REMEMBERING MUMMY VIA TALAT MAHMOOD

Woke up this morning humming “Tasveer Teri Dil Mera Behela Na Sakegi”. Why did I dream of this 80 year old song which I had almost forgotten?

And then, it struck me, it was not just the song I was remembering but Mummy!

It was one of her favourite songs by a singer she was immensely fond of. I recall asking her “Who is your most favourite singer?” Her instant reply, “Talat Mahmood.”

Talat had a soft, mellifluous voice ideally suited for sad ghazals with wistful lyrics and Mummy loved that. One stanza from “Tasveer Teri…”-

“Main baat karunga to yeh khamosh rahegi

Seene se laga lunga to yeh kuch na kahegi

Aaram woh kya degi jo tadpa na sakegi

Tasveer teri dil mera behela na sakegi.”

‘Tasveer’ was the theme of another sweet ghazal with the lines-

“Dum bhar ke liye meri duniya me chale ao

Tarsi hui aankhon ko phir shakal dikha jao

Mujhse toh meri bigdi taqdir nahi banti, tasveer nahi banti

Tasveer banata hoon, tasveer nahi banti, tasveer nahi banti.”

A Talat song Mummy used to sing a lot was “Ae Dil Mujhe Aisi Jagah Le Chal Jahan Koi Na Ho.” Mummy was very particular about her two hours of siesta which Pitaji, my Nana, thought was a waste of time. So he used to tease her saying, “Bimlaji ko toh dinbhar khali yeh karna hai”- 

“ Jaa kar kahin kho jaoon main, neend aae aur so jaaun main…

Duniyaa mujhe dhudhe magar meraa nishaa koi na ho.”

A desire to be rid of sorrow and be in another place was brilliantly brought out in the following song-

“Ae mere dil kahin aur chal, gham ki duniya se dil bhar gayaa

Dhundh le ab koi ghar nayaa….

Chal jahan gham ke marey na hon, jhooti aashaa ke taare na hon

In baharon se kya faayeda, jismen dil ki kali jal gayi

Zakhm phir se haraa ho gayaa

Ae mere dil kahin aur chal.”

But what first drew Mummy to Talat could have been “Mera Jeevan Saathi Bichhad Gaya”-

“Kismet ne kiye jo dil pe sitam, do chahane vale mil na sakey

Kehne ko bahar ayi thi magar, do phool khushi ke khil na sake….

Lo khatam kahani ho gayi.”

Mummy must have paused, taken a second breath, mustered courage, put the past behind, and with the help of her loving and caring parents, began a new story.

ADMIRAL CHATTERJI LIVES ON AT 110

In a message to me about the release of a book which was the outcome of the fifth research project undertaken by the National Maritime Foundation under the Admiral AK Chatterji Fellowship appropriately scheduled on the Admiral's 110th birth anniversary, 22 November 2024, his younger daughter Probhati, or Tuktuk as she is popularly known, wrote, "Daddy Lives On".

Of course he does, Tuktuk, and will continue to live as long as there is the Indian Navy (IN) for he was its architect. In 1947, at the age of 32 and newly promoted to the rank of Acting Commander, he was appointed as the first Indian Director of Naval Plans and produced a ten-year plan which envisioned a two fleet Navy, one for either coast each led by an aircraft carrier, and induction of submarines. That it took us forty years to acquire a second carrier only highlights his vision.

Plans need to be augmented and kept up-to-date with latest technologies. So when the Admiral learnt of the success of the Russian-built missile boat of the Egyptian Navy in sinking the Israeli frigate "Eilath" in 1967, he, by then Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS), immediately went for the acquisition of 8 Osa class missile boats from the USSR. Fittingly, the IN named them AK boats after the Admiral's initials. The boats arrived in 1970, well in time for the 1971 War in which they were used innovatively to bring glory to the Indian Navy. Throttling of the erstwhile East Pakistan by the carrier Vikrant and havoc caused by the missile boats in on ships and installations in Karachi harbour brought Pakistan down on its knees in less than a fortnight of war.

Remarkably, Chatterji, then a Vice Admiral, became the Naval Chief at the age of 51, the Indian Navy's first full Admiral at 53 and after 4 years as CNS, retired at the age of 55. Compare this with the present retirement age of the CNS at 62. It is also interesting to note that he was given command of the cruiser Delhi, then the largest ship in the IN, as an acting Captain at the age of 35 at which naval officers are generally Lieutenant Commanders sweating to get the command of a small ship. His brilliant shiphandling with a stern-first approach in Malta harbour won him high praise from British Admirals.

I was fortunate to be chosen by the Admiral as his Flag Lieutenant (ADC) when he was Commandant, National Defence College, in 1965. Personally, I found him to be a very likeable senior officer while being a thorough professional who would suffer no fools. He was mindful of his personal image and lived by setting an example. For instance, in those days, officers were not permitted to use the staff car from home to office and back. The Admiral would drive his own white Fiat (was the number 3600!) to the College where the Flag Lieut and a driver would receive him at the porch and the latter would take over and park the car.

One thing the Admiral was very sensitive about was the spelling of his surname. He ended it with 'i' and would get very upset when people misspelt it with double 'ee' even though his two brothers, also in the Navy, spelt it that way!

In parties, the Admiral would enjoy himself and mix around freely. When the time came to leave, he would seek Mrs Chatterji and say, "Madhobi, barhi chaalo", which became popular parting words throughout the Navy..

All along, I had kept in touch with Admiral and Mrs Chatterji and the family who I knew very well.  His elder daughter Purobi (Bula) and her husband Deb Mukharji of the Indian Foreign Service were married while I was in the NDC and whenever I meet them, I am quick to remind them that I had played a large part in organising their wedding ceremony. Tuktuk and her husband Shantanu Mukherjee were with us in Singapore where the latter was heading the Air India office. After retirement, all of us settled in Delhi and continued to meet.

Admiral and Mrs Chatterji called us often for a meal and in many of them, they would invite all the previous Flag Lieuts. Admiral himself loved to cook and would proudly announce his contribution to the meal, generally the sweet dish 'Sondesh'.

And so, we kept on visiting and meeting them. On one visit, the Admiral was unwell. He said he had been to a party the previous night where people forced him to drink and eat more than usual. Mrs Chatterji would have none of that and said, "Don't blame others. How can anyone stuff a drink or food in your mouth?"

Mrs Chatterji was full of stories and the best one is this. Mrs Chatterji's parents approached young Adhar's parents to fix their match and the latter asked for her horoscope. On getting their Purohit's approval, Adhar with his two brothers were sent to meet Madhobi and her parents. Adhar was instructed to dress in kurta and dhoti while the brothers were in shirts and trousers. The meeting was a brief, shy one with little talk and no introductions which were taken for granted. A few days later, Adhar was told to go to Madhobi's house and return the horoscope. This time he was casually dressed and Madhobi met him at the door, took the horoscope, thanked him and closed the door. Madhobi's parents asked her who had come. She said, "Oh, the Purohit who had come with the two Chatterji brothers brought the horoscope back but why was he not in his traditional dhoti and kurta today?"

Yes, the Admiral lives on and so does Mrs Chatterji.

 

MY FAVOURITE MUSICALS

'Jab dil ko sataye gum, tu chhedh sakhi sargam'. So went a popular old Hindi song- when you are  troubled by sadness, turn to music.

I had a grim couple of weeks mid-October. First, a dear friend passed away. Then I came to the end of a book highly praised and Booker Prize winner of 2023, "Prophet Song" by Paul Lynch. The story turned was frightening and starkly dark. Shumita gave me another book to read, "Brotherless Night" by V.V.Ganeshananthan. I browsed through it and asked her if it was dark. Her answer, endorsed by a nod from Shiven, "intensely". Thanks a lot! So I tuned in to Apple+ and saw the fifth episode of the serial "Disclaimer", about the darkest drama I've ever seen!

To uplift my mood, I decided to follow the advice in the Hindi song and turn my thoughts to my favourite musicals. Here we go.

Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start, with the movie, "The Wizard of Oz". It was released one year after I was born and seen by me in School in the early 1950s when for Jaipur Xavierites, the legendary Father Cosgrove used to screen movies on weekends through his 16 mm. projector. An unforgettable and touching story of a harassed little girl Dorothy who dreams of being transported to the Land of Oz and home of the good-hearted Wizard. Twenty year old Judy Garland was superb in her role as Dorothy and sang "Over The Rainbow" so well that it is regarded as one of the most beautiful songs ever. The movie put us teenagers in a happy mood and I recall my friends and me dancing all the way home singing "We're off to see the wizard, the wonderful Wizard of Oz."

Rodgers and Hammerstein formed a composer-lyricist partnership in 1943 with "Oklahoma", a trendsetter on Broadway and the first of the duo's many outstanding and award-winning musicals. Its story is about a farm girl, Laurey, caught between two rival suitors, one good, Curly, the other wicked, Jud. Songs that are my favourites include "Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin" sung by Curly on his way to see Laurey- 'I've got a beautiful feelin', everything's goin' my way.' Another great number was "People Will Say We're in Love". The song is sung twice, first with a list of 'don'ts' so that people don't gossip-  'Don't throw bouquets at me.....Don't sigh and gaze at me....Don't take my arm too much....Don't dance all night with me....People will say we're in love.' Towards the end when the too are engaged, they decide to shed their reservations and sing, 'Let people say we're in love'. The third song I recall is "All Er Nuthin'" sung by a supporting couple, Will and Annie, in which Will tells Annie that she will have to give up flirting with other men since 'With me it's all er nuthin'....It cain't be in between, it cain't be now and then, no half and half romance will do.'

Just 2 years later, Rodgers and Hammerstein came up with their second musical, "Carousel", which again was a superhit. Rodgers later wrote that it was his favourite musical. The plot is about a poor barker, Billy, and Julie who fall in love and get married. Billy, after a failed robbery to make money, kills himself. 15 years later, Billy is allowed to return to earth for just one day to seek forgiveness from Julie, attend the graduation ceremony of his daughter Louise, who was born after his death, and gift her a star from Heaven for support.

The musical has one super song after another but I will just mention three. First there is the instrumental "The Carousel Waltz" which, true to its title, goes round and round in my head. Then "If I Loved You", one of the best love songs ever-written which is sung twice, the first by Julie and Billy too shy to confess their love but imagining what life would be if they were in love, and then again when Julie feels Billy's presence during his visit from Heaven. One of the all-time inspiring numbers is "You'll Never Walk Alone", again performed twice, the first when Julie's cousin Nettie sings it to raise Julie's spirits after Billy's suicide, and then at the end when Louise finds the star left by Billy. 

