yamuna, the river passing through Mathura, birthplace of Lord Krishna. Another custom was a pujari standing and hitting devotees as they passed him with a knotted sheet; that symbolised cleansing one of one’s misdeeds by striking them out of the body. 

On Annakoot, the day after Diwali, the temple authorities had prepared more than 50 items of 'prasada'. I was awestruck to see a ten-foot high mound of cooked rice placed in the 'aangan' of the temple for distribution to the devotees.

The Udaipur area has its own ‘char dham’ for Vaishnavites and we visited all four many times during our stay in Udaipur. 42 kms. from the city is Eklingji worshipped as the ruling god of Mewar with the Maharana as his Dewan. The next is Shrinathji in Nathdwara followed by Dwarkadhish in Kankroli, next to the serene Rajsamand Lake. Completing the ‘char dham’ is Charbhujaji which is 112 kms. from Udaipur.

Near Charbhujaji, we also visited Ranakpur Jain temple famous for its fascinating architecture.  

Haldi Ghati, scene of the famous battle between Maharana Pratap and Akbar’s forces led by Maharaja Man Singh I of Amber, lies a short distance away between Eklingji and Nathdwara and was, of course, on our touring list. Visiting the historical site and standing by the Chetak Smarak, memorial to Maharana Pratap’s famous steed, one could visualise the battle in one's mind.

Chittorgarh, about 80 kms. from Udaipur and home to a huge fort, also invited a couple of trips from us. Apart from the fort, I remember visiting the Vijay Stambh and Rani Padmini’s Palace.

If my account of stay in Udaipur reads like a travelogue, it should surprise no one. The area is rich in history, monuments and lakes and a paradise for tourists who flock there in lakhs every year from thousands of miles away. And we had the luxury of living there visiting the sites at our leisure over a long stretch of time. 

Pitaji was allotted a government house next to the High Court enabling him to walk across for work. It had a big lawn with elevated levels on the sides. I remember this specially for one incident. Mummy, who was still teaching in Bharatpur, was on a visit and we were out on the lawn when I decided to run up and down the slopes. Mummy also got in the mood and joined me but slipped and fell on her face. Fortunately, she escaped with minor injuries but I considered myself responsible for the incident and felt very guilty about it. 

For my schooling, Pitaji had already planned to put me in a unique institution founded by his friend and well-known educationist, Shri Mohan Singh Mehta. I went into Class VII at the Vidya Bhawan, a school much ahead of its time. In an orthodox and conservative state of Rajasthan where women covered their faces with long ‘ghoonghats’, the School was a co-education one. It followed the objective of overall development of a child and not just academics. I went to School at 7 a.m. in a tonga accompanied by 6-7 other kids and returned almost 12 hours later. On reaching School, we started with physical training followed by breakfast. Classes were from 9 a,m. to 1.30 p.m. before the lunchbreak. Then for one hour, there was a compulsory siesta where we used to spread our bedroll kept in lockers on to the verandah. Up and into hobbies like carpentry and foundry and Indian dance lessons like Kathak and Ghoomar by Shri Devi Lal Samar who gained fame later by setting up his own Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal and was awarded the Padma Shri. Finally, we played games like Football, Hockey and Volleyball before catching the tonga back to home. On days of pleasant weather, students could opt to visit a nearby village or farm.

At home, we had two living-in staff to help us with domestic work. One of them was a boy in his late teens or early 20s and I used to play with him. One day, I took a bet with him and lost. I stole a five-rupee note from Mataji’s purse to pay off the bet. I felt extremely guilty about it but was afraid to tell Mataji as Rs. 5 was big money in those days but I learnt my lesson not to repeat such promises unless I personally had the required funds!

Months went by and we were feeling well settled when in May ‘50 came the order abolishing the Udaipur High Court bench. Pitaji was transferred to Jaipur where we reached end-May. We were put up in the State guesthouse called Khasa Kothi. It was the height of summer and a regular feature was a dust storm in the afternoon. The only variation was that it could be a ‘kaali aandhi‘ or ‘peeli aandhi’ that we could see approaching from the west. 

Meanwhile, Mummy was selected to do a year’s B.Ed. Course in the Vidya Bhawan Teacher’s College in Udaipur starting July. As the institution was close to my school, it was decided that I should accompany her and continue for another year in Vidya Bhawan. A special permission was taken for me to stay with Mummy in the Ladies Hostel where we were allotted a small room in one corner. I had lots of Aunties and Didis around me for company!

With Mummy busy with her studies, there wasn’t much of interest happening. For practical experience, teachers undergoing B.Ed. were at times detailed to conduct classes in our school. Once a Maths lady teacher who I knew well from the Hostel came for a Geometry lesson to our class. Introducing us to Pythagoras’ theorem, she said, “A suker plus B suker is equal to C suker.” Nobody understood what she meant despite a number of repetitions. A classmate got up and asked her what was ‘suker’? This enraged her and she said that she couldn’t believe that students of Class VIII didn’t know the term and were just ridiculing her. Finally, she wrote on the blackboard, “A square plus B square = C square.” The class burst out laughing and the teacher thought we were being naughty and reported us to the Headmaster for appropriate punishment.

Apart from me, the only other males in the Hostel were the Warden and his two nephews in their 20s. In a large room next to ours, one of the occupants was a young, attractive lady in her early 20s, fresh out of college. The younger nephew and the young lady were attracted to each other and would meet surreptitiously. There were times when my School closed earlier than Mummy’s College. The young lady would skip classes and come back to the Hostel and ask me to keep a lookout while the nephew and she spent time together in her room. This went on for some time when one day, the young lady’s roommate came back early. I must have been sleeping on my watch as I failed to warn the couple. All hell broke loose and my role was exposed too. The nephews were banished and I got a sound thrashing from Mummy, second only to the combined one of Mataji and Mummy when I bunked from School in Bharatpur at age <6!

Days then rolled by normally and I busied myself with studies. Mummy was quite fond of movies and that was our main entertainment. I distinctly remember two unforgettable ones. ‘Mahal’, said to be Bollywood’s first horror film, had the glamorous Madhubala’s ghost flitting  all over from a swing on the lawn to inside the large mansion singing ‘Aayega, aayega, aayega, aayega aanewala, aayega, aayega’ (Lata Mangeshkar’s launching superhit), and haunting her target, the bewildered and dazed Ashok Kumar. The other movie, ‘Andaz’, was the deeply emotional story of a love triangle with Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Nargis. The music by Naushad and songs sung by Mukesh in his deep, mellifluous voice with beautiful piano accompaniment were outstanding and hearttugging. The three best were, ‘Jhoom jhoom ke nacho aaj, gao khushi ke geet, aaj kisi ki haar hui hai, aur kisi ki jeet’, ‘Hum aaj kahin dil kho baithe, yunh samjho kisi ke ho baithe’ and ‘Tu kahe agar jeevan bhar, mein geet sunata jaoon’. 

Came May 1951, I passed my VIIIth, Mummy successfully completed her B.Ed. and was transferred to Jaipur and we moved to that city. The ' Jaipur- Vaipur’ prophecy of the 5-year old had come true in 7 years.

IT'S A LOVELY DAY TODAY

 Woke up today to a beautiful morning. Hint of rain to come or maybe it has rained in places nearby. It was cloudy with temperature around 26* C., and a gentle, cool and pleasant easterly wind blowing at 10 knots. So an old song hummed in my mind. It’s an Irving Berlin composition featured in the 1953 movie, “Call Me Madam”, sung and tap-danced brilliantly by Donald O’Connor and Vera Ellen. Without further ado, the song, “It’s A Lovely Day Today”:

‘It’s a lovely day today

So whatever you’ve got to do

You’ve got a lovely day to do it in, that’s true….

