Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 7

Ek shaam mastani

7/01/2013, Mumbai

I don’t know if it is the weather but the city seems in a celebratory
mood.  It is the right time to wear silks and shawls and the right climate to relish delicious food.
Two days ago I was taken for an impromptu dinner by young friends and it proved to be a magical evening eating Biryani in the garden of a club amidst swaying palm trees and live music from a family of gazal
singers.

I’m of the opinion that true test of a healthy relationship is where you can communicate effortlessly and the best communications are those where thoughts, sentiments and news are exchanged and absorbed in the
right spirit.

The Bhramha Kumaris profess that there are three kinds of thoughts:
Necessary thoughts- that entail our daily engagements and chores.
Waste thoughts - that border on gossip and useless chatter that
accomplish nothing. Negative thoughts -that makes the mind wander to
the unknown and worry incessantly when all we need to do is to focus
on Positive thoughts – because only positive thoughts will help us
change our perspective.

A college friend who likes living life 70mm celebrated the arrival of
his grand child with a music concert at his Chembur bunglow. A live
band of eight musicians and singers took the guests into a nostalgic
journey from fabulous 50s to 2000. The guests were unstoppable when it
came to Shammi Kapoor numbers and old and young robustly danced
together to the likes of ‘Aaja aaja main hoon…’ and ‘Aaj kal tere mere
pyaar ke…’

Since it was a family gathering there was an equal representation from
all generations and the youngsters were pleasantly surprised to watch
the uncle aunties for a change out of control.
It was the effect of Shammi Kapoor. As Govinda once put it in my
interview: “Shammi Kappor saab ke gaano se mausam badal jaata tha…!”

Bhawana Somaaya/www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 6

6.1.2013, Mumbai

A star is born

What is it about Amphi Theatre at Bandra Bandstand that every concert
I have attended there has a magical effect? It is the ambience no
doubt but it is also the kind of audience that attends these concerts.
They are all serious music lovers, eager to relish an interesting
evening. I have attended various dance and poetry recitals and come
home mesmerized. Today is one more special evening.
Singers Sunali and Roop Kumar Rathod are anxious. It is the maiden
concert of their daughter Reewa and they don’t want to go wrong.
They’ve been preparing for this moment for days and personally called
all guests to block their dates to be able to bless their daughter.
Not surprising then that the show is housefull with celebrity guests
like Gulzar, Zakir Hussain, Shabana Azmi and many more from both music
and the film faternity.
Some have known Reewa since childhood and some are associated with her
lineage. Granddaughter of Late Pt Chaturbhuj Rathod, the renowned
Dhrupad Dhamar vocalist of Aditya gharana, Jamnagar and Late Champabai
Rathod, folk singer of Rajasthan, Reewa’s maternal grandmother Late
Leena Sheth was a reputed painter and a classical dancer. No wonder
then Reewa grew up as a multifaceted artiste.
It is a cold evening with strong wind blowing from the sea. The dark
night is filled with stars as the concert begins with a Ganesh Vandana
performed by disciples of Kathak Guru Rachna Sarang who is a friend of
the family and the brain behind the concert. The set designed by
Deepak Ghatani is unconventional and so is the show proceeding.
It is now time for Reewa to take position at the piano and do her
teacher, nationally acclaimed Late Shanti Seldon proud. She has learnt
Western Classical Pianotand passed with distictions in all 8 grades
from the Royal association Schools, london. The audience was
spellbound with her flawless rendition.
From piano Reewa moves centre-stage to pay tribute to her to her Gurus
Pt Rajan and Sajan Mishra under whose tutelage she is learning the
nuances of  Hindustani Classical music and rendered Hindi, English and
even Punjabi songs all composed by her. Also trained in Carnatic Vocal
Music by her renowned Guru Balamani Iyer and Prassanna Warrier, Rewa
surprised the audience with her Carnatic recital.
In the adjoining hotel at Taj Lands End, Ratan Tata was being given a
farewell. Roop Kumar Rathod, a proud father closed the evening with ‘A
sun is setting and a star is rising…this is life!’