I was indeed lucky to watch its Broadway revival in 2018.

So we come to "Singin' in the Rain", a 1952 movie. It starred Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, Debbie Reynolds; Rita Moreno and Cyd Charisse. It is widely regarded as a classic, considered by many to be the greatest Hollywood musical ever. An exceptional feature of the movie was the brilliant dancing of Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor and Cyd Charisse marked by a stunning extended-fantasy dance number by Kelly and Charisse while O'Connor entertained with some exuberant gymnastics. The title number, sung and danced by a stripe-suited and hatted Gene Kelly swinging from a lamppost in the rain, is a lasting image from the movie.

My next favourite is the movie "South Pacific" (1958) another work of Rodgers and Hammerstein. Most of us must have seen the movie and I was lucky to see its revival on Broadway a few years ago. The story is adapted from a James Michener collection of short stories, "Tales of the South Pacific". Mitzi Gaynor and Rosanno Brazzi play the lead roles, the former of a young US Navy nurse, Nellie, who can't help falling in love with a much older French widower, Emile (Brazzi). A delightful supporting role is that of an elderly Polynesian woman called Bloody Mary (Juanita Hall) who makes us laugh but will not have anyone belittling local people.

The songs are many and cover diverse moods ranging from light and comic to wishful and lovelorn. Sailors sing of the remarkable "Bloody Mary" and express their desire for female company in "There is Nothing Like a Dame", Bloody Mary sings of the irresistible pulls of the island "Bali Hai", children learn French through "Dites-moi", Nellie declares she is a happy-go-lucky girl in "A Cockeyed Optimist", then on meeting Emile first wishes to get rid of him, "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair" but finally acknowledges her love for him with "I'm in Love With a Wonderful Guy", and Emile sings the classic romantic number, "Some Enchanted Evening" with the beautiful lines -

"Some enchanted evening, when you find your true love....across a crowded room,

Then fly to her side, and make her your own, 

For all through your life you may dream all alone,

Once you have found her, never let her go,

Once you have found her, NEVER LET HER GO."

Sad to say, Mitzi Gaynor, the only star who sang her songs herself and was not dubbed, passed away recently at the age of 93.

Another great musical that same year was "Gigi". It was an Alan Jay Lerner-Frederick Loewe effort which won all 9 Oscars it was nominated for including Best Picture and Best Direction. The story set in Paris is about a wealthy philanderer, Gaston (Louis Jourdan), who spends a lot of time in the house of a Madame. Madame Alvarez has under her care a little girl, Gigi (Leslie Caron), who looks upon Gaston as an uncle and Gaston in turn treats her as a child. In time, Gaston is stunned by the sudden realisation that Gigi has grown up into a charming lady and that he has fallen in love with her. After much resistance from all including Gigi but who gradually starts loving Gaston, they get married.

Along with Jourdan and Caron, an exceptional part is played by the famous French actor and singer, Maurice Chevalier, as Madame's old husband, Honore Lachaille. He sings some outstanding songs in his suave but mischievous manner in a heavy French accent including "Thank Heaven For Little Girls"-

"Each time I see a little girl of five or six or seven

I can't resist the joyous urge to smile and say

Thank heaven for little girls, they grow up in the most delightful way.....

Thank heaven for little girls

Thank heaven for them all, no matter where, no matter who,

Without them, what would little boys do?"

Watching Gaston tormented by the ups and downs of his love affair, Honore (Chevalier) sings another interesting number, "I'm Glad I'm Not Young Anymore". Gaston expresses his sudden realisation of Gigi coming of age and his feelings for her in the title song- 

"Oh, Gigi, have I been standing up too close or back too far,

When did your sparkle turn to fire

And your warmth become desire

Oh, what miracle has made you the way you are?"

Gigi, on accepting her love for Gaston, sings the sweet, touching song, "Say a Prayer For Me Tonight."

I saw the movie in my younger days and was once again lucky to catch it on Broadway in 2018. 

Next is "My Fair Lady" (1964). Alan Jay Lerner based the story on George Bernard Shaw's "Pygmalion" about a poor flower-seller, Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn), who has a heavy Cockney accent. A diehard bachelor and phonetics professor, Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison), takes her under his wing after a bet with a friend, Colonel Hugh Pickering (Wilfrid Hyde-White), that he could teach her to speak proper English and get rid of the Cockney accent. Gradually, Higgins falls in love with Eliza, winning her over rich Freddy Eynsford-Hill (Jeremy Brett), who is besotted with her. A comic and delightful role is that of Eliza's carefree, libertine father, Alfred Doolittle (Stanley Holloway).

The movie has 25 musical numbers and the lyrics by Lerner are a treat, mostly funny and superbly delivered by Rex Harrison, Audrey Hepburn and Stanley Holloway. The theme is set right in the beginning by the number "Why Can't the English" 'learn to speak' which is a dialogue between Higgins and Pickering interspersed with Eliza's speech dropping h's, 'tike' for take, 'Aoooow's and 'Garn's, etc. Higgins says 'By law she should be taken out and hung for the cold-blooded murder of the English tongue.' Eliza's accent is clearly brought out in "Just You Wait" with the opening lines sung as 'Just you Wite, 'Enry 'Iggins, just you wite' while the "The Rain in Spain" becomes 'the rine in spine stise minely in the pline'. This song is then repeated with correct pronunciation towards the end to mark Eliza's victory over her Cockney accent with Higgins celebrating the accomplishment of an impossible task. 

Higgins takes Eliza to a ball to showcase her refined personality and dances with her. Eliza is delighted and sings, "I Could Have Danced All Night." On the romantic side, Freddy sings "On the Street Where You Live" outside Higgins' house where Eliza is staying, and Higgins, realising that he has fallen for her, sings "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face."

The next year, the movie, "The Sound of Music", again by Rodgers and Hammerstein, was released. The story was based on the real life memoir of Maria von Trapp. Maria (Julie Andrews) is training to be a nun who the Mother Abbess finds too free-spirited and indisciplined- 'How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?' So when a retired naval officer and widower, Captain Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) approaches the Mother for a governess for his seven children, she happily sends Maria for the task. Initially, Maria faces hostility from the children but she gradually wins them over and we hear ''My Favourite Things''. She takes them for a picnic in the mountains and sings, 'The hills are alive with "The Sound of Music"'. She teaches them music with "Do-Re-Mi" and makes them perform a puppet show, "The Lonely Goatherd", for their father which wins her his favour. At a party at Captain von Trapp's villa, the children are guided one by one to bid good night to the guests by singing "So Long, Farewell, Auf Weidersehn, Good Night". And in the end, the Captain sings the touching patriotic song, "Edelweiss" at a function to keep the German officials engaged while the family members make good their escape from the Nazi occupied Austria.

The movie was shot in Salzburg and the town has a dedicated "The Sound of Music" tour where they take you to all the places where the movie was shot. I have been fortunate to take the tour twice, once on my own and again with Akhila. It was a tour the memories of which I shall cherish forever.

It was 12 years later that my next favourite musical appeared. The movie "Saturday Night Fever" rocked all music lovers. I was in Staff College, Wellington, and all of us rushed to Ooty, not once but over and over again, to see the movie. John Travolta's dancing was electrifying and Bee Gees' songs delightful. Everyone wanted to dance like Travolta and thronged to discos. Bee Gees, a group formed by three brothers Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb, were fascinating with their inimitable style the distinguishing feature of which was Barry's falsetto voice. The standout songs were "Stayin' Alive", "How Deep Is Your Love" and "Night Fever" which climbed to the top of music charts the world over.

Fast forward to 2008 for the movie "Mamma Mia!", based on songs of ABBA. The story is about a young bride-to-be, Sophie (Amanda Siegfried), who invites three former lovers of her mother, Donna (Meryl Streep), one of whom could be Sophie's father. The three men are Sam (Pierce Brosnan), Harry (Colin Firth) and Bill (Stellan Skarsgard). Sophie hopes to find her real father so that he can legitimately give her away at the wedding.

The movie has 20 ABBA's top hits, some of them, 'Mamma Mia', 'I Have a Dream' and 'Dancing Queen' played twice. 'Honey, Honey', 'Chiquitita', 'Voulez-Vous', 'SOS', 'The Winner Takes It All', 'Waterloo' and 'Thank You For the Music', they are all there making it a delectable treat for ABBA fans and I have yet to meet one who is not!

"Mamma Mia!" was made into a Broadway play too and a movie sequel "Mamma Mia Here We Go Again" released in 2018. Of course, I have seen them all!

So that's my list of favourite musicals but I am not done yet. I wish to include a few unforgettable lyrics from songs of musicals outside this list.

"Doin' What Comes Natur'lly" from the 1946 musical "Annie Get Your Gun"-

"Folks are dumb where I come from, they ain't had any learning

Still they're happy as can be, doin' what comes natur'lly.

My uncle out in Texas can't even write his name

He signs his cheques with Xs, but they cash them just the same.

If you saw my pa an' ma, you'd know they had no learning

Still they raised a family, doin' what comes natur'lly".

"A Spoonful of Sugar" from Julie Andrews' "Mary Poppins"-

"A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,

The medicine go down-wown, the medicine go down,

Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down

In a most delightful way."

I'd like to end with perhaps the most popular drinking number ever appropriately titled "Drinking Song" or "Drink Drink Drink" sung rousingly by the great tenor Mario Lanza in a scene in which Prince Karl, heir to a small German kingdom, exhorts his college mates of Heidelberg University to lift their steins and drink beer in the 1954 musical, "The Student Prince" -

"Drink, drink, drink! To eyes that are bright as stars when they're shining on me!

Drink, drink, drink! To lips that are red and sweet as the fruit of the tree.....

May those lips that are red and sweet, tonight with joy my own lips meet.

Drink, drink! Let the toast start. May young hearts never part

Drink, drink, drink! Let every true lover salute his sweetheart

Let's drink!"

Tailpiece. By Western standards, most Hindi movies would qualify as musicals no matter how serious the story. So in a list of 100 best musicals compiled by Rotten Tomatoes, we have "Lagaan " at 17th! A Forbes list of 35 Best Musicals has "Mother India" at 13. And sometime back I read, though I can't remember where, that "Sholay" was also listed as a top musical!

I'll leave you with a few haunting lines of a bittersweet song from the 1972 movie, "Parichay", the story of which was patterned on "The Sound of Music"-

"Musafir hoon yaaron, na ghar hai naa thikana

Mujhe chalte jaana hai, bas chalte jana hai".