And whatever you’ve got to do

I’d be so happy to be doing it with you.

But if you’ve got something that must be done

And it can only be done by one

There is nothing more to say

Except it’s a lovely day for saying

It’s a lovely day.’

What lovely lines!

Going further down memory lane, echoes Rodgers and Hammerstein's number from "Oklahoma":

'Oh, what a beautiful morning, oh, what a beautiful day,

I've got a beautiful feeling, that everything's going my way.'

In the same vein, sing along another lively number “Beautiful Sunday”, by Daniel Boone:

‘Birds are singing, you by my side

Let’s take a car and go for a ride

Hey, hey, hey, it’s a beautiful day….

Ha, ha, ha, beautiful Sunday

This is my, my, my, beautiful day

When you say, say, say, say that you love me,

Oh my, my, my, it’s a beautiful day’.

Today may be Thursday but I’m getting the car out!

THE CHARMING DEMIS ROUSSOS

 

The other day, Ruchir sent me a video of Harry Styles performing in a concert. Ignorant as I am of the present music scene, the only Harry I know is in association with Tom and Dick while the last time I came across ‘Styles’ was in Agatha Christie’s first novel, “The Mysterious Affair At Styles” which I read 70 years ago, also my first read of that brilliant author of detective stories. The two nouns put together, Harry Styles, were totally Greek to me.

So I asked Ruchir who updated my knowledge of music by telling me that Harry Styles was perhaps the most popular singer of today and Ruchir had just attended an entertraining concert of Styles’ at Madison Square Garden, New York.

As is my wont, I returned to my own dream world and remembered a genuine Greek singer and not just as a figure of speech, Demis Roussos, one of my top favourites who I often listen to and watch videos of till date.

I hadn’t heard of him till I saw the movie, “Sholay”, and loved the song and dance scene of “Mehbooba Mehbooba”. Someone told me that the song was a copy of a number by a singer called Demis Roussos.  Indeed, recently I read that the Director of “Sholay”, Ramesh Sippy, confessed in an interview that when he and his wife attended a concert by Roussos in London, Mrs Sippy was so smitten by the song “Say You Love Me”, that she told her husband to incorporate it in his movie and he, like a good husband, obliged.

And so I got to learn of Demis Roussos and on listening to his songs, developed an instant liking for him. While his songs fell in folk pop and rock music category, he had a unique voice which was a bit feminine but smooth and appealing. His lyrics, though romantic and emotional, were optimistic and positive and the pace of music quick and flowing. The songs were often of separation and longing but not of heartbreaks and tears. His videos on TV show that he was well-built, bearded and handsome, usually dressed in an elegant kaftan. Wearing a smile, he projected a charming and likeable image, urging his audience to sing along and have a good time.

He was at his best in the 1970s though his popularity was undiminished till his passing away in 2015 at the age of 68. His solo career began with “We Shall Dance” which reached the top 10 in 1971 while “Forever And Forever” was his first number one on the charts in 1973, followed by many others. 

On to 6 of my top favourites and their heartwarming lyrics. Appropriately, we begin with his first hit, “We Shall Dance”, a song of blossoming love looking into the future:

“We shall dance, we shall sing, my dear love, oh, my spring, 

My love, good days will come….

We shall dance, we shall stay, with the children at play,

Lord, I swear when the time comes, we’ll pray.”

Love blooms and reaches a high in “Forever And Ever”:

“Ever and ever, forever and ever you’ll be the one,

That shines on me like the morning sun,

Ever and ever, forever and ever you’ll be my spring

My rainbow’s end and the song I sing.

You’ll be my dream, my symphony, my own lover’s theme,

Ever and ever, forever and ever my destiny will follow you eternally.”

“My Only Fascination” has a similar theme:

“You’re my only fascination, my sweet inspiration, everything I hope would be,

You’re the dawn that rises for me, my summer wind from the sea.

You’re my only fascination, my sweet inspiration, you’re my tender harmony,

If it rains it’s music I hear, only because you are near.”

“Lovely Lady Of Arcadia” has a touch of sadness as the singer had to depart. He misses his love’s kiss and smile and says that he is living to come back to her once more:

“Lovely lady of Arcadia, promise you will wait for me

In your arms I found my Shangrila

And it’s where I long to be, lost in love eternally.”

One of his greatest hits was “My Friend The Wind” which has distinctive lyrics with Greek words in the refrain leaving people to guess at their meaning. The words are ‘Helenimou’, 'Aghapimou’ and ‘Manoulamou’. ‘Heleni’ is a girl's a name, ‘aghapi,’ love, ‘manoula’, one’s loving female, and ‘mou’ meaning my. The theme is that the wind coming from and returning to the hills would convey the lovers’ messages to and fro. The video of Roussos singing on the hill in Athens with the Acropolis in the background and the wind blowing gently is delightful:

“My friend the wind will come from the north,

With words of love, she whispered for me….

My friend the wind go back to the hills,

And tell my love a day will soon come,

Oh friendly wind you tell a secret

You know so well, oh you know so well.” 

The refrain of the song is repeated in ever accelerating pace as in ‘Zorba The Greek’, exhorting people to dance the Sirtaki”.

“I’ll hear her voice and the words that he brings from Helenimou,

Sweet as a kiss are the songs of Aghapimou,

Soft as the dew is the touch of Manoulamou, oh oh oh.”

Our final number, “Goodbye, My Love Goodbye” sung in a hopefully temporary farewell to the loved one, is, for me, Roussos’ best song. The lyrics are extremely touching:

“Goodbye my love, goodbye, goodbye and au revoir,

As long as you remember me I’ll never be too far.

Goodbye my love, goodbye, I always will be true,

So hold me in your arms ‘til I come back to you.”

Can you ever forget a singer and a song like this!

 

MEMORIES ARE MADE OF THIS....

It's that time of the year when dormant memories rise. Glossing over the product of 7 and 12, the numbers are special to me as the significant period of my growing up.

Shifting from Muttra (Mathura) to Bharatpur, we, Pitaji, Mataji (my Nana and Nani) and I, moved in a house called Balbir Bhavan. Pitaji was settling down in a new appointment as a High Court Judge under the eccentric Maharaja. Pitaji was honest and sincere to the core and sometimes undue pressures made him worry if he could survive in the job. There were other factors such as keeping the Maharaja happy in the Club with Tennis and other activities. Then the Maharaja decided to declare Tuesday as holiday instead of Sunday. That too irked Pitaji as Sunday was the day for the weekly visit of a barber for haircut and shave followed by shampoo which Pitaji was not comfortable with on Tuesday, being a holy day. Somehow, he survived all that.

One day, Pitaji wanted me to have a haircut which I resisted. Pitaji gave me a very light slap which did not hurt at all but the rebuke stung as that was the only time he raised his hand at me.

In summer, we used to sleep in the balcony. Lying in bed, Pitaji would ask me to recount the lessons I had learnt in the day. I would start speaking and stop when I heard Pitaji snore. But the moment I did so, he would wake up with a start and ask why I had stopped.

Some other tidbits I recall. Shashi Mama on vacation catching high fever and fed up with being given just milk all the time, shouting, "Doodh Maharaj ki jai!"; my mixing Dalmoth with milk and horrifying a visitor; touching the fuse box with two fingers and getting flung off the staircase I was standing on; taking a paan for Chachaji, my great-grandfather, who did not want it and eating it myself not knowing it contained tobacco!

