Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 88

Chanting Chalisa

18.4.2013, Mumbai

Morari Bapu mentions that in Ram Charit Manas Hanuman saves five lives /Praan Daan : Sugreev from physical terror of Vaali. Sita from Sorrows while a captive at Lanka. Laxman was revived with sanjeevani when he turned unconscious. Bharat was spiritually guided to return to Ayodhya with his brother’s slippers. Fifth and final, Hanuman guided his vanar sena on trail of missing Sita to a tranquil spot where they find water and grants them jeevan daan...

When an individual recites ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ four things get eradicated in his life. First, the Mind/ Mann arrive at state of ceasing thought/Nirvichaar which enables him to arrive at Nothingness/Shunya. Second, Hanuman Chalisa pacifies the waves in the Intellect /Buddhi and makes it Tranquil / Shaant and this clarity leads you to a higher attainment of Buddhi

Yog. Third, focused concentration leads to what Yoga Sutras describe as Chit Vritti Nirodh or neutralizing the waves of Consciousness. Fourth, the greater the Chintan the faster your chances of connecting with the Supreme Being...

Bhawana Somaaya/www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 87

State of Zero
17.4.2013, Mumbai

The only complete truth about the universe is Nothingness/ Shunya. Nothingness or Zero is pure unlike a Triangle/ Square/ Hexagon that has corners and collects impurity. If we understand Shunya we understand Purity and mediums of finding the same in our daily lives.


The first medium to arrive at the state of Zero is to steal away from Wrong Company/Kusang). There is an old saying that follow a vile man and lose your lifetime saving. The second medium is to seek the company of the wise and the virtuous through (Satsang). The final stage to purify self is to strive towards detachment (Asang). The sky is detached, so it is Shunya. Gandhi Bapu called Asangta as Anaskati Yog or Yoga of Detachment. Finally attraction for Colour, Form, Shape/ Name/ Rang/ Roop/ Aakar/ Naam prevents purity, so become conscious and assert yourself to stay away from temptations and transform your life…

Bhawana Somaaya/ www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day: 86

Word speech deed
16.4.2013, Mumbai

Lord Krishna professes Swa Dharme Nidhanam Shrey / Your daily practice by word speech and deed. He emphasizes that while everything is in your control, you are in control of Almighty which is why a furious Parsuram in his attempt to axe Lakshman is unable to do so as his hand hangs midair because this is not to be! Laxman is destined to be protected by divinity!

Everyone who has read the 'Mahabharata' knows the story about how Manthara provoked Kaikayi to force Ram to exile…we also know that Mantharaa was provoked by Goddess Saraswati…and Goddess Sawarswati was provoked by Devatar but who was behind the deities…?

Bhawana Somaaya/ www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day: 85

Four types of Dharma
15.4.2013, Mumbai

Today is Guddi Padwa, the New Year for Maharashtrians. Today is also the first day of chatur maas Navratra dedicated to aaradhya or worship of the deities which is why a lot of Hindus fast on all the nine days. I will devote the coming week to extensively quoting from Morari Bapu’s Ramkatha conducted at Kailas a few years ago.


To be able to conduct a katha in such excruciating circumstances is a miracle by itself and I reproduce Bapu’s message in the way I understand it.

…The Bhagvad Geeta says, only one with faith finds wisdom, so it is imperative to discover faith in one’s life. The second important lesson is to find a guru. One who is aware of himself, his circumstances and his role in life is an evolved soul and who we describe as a saint. Shiv is evolved and therefore a saint. Parvati is evolved but for Shiv to accept her as his consort had to offer prem pariksha.

Shiv explains Sapta Rishi - the seven stages that represent seven constellations that work under the guidance of the highest creative intelligence. Sounds complicated but is simple when you focus to understand – Dharma/ Religion comprise four types: The first is Yug /Kaal Dharma which is the practice of an era or time. The second is Desh Dharma/ Practice of a country, the third is Guna Dharma / Practice of virtue and the fourth Swabhav Dharma / Sahaj Dharma are practice of our nature.

Bhawana Somaaya / www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 84

Nautanki disappoints and Commando numbs
12.04.2013, Mumbai

Iss hafte do releases hain – ek Action aur ek Comedy.

Nautanki Sala – do bade banners –T Series aur Ramesh Sippy Films ka joint venture hain - jinhone hume bohat saari yaadgar filmein di hain.