 

 

KAILASH KOHLI - A PERFECT NAVAL OFFICER AND A TRUE FRIEND

Kailash Kumar Kohli is no more. The prayer meeting for him was aptly named "Adieu Admiral"  and his photo was projected on the screen with the caption "An Officer and a Gentleman". That he was and more, a Perfect Naval Officer and a True Friend.

Belonging to different courses and squadrons in the NDA, we didn't really know each other till golf brought us together. An early memory I have is of our playing in the Navy Golf Tournament late in the 1960s at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club, Chembur. My ball went into a bunker and I failed to get it out in two attempts. Frustrated, I looked up and saw Kailash watching me with an amused look on his face. That upset me more and I said, "Oh, you are keeping my score, are you? OK, start counting." And then I proceeded to strike my club in the sand about 20 times before Kailash pulled me out of the bunker. Often when we met, he would remind me of the incident and we would have a good laugh.

From those days, drawing on his initials, I always greeted him with the remark, "K Cube, 'vah khoob'"!

Our first posting together was in Cochin in early '70s, he in the Naval Academy (NAVAC) and I in Signal School. In October '71, I was suddenly transferred as Fleet Communications Officer to the still to be formed Eastern Fleet. As I had to catch a train late in the afternoon, Kailash and Cdr Ravi Sawhney, OiC NAVAC, invited me for pre-lunch drinks, and according to Kailash, got me thoroughly sozzled on beer and stuffed me in my compartment.

Next, in 1977, I was given command of Katchall and Kailash was the Fleet Operations Officer. Rear Admiral 'Mickey' Roy was the Fleet Commander and as he often flew his flag on my ship, Kailash and I got to spend a lot of time together. My outstanding memory of those days is of an unplanned sailing. Late into one night after Katchall's commissioning anniversary party, Kailash and I were enjoying a drink in my cabin when he received a call from Admiral Roy that there was an urgent requirement for a ship to sail to rescue a tug the engine of which had failed. Due to incorrect berthing, the duty ship could not be sailed and Kailash asked me if I would undertake the task. I said yes and we hurriedly gathered a skeleton crew and sailed in the early hours of the morning with Kailash also on board. Fortunately, we found the tug without much ado and towed it safely back to harbour.

Sometime back, I wrote about this incident and others in a piece, "Commanding Katchall" on my blog and asked Kailash if he had read it. His answer as I just traced on my What'sApp, "I have read it not once but three times over, so that I could relish each one of the moments over and over again! Wonderful reading, wonderful memories."

In March '78, Kailash and I were transferred to Wellington as Directing Staff in the Defence Services Staff College. That is when the wives and children got to know each other and spent most free evenings together. Kailash and I played a lot of golf  and were an unbeatable pair in tournaments. The Commandant, Major General Mohinder Singh, a keen golfer himself, was fond of both of us and appointed Kailash as Editor of the DSSC magazine, "The Owl", and me, Golf Captain of Wellington Gymkhana Club, two appointments that were generally the property of the Army.

Working as Directing Staff together, I got a chance to observe Kailash closely and realised that he was a thorough professional. He would not take anything for granted and would examine everything minutely aiming for perfection.

In March 1980, I was transferred to Delhi. Admiral Pereira was the Chief of the Naval Staff and as I knew him well having been his FCO when he was the Eastern Fleet Commander, I sought time convenient to call on him. Immediately, I got an invite for Akhila and me to have a drink with him and Mrs. Pereira that very evening. When we met, the Admiral said he was looking for a new Naval Assistant (NA) as the present one, Premvir Das, was proceeding to USA to the Naval War College (NWC). The Personnel Branch had forwarded Kailash's name and the Admiral asked me if I knew him. I told the Admiral that I knew him very well and that he would make an excellent NA. As we all know, Kailash did take over as NA and did a fine job.

In the next 2-3 years, Kailash did me two good turns. While I was Director Naval Signals, my staff and I felt that the senior officers in the three commands of the Navy should have a clear understanding of what we were doing to improve communications and electronic warfare in the Navy. So we drafted a Top Secret document with instructions that it should be circulated between the Command Headquarters only by hand of an officer and then returned to us. While the letter was in circulation, I was transferred to Bombay and having briefed my successor in Delhi, forgot all about it. More than a year later, I was summoned to Delhi to face a Board of Inquiry (BOI) looking into the loss of the document. Apparently, the Joint Director under me had connived to apportion the entire blame of the loss on me and the Deputy Chief of the Naval Staff (DCNS), no friend of mine, appointed a BOI headed by Kailash who had just returned from the USA after the NWC Course. Despite pressure from the DCNS, Kailash absolved me completely of any blame. But the DCNS was not done and sent me a letter of severe displeasure, for what, he didn't say!

Then Kailash came to Bombay to command the new ship Ganga. I was still commanding Trishul and had been told that my next appointment was as Defence Adviser, Singapore. One afternoonsee , Kailash came to me and said that while he was waiting in the Staff Officer's office to see the C-in-C (the erstwhile DCNS), he overheard a conversation between the latter and the CNS that I was too senior for the post and someone else should go to Singapore. Thanking Kailash for this vital information, I got in touch with a well-wisher in NHQ and my appointment letter was out soon after.

Out of context here, but I must mention that three years later, under almost the same dispensation, I was relieved by an officer of the same seniority as mine!

Back from Singapore, I left the Navy while Kailash was competently going up the ladder. He became a Vice Admiral and lost out on the top job only because he was way down in the seniority roster. 

Meanwhile, we were out of touch for a while before both settled down in Delhi post retirement. Belonging to different clubs, we played golf together now and then and met at home often for a drink or meal. Kailash was born on 31 December, new year's eve, and we attended many birthday parties at his place in Golf Links. On one of them. he took the mike and sang Frank Sinatra songs, notably "My Way", beautifully. I knew Kailash was fond of Indian classical music as we had attended many concerts together, but this was the first time I learnt that he was fond of English music as well. Following up, I realised that his knowledge was extensive and he often provided relevant inputs for my blogs on music. 

Fittingly, "My Way" was played at the end of "Adieu Admiral."

Sometime back, Kailash developed an interest in Western classical music and often rang me up to suggest what he should listen to. So I took him from light classicals like Capriccios to heavy symphonies like Dvorak's "New World" or concertos like Rachmaninov's Second Piano.

On one of my pieces on my blog, I wrote about "Moon River" from "Breakfast At Tiffany's". Immediately after reading it, Kailash rang up to say he was very fond of the song and when his daughters Rachna and Arati had come of age, he presented them air tickets to the US with the line from the song, "Two drifters, off to see the world, there's such a lot of world to see." In July this year, I mentioned the song again in my piece "My Walk On Songs Through Central Park, New York" and got a sweet message from Kailash thanking me for 'evoking lovely memories'.

In the summer of 2022, we visited Miami after Ruchir acquired an apartment there. I spoke to Kailash and we were delighted to learn that they were going to be in Miami too visiting Arati, son-in-law Ravi (we share the same name!) Batta and their daughters. We got together twice, once for lunch at Ruchir's place and then Arati and Ravi called us to their lovely, luxurious home and took all of us out for lunch at their golf club. This year, while firming up our plans to go to Miami, I tried to persuade Kailash and Kumud to come too but they said no as Kailash was having balancing problems and didn't want to take a chance of a fall. We missed them in Miami.

When Akhila and I returned from the US in August, Kailash had fallen ill and was in and out of hospital. On 13 October, Kumud rang up to say he was home. I sent him a message that we would like to come over and see him. He personally replied saying he was weak and we should wait. I wrote back to say he should pick up strength and tell us when to come.

The very next morning, we were stunned by a call from Manju Nehra that he was no more.

And so, sadly and reluctantly, "Adieu Admiral". Rest in peace, my dear friend.

 

  

GROSS NAVIGATIONAL ERROR - ETERNAL RECOGNITION

Navigation is a vital constituent in the successful profile of a proficient sailor. A bad navigator at sea will be exactly that- 'at sea', meaning lost and confounded!

Navigation has come a long way; from just winds, sun, moon and stars to devices like sextants and cross-staffs to take measurements, and almanacs and trigonometric tables to compute the readings to work out one's position. Then came lighthouses, buoys and charts to guide mariners to reach their destination safely. The biggest boost to navigation came in the 20th century with great technical advances from gyro compass to radar and radio aids like Loran and Decca to satellite navigation.

A serious navigational error can lead to grounding of a ship or a collision resulting in loss of life and property and the guilty person is duly punished.  An error discovered in time before causing harm often becomes a subject of leg pulling and humour in the wardroom. In my days in the Navy, a common error was heading for Bimlipatam (now Bheemunipatnam) instead of Vizag (Vishakhapatnam) as their landscapes looked alike from a distance while approaching harbour. Even specialist navigators were known to have fallen victims to the misidentification including one who as Fleet Navigating Officer almost took the Indian Fleet to the wrong harbour. That did not come in the way of his rising to become the naval chief in due course of time!

One of the funniest stories is the rib-tickling incident of the landing craft Magar crossing the Arabian Sea at the height of the monsoon on its maiden voyage from London to Bombay (Mumbai). With no navigational aid but for an erratic compass, the Captain felt lost in stormy weather and poor visibility. A merchant ship was sighted and messages exchanged which revealed that both ships were headed to Bombay but were on opposite courses. Thinking the other ship was right, both ships started following each other's wake going around in circles for a while till a fishing boat came by and helped point the ships in the correct direction to Bombay!

It is quite understandable that serious faults are punished while small, harmless incidents are laughed at. But can you imagine someone becoming a historical legend and earning eternal recognition and praise for committing a gross navigational error! 

The idea that the earth is round was proposed by Pythagoras in ancient times before 500 B.C. Although many seafarers believed that to be true, navigational challenges prevented them from taking any voyages to prove it. Europeans carried out gold and spice trade with India, China and Japan mostly by land and short sailings using the Silk Route. The onset of the Ottoman Empire closed the Route for the Europeans who then had to find other ways to resume trade.

That is when an Italian explorer and navigator, Christopher Columbus, began touting the idea of sailing west to reach the East Coast of Asia. The idea met with stiff resistance and was rejected by Spanish experts but he kept persuading the Spanish royalty and finally got them to accept it and sponsor a voyage. And so in August 1492, he sailed west in search of Asia and on 12 October, made a landfall at an island locally called Guanahani in the Bahamas. He also visited other islands now known as Cuba and Hispaniola. He returned to Spain by early 1493 and claimed he had reached East Indies in the Far East.