We lived in Balbir Bhavan for less than a year before moving to what was known as 'Control House' as it was an Excise Control Office before being allotted to Pitaji. It was fairly large with rooms all around an 'aangan' which became my favourite place in the house. By then, I had started following Cricket and being by myself most of the time, devised a way to play the game alone by bouncing a Tennis or rubber ball off the facing wall and batting on the rebound. 

Newspapers were the only way to read about Cricket and that's how I followed the progress of the Indian team led by Nawab of Pataudi Senior on the tour of England in 1946. I became familiar with the names of stalwarts such as Vijay Merchant, Mushtaq Ali, Lala Amarnath, Vinoo Mankad and Gul Mohammad but my top favourite was Vijay Hazare. I was thrilled to read about him and Gul Mohammad strike a record partnership of 577 runs for Baroda in the Ranji Trophy final of 1946-47 against Holkar. Mohammad scored 319 while Hazare made 288.

In the winter of 1947-48, the Indian team toured Australia which at that time was unbeatable with legends such as Don Bradman, Lindsay Hassett, Ray Lindwall and Keith Miller. The Indian team was thrashed 4-0 in the 5 match series but in the 4th test at Adelaide, Vijay Hazare made 116 and 145 becoming the first Indian cricketer to score a century in both innings of a test.

In 1948, Pitaji, Mataji and I went to Delhi and I witnessed my first test match with India playing West Indies at the Ferozeshah Kotla ground. West Indies rattled up a huge score with Clyde Walcott, Gerry Gomez, Everton Weekes and Robert Christiani scoring centuries but India managed a draw thanks to Hemu Adhikari scoring an unbeaten century and 50-plus knocks from KC Ibrahim, Rusi Mody and Lala Amarnath. Following on, Adhikari remained unbeaten in the second innings too and helped draw the match.

A troublesome fact about the 'aangan' was that it was home to many yellow wasps (tattaiyas) which stung me quite often. Then someone told me to avoid any movement if a wasp came close. One day, a wasp alighted on my arm. I just froze which was difficult as I could see and feel the creature crawling on my skin. But I held my nerve and soon the wasp flew off harmlessly. Funny enough, no wasp has targeted me after that!

In those days, I often suffered from malaria which made me very weak. Our family doctor advised that I should eat eggs. Now ours was a strictly vegetarian house where even onion and garlic were taboo. But Mataji cast away all religious and emotional reservations and put an 'angeethi' and required utensils aside in the verandah where she would boil two eggs and make me eat them every day.

Since most of the time I was alone, I invented company and had imaginary friends Pip, Peep, John and Beau, supposedly studying with me at New Zealand's Wellington University. I very much missed Mummy, who was studying at Allahabad, and used to count the days till she came home on vacations. Ditto for my Mamas. Vinnie Mama was adept at drawing cartoons and one I remember well was of his bedding, which he had forgotten in the compartment while changing trains, searching high and low for him.

Vinnie Mama was awaited anxiously for another reason: he always came with a collection of the latest Pankaj Mullick 78 rpm records which I was very fond of.

On Ganesh Chaturthi in 1945, my formal schooling started. Actually, an effort was made to put me in a school earlier but soon after joining, some friends persuaded me to bunk and go out and play with them.When someone came to pick me up, I was missing and it took a long time before I was found. That got me a sound thrashing from Mataji and Mummy and I was taken off school! Luckily, the school shifted very near the Control House and I was allowed to rejoin. 

I was a fairly good student and one memory I have is that of doing well in a Maths exam in Class V and coming home singing Pankaj Mullick's 'Aaj apni mehnaton ka mujhko samra mil gaya.'

Meanwhile, history was in the making. Independence was declared on 15 August 1947 amidst communal riots and tanks rolling in to quell any doubts in the Maharaja's mind about joining the Indian Union. Returning from school one day, I saw a dangerous bunch of people with spears coming my way. Frightened, I hid behind some bushes till they went past. Later I wondered what would have happened if they had seen me; I had no way of identifying myself as either a Hindu or a Muslim!

And then came Mahatma Gandhi's assassination. Mummy by then had finished her Masters degree and was teaching in a girls' school in Bharatpur. She had gone to a friend's house and heard the news on radio. I remember her frightened and shocked look when she returned home and told us about it.

On the lighter side, I was old enough to see movies and Mummy, who was fond of them, used to take me along. One of the earliest I recall was "Hunterwali Ki Beti" the main character of which had the screen name 'Fearless Nadia'. She was an Australian born actress who had moved to India with her Scottish father. Unbelievably, in an era totally dominated by males, she played a woman who would singlehandedly fight a large number of men. Nadia herself performed dangerous stunts like jumping from a roof and landing on both feet with a scornful laugh!  

Another memorable movie was "Anmol Ghadi" featuring Suraiya, Noor Jehan and Surendra. It was packed with 12 hit songs including Shamshad Begum's 'Udan Khatole Pe Ud Jaoon, Tere Haath Na Aoon' and one of my favourite 'bachpan' songs, Noor Jehan's 'Mere Bachpan Ke Saathi Mujhe Bhool Na Jana'.

'Bachpan' was a popular genre those days. There were many unforgettable numbers such as Shamshad and Lata's 'Bachpan Ke Din Bhula Na Dena' and Lata's solo 'Bachpan Ki Muhabbat Ko Dil Se Na Juda Karna' to go along with the older Pankaj Mullick and Pahari Sanyal's 'Kahan Woh Bachpan Ka Pyara Sapna' and Hemant Kumar's 'Bhala Tha Kitna Apna Bachpan'.

In the final year in Bharatpur, we moved into a new house called "Dev Kutir". Vinnie Mama had joined the Navy and came home on leave full of naval stories and his photos in smart, white uniform. I promptly dressed in whites, shirt, shorts, stockings, shoes and all, and put on his cap and Sub Lieut's epaulettes on my shoulders and got myself photographed. The photo was securely affixed in an album but sadly, I can't trace it now. Anyway, the seed of an idea of becoming a naval officer had been sowed resulting in my joining the NDA 6 years later. 

The summer of 1949 was extremely hot. Shashi Mama was on vacation getting bored confined to the house the whole day. At the end of the day, he would unfailingly shout out his one-liner, "Garaz Ke Kaat Diya Zindagi Ka Din Ek Aur." Mummy decided to escape the heat by taking me to visit Mansiji in Dehra Dun where Masarji was commanding the 5th Gurkha Regiment. Along with their family, we visited Mussoorie where I insisted on going to a skating rink with Mummy saying no. I set off on my own and got separated from Mummy which led to some anxious moments for all before we were reunited.

On return to Dehra Dun, we got the sad news of my grand uncle, Rameshwar Nathji's sudden passing away at the age of just 50 and Mummy and I caught the first available train to Alwar. He was the last male elder from my father's side and we used to visit him a lot. The fact that his wife was Mataji's elder sister was another reason for our frequent visits. Once, Mataji took me to Alwar to try and escape a mumps infection rampant among my schoolmates but by the time we reached Alwar, I was already down with the illness. A Hakim was called who used to paint my cheeks and throat with some black paste. I recovered without much pain within three days whereas I had seen my friends suffering for weeks in Bharatpur.