Romantic film Kuch naa Kaho/ fun film Bluff Master aur thriller Dum Maro Dum ke baad director Rohan Sippy iss baar Comedy of Errors laaye hai.

Problem ye hai ki film mein comedy kum - aur errors zyada hain:

Ye kahani hai Ram Parmar ki - jo theatre abhineta hai – magar kabhi rehearsal nahi karte.

Parmar play ke director bhi hai – isliye kabhi bhi- show ke dauran - actors / kirdar/ scene / line – badalte rehte hain.

Parmar se apni zindagi sambhali nahi jaati – magar beech sadak mile ajnabi ke liye -wo paisa paani ki tarha baha dete hai.

Film na engaging hai – na convincing - aur thodi bohat muskurahat jo humare chehre par aati hain - wo actors Ayushman Khurana aur Kunal Roy Kapoor ki wajah se.

Comedy ke shrrey mein sab kuch – art design/ costumes/ song / situation / character/ dialogue/ humour – banavti lagta hai – aur aap ke dil se director Rohan Sippy ke liye bas ek hi aah nikalti hai – Nautanki Saala!!

Nautanki Saala ko -Big Entertainment Ratings milte hai – 2 stars.

Vipul Amrutlal Shah produced aur Dilip Ghosh directed Commando - jaise ki posters par likha hai – One army film hai.

Commando Vidyut Jamval ki Vipul Shah ke saath -doosri film hai aur action director-Franz Spilhaus ki Singham aur Force ke baad- ye teesri film hain!

Jiss tarha se court mein gawah Gita par haath rakhkar- sach aur sirf sach bolte hai – ussi tarha se action director aur hero- Commando mein – sirf aur sirf action paroste hain.

Ye film weak hearts ke liye nahi hai- isliye theatre mein wohi jaye- jisse martial arts/ kick boxing/ shooting/ chasing/ violence/ bloodshed entertaining lagta hai.

Commando ko bohat hi stylish aur jaanbaaz action ke liye- Big Entertainment Ratings milte hai - 3 stars.

Bhawana Somaaya/ www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 83

Guddi Padwa &Chaitra Navratri
11.4.2013, Mumbai

Today is the first day of the Chaitra month which marks the New Year -Guddi Padwa for Maharashtrians and Hindu Konkanis in India. It is said that Lord Bhramha created the universe on this day and is the most auspicious day to start any new venture or to get married without a mahurat.

It is said that Lord Ram killed King Bali on this day and residents of Ayodha celebrated his victory with preparations of his return to the kingdom. So they washed the streets, decorated their homes with flowers and put up individual flags – made of long sticks –cloth and upturned vessel to express their happiness. It is a tradition that has continued over the years.

Today also marks the start of a new year in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka popularly known as Ugadi Pachchadi –a dish involving five ingredients-jaggery, tamarind, mangoe, neem and water. The philosophy being that we absorb the sweet and the bitter experiences of life in the right spirit and move on.

Starting from today begins Chaitra Navratri dedicated to the worship of Lord Ram - I will celebrate the coming eight days sharing excerpts of Ramcharitra Katha as narrated by Morari Bapu at Kailas Manas 700.

Bhawana Somaaya/ www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 82

Now a Drama School
10.4.2013, Mumbai

Actors are a hungry breed and no matter how good, there comes a time when the best needs guidance, says Jehan Sam Manekshaw and Tasneem Fatehi founders of Theatre Professionals who launched a theatre training, education, and professional capacity-holding workshops way back in 2008. It was attending a workshop that Kalki Koechlin nursed a dream before she became a diva in Dev D. Here that director Rakesh O Mehra recommended his actor Kunal Kapoor to visit before the shoot of Rang De Basanti.

Come July 1 and the duo is all set to back more hungry actors with the launch of India’s answer to world class drama school which brings faculty members trained from across the world, together with masters from the deepest traditions of Indian theatre - The Drama School in Mumbai. The goal is to formally train acting hopefuls and effectively equip them towards a professional career in theatre and the creative industries.

India has an inseparable relationship with the stage and the screen, but for the number of film acting schools we have in Mumbai and outside, there have been very few professional theatre schools. Now Drama School Mumbai will give performers an opportunity to groom in an environment hitherto unheard of in theatre training in this city.

Bhawana Somaaya/ www.bhawanasomaaya.com