In the next nine years, he made three further voyages to the west landing in Lesser Antilles, Trinidad, north coast of South America and east coast of Central America. On his third voyage he made a landfall in what is now Venezuela and realised that the place was too big to be an island and was perhaps a continent. But he still held firm that it was the Far East and named the indigenous people 'Indios' (Indians). 

Spanish experts doubted that Columbus had succeeded in his mission and there were reports of harsh treatment and enslaving of the local people by him. In 1499, he was removed from the post of Governor of the Indies which Queen Isabella I had appointed him after his discovery in 1492. He spent his last few years in disgrace and under various litigations before his death in 1506.

Meanwhile, another Italian, Amerigo Vespucci, undertook an exploratory voyage west and after making a landfall, claimed that Brazil was part of a fourth continent which he called the "New World". He undertook a second voyage and based on his discoveries and findings, cartographers made maps showing the "New World" as America derived from Vespucci's first name, Amerigo. Also Vasco Da Gama reached India via Cape of Good Hope thus putting to rest claims of Columbus.

So where did Columbus go wrong? He made a number of errors but the biggest one was grossly underestimating the circumference of the Earth due to which he thought he would have to travel 9000 miles at the maximum. Some say that he deliberately misled the Spanish royalty regarding the distance in order to get the sponsorship but most give him benefit of doubt and reckon that the error occurred because of confusion between the larger Arab mile and the shorter Italian one. Additionally, he did not know that sailing west, there would be another continent between Europe and Asia. 

After years of ignominy due to reputation of bad governance, achievements of Columbus started gaining traction particularly after the American War of Independence. He was lauded for establishing mutually beneficial contact between the American and the European continents. His 1492 voyage is regarded as one of the three shaping events of modern age and he is referred to as the "founding figure of New World relations." Some credit him for discovery of America even though Vikings had been visiting the continent 5 centuries earlier. He has a country, Colombia, named after him and two prominent districts, District of Columbia in US and British Columbia in Canada. Countless roads have been named after him and commemorative stamps released all over the world apart from statues and monuments including New York's Columbus Circle where a 76 foot column with a 14 foot marble statue of the legend looks down upon me whenever I get out of Ruchir's apartment next door!

And today, 12 October, is celebrated as Columbus Day in US and is a holiday in some countries marking the anniversary of his first landing in the Americas.

No mean recognition for skewed navigation!

  

DUSTIN HOFFMAN, SIMON AND GARFUNKEL, AND "THE GRADUATE".

It was a routine evening and my thoughts were firmly in the present. The big mundane question in my mind was if I should I go for a walk in the park or stroll in the driveway? Then the cellphone went 'Ping' and I saw a message from Ruchir with a photograph. He had just been to a party celebrating the 73rd birthday of Sting and sent me a photo.

I recalled our time in Singapore in 1986 when Sting, then the lead singer of a group called 'The Police' had come out with a hit song, "Every Breath You Take", which one could hear all over from TV to shopping malls to restaurants. What a beautiful romantic number it was which captivated all of us. Sting went on to produce many more hits like "Roxanne" and collaborated with other famous singers like The Dire Straits for another favourite of mine, "Money For Nothing", and won all possible music awards and recognition like inclusion in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Then in the photograph, my eye fell on a short, unassuming guy, and I recognised Dustin Hoffman. That made me leave the present and fly back to 1968: I had just seen the movie, "The Graduate", loved it immensely and knew that it would be permanently etched in my mind. I was not going to be the only one; the movie was an instant hit and nominated for seven Academy Awards including Best Movie and Best Actor for rookie Hoffman. Today, after adjusting for inflation, it ranks as the 22nd highest-grossing film in the US and Canada and as the 17th greatest American film of all time.

Hoffman, an unknown actor at that time, plays the part of young Benjamin Braddock who has just earned his bachelor's degree and is at a loose end with no aim in life. He is persuaded by the much older Mrs. Robinson, wife of his father's law partner, to accompany her to her bedroom and there is a famous line where says, "You are trying to seduce me, aren't you?" He falls in her trap and they carry on a clandestine affair while Benjamin's father and Mr. Robinson egg him on to date Elaine, daughter of the Robinsons. Mrs. Robinson, though, strictly warns Benjamin to stay away from Elaine. The story has its twists and turns and the film ends with a hilarious final scene in a church where Elaine is getting married to a boy named Carl. Benjamin arrives in the nick of time and attempts to drag Elaine away while Mr. Robinson tries to stop Benjamin. Mrs. Robinson frantically gestures to Elaine to continue with the marriage ceremony while us movie watchers root for Ben and Elaine to make good their escape.

Dustin Hoffman is outstanding and unforgettable as the lost, bewildered and awkward young man not knowing how to get out of the clutches of the married woman. Anne Bancroft as Mrs. Robinson is forceful in the role of an older woman who knows what she wants and would go to any extent to get it. Katharine Ross (Elaine) is shy and attractive and has the audience wanting her to get the better of her wicked mother. Their performance was highly rated though they missed out on the Oscars with Mike Nichols, being the sole winner from the movie with Best Director award.

Dustin Hoffman, however, went on to great fame winning two Oscars for Best Actor in "Kramer vs Kramer" and "Rain Man" and four more nominations including "Midnight Cowboy" and "Tootsie". And in the photo Ruchir sent, he looks just like he did in "The Graduate" except for his gray hair!

Now for a distinguishing feature of "The Graduate" which put it on a special pedestal- its music provided by the folk singers Simon and Garfunkel. The unique factor about the music was that though the movie was not a musical and the three most popular songs already existed with lyrics not specific to the movie, yet they were knitted extremely well with the emotions in the story making it much more powerful.

The first of the songs was "The Sound of Silence". As Garfunkel explained, "This is a song about the inability of people to communicate with each other....especially emotionally." A line from the song explains a lot, 'Hello darkness, my old friend/I've come to talk to you again'. So true for poor Benjamin caught in a trap!

Then there was "Mrs. Robinson". Originally, Simon and Garfunkel had written an insinuating song, "Mrs. Roosevelt", about the former American First Lady. Director Mike Nichols prevailed upon Simon and Garfunkel to change it to "Mrs. Robinson" and used it to great effect particularly in the last 15 minutes of the movie including bringing it to a slow halt when Benjamin’s car runs out of gas. Not only was the song a hit, "Mrs. Robinson" became synonymous with any older woman pursuing someone younger than her. 

Finally, "Scarborough Fair", a beautiful old British folk song dating back to at least 1670, which tells the story of unrequited love and a quarrel between lovers. The boy asks the messenger to convey a set of impossible tasks to the girl which she should complete before coming back to him. The song brilliantly brings out the sad longing and yearning emotional thread that runs through the movie. Its haunting refrain-

"Are you going to Scarborough Fair

Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme

Remember me to one who lives there

She once was a true love of mine."

 

A SUMMER SOJOURN by BILL SHAKESPEARE SUB JR.

It all began in Switzerland

With Zurich and its hinterland

The hilltop park of Lindenhof

And Altstedt, the ancient land.

Sparkling white swans in Limmat River

Spectacular Rhine Falls bring on a quiver

Cable car ride up Klein Titlis summit

Reflections in the glacier cave mirror.

Legendary castle in Vaduz, Liechtenstein

Fairyland village of Stein am Rhein

Gorging on Lindt and Laderach  

Wish I could somehow make them mine!

Flight to Miami, Ruchir’s pad on the beach

White sands, sea waves, all within reach

Watching sunsets, full moon, double rainbows and all

Dining by the seaside enjoying desserts with peach.

Visiting Wynwood, a worthy repeat

But a first to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago retreat

The town of Wellington known for its horses

And houses with hangars, that's hard to beat.

Central Park and the music walk,

Love Story, Moon River, songs that rock

Alice in Wonderland, Ugly Duckling,

Did I really hear Andersen talk?

Sunday morning with a gorgeous brunch

Hudson River with swans in a bunch

Sailing in a yacht across New York harbour

Topping it off with wine and lunch.

Carnegie Hall concert a dream come true

Visiting Long Island, something new

Dinner at Bungalow, best Indian restaurant

Too soon it was time to bid US adieu.

 

A VETERANS LUNCH - NONAGENARIANS, ME AND YOUNGER ONES

The Delhi Navy Foundation hosted a lunch a few days ago welcoming the Chief of the Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi, Mrs Tripathi and a few other senior officers recently appointed to the Naval Headquarters. Apart from the welcome, the key feature was honouring nonagenarian veterans, 14 invited, 11 attended.

Navy Foundation get-togethers are fun as they transport one back in time evoking sweet memories of one's younger days. You meet shipmates young and old you haven't met for ages and recall incidents you shared together. I don't remember when I last met Brahma Swarup but we had no difficulty harking back to the time he was Cadet BS Wal and I was his Divisional Officer in 'Juliet' Squadron way back in 1964-65. 

Ashok Dewan and I recalled that special midnight watch on 20/21 July 1969 on board Trishul when we were at sea off Madras. I was the Officer of the Watch and he was my assistant working for his watchkeeping ticket. I had got the Voice of America radio commentary of Apollo 11 Space Voyage put on the Bridge intercom and we were thrilled when Neil Armstrong stepped on the Moon and spoke those memorable words, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

CP Sharma was my Communications Officer when I was commanding Katchall in 1977-78, Mohan, my Electrical Officer and Acharya, Secretary to Flag Officer Commanding Western Fleet (FOCWF), when I was CO Trishul. We all had plenty to talk about the good, old days working up to present times.

With Sushil Ramsay, the very efficient President of Delhi Navy Foundation, my association goes beyond him. Our mothers were educators together in Beawar, Rajasthan, and his mother came over to visit Mummy when I was there during my summer vacation in 1957.from NDA. Sushil was just 10 and he did not come. May I bask in the assumption, perhaps false, that his mother liked the cadet she met so much that she became favourably inclined to the idea of her son joining the Navy!

In more recent past, Sushil's charming wife, Shirley, and I interacted frequently when she was Editor Quarterdeck.

A lady I was pleasantly surprised to meet was Nisha, wife of late Loveji Mehta. She was visiting her daughter in Gurgaon and was invited to the lunch. That again took me back to my DO days of '64-'65 in the NDA when Loveji, very fond of Western Classical music, used to invite bachelors Subodh Gupta and me to his house and we used to listen to discs sitting on his lawn while Nisha rustled up a Dhanshak lunch. 