A halwai had his shop just outside the house in Alwar and used to make the most delectable and juicy 'imartis' I have ever eaten. Unfortunately, my grand aunt, who had no children of her own, moved to her step daughter's house and my visit to Alwar at the time of grand uncle's demise was the last time I went to that city.

Soon after, Pitaji was appointed Judge in the newly formed Rajasthan High Court and transferred to Udaipur. When moving from Muttra to Bharatpur, I had innocently muttered "Abhi to kahan kahan jayenge, Jaipur Vaipur". At that time, any further move was far from my grandparents' thoughts  and Mataji immediately shut me up with a harsh admonition, "Chup kar, kulachchni baat nahin kehte''. My words were now turning prophetic with the 'Vaipur' part coming true soon to be followed by 'Jaipur'.

I had entered my 12th year and grown out of 'bachpan'.

',  

13 LIVES

Every once in a while, there comes a movie that overwhelms you. "13 Lives" that I saw the other day was the latest to do that to me.

It is based on a real life incident that happened 4 years ago. Most of us would recall following the news on TV of a massive rescue effort launched to rescue 12 members of a Thai junior football team of boys aged 11 to 16 and their 25 year old Assistant Coach, Ekkaphon Chanthawong, trapped in an underground cave in Chiang Rai Province in northern Thailand. After a practice game on 23 June 2018, the 13 lads decided to go to the Thang Luang Nang Non cave to celebrate the birthday of the oldest team member, carrying cakes, eats and drinks. The boys parked their bicycles at the entrance of the cave and went in. When the boys were inside, it started raining heavily and they were trapped, unable to come out. The cave started flooding and the boys were driven further inside. Thereafter, there was no contact with them for almost 2 weeks. The only clue that they were in the cave was their bikes.

When the boys were reported missing, Thai Naval Seal divers rushed to the site but because of the flooding and currents, were unable to make progress inside the cave. Thai government contacted the British Cave Rescue Council which sent expert divers led by John Volanthen and Rick Stanton, key players in planning and carrying out the eventual rescue.

Till 2nd July when Volanthen and Stanton first made contact with the kids, it was not known if the kids were still alive. When found, they were in a calm but disoriented state and asked what date it was. Communication was also difficult as only one of them spoke English. They asked if they could get out straightaway but were told it would take some more time during which they would be supplied with food and essential supplies.

Back to base, the divers pondered over the problem of getting the boys out. Could they be taught basic underwater diving given that a few didn't know even how to swim (like me!), could a new entrance be drilled, could they wait out the monsoon period still expected to last another couple of months? In all cases, the answer was a big no. 

Stanton then got an idea for which they summoned Dr. Harris, an anaesthesist from Australia. The plan was fraught with danger and both Volanthen's and Dr. Harris' initial reaction was that it was crazy. But as Stanton said, "We do nothing, we'll be bringing out dead for sure. But if they die while we're bringing them out, at least we will have tried." The plan along with the risks involved was revealed to the Thai Provincial Governor who took all responsibilty and gave the go-ahead.

Meanwhile, public concern and commiseration for the young lads drove multitudes of people to the site to help in the rescue effort. It was reckoned that around 10000 experts and volunteers from 25 countries played a part in the rescue which finally ended on 10 July. India was also represented with technical experts from Kirloskar Brothers rendering advice on dewatering and pumps.

All this and more is brilliantly portrayed in the movie "13 Lives" directed and produced by the famous Ron Howard who also directed "Apollo 13" (13 a coincidence?!), and won the Oscar for "A Beautiful Mind". Here is a movie the end of which you know but not the complexities which made escape next to impossible. That is what holds you in a vice-like grip throughout the 140 minutes and keeps you riveted to the screen, at one with the trapped boys and the rescuers. You watch with bated breath as the desperate plan unfolds and keep your fingers crossed for it to succeed. The emotions the movie makes you go through are like a roller-coaster ride.

The acting headed by Viggi Mortenson as Rick Stanton, Colin Farrell as John Volanthen and Joel Edgerton as Dr. Richard Harris is natural and realistic, the underwater cinematography by Sayombhu Mukdeeprom super and the screenplay by William Nicholson tells the story like it is with no melodrama. The dialogue is crisp with a caustic sense of humour. For example, one of the divers discussing the rescue simplifies the plan by stating, "Act like delivery boys handling packages."

There is, however, one aspect that I felt deserved much more emphasis in the movie as well as the accounts I have read. The boys were kept hopeful, calm and disciplined for over two weeks with no contact with the outside world and with limited food and water under the supervision of Ekkaphon. How peace and tranquility was maintained was exceptional. There could have been total desperation, pessimism and mental breakdown but the boys were found in good spirits. When asked who would be the first to be evacuated, there was no rush but, not aware of the massive arrangements, a unanimous decision that he should be the one who stayed farthest from the cave as they thought he would have to cycle all the way back to his home.The boys said the assistant coach made them meditate, chant and pray and kept their hopes alive. He really deserved heaps of praise but ironically, there were some who thought he should be held guilty for leading the boys into the cave in the first place. He himself, an illegal immigrant, had pangs of self-guilt and expected to be blamed. However, to his pleasant surprise, the parents and the boys gave him full credit and no case was made out against him. To top it all, he was granted Thai citizenship.

Watch the movie; it's one of a kind.

P.S. Netflix is coming out with a limited series "Thai Cave Rescue" on 22 September. I eagerly await.

 

TO BOMBAY AS FLEET OPERATIONS OFFICER

After a number of appointments from 1961 to 1969 on ships based in Bombay, I had left the city for Cochin in December ’69. I was then away for a good 13 years before returning to Bombay in December ’82 as the Fleet Operations Officer (FOO), Western fleet. An important professional and responsible job, the only thing I didn’t like about it was that people called you ‘FOO’, winking that ‘L’ was silent!

Shumita had just started schooling in nursery but Ruchir had to complete his term, so initially I moved on my own. Admiral Nayyar had already taken over as the Fleet Commander and we were soon sailing for exercises. For flagship, we alternated between the new Rajput commanded by Capt SW (Shreeni) Lakhkar and Vindhyagiri, commanded by Capt NN (Baby) Anand. Adm Nayyar and I got on well together and I fondly remember our walks up and down on the wings of the Bridge of our flagship whenever there was a lull between exercise serials.

Akhila and I wanted the kids to settle in their Bombay Schools as early as possible but there was a mismatch with Delhi finishing the academic year in March and Bombay in February. Akhila managed to persuade the Principal of Delhi Public School to give Ruchir an early promotion and the family shifted to Bombay mid-January. After a short stay in the MES Inspection Bungalow, we moved to our allotted accommodation in Gemini in the Navy Nagar, Colaba. 

End-February, the Fleet sailed on a cruise to Muscat, Bahrain and Dubai. It was an enjoyable visit and we were looked after well in all three ports. I had been to Bahrain and Dubai before but Muscat was new to me. Cdr YN Sharma, who had joined us as the NHQ representative, and I explored the outskirts of the city in a car organized for us with an Indian chauffeur who played Bollywood songs throughout our ride. Now whenever I hear the song “Jehan Teri Yeh Nazar Hai” from ‘Kaalia’, the vision of our drive in Muscat countryside flashes in my mind. 

While in Dubai, we got the news that our government had allowed the import of colour TVs. I immediately went and bought a Hitachi TV. On return to India, some people advised me not to declare it to the Customs but I insisted on doing so. The Customs did not accept my cash memo and levied a heavy duty which I paid. I then went to my friend, Cdr Halim Talibuddin, who was working with the Customs on deputation. He directed me to the Commissioner (Appeals), Mr. Joglekar, who ordered that I should be charged as per my cash memo and the excess amount refunded. A good amount of money was recovered and my stand on declaring the TV vindicated.

