Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 314

Gudi Padva is here

31.03.14

A busy Sunday, watched Manoj Joshi’s very popular Man Madde Tya Medo at Bhaidas, a real treat for a house-full audience at Bhaidas Hall in Vile Parle. Manoj Joshi is the most happening actor in present times and will be the first choice for filmmakers looking for a replacement for Farooque Shaikh.

In the evening I attended Hindi curtain raiser of magnum opus Kochadaiiyaan starring superstar Rajinikanth. Attached is a picture clicked with the superstar sometime in the 80s at a party hosted by a magazine I edited.Today is Maharashtrian New Year Gudi Padva and it falls in the Chaitra month of Hindu calendar. The festival is welcomed with an upturned kalash placed on top of a stick and covered with a silk sari decorated in flowers. This pole is hung on every household and the family begins the day with a powder of jaggery, ginger and neem leaves – a little sweet, a little sour and a little bitter because happiness is valued after sorrow and conflict.On this auspicious day actor and filmmaker Mahesh Manjrekar gives the clap for new film Janiva to launch his son Satya Manjrekar!

Bhawana Somaaya / Tweets @bhawanasomaaya