On to the nonagenarians. First one miss; Cmde JS Virk and I were shipmates on Trishul in 1969 when he was the Supply Officer and I, Signals Communication Officer. We got along splendidly. After retirement, when I was settling in Delhi and looking for a house, Cmde Virk took me to his flat in 'D' Block Vasant Kunj and was very keen I buy one there. I almost did but finally went for Greenview Apartments, Sector 15A, NOIDA. It was a pity he couldn't come to the lunch as I would have loved to see him.

Being of a vintage close to the nonagenarians, I knew most of them either directly or through my two uncles in the Navy. Cmde KM Kumar and Vinnie Mama (Cmde VK Sharma) did Long 'G' together in Whale Island, Portsmouth, UK, and Vinnie Mama used to tell a story about him. On reaching UK, some of them went shopping for toiletries. Then Lt Kumar was very keen to buy a 'jeebhi' but didn't know how to say it in English. He tried to explain his requirement through physical action which drove the British salesman mad. Finally, Rajapan Bhalla, the seniormost officer, told Kumar to let go and just use the toothbrush for scraping his tongue. 

Shashi Mama (Cdr PK Sharma) and Vice Admiral Heathwood Johnson became good friends when they served together in Cochin, aided by the fact that they shared a UP background. Later, in 1987, Admiral Johnson, then (FOCWF) flying his flag on Udaygiri commanded by Captain Tony Sahney, who was also present at the lunch, visited Manila which was my turf as the Defence Advisor in Singapore accredited to Philippines. Sushil Ramsay was there too as the Admiral's Secretary. The Admiral expressed was very keen to see a popular faith healer on the outskirts of Manila. So off we went to this person's house and passed a long queue of people waiting to be treated by him. In the house we saw scenes the likes of which I had never seen nor, I suppose, will ever see again. A patient apparently with a stomach ailment was called in and told to lie down on a makeshift operating table. The healer proceeded to do something with his bare hands and we saw the patient's guts open up with blood oozing out from his innards. Something was then plucked out from the stomach and thrown after which the tummy was sealed up again with bare hands and the patient told to get up and go. The healer then moved to a patient on a chair and did something similar with his eye. We were witness to the eye being plucked out, treated, put back in place and the patient dismissed. Believe me, all this was done with bare hands and no instruments right in front of us without a squeak from the patients. The faith healer then came and chatted with us for a while before returning to the long line of patients.  

On my return from Singapore in 1988, I was appointed as Officer on Special Duty to the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Naval Command, Vice Admiral Tony Jain. I put in my papers seeking premature retirement and he tried to dissuade me but my mind was made up. He invited me to a farewell dinner and that was that. It was only after 2004 when Ruchir went to New York that I really got to know Admiral Jain. We got in touch as he used to come to US to visit his younger daughter who is married to Ajit Jain, the right-hand man of Warren Buffet, the billionaire head of Berkshire Hathaway, a top multinational conglomerate holding company. In 2015, Akhila and I were in New York and were invited by Admiral Jain for 4th of July US Independence Day celebrations at Ajit's beach house on the outskirts of New York. It was a lavish dinner which included many prominent people and the party ended with a display of brilliant fireworks. 4 July is also Akhila's birthday and Tony Jain frequently teases me by saying that he had outdone me by holding such a huge function for my wife's birthday!

Cdr KK Gulati and I were together in Cochin in 1970-71 when he was Secretary to Flag Officer Commanding Southern Naval Area, Rear Admiral Vasu Kamath, and I was Chief Instructor, Signal School. I will forever be indebted to him for his intervention when the Officer-in-Charge Signal School penned a grossly unfair confidential report against me. Cdr Gulati was instrumental in warning me of the OiC's action and getting the Admiral to overwrite the report.

Rear Admiral Ramendra Sharma and I have been the best of friends since 1960 and thereby hangs a tale. Ramen was a young Lieutenant in B&D School, Cochin, when I was living in the South Wardroom during my Sub Lt's courses. One afternoon, a sailor came and told me that Lt Sharma wanted to see me. I wondered why as I did not know him at all. On meeting him, he handed me a telegram from my grandfather that he and grandma were visiting Cochin shortly. Ramen was initially foxed but then correctly guessed that the postman had handed the telegram to the wrong R Sharma and sought me out. And that started a lifelong friendship buttressed by the fact that we have more things in common than just our initials.

AN ITALIAN WINS US OPEN SINGLES TENNIS TITLE AND I AM DELIGHTED

Jannik Sinner, an Italian with an unusual name particularly for someone from a country home to the Pope, has won the US Open Single's title. 

Surprised? One could be as Italians have not known to be world champions at Tennis but are passionate about Football. In 1976, on my first visit to Rome, Italy, my hosts asked me what I would like to do over the weekend. I had read in the papers that an Italian league match was scheduled between Roma and Lazio, so seizing on the opportunity, I said I would love to go and watch that game. My hosts were reluctant as apparently violence often broke out between the two fierce rivals, Roma who considered themselves urban and sophisticated, and Lazio, the regional team sneered at by Romans as lowly rustics. However, sensing my keenness, they took me to the game. 

The packed stadium was divided into two distinct sections of Roma and Lazio supporters. Our seats were chosen in a small neutral corner strategically placed for a quick exit. Throughout the match the crowd was boisterous, the two supporting groups trying to out cheer the other. Fortunately, the match ended peacefully in a goalless draw and my hosts heaved a huge sigh of relief as we made our way cautiously out of the stadium.

More than surprised, I was delighted with an Italian win. I have been fond of Italy right from my childhood days. From the time I started listening to Western music, I was enchanted by the Neapolitan songs sung by the likes of Enrico Caruso, Luciano Pavarotti and presently, blind Andrea Bocelli. "Santa Lucia", "O Sole Mio" and "Torna E Surriento" are timeless classics in an exclusive niche of their own. In more modern times, Jimmy Fontana's "Il Mondo", Emilio Pericoli's "Al Di La" and Umberto Tozzi's "Gloria"  have been unmatched in their appeal to touch one's heart.

And Italian women! The first to catch my attention was the vivacious Anna Magnani referred to as "La Lupa" ot "perennial toast of Rome" who was the first Italian to win the Best Actress Oscar award in 1955. Then came Silvana Magnano dancing her way into our hearts with "Anna", the catchy theme song of "Bitter Rice". Bewitching Sophia Loren was perhaps the most famous of all and won Oscars and Golden Globes but on the lighter side, who can forget her delightful duo with Peter Sellers "Goodness Gracious Me" with the 'boom boody-boom boody-boom boody-boom boody-boom boody-boom boody-boom-boom-boom' line.

I round off the list of women with the ravishing Gina Lollobrigida specially remembering her role with Rock Hudson in "Come September". On the men's side, Marcello Mastroianni is my exclusive favourite not the least because many friends, maybe just to lift my spirits, have said I resembled him!

But it's true that during my trips to Italy, many locals said I could pass as one of them. Brainwashed with all that, I have lured myself into believing I was an Italian in my previous life and always root for Italy in crucial matches. My joy knew no bounds when they won the 1982 World Cup led by the magical Paolo Rossi shortly after my visit to Genoa and Rome that summer.

No wonder then that I was delighted with an Italian victory. Italy did have some outstanding players early on though few and far between. Nicola Pietrangeli won the French title in 1959 and '60 and was world number 3 in those days. Then in 1976, Adriano Panatta won the French Open becoming the first Italian to win a grand slam title in the Open era. The highest rank he reached was No. 4 in '76. 

Italy had to wait 48 years for another grand slam winner when Sinner won the Australian Open. Shortly after, he became the first Italian to reach No. 1 world ranking though he was just 22. And now he is the US Open champion.

At the post match on-court interview after winning the US Open, he was asked, "You came into this tournament saying I am not sure I have very high expectations. For someone with low expectations....how did you get this done over two weeks?" His reply in the usual Italian lisping way, "I did pretty well I guess!"

A CONCERT AT CARNEGIE HALL

Though I have visited New York City many times, I had not attended a concert at the famous Carnegie Hall. It was always on my list but remained an omission till a few days ago.

I first came to know about this great venue for musical concerts more than 60 years ago when on board Khukri, we had a vinyl long playing disc, "Belafonte at Carnegie Hall", which was a recording of Harry Belafonte's live performance in 1959 at the famous Hall.  Belafonte sang many of his hit songs but the one that I shall always remember was "Matilda." A comic number, Belafonte added to the fun by extending it to nearly 13 minutes repeating again and again the catchy and humorous line, "Matilda, she take me money and run Venezuela". He got every section of the audience singing that line exhorting them with calls like "Everybody", "Sing out the chorus", "Once again now," "Women over forty", "Sing a little louder", "Sing a little softer", etc. etc. From then on, I wanted to see the venue where he sang the song.

During my present visit, I looked at the events at Carnegie Hall and was happy to find that the National Youth Orchestra (NYO) of the USA was performing there and the program included two pieces I am familiar with, Gershwin's "Rhapsody in Blue" and Rimsky-Korsakov's "Scheherazade." That set up the much overdue visit to this Mecca of concert halls.

Carnegie Hall has three auditoriums with the main one named Stern Hall after the famous violinist, Isaac Stern. It has a seating capacity of 2804. The moment Akhila and I entered the auditorium, we were charmed by the elegance of its imposing 6-storey design. For the audience, the seating begins on the ground level called 'Parquet' with 1021 seats. Above that, there are four tiers with the top one, Balcony, reachable by 137 steps. Not to worry, there are elevators so you don't have to climb! The first and second tiers consist of sixty-five boxes and the third tier is the Dress Circle. All four tiers are artistically shaped in an arc of around 300 degrees extending from one corner above the stage all the way back to the rear of the auditorium ending above the other end of the stage.

Soon, the members of the Orchestra made their appearance. The NYO consists of young musicians ages 16-19 from across the USA. It was a delight to see the youngsters trooping in with their instruments looking every bit seasoned and confident. There was at least one member of Indian origin, Rishabh Das, a 16-year old violinist, now a resident of Philadelphia. 

The conductor was an adult, Marin Alsop, well-known and experienced. The program began with Barber's Symphony No. 1, something I was not familiar but found very listenable. And then Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue, for which they wheeled in the biggest piano I have ever seen, a Steinway. It was played by another old-hand, Jean-Yves Thibauder, reputed to be one of the world's finest pianists. The Rhapsody, composed exactly 100 years ago, is like a jazz piano concerto and is particularly popular in the USA because of its American background. No wonder the audience lapped up the gusty playing of Thibauder ably accompanied by the enthusiastic young Orchestra.