End-March, Adm Nayyar was transferred to Cochin as Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Southern Naval Command (FOCinC South) but no relief appointed. That meant I was virtually heading the Fleet planning all sailings and exercises! For actual sailings, there was the SOPA (Senior Officer Present Afloat) taking charge but it was made clear that he would exercise no control over the Fleet Staff and would conduct exercises using his ship’s staff. Mostly, Capt Baby Anand, CO Vindhyagiri, was the SOPA and we appreciated each other’s position well. One good thing about sailing with him was the high quality of food made possible by the fact that the fruits and vegetables were fresh from his farm on the outskirts of Bombay.

Upto that time, Replenishment At Sea (RAS), i.e. transfer of fuel, stores and personnel, was confined to a maximum of three ships with the supply ship engaging the two receiving ships on either side. Adm Tahiliani, FOCinC West, discussed with me the possibility of involving 5 ships simultaneously. For the next sailing, the Admiral embarked on board Vindhyagiri and brought along Mr Julio Ribeiro, Commissioner Police, Bombay. We successfully carried out RAS with 5 ships for the first time and a helo from Vindhyagiri took photos one of which adorns a wall in my living room in Jaipur. Subsequently, Fleet Commanders have gone ahead with increasing the number of ships to 9.

Some political unrest was stirring in Mauritius and the Fleet was sailed to Goa to be in readiness if required. As there was no Fleet Commander, VAdm Mookerjee, Vice Chief of Naval Staff, flew down to Goa to take charge of the Fleet. Fortunately, the situation stabilised soon and the Fleet returned to Bombay. 

End-April, after a gap of over a month, we had a proper FOCWF with the appointment of Vice Admiral IJS Khurana. 

In July, Admiral Dawson, CNS, scheduled a major exercise with all available ships and a submarine participating. CNS’s intention was to test the efficiency of ships in detecting and holding contact of a submarine in heavy monsoon conditions. The weather really turned rough with the result that ships were finding it difficult to maintain course and speed and a large number of personnel were seasick. In the chaotic situation, I remembered a joke told to me by Babuji, my father-in-law: a musical show was underway with some really atrocious fare by the performers. A tough, fearsome guy mounted the stage brandishing a sword. The performers started to scamper away but the swordsman ordered them to sit down and carry on with the show. He shouted, “Go on, you keep singing and playing, I have no quarrel with you. I am looking for the guy who scheduled this performance.”

I repeated the joke to the Naval Adviser to CNS and added, “Don’t blame the ships, let them carry on whatever they are doing. Let’s look for the guy who scheduled this exercise.” This was probably conveyed to the CNS as he appeared to look askance at me whenever he saw me after that. 

Adm Khurana and I were getting used to working with each other when I was suddenly appointed CO Trishul bringing an end to my 10-month term as FOO.

ROLLY LEWIN AS I KNEW HIM

 

Navy Foundation message routinely said, “Deeply regret to inform the demise of Commodore Roland Derek Lewin…” For those of us who knew him well, it was sad and disturbing though ‘Rolly’ as he was popularly known, had been keeping unwell for five years and more since he suffered a stroke.

Rolly was a year senior to me being from 12th NDA Course to my 14th. Since we were from different squadrons, I didn’t know him then. Our acquaintance came about when we were posted as Divisional Officers in the NDA in 1964-65. Rolly had just got married and I was a bachelor but the naval community was small and close and we stuck together at social functions and wherever else. 

I really got to know him well when we became shipmates on Trishul in 67-68. We had just completed our respective specialisations and Rolly was appointed as the Navigation Officer and I as the Communications Officer of the frigate Trishul. We spent most of the day together on the ship’s bridge and got along with each other splendidly. Rolly had a good appetite and the Wardroom steward was instructed to bring cheese and ham sandwiches and cocktail sausages with coffee up to the bridge every hour. I am a vegetarian but have to confess that Rolly corrupted me to savour chopped ham and a piece of sausage now and then!

With Bunny Suri followed by Jayanto Roy Chowdhry as the Gunner and Gulu Kumar the Torpedo and Anti-Submarine expert, we combined to form a well-knit, proficient operational team which never let the ship or the Captain down.

Rolly and I shared a love for music and in spare time, had songs like “Hey Jude” and “Black Is Black” blasting at full volume. Staid people like the Electrical Officer and President Wardroom Committee, opted to stay out of the Wardroom and have meals in their cabins at least one deck away!

Following Trishul, Rolly and I were together at Cochin in ND and Signal Schools respectively as Chief Instructors. For exercises, we were often called upon to assist CO Venduruthy on his operational staff. I have elsewhere described how an exercise went hilariously wrong. Briefly, two units of the Cochin force which were to rendezvous in a position designated as RR (Romeo Romeo), could never meet throughout the exercise due to an encoding error in transmitting the RR coordinates. This resulted in the Bombay fleet carrying out their task of attacking Cochin successfully with the defending ships wasting their time desperately searching for Romeo Romeo. The morning after the debrief where the mystery of the elusive RR was solved, Commodore Malia, CO Venduruthy, Rolly and I were at a Basketball match. Cmde Malia came to the two of us and said, “You know, the rendezvous incident reminded me of Shakespeare’s play ‘Julius Kaiser’ where Juliet goes around searching for her lover muttering ‘Romeo Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?’” All of us burst out laughing for a long time. Later, we discovered that Cmde Malia was an MA in English, so his remarks were probably not out of ignorance but deliberate to make us laugh.

After Cochin, we went our separate ways but were again brought together for about a month on the team at NHQ looking into the Mysore mutiny. I was married by then and we were put up in Kotah House along with the Lewins. That allowed Akhila and Marcia to spend time with and get to know each other.

There would be a long gap before we could meet again. I was on the East Coast while Rolly was more on the West. Then I went to Singapore and our next and last meeting was in March 1988 when I came on leave to Delhi. Rolly was Director Naval Operations (DNO). I visited him in his office in the War Room sitting with his feet on the table without shoes and with stockings rolled down. I asked him what if the Deputy Chief or some other senior officer walked in. Rolly said, “When they superseded me, I declared that I would put my feet on the table and that is just what I am doing.” We talked about the good old days for a while before I came away,

Soon after, both of us retired and he settled down in Bangalore and I in Delhi. In 2017, Akhila and I went to Coorg and spent a couple of days in Bangalore. I spoke on phone to Rolly who sounded low and told me he was not keeping well as he had recently had a stroke. Time and space did not permit me to visit him. Now I wish I had walked that extra mile.

Looking at Rolly’s appointments, I see that he commanded two frontline ships, Sindhudurg and Udaygiri, he was Fleet Operations Officer Western Fleet, DNO, Chief Instructor (Navy) at Staff College, Wellington, and had graduated from the National Defence College, New Delhi. So why was he overlooked for flag rank? Unfortunately, Navy does not provide answers. 

Rolly was an intelligent, honest, bold and upright officer. Wish there were more like him.

  

TWO SONGS TO PONDER OVER

 

Oh for the songs of ‘50s and early ‘60s when life was simple and so were the songs. Before The Rolling Stones burst on the scene with "Let's Spend The Night Together", the advent of drug culture and protests over the Vietnam War, all in the second half of '60s, songs were just pure expressions of love from the songwriters and the singers, straight from the heart. There was a song for everything from falling in love, holding hands, a kiss, misunderstandings, heartbreaks, to wanting to make up. 