An interval and then came the piece I was eagerly looking forward to. "Scheherazade" is one of the early compositions I listened to when I first developed an ear for Western classical music. In the early 1960s, the naval authorities allowed us to buy LP discs through our canteen at discounted prices. My first order of three LPs included "Scheherazade. Of course its composer, Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, is very famous but maybe what further attracted me to his works like this one, "Capriccio Espagnol' and "Flight of the Bumblebee", was the fact that he had for a while served in the Russian Navy. His older brother by 22 years was a reputed naval officer and explorer and Nikolai admired him. That explains Rimsky-Korsakov's love for the ocean which is reflected in many of his works particularly in "Scheherazade".

This brings me to a humorous, though perhaps unfair, story Vinnie Mama told me. It was said that in the Russian Navy, Rimsky-Korsakov was reputed to be a poor naval officer but a brilliant musician while in the musical circles, he was known as a poor musician but a great naval officer!

Rimsky-Korsakov based his symphonic suite "Scheherazade" on "Tales From The Arabian Nights" the storyteller of which was the legendary queen who married Sultan Shahryar of Persia. Deceived by his first wife, the Sultan used to bed a new virgin every night and in the morning, chop her head off to prevent her from being unfaithful. When the Sultan picked Scheherazade, she decided to engage him with a story but withheld the ending. Upon the Sultan asking her to complete the story, she said it was late and she would complete it the next night. That night she would complete the story and begin a new one, again keeping the end for the next night. 1000 stories later on the 1001st night, Scheherazade told the Sultan she had no more stories to tell. But by then he had fallen in love with her, spared her life and peacefully drifted off to sleep.

The story is told in musical arrangements with the growling trombone and woodwinds portraying the stern Sultan and a solo violin and harp providing a sensual theme for Scheherazade. The Sultan's theme with the addition of percussion is later used near the end to represent the heaving seas and Sinbad the sailor's shipwreck. Similarly, the two recurring themes, deep and ponderous for the Sultan and light and lyrical for Scheherazade, are interwoven throughout the suite to tell the tales.

All that was superbly performed by the competent teenage artistes mature beyond their years. And in conclusion, unlike most classical pieces which end in a frenzied crescendo, here a solo violinist casts a spell with the soft, dreamy and sensuous Scheherazade theme which would haunt one well into the night.

CAPSIZING OF INS BRAHMAPUTRA

On 21 July, a fire broke out on the Indian Naval Ship, "Brahmaputra", a 3850-tonne missile frigate, while undergoing a refit in the Naval Dockyard at Mumbai. After a long fight, the fire was brought under control but the ship listed to its port side and finally toppled over to lie on its side against the jetty causing much damage to herself. The Navy is hopeful of righting the ship but it will take time, effort and money to salvage the ship and make it operational. 

A Board of Inquiry (BoI) headed by a Rear Admiral has been ordered to look into the incident, find out the causes, affix blame and recommend steps to avoid such incidents in the future. Simultaneously, the Chief of the Naval Staff has set up a special task force to review safety, security and standard operating procedures of Indian Navy.

The incident is a strange one; fires occur and are fought, brought under control quickly or get out of hand to cause much damage and destruction. However, in this case, the fire was doused but so much water was poured into the ship that it caused its listing and capsizing. The matter needs a thorough examination which the BoI would do. 

Subsequently, the Navy shall take corrective steps and punish the guilty.

But the media and armchair critics, with only a layman's knowledge of ships and the Navy and scant information of the incident, are already busy pre-judging the issue, bringing out supposed errors and incompetence, and laying blames on all and sundry from top to bottom of naval personnel. 

Some said Navy should not be losing ships in peacetime. Apart from the false premise of insinuating that too many accidents are happening, it is also like saying that an IAF aircraft should not crash in peacetime. Incidents can be due to age, malfunction or human error. The cause needs to be investigated and corrective and, if required, disciplinary action taken whether in war or in peace. 

The cost of salvaging and repairing the ship will be worked out. Loss of lives, however, is priceless and sadly the ship lost a sailor. We can console ourselves with that number but cannot replace the life lost.  

The present incident is serious and deserves close scrutiny and strict action. That is why we should wait for facts and authentic information to emerge rather than wildly passing judgement and pointing fingers which would only detract from the seriousness of the incident. There should be no fear of a cover-up as the matter is in public knowledge and cannot be hidden. Nor would the Navy wish to do that as it would be aware that sharing its findings and action taken would be in its own interest as the public would know that the Navy has nothing to hide and means business.

This brings to mind an incident which occurred 63 years ago when I had just been promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. I was posted on board the frigate "Gomati" and the ship was due for a refit. The naval dockyard had its hands full with other ships and Gomati had to await her turn lying alongside idly. One day in July 1961, our Captain happened to be in the Command Headquarters when a distress message was received from a merchant vessel, "Maharashmi". For some reason which I can't recall, the ship had lost power and was lying helpless at anchor off Port Albert Victor in Gujarat, a few hours of sailing from Bombay.

Eager to be of use rather than inactive alongside, the Captain volunteered to sail to tow Maharashmi back to Bombay. He returned to Gomati a very happy man and ordered the ship to get ready to sail. 

We reached Port Albert Victor in the evening, located Maharashmi, communicated to her that we would take her in tow early morning, and anchored nearby. Our XO (second-in-command) went on the usual night rounds and discovered that there was a hole in the shipside causing water to leak in one of the aft magazines (ammunition compartment). Immediate action was taken to try and seal the leak and pump out water which, however, continued to leak in. After much effort and deliberation, it was decided that we should head back to Bombay independently before the situation worsened. We informed Maharashmi of our decision and set sail to Bombay.

Water continued to pour in faster than we could pump out and the stern of the ship kept going deeper into the sea. Along with stormy monsoon weather and rough seas, this affected the ship's speed which kept slowing down. The ship's staff worked constantly to keep patching up some new leaks and pumping out water. We managed to reach Bombay safely late into the next night with the seawater almost reaching our quarterdeck. We were immediately docked, the water pumped out and the leaks patched up. 

What if Gomati had sunk? ( There would have been casualties- I know there was at least one non-swimmer on board!) Would the ship's staff have been blamed for not knowing what to do in case of a leak? Should the Captain have foreseen that perhaps the ship had a weak hull and would develop leaks and not volunteered to take on the noble task of going to the aid of a stricken ship? Should the Headquarters have foreseen this and not allowed the ship to sail? 

Incidentally, it was finally decided that due to the heavy schedule of Naval Dockyard, Bombay, Gomati would undergo the refit at Garden Reach, Calcutta. After detailed examination, the ship was declared fit and we sailed from Bombay all the way to Calcutta stopping at Cochin, going around Sri Lanka and the choppy Gulf of Mannar on to Madras, and finally reaching our destination without any incident.

P.S. Admiral Chand would recall the Maharashmi incident; as a Lieutenant, he was the Navigating Officer (NO) on Gomati. 

I was the NO on the Bombay-Calcutta trip.

  

 

MY WALK ON SONGS THROUGH CENTRAL PARK, NEW YORK

Thousands of people go to the Central Park in New York every day: walkers, runners, strollers, cyclers, picnickers, sightseers, lovers and all. Add one more whenever I am in New York, me. 

Ruchir's apartment being just across the road on the south-west corner of the Park makes it ideal for my evening walk. And I have another reason to do so: the many attractions in the Park make me recall some lovely songs which I hum as I walk by.

What better way to start than entering the Park from 72 W. Street and immediately sight the lovely circular 'Imagine Mosaic' created by masons in Naples as a memorial to The Beatles' John Lennon who was shot dead by a crazy man just 100 yards away. 'Imagine', as everyone knows, was Lennon's most popular song  wistfully dreaming of 'One World'-

"Imagine there's no countries, it isn't hard to do

Nothing to kill or die for, and no religion too....

Imagine all the people, sharing all the world,

You may say I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one

I hope someday you'll join us

And the world will live as one."

Imagine Mosaic is part of the 2.5 acre 'Strawberry Fields' which was given that name from The Beatles' number "Strawberry Fields Forever". Walking through the trees and shrubs with beautiful flowers, I hum-

"Let me take you down 'cause I'm going to strawberry fields'

Nothing is real and nothing to get hung about

Strawberry fields forever."

I reach a road, turn left, and soon hear joyful sounds of children enjoying themselves in 'Diana Ross Playground.' Diana Ross and The Supremes were big hits in 1960s and the song I remember, though admittedly not quite matching the mood of the Playground, is "You Keep Me Hanging On", perhaps because it was also sung by my favorite, Tom Jones. "Set me free, why don't you babe, get out of my life, why don't you babe, 'cause you don't really love me, you just keep me hangin' on"!

I reverse direction and on my left is 'Shakespeare Garden' which brings to mind the troubadour singing "What is Youth" in Franco Zeferelli's classic "Romeo and Juliet". And then the 'Cherry Hill Fountain' appears leading to the 'Cherry Park' where Cherry trees blossom in the spring. It is time to recall the 'King of Mambo', Perez Prado and his "Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White - 'when your true lover  comes your way'"- with the exceptional undulating trumpet of Billy Regis. 

From Cherry Park and past Bethesda Fountain thronging with visitors playing music and dancing, I reach Conservatory Water and a bronze sculpture depicting characters from the Lewis Carroll classic "Alice in Wonderland". Nearby is a statue of Hans Christian Andersen with his hat by his side and reading his story "The Ugly Duckling" to, who else, a duckling! I remember the movie with Danny Kaye playing the main part and singing "I'm Hans Christian Andersen" and "Thumbelina-'What's the difference if you're very small, when your heart is full of love, you're nine feet tall.'"

Time to turn South and head for 'The Mall'. Though it is also called a 'Literary Walk', The Mall has a musical beginning from this end. On the right is a bust of Beethoven and I think of a light, short piece "Fur Elise" or, in a more serious mood, "Ode To Joy" which is the highlight of his 9th Symphony. 

Right opposite is 'Naumburg Bandshell' which provides the stage for concerts throughout the year. It has also featured in many movies, notably in the sweet "Breakfast At Tiffany's". And so I launch into-

"Moon River, wider than a mile, I'm crossing you in style someday....

Two drifters off to see the world, there's such a lovely world to see,

We're after the same rainbow's end, waiting 'round the bend....

Moon river and me."

At the end of The Mall is a statue of the Scottish poet, Robert Burns. Whether familiar with his poems or not, all of us know his famous work “Auld Lang Syne" which we unfailingly sing to bring in every new year.

Across the road and at the southern end of the Park, there is 'Wollman Rink', a popular venue for ice skating in winter and currently, in summer, for a new game I see for the first time, 'Pickleball', which seems akin to Tennis on a smaller and Table-Tennis on a larger scale. But I will always remember the Rink for its featuring in the heart-rending movie, "Love Story". The scene showed the two young lovers having fun in the ice rink with Francis Lai's 'Skating Theme' playing in the background. And if you think of "Love Story", would you be able to resist humming its beautiful theme, "Where Do I Begin"?

A turnaround to the interior of the Park brings me to the kids' favorite, 'Carousel', with beautifully painted handmade horses. I recall the Broadway musical of the same name with the unforgettable song "If I Loved You" and the emotional theme, ‘The Carousel Waltz’, which, like a carousel, goes round and round and up and down in my head.. 

A little further up, in the "Sheep Meadow" is the "Nell Singer Lilac Walk" which is a narrow path through a small grove of lilac trees with varieties from all over the world. At the height of its popularity in mid-1950s, there were many nice versions of the song "When the White Lilacs Bloom Again" and the best for me was by Lawrence Welk And His Sparkling Strings which invoked visions of bubbly champagne while admiring the lilacs.

It's been quite a walk and near the exit is "Tavern On The Green". I sit down and order a drink thinking of Mary Hopkin and her nostalgic "Those Were The Days":

"Once upon a time there was a tavern, where we used to raise a glass or two,

Remember how we laughed away the hours, think of all the great things we would do.

Those were the days my friend, we thought they'd never end, we'd sing and dance forever and a day

We'd live the life we choose, we'd fight and never lose, for we were young and sure to have our way...

Just tonight I stood before the tavern, nothing seemed the way it used to be,

In the glass I saw a strange reflection, was that lonely woman really me?"

And finally, a really old song which had its origin in 1883, "There's A Tavern In The Town "- 

"....where my true love sits him down, sits him down,

 And drinks his wine as merry as can be, and never, never thinks of me.

Fare thee well for I must leave thee, do not let this parting grieve thee

And remember that the best of friends must part, must part.

Adieu, adieu kind friends adieu, adieu, adieu,

I can no longer stay with you, stay with you

I will hang my harp on a weeping willow tree,

And may the world go well with thee."

ZURICH 2.0

A second trip to Zurich wasn't really on the cards; it just worked out that way. 

Akhila and I had ticked off Zurich on our list of travel destinations after a visit, albeit a short one, in 1987. Then this year, Shiven qualified for a 3-week Creative Writing course in Columbia University, New York, and Shumita made plans to visit US with her two boys. She wanted us to come and Ruchir insisted that we should also be in New York with them. He said he would book us by Swissair via Zurich and that tempted us to take a  break there. Ruchir, who loves Switzerland and has made a number of business trips there, has a good friend, Natasha, in Zurich and organised a car driven by Mahu-ud-Din, originally from Pakistan, for our stay.

Mahu-ud-Din met us at the airport on our arrival on a Sunday morning and drove us to our hotel, Mandarin Oriental, centrally located near the south-west bank of Limmat river which starts from Lake Zurich on the southern side of the city and flows northwards. That afternoon, Natasha met us and took us on a short walking tour by the bank of Limmat. It reminded us of our '87 visit when we had roamed around the same area and seen the (same?!) white swans swimming in Limmat. Our tour ended with a climb up to the hilltop park, Lindenhof, from where we could get a panoramic view of the old town of Altstadt, the 12th century twin-towered Grossmunster Church and the Limmat River. On that Sunday afternoon, Lindenhof was crowded as it is a favourite meeting point of people particularly chess players who flock to play the game in the serene surroundings.

We walked back to the hotel and as it was early enough, Natasha said we could do some out-of-town sightseeing that evening. So Mahu-ud-Din drove the three of us to the famous Rhine Falls, just over an hour away from Zurich. The Falls are the most powerful waterfalls in Europe with a height of 75 feet and width 490 feet near the border with Germany. The river flow is spectacular from a viewing platform accessed from the Laufen Castle which also houses a restaurant where we sat down to have a much needed Cappuccino.

On the way back, we took a detour to visit the ancient village, Stein am Rhine. Unfortunately, it started raining and became dark, so we headed back to Zurich and I made a mental note to visit the village on a later date if we had the time.

Natasha's Swiss husband, Adrian, joined us on our return to Zurich and they took us out to a lavish all-vegetarian buffet dinner which had the largest number of vegetarian dishes I have ever seen. Incidentally, Natasha has a Swiss mother and an Indian father and I was reminded of one Group Captain Sabhaney who did the NDC course in 1966 when I was there. The Group Captain had a Swiss wife and I wondered if there was any connection but there wasn't.

It had been raining a lot but we woke up in the morning to a fairly clear day. Mahu-ud-Din suggested we go to Engelberg for a cable car trip up Mount Titlis. We reached Engelberg in just over an hour and got into the cable car which took us to Trubsee, Stand and finally the summit of Klein Titlis above the glacier at an altitude of 10000 feet. We got out of the enclosed area where it was freezing cold at -5 degrees C. Fortunately, Mahu-ud-Din had lent me a jacket and Akhila had prudently rented one at a shop while buying the tickets. We then got into a rotating cable car, the first in the world, for a fascinating panoramic view of the peaks, glaciers and valleys. Back at the cable car station, we got into an illuminated glacier cave, actually inside a glacier, which was a unique but a shivering and slippery experience!

Outside the station there is a lifesize cardboard cutout of Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol from their popular old movie "Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge". This was Yash Chopra's favourite film shooting site and there is a shop selling souvenirs from his films. In fact, the place seems to have been taken over by Indians with restaurants and cafes serving Indian fare and many visitors from homeland.

We too had a bite there and then got into the cable car for the trip back. We took a break at Trubsee for a walk along the tranquil lake before returning to Engleberg.

Lucerne was not too far out of the way so I requested Mahu-ud-Din to take a little detour. We drove around the town looking at some traditional frescoed buildings and came to the big 'Welcome' gate opposite the train station. We walked to the Lucerne lake and the wooden Chapel Bridge dating back to the 14th century repeating what we had done in 1987. Once again, we were greeted by many graceful and friendly swans swimming in the lake.  

Having got our money's worth, happy but exhausted, we headed back to Zurich. 

The next day, Natasha advised us to go to Liechtenstein, again about an hour's drive from Zurich. Sound advice as it satisfied my ego of a self-styled traveller ticking off a new country. Officially named Principality of Liechtenstein, the country is the fourth smallest in Europe after the Vatican City, Monaco and San Marino, and the sixth smallest, after Nauru and Tuvalu, of all recognized countries in the world. It is just 25 kms long and 160 sq. kms. in area with a population of 39790. It is also the smallest country in the world to share a border with two countries, Switzerland and Austria. Boasting of the highest GDP per person in the world when adjusted for purchasing power parity, it is no wonder that its citizens are quite content with their independence and the tiny size of their country.

We visited its capital Vaduz which has as its landmark a medieval castle on top of a mountain peak overlooking the city. The head of state, Prince of Liechtenstein. resides here. With its origin dating back to the 12th century, it was expanded in the 17th century and underwent a major restoration in the early 20th century. We also saw the beautiful St. Florin Cathedral and the Planken municipality before bidding goodbye to Liechtenstein. In three hours including a break for lunch, we probably covered more than half of the country!

On the way back, we had decided to see the Lindt chocolate factory in Zurich but, en route, Mahu-ud-Din first took us to another famous one, Laderach. We did a quick round, tasting and buying before landing up at Lindt. It was a fascinating tour starting at a big chocolate fountain in the main hall. More tasting and buying and our tour was complete.

I don't think I had ever visited a chocolate factory till December 2022. Since then, in the last 1 1/2 years, we have done four: two small ones in Puducherry and Munnar, and now the giants, Lindt and Laderach. 

On the final day of our stay, we took the toy train, reminiscent of Simla and Darjeeling, for a 20-minute ride to Uetilberg mountain, which is the highest point in Zurich 451 metres above the city. To get to the top from the railway station, it is a 68 m. climb but worth the effort for a spectacular panoramic view of the whole of Zurich and its lake. To take in the scenery at leisure, there is enough seating all around and a hotel and restaurant for refreshments.

We were finished with Uetilberg early in the afternoon so I seized the opportunity to fulfill my desire to go back to Stein am Rhein and am glad we did. The small village, all of 6 sq kms with more than 75% of land used for agricultural purposes and forestry, lies by the banks of River Rhine.  The main street is like a fairyland with beautifully painted buildings dating back to the 12th century. No vehicles are permitted on the street and the river bank and the frescoes adorning the facade of the buildings are cute and lovable. The river bank is lined up with restaurants and cafes filled with tourists. And, of course, the white swans are here too!

Reluctantly, we left the village and drove back to Zurich. With the late summer sunset, there was time enough for a farewell stroll on the streets seeing the 853 A.D. Fraumunster Church distinguished by its green clocktower and famous for stained-glass windows by Marc Chagall added in 1970, the imposing Zurich Opera House, the high-end shopping street Bahnhofstrasse, and more swans in the Limmat.

Next morning, Mahu-ud-Din took us to the airport for our flight to Miami. He had been good company for the last 4 days keeping us entertained during the long drives with stories of his own adventurous life, three wives though not at the same time, and his views on the political situation in Pakistan. Right till he saw us off checking in at the airport, he was insistent that we stop over in Zurich on our way back to India with him making all arrangements. 

There surely is a lot more to Zurich than had met our eye at first sight.

LES SAVEURS DE LA FRANCE (THE FLAVOURS OF FRANCE)

Geography in school taught me that there was a country called France. Then I studied European history in which France played a major role. Two famous quotes from my history book are still fresh in my mind. Louis XV famously declared, "Apres moi, le deluge." Yes, I give a damn what happens after I'm gone!

The other one is probably even more famous- Marie Antoinette, the queen of France during the French Revolution, when apprised of the fact that the peasants had no bread to eat, is supposed to have said, "Let them eat cake." Nobody is certain whether she actually said so or not, but the words have been attributed to her to highlight the ignorance of the royalty of the hardships faced by ordinary French citizens of those times.