Bing Crosby professed "True Love". The song has a special resonance with me as it brings to mind the lengthy arguments I used to have with my coursemate and shipmate on Betwa in 1967, Bobby Bhandoola. "True Love" for me meant platonic love and I would argue in its favour while Bobby maintained that it did not exist!

Other notable songs of that genre had Elvis Presley wishing to be his love’s “Teddy Bear”, Herb Alpert declaring “This Guy’s In Love With You”, The Beatles simply wanting to “I Wanna Hold Your Hand”, ‘Satchmo’ Armstrong asking for “A Kiss To Build A Dream On” and Tom Jones leaving it to his love to do as she pleased with “Help Yourself.” 

As love progresses, so do problems. When going away for a while, Perry Como cautioned “Don’t Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes”, Dean Martin said, “Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder, For Somebody Else”, Pat Boone sang “I Almost Lost My Mind” at the possibility of losing his love and The Equals pleaded “Baby Come Back.” The point of no return reached in Frankie Sinatra or Eddie Fisher's "I'm Walking Behind You" 'on your wedding day'.

So that that stage is not reached, two songs sound the warning bell. The first is about hurting the one you love through hasty and thoughtless words which is something most of us could be guilty of at sometime or the other. Ponder over the words of The Mills Brothers' bittersweet song from way back 1948:-

“You always hurt the one you love

The one you shouldn’t hurt at all

You always take the sweetest rose

And crush it till the petals fall.

You always break the kindest heart

With a hasty word you can’t recall, so

If I broke your heart last night

It’s because I love you most of all.”

For good effect, sung thrice!

In similar vein, Neil Young sang-

"The saddest words of tongue and pen

Are these four words, 'It might have been'.

We had big dreams, We made big plans,

How could they slip, Right through our hands.

Instead of tearing our romance to pieces,

Why don't we try to right what we've done wrong.

It's not too late, To set things straight,

Let's never say, 'It might have been'."

SMILE DOES NOT ALWAYS WIN

 

 

On my return from New York recently, I was down from jetlag for a longer period than in the past. Upsetting of my daily routine led to a spell of dyspepsia.

I first learnt of this tummy ailment while reading PG Wodehouse in my schooldays. PG’s characters, addicted to heavy drinking and rich foods, often suffered from it. Different remedies were sought but the most unusual one is described in the story, “The Smile That Wins”, in the book, “Mulliner Nights”.

Adrian Mulliner, a private detective, who frequently suffers from dyspepsia, meets Millicent who is attracted to him by the strange, painful look that he wears due to the disease. They fall in love but Millicent’s father, the Earl of Brangbolton, wants Millicent to marry a financier of his acquaintance.

Adrian’s dyspepsia gets worse due to this heartbreak and he goes to his doctor who tells him that the best remedy for dyspepsia is to smile. Adrian does not quite know how to as he has not smiled since his childhood days and the effort makes him develop a distinctly sinister look that seems to suggest to his onlookers that he knows their darkest secrets.

Consequently, when Adrian meets the financier who has plenty to hide, the latter hands him a cheque for a hundred thousand pounds. The Earl who cheats at cards gives his consent to Millicent marrying Adrian in order to carry on cheating.

I thought why not give smile a chance and get rid of dyspepsia and perhaps gain some side benefits. So I made an effort to smile when my better half came in and saw me. She said, “I thought you were suffering from pain in your tummy but here you are, hale and hearty, lazing and ridiculously smirking.” I tried to explain why I was smiling but she would have none of it, “You are perfectly all right and pretending to be unwell just to gain sympathy from me. Now get up and help me do some work and wipe that smile off your face.”

The last few words brought back a painful memory. 67 years ago, I joined the National Defence Academy and after reporting, was directed towards my allotted squadron, ‘F’. I was trudging along with my possessions, a bedding and a trunk, but trying to smile looking forward as I was to the beginning of a glorious naval career. I was spotted by a senior whose immediate words to me were, “Wipe that stupid smile off your bloody face!”

I soon learnt that smiling for a first termer was an absolute no-no and would only land him in trouble. It was much worse if a second termer, looking for blood after having himself gone through six months of intense ragging in the previous term, caught me smiling as that would earn not just a scolding but physical punishment in terms of front rolls and back rolls and measuring the length and more of a vast corridor by hopping on haunches.

I wiped off my smile and instead reached for some Pudin Hara and Gaviscon.

WALK THE SONGS- WEAVE A LOVE STORY

This piece is dedicated to Vinnie Mama on his 93rd birth anniversary today 21st July. He put me on my lifelong walk of songs.

On my usual stroll one evening, songs with ‘walk’ in the lyrics started humming in my mind. An idea flashed- weave them into a love story.

My story starts with a song Vinnie Mama picked up soon after joining the Navy in 1948. It went, “Said Cockin’ Finn to Moffin’ Sue, walking down 5th Avenue, so honey, have a (sniff) have a (sniff) on me, honey, have a (sniff) have a (sniff) on me.”

Now I have no idea what ‘sniff’ meant and nor did Vinnie Mama. I’ll assume that it was a drink. Sue accepted and they started dating.

Johnnie Ray now takes up and sings-

“Gee, it’s late after staying out late, walking my baby back home,

Arm in arm over meadow and farm, walking my baby back home….

We stop for a while, she gives me a smile, and cuddles her cheek to my chest,

We start in to pet, and that’s when I get, her powder all over my vest.

Just when I want to straighten my tie, she wants to borrow my comb,

One kiss and then we continue again, walking my baby back home.”

Finn is now thoroughly smitten and starts frequenting the ‘Street Where You Live’ as in “My Fair Lady”-

“I have often walked down the street before, but the pavement always stayed beneath my feet before….

Does enchantment pour out of every door? No, it’s just on the street where you live.

And oh, the towering feeling, just to know somehow you’re near,

The overpowering feeling, that any second you may suddenly appear.”

The path of love is strewn with thorns and soon they get in the way of our couple. The relationship sours and Finn makes an unsuccessful effort to forget Sue. Back to Johnnie Ray-

“Just walking in the rain, getting soaking wet, torturing my heart by trying to forget,

Just walking in the rain, so alone and blue, all because my heart still remembers you.”

Pat Boone echoes the pain in another way-

“I’m walking the floor over you, I can’t sleep a wink, that is true.

I’m hoping and I’m praying as my heart breaks right in two,

Walking the floor over you.”

As does Fats Domino-

“I’m walkin’, yes indeed…. I’m hopin’ that you’ll come back to me.

I’m lonely as I can be, I’m waiting for your company, I’m hoping that you’ll come back to me.”

When she doesn’t come back, things get acrimonious and Frankie Laine holds out a warning-

“Your cheatin’ heart will make you weep, you’ll cry and cry and try to sleep,

But sleep won’t come the whole night through….

When tears come down like fallin’ rain, you’ll toss around and call my name,

You’ll walk the floor, the way I do,

Your cheatin’ heart will tell on you.”

The girl will have none of it and returns the accusation in strong words. As Nancy Sinatra says,

“….You’ve been a’messin’ where you shouldn’t ‘ve been a’messin’

And now someone else is getting all your best.

These boots are made for walkin’, and that’s just what they’ll do,

One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you.

Are you ready, boots? Start walkin’”.

Thankfully, love triumphs and the two resume walking. In the words of Rosemary Clooney,

“So I walked to my door like a good girl should, he stopped at my door like I knew he would….

He asked me for a good night kiss, I said it’s still good day.

I would have told him more except, his lips got in my way….

So I walked down the aisle like a good girl should,

He followed me down the aisle like I knew he would.”

Now together, Finn and Sue are dreaming of kids toddling along in their home  listening to Henry Mancini’s delightful and cheerful fun song, “Baby Elephant Walk.”

Finn pledges his devotion to Sue and reassures her in the words of Johnny Cash in “I Walk The Line”,

“As sure as night is dark and day is light, 

I keep you on my mind both day and night.

And happiness I’ve known proves that it’s right,

Because you’re mine, I walk the line.”

All of us need someone to watch over us from above and provide us with hope, comfort and encouragement, and so do they. This is expressed brilliantly by Rodgers and Hammerstein in their unforgettable musical “Carousel”-

“When you walk through a storm, hold your head up high,

And don’t be afraid of the dark.

At the end of storm is a golden sky, and the sweet silver song of a lark.

Walk on through the wind, walk on through the rain,

Tho’ your dreams be tossed and blown, walk on, walk on,

With hope in your heart and you’ll never walk alone,

You’ll never walk alone.”

P.S. Aside from this story, I simply have to include a bittersweet song of old, “Walkin’ To Missouri” with somewhat ‘punny’ lyrics warning one not to be profligate and live too high a life but to be kind to someone who does and falls into bad times..

“Poor little robin, walkin’, walkin’, walkin’ to Missouri, he can’t afford to fly.

Got a penny for, a poor little robin, walkin, walkin’, walkin’ to Missouri, got a teardrop in his eye….

He flew from his old Missouri home, he fell right into the city ways….”

Then he falls in love with ‘a real bird of paradise’ who breaks his heart and finally,

“His dreams are battered, his feathers bent, now he hasn’t got a cent….

So if he ever walks up to you, please throw him a crumb or two,

‘Cause you could have made the same mistake.”

7 WEEKS IN USA

 

Seven lonely days make one lonely week, sang Georgia Gibbs long ago. But Akhila and I have just returned after 49 days of lots of company making seven entertaining weeks in the USA. Initially, there was a bit of reluctance to go mainly because of the long flight; we are getting a bit old for it. Then Akhila’s motherly instinct kicked in. Ruchir has recently acquired an apartment in Miami and two new maid-cum-cooks, one Nepali and the other Brazilian, in New York and Miami respectively. Akhila was keen to fine-tune their Indian culinary skills so that they could provide Ruchir with dishes of his choice. 

In New York, our social life kickstarted within a day of our arrival with a dinner at the Knickerbocker Club hosted by Frank Wisner, US Ambassador to India in mid-90s, and his partner, Judy. Frank and I had played a lot of golf together when he was in Delhi and have kept in touch largely through Ruchir who Frank is very fond of. I recounted the story of how I first came across the word ‘knickerbocker’. Back in Jaipur, there is a restaurant called ‘Niro’s’ which had just opened in my school days in early ‘50s. It had a good selection of ice creams and my favourite was a sundae called ‘Knickerbocker Glory’. Recently on a trip to Jaipur, I visited the restaurant and inquired whether they still had it on their a la carte. To my delight, the waiter said yes and produced it alongwith another survival from the past, ‘Honeymoon Special’!

That weekend, there was a big dinner by the US-Indian Business Council at the Natural History Museum for which we got invited with Ruchir. The dinner was to felicitate Arvind Krishna on becoming the CEO of IBM. With Arvind we have a double connection. His father, Maj Gen Vinod Krishna, and I were together on the staff at DSSC Welington where I was the Golf Captain and Vinod, a senior member of the team. Thereafter, both of us landed up in Delhi after retirement and met regularly at the Army Golf Course. Arvind’s wife, Sonia, is the daughter of a very dear friend and naval colleague, Late Cmde PK (Pinky) Jain. It was a pleasure meeting them at the dinner where Sonia told us that her mother, Poonam, and younger sister, Radhika, were expected from India a few weeks later. 9th July, two days before our planned departure, was booked for a lunch at their home in Ridgefield, Connecticut and the get-together did take place.

Another naval lady, Tinku Jain, daughter of Vice Adm ‘Tony’ Jain and wife of Ajit Jain of Berkshire Hathaway fame, was also present at the US-Indo dinner and it was nice to chat about her father and the good old naval days.

Shalabh, Akhila’s nephew and a few friends of Ruchir visited and kept us busy. We saw Tom Cruise’s Top Gun Maverick on IMAX screen. The flying scenes were outstanding but the movie lacked the emotional appeal of the first film which had attracted many young men to join naval aviation and buy Ray-Ban Aviator sunglasses. A couple of Sunday brunches later, it was time to fly to Miami.

Ruchir had accompanied us for the weekend and took us to his apartment in The Setai on South Beach. It was love at first sight with the spectacular view of the sea from the apartment’s balcony. South Beach is a wonderful location and although off season, people were still thronging the beach and music could be heard from The Setai’s beachside Ocean Grill restaurant and other nearby hotels all the time. It seems as if Miamians have just two things to do: sunbathing and swimming in the daytime and partying at night.

The day after our arrival, the third young naval lady that we know in the US, Arati, daughter of dear friends Kailash and Kumud Kohli, came for dinner with her husband, another Ravi also with a naval background being the son of Late Admiral Batta. Arati and Ravi have been well settled in Miami for a number of years and have acquired golfing genes from their respective fathers and outdriven them!

We had learnt in Delhi that Kailash and Kumud had also planned a trip to Miami and we extended our stay so that we could meet them. One afternoon, they came for lunch with us and a couple of days later, Arati took us all for lunch at her lush green Golf Club. Arati and Ravi have a nice, sprawling house at Golden Beach Drive, about 45 minutes north of our place but interestingly, on the same road, Collins Avenue.

Meanwhile, Ruchir had returned to NYC and Akhila and I were by ourselves in Miami for about 10 days. We made a road trip to the famous Florida Keys all the way to Key West, a distance of over 150 miles one way. It was a thrilling and unique experience driving from one Key to another connected by narrow bridges with miles and miles of nothing but sea on either side. If you took your eye away from the road, you felt that you were actually sailing. 

The first island that we passed, Key Largo, was the largest with a length of 30 miles and a width of half a mile. And then on to Islamorada, Marathon, Big Pine Key and finally Key West.

We were intrigued by the term ‘key’ till we learnt that it is derived from the Spanish word ‘caye’ meaning small island. Another interesting information we gathered was that most of the sand on beaches of Key West is not natural but shipped from the Caribbean.

The highlight was a visit to what is known as the ‘Southernmost Point of the Continent of USA’ marked by a colourful landmark buoy with an endless queue of people getting photographed. We cheated by having ours taken from the side. This point is 90 miles from Cuba and people say that on a clear night, you can see the lights of Havana. But realists dismiss that as folklore as the distance is too long over the sea given the curvature of the earth. We couldn’t test it ourselves as we had to take the long drive back. Perhaps just as well as I read that Key West is one of 10 top haunted cities in the US!

We also visited the Ernest Hemingway house where the famous writer lived in the ‘30s and wrote ‘The Snows Of Kilimanjaro’ and ‘Green Hills Of Africa’.

Back in Miami, there was a lot of sightseeing to do but there were two places we particularly liked. The Design District is full of luxury shops with the best known  brands of the world. Murals on the walls are brilliant particularly at the Wynwood Walls which is a museum of murals as well as some exclusive  photographs of murals from abroad.