In the National Defence Academy, I studied French in my final year. I remember Mr. Paul, our teacher, acquainting us with the finer nuances of the language such as every noun having a gender and that the last consonant of a word is not pronounced unless the next word begins with a vowel in which case the consonant is conjoined with the vowel- 'Voulez vous?' 'Mais oui!' After the NDA, I lost touch with the language but can recognise some words and phrases to make sense of a written piece. I am glad that Shumita achieved a high level in French by studying at the Alliance Francaise in Delhi and can be my translator when required.

The radio introduced me to French songs. Among the earliest I remember are "La Mer" by Charles Tenet composed in 1943 during a train journey in South of France and Edith Piaf's "La Vie En Rose" written in 1945 to alleviate the mood of the French during World War II.

Originally a French hit, Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye and all well-known singers of those days, recorded their own version of the sweet, chic number, "Mademoiselle de Paris", aptly describing a French maiden-

"She's so chic and adorable

No one thinks it deplorable

When men all turn around just to see

Mademoiselle de Paree.

Ooh la la, oui oui oui

She's the spirit of spring in Paree."

Another French song, "Les Feuilles Morte" was popularised by Nat King Cole as "Autumn Leaves." Over the years, I have been enjoying Michel Legrand's compositions such as the sweet "I Love Paris", the haunting "I Will Wait For You" from "The Umbrellas Of Cherbourg" and "Windmills Of Your Mind", the theme from "The Thomas Crown Affair." Then there are Francis Lai's enchanting themes from "Un Homme Et Une Femme" and "Love Story", and Paul Mauriat's brilliant instrumental rendition of "L'amour Est Bleu."

I read some French fiction, translated into English, of course, but it gave me an insight into French history as well as their way of life and customs including the dreaded guillotine! I loved Alexandre Dumas' classics "The Three Musketeers", "The Count Of Monte Cristo" and "The Black Tulip". Victor Hugo was another favourite with "Les Miserables" and "The Hunchback Of Notre Dame." Jules Verne, 'father of science fiction', was ahead of his time with "Around The World In 80 Days" and "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under The Sea." "Cyrano de Bergerac" by Edmond Rostand was a heart-rending romance of a man in love but too shy to reveal his identity to his lover because of his extraordinarily long nose.

Movies and musical plays based on these books have been big hits too. 

Two Francoises grabbed my attention in late 1950s-'60s.  The first was an 18-year old author, Francoise Sagan, who made waves with her first book, "Bonjour Tristesse". The book was controversial but a gripping portrait of a coming-of-age girl aged 17 and her complex relationship with her father. It made Sagan famous and she followed it up with other popular books including "A Certain Smile" which was adapted into a film starring Rossano Brazzi and Christine Carere, an actress little known outside France. The story was of a teenage girl falling for a much older man. The theme song by Johnny Mathis went to the top of all music charts and was a personal favourite of mine.

The second Francoise was a young singer, Francoise Hardy. I was on Trishul when we visited Kuwait. We were invited to a party hosted by some young Palestinians who had a huge collection of music. There I heard Hardy for the first time and was enchanted by her voice. She also sang in English and I bought an LP with the unforgettable song "Will You Love Me Tomorrow?" that keeps constantly reverberating in my ears.

In 1963, my ship Khukri visited Pondicherry. A visit to the French Quarter gave some idea of life in a French city. It was also my first introduction to the famous French bread, the long 'baguette'!

Still, it was only through movies that I could see France. "The Last Time I Saw Paris" starring two budding actors in Elizabeth Taylor and Roger Moore along with Van Jonson was a heart-rending tragedy with the haunting theme song sung by Odette. Another hit movie was the musical, "An American In Paris" with six Oscars to its credit including Best Picture. Gene Kelly was super with his tap dancing ably accompanied by Leslie Caron. A few years later came "Gigi", another superb musical winning the Best Picture award and 8 other Oscars. Its cast was mainly French with Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan and the one and only Maurice Chevalier. Who can forget his lovely song, "I'm Glad I'm Not Young Any More"?

Meanwhile two young stars were earning enormous popularity in France and beyond. Alain Delon with his striking good looks was winning female hearts. For men, there was Brigitte Bardot, the ultimate oomph girl. In "Doctor At Sea", she was brilliant, charming Dirk Bogarde with"Je Ne Sais Pas", 'there are many things I don't know but I do know this, that I love you love you love you, je ne sais.'

My first visit to France took place in 1982. I had been sent by NHQ to the Italian Naval Exhibition in Genoa, Italy. Our stay included a weekend and a local Indian friend offered to take me on a car drive to Cote d'Azur, the French Riviera. So we travelled through Monte Carlo and Nice to Cannes and St. Tropez and looked to spend the night there. It was the peak of summer and we could not find a hotel with a vacant room and kept driving on to Toulon and Marseilles. Still no luck, so we turned back and went inland a bit and soon found two rooms. 

The next day, it was a drive back with a few hours on the beaches of St. Tropez, Cannes and Monte Carlo. The drive along the sea coast was beautiful and reminded me of the car scenes in Alfred Hitchcock's "To Catch A Thief" with the difference that the car in the movie had Cary Grant and Grace Kelly with a love interest whereas we were just two males, simply friends! I made a mental note to correct that in the future. 

A visit to Paris materialised only in 1987. I was posted in Singapore as the Defence Attache and Akhila and I embarked on a trip to UK and Europe. Our 3-day stay in Paris was hectic as we wanted to cover all the famous tourist spots, Eiffel Tower and River Seine, Arc de Triomphe, a walk up and down Champs Elysees looking at famous designer shops such as Chanel, Christian Dior, Louis Vuitton, Prada and many more, Louvre Museum with the sculpture 'Venus de Milo', and perhaps the most famous painting in the world, Leonardo da Vinci's 'Mona Lisa', Notre-Dame Cathedral, Moulin Rouge, and Versailles Palace and Garden. Phew!!!

The promised corrective action during the earlier trip to the French Riviera was executed with Ruchir organising a trip for Akhila and me in 2018. We spent four days based in Monte Carlo and going around Nice, Cannes and St. Tropez along with some smaller towns like Antibes, inland villages and vineyards.

Vive la France and hopefully, au revoir.

Tailpiece or pieces: During our stay in Paris, our host accompanied us for shopping. On return to his small car, we found two big limousines, one in front and one at the back, with almost no space for our host to manoeuvre his car out. Unperturbed, he started the car, put full wheel on one side and reversed till he hit the rear car. Then he put the wheel on the other side and drove forward hitting the front vehicle. He repeated these manoeuvres 4-5 times till he managed to eke his car out of the parking. Content, he drove on quite unconcerned at the damage and the hanging tailpiece of the car ahead.

 

Was that a typical French way of muscling out of tight spots? Maybe or maybe not. Our host was an Indian!

 

GOLDEN OLDIES FOR GROWING OLDIES

I love The Beatles and Paul McCartney's "Yesterday" is one of my top favourites. I am in good company; the song had been voted as the Best Song of the 20th century in a 1999 BBC Radio2 poll of music experts and listeners and number one Pop Song of all time by MTV and Rolling Stone magazine in 2000.

One particular line from the song plays a lot in my mind these days: 'I'm not half the man I used to be.' Of course, in the song it is used in a different context but I find it an apt description of the aged me. Where is the man who was bold, full of optimism and energy, always seeking adventure and on the go? I look in the mirror and see a reflection of a haggard, gray-haired and balding man with wrinkles, puffy eyes and white eyebrows- yes, half the man at best even with lengthening nose and ears!

One thought leads to another and I started remembering songs about old age and times. I harked back to my school days and songs Father Mackessack taught us in his after school singing class. One was of 1860 vintage by the famous composer Stephen Foster with a stirring version by Paul Robeson in 1930s, "Old Black Joe" -

"Gone are the days when my heart was young and gay,

Gone are the friends from the cotton fields away,

Gone from the earth to a better land, I know,

I hear their gentle voices calling, Old Black Joe.

I'm coming, I'm coming, for my head is bending low,

I hear their gentle voices calling, Old Black Joe."

Another treasure from Foster/Mackessack was "Old Folks At Home". For the singer "all de world am sad and dreary ebry where I roam...all up and down de whole creation sadly I roam, still longing for de old plantation, and for de old folks at home." Similar to The Beach Boys in "Sloop John B" who sang, "I feel so broke up, I wanna go home." Well, for me, home is Jaipur and that's where I wanna go though most old folks are no longer at home and have gone to a 'better place'.

A song that touchingly described melancholy and consolation over lost youth was "When You And I Were Young, Maggie". It owed its origin to a 1864 poem and had many versions including one by Bing Crosby and his son Gary. Some bittersweet lyrics-

"Oh they say that I'm feeble with age Maggie, my steps are much slower than then

My face is a well written page Maggie, and time all along was the pen.

Oh they say we have outlived our time Maggie, as dated as songs that we've sung

But to me you're as fair as you were Maggie, when you and I were young."

Time marches on relentlessly and we are busy with our lives till one day we suddenly look back and wonder how fast it has flown by. "Sunrise Sunset" from the popular musical "Fiddler on the Roof" captures this beautifully:-

"Is this the little girl I carried?

Is this the little boy at play?

I don't remember growing older, when did they?

When did she get to be a beauty?

When did he get to be so tall?

Wasn't it yesterday when they were so small?

Sunrise, sunset, swiftly flow the days

Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers, blossoming even as we gaze,

Sunrise, sunset, swiftly fly the years

One season following another, laden with happiness and tears.

What words of wisdom can I give them, how can I help to ease their way?

Now they must learn from one another, day by day."

Well, I must accept my ageing happily and look at the brighter side of getting old. Remember Maurice Chevalier in "Gigi" observing the lovestruck, bewitched and bewildered character played by Louis Jourdan? Chevalier sings contentedly, "I'm Glad I'm Not Young Anymore"-

"Poor boy, poor boy, downhearted and depressed and in a spin,

Poor boy, poor boy, oh, youth can really do a fellow in,

How lovely to sit here in the shade with none of the woes of man and maid,

I'm glad that I'm not young anymore."

Frank Sinatra though, advises one to remain "Young At Heart" regardless of age-

"And if you should survive to a hundred and five

Look at all you'll derive out of being alive

And here is the best part, you've had a head start,

If you are among the very young at heart."

And, I must be content and happy to have lived my life "My Way" as sang good old Frank Sinatra in his signature song-

"I've lived a life that's full, I've travelled each and every highway,

And more, much more than this, I did it my way.

Regrets, I've had a few, but again too few to mention....

I've loved, I've laughed and cried, I've had my fill, my share of losing,

And now as tears subside, I find it all so amusing,

To think I did all that, and may I say not in a shy way,

I did it my way."