For us, the top of the pops was Little Havana and Calle Ocho, a small street full of shops, cafes and nightclubs. At one end of the street is the Bay of Pigs Memorial remembering the many Cubans who lost their lives in the 1961 failed attempt to overthrow Fidel Castro. Moving on, there is Domino Park where people sit down and play that game. The Tower Theatre built in 1926 is still going strong and on the day of our visit, we saw a huge crowd waiting to move in for the premiere of the latest version of ‘The Father Of The Bride’, the story of which has a Cuban background and scenes of Calle Ocho. 

Both sides of the pavement in Calle Ocho are known as ‘Walk Of Fame’ and have Sidewalk Stars honouring famous Cuban and Latin American entertainment superstars. I was thrilled to see the two belonging to my favourite singers, Julio Iglesias and Gloria Estefan. 

There are a number of shops with workers preparing hand rolled cigars right in front of you. We sat down for drinks and I had a signature Mojito with Cuban Rum. We visited the Azucar shop specializing in Cuban flavoured ice creams followed by coffee at La Colada which claims to be ‘The House Of Cuban Coffee’. Finally, we listened to some Latin American music at the famous nightclub ‘Ball Of Chain’ before reluctantly calling it a night.

In spare time at the apartment, Akhila tutored Jane, the Brazilian, on many recipes which the latter wrote down conscientiously in her book. She prepared quite a few for us to taste and Akhila gave her high marks for proficiency and eagerness to learn.

That done, we returned to New York for the remainder of our trip.

Ruchir organised a visit to the NY Metropolitan Museum where he knows Navina Haidar, Chief Curator of Islamic Art. The collection of items is fabulous and Navina explained the history and significance of the important items in great detail. Incidentally, she is the daughter of Salman Haidar, the Indian Foreign Secretary in the late '90s.

Opposite the Met on the other side of 5th Avenue, is the Neue Galerie displaying German and Austrian paintings. It also houses the popular Cafe Sabarsky the Chocolate cake and Viennese coffee of which we can personally recommend.

Shalabh organised a karaoke session at his place where even I sang two Pankaj Mullick songs after I don’t know how long!

Ruchir’s friend and ex-colleague, Manju Juneja, invited us for lunch at Hudson National Golf Club, about an hour’s drive from the city. The surroundings are beautiful with the Clubhouse overlooking Hudson River and we even hit a few balls at the practice range.

We had a Sunday brunch at the Peak Restaurant located on the 101st floor of Hudson Yards which has an observation deck for a super aerial view of New York and beyond. That building, as indeed some others, now looms over the Empire State, at one time the tallest building in the world.

We hosted a family dinner which included Anjula, my cousin, also on a visit to NYC, along with her daughter Aadya, my nephew Zubin and his wife, Ayang who we met for the first time, my nieces Shreya and Shaumyika, the latter with her husband Ben. It was great to meet so many of the family while still missing for one reason or another, my cousin Navin and his wife Pamela, Aadya’s husband Mike, and Shreya’s husband,Will,

Then there was the 4th July. It is, of course, the American Independence Day but holds special importance for us being Akhila’s birthday. Akhila was insisting on a private lunch just with the three of us, so Ruchir said we would go to a place in New Jersey. After the experience of the ‘surprise’ party on our 50th wedding anniversary, it was no surprise that on arrival at Alpine Marina, we were greeted by Akhila’s Bijnor friend now settled in New Jersey, Vijay, and her husband Raj, Rup Swarup, the doctor who helped me so much during my illness in 2012 and became a family friend thereafter, and his wife Namrata, Shalabh with his wife Graziella and children Divya and Devan, and Tinku Jain. We were escorted to a yacht and sailed for a cruise down the Hudson River to the Statue of Liberty, Brooklyn Bridge and disembarked at the Chelsea Piers. In between, there was a sumptuous lunch with dancing chiefly on Kishore Kumar-Amitabh Bachchan songs.

All too soon, 49 days came to an end and we are back in Dilli.

FATHER OF THE BRIDE 2022

 

Every now and then, a movie comes which pleasantly surprises and emotionally stirs one. After “The Last Letter From Your Lover”, the new 2022 movie “Father Of The Bride” did that to me.

I hadn’t even heard of the third remake of this film till Akhila and I visited ‘Little Havana’ in Miami. There we saw a big crowd of well-dressed Latin Americans outside a movie theatre next to the Domino Park named after that game which Cubans sit down and play there.  On inquiring, we were told that they were waiting for the theatre to open for the premiere of “Father Of The Bride”. 

Back home after a round of Calle Ocho, the main street of Little Havana with its famous nightclub ‘Ball and Chain’, cigar rolling shops, and a café called ‘La Colada’ which specializes in Cuban coffee, I read on the internet that the film had been remade for the third time centering on a Cuban family in USA.

My interest in the movie was ignited and on return to New York, I discovered that it was available on TV on HBO and one evening, we sat down to watch it. Soon after the start, we were delighted to see scenes of Domino Park and Calle Ocho with its Ball of Chain and Tower Theatre where the premiere had taken place. No wonder the premiere had attracted a large crowd as it must have included many Cubans and others who had shops and cafes in Little Havana. Otherwise too, the movie has many scenes of Miami and it was great to see on the screen all the places we had just visited a few days ago- the Design District famous for its luxury shops and the colourful murals and paintings in Wynwood Walls, Biltmore and Shelborne Hotels and the man-made Star Island in Biscayne Bay. In fact, I read somewhere that the film was planned as a tribute to Miami.

One wondered whether the third remake would look hackneyed but the Director and the Scriptwriter have done a wonderful job in recasting the story to give it an original touch. Only the central theme of the parents being caught totally by surprise by their daughter’s sudden news of engagement and the father’s initial resistance are common to the previous two movies. An new twist to the story is provided by the film beginning with the parents at a marriage counselor’s office and the mother insisting that they break the news of their decision to divorce immediately on arrival of their daughter. So there are two simultaneous themes- the engagement and wedding of the daughter and the mother’s insistence to proceed with the divorce proceedings regardless. How the father copes with the two deeply emotional issues is told in a touching way that tugs at one’s heartstrings and yet the movie never gets maudlin but retains its light and breezy tempo.

An added nostalgic flavor is provided by a short clip of Ingrid Bergman in ‘Casablanca’ urging the pianist to “Sing it, Sam” which he does with the timeless classic ‘As time goes by’.

The cast of the film is appropriately Latino. The bewildered and bothered father and husband, Billy Herera, is played by the well-known Andy Garcia famous for his role in ‘GodfatherIII’. He brings out the turmoil in his mind and heart superbly. The mother and wife, Ingrid, determined to go ahead with the divorce soonest, is played competently by Gloria Estefan who is more  known for her singing. Remember her great hits ‘Conga’ which is ranked as the 11th greatest Latin pop song of all time, and ‘Rhythm Is Gonna Get You’? She is a Cuban, a 7-time Grammy winner, and has a star with her name on the Walk Of Fame at Calle Ocho. Puerto Rican actress Adria Arjona, plays the fiercely independent daughter, Sofia, who loves her father but must have her way to get what she wants. The fiancée, Adan Castillo, is a soft-spoken guy very much in love with Sofia but desires to earn Billy’s approval and blessings first. He is a Mexican as is the actor Diego Boneta who plays the role.

A movie I truly loved. Three takeaways for old men of my generation:- 

Decreasing relevance,

Expected presence,

Increasing acquiescence.