Bhawana Somaaya/www. www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 5

5.1.2013, Mumbai
Hospitals and Seniors

What is about hospitals that make both the patient and their
caretakers so anxious? It is not fear of the unknown and it is
certainly not distrust for their doctor otherwise they would not be at
the venue and yet, strangely as the treatment progresses and the stay
extends, there is a slow and gradual feeling of helplessness, of
feeling trapped in a morbid, monotonous, stifling atmosphere which no
amount of luxuries like an internet connection or television can take
away. When you look out of the high floor window the neon lit street
by night appears like a distant dream…
The hospital lobby in sharp contrast to the rooms upstairs is buzzing
with activity and cheerful visitors of patients enthusiastic to catch
up with other distant relatives.
I visited two senior patients in two different hospitals in one
evening and both were desperate to go home. All they want, they said,
is relief from pain but in pursuit of better health they have
negotiated more investigations. Tied up in tubes and zealously guarded
by vigilant, devoted daughters, they are recovering but comfort is
still far away.
Every day, when the patient felt she was closer to getting home, the
doctor requested just one more test, one more x-ray and one more day
to wait and watch….
It reminds me of a story my old uncle narrated to me about my
grandmother. He compared seniors to ancient cars. Just in the way old
vehicles taken to a garage run the risk of being told that every part
of the car needs changing, so it is with our seniors. We should relish
them and preserve them as peacefully as we can indoors. This way we
will prevent rust and protect them from aggressive treatment.
I should know, I have walked the familiar lanes.

Bhawana Somaaya/ www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 4

Is Arnab Goswami a Complan boy?

4. 1. 2013, Mumbai

Arnab Goswami of Times Now is on The News Hour night after night and debate after debate cracking the whip on politicians, judiciary, defense, police, security, society, infact anybody in the midst of a controversy!!

Recently during the Gujarat Assembly Elections he was on air talking to panelists from both the parties literally from dawn to dusk, quoting past, present year figures, elaborating strategies and offering insights into candidates, parties and public opinion and BJP candidate Ravi Shankar Prasad and Abhishek complimented for that on TV.

The regulars on the show are used to Arnab’s aggressive stand on issues and his characteristic style of silencing protestors by raising direct, hard hitting questions.

As a loyal viewer of the show I have a few questions to ask about the anchor on this blog :

1. How does Arnab Goswami and anchors like him preserve their voice?  Do they gargle with salt water or swallows honey with hot milk?

2. Where do they derive their indefatigable energy from? Does Arnab for instance drink Complan or does he take Revital like Salman Khan?

3. How many Blue-Black or Blue Grey suits and different colored ties does he possess?

4. He is taking on the mighty and the powerful night after night and month after month for a long time now. Has there been a threat to his life? Does he have personal security and if not, should he?

One last point, many panelists complain that Arnab Goswami shouts his points on the show. If that is true why do they agree to appear on the show? Is it out of fear or the desire to watch them on air?

Bhawana Somaaya/ www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 3

Internet turns 30!!

3.1.2013, Mumbai

IANS reports that Internet turns 30 this year. The computer network officially began functioning when it fully substituted previous networking systems on January 1, 1983. It was the first time the US Department of Defence commissioned Arpanet network switched to use of the Internet Protocol Suite (IPS) communications system. This paved the arrival of World Wide Web (www).

Computer scientist Tim Berners Lee discovered a system of interlinked hypertext documents in 1989 called World Wide Web.

In India internet was introduced in 1990 and only few people were familiar with the system at that time. Late Shammi Kapoor was the first to master the technique and therefore unanimously appointed as the Internet President. Chitralekha, pioneer in news journalism was the first publishing house to go on web and ‘g magazine’ that I then edited was the first film publication to go on web in India.

Amitabh Bachchan had done the honors and the high tech event explaining the use of net and email was elaborated via live projection held at Mumbai’s Nehru Planetarium, an ideal venue for satellite access at that time!

Today, when this revolutionary communication system is used by billions across the globe, it sounds strange to recall that we have also lived in times when 'www' seemed a bizarre way to begin a story telling!

www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 2

Chanting for change.

2.1.2013, Mumbai

The first time I heard about Buddhist chanting was from actor Mita Vashisht during a screening at a film festival. She revealed that she was a part of a group who met and engaged in collective chanting for the welfare of the needy. Over the years I came into contact with various people from all walks of life, they had all been through life transforming experiences and were now addicted to chanting as a way of life.

This evening I accidentally walked into a home where members of the family and immediate friends were preparing for a chanting session. ‘Would you like to participate?’ the hostess asked me politely. I nodded and was drawn into the adjoining room where all of them sat on the floor facing in one direction. The senior chanter led the group and everybody followed her rhythm. Slowly and gradually the room reverberated with echoes of Nam Myoho Rengge Kyon…Nam Myoho Rengge Kyon…Nam Myoho Rengge Kyon…

I discovered that I was chanting the lotus prayer myself, not as loud or as forcefully as the others or even conscious about it but absorbed in the mesmerizing and magical effect of the vibrations in the room.

As I emerged from the session I wondered if this is how it feels after meditation.

www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 1

Ink is better than memory.

1.1.2013, Mumbai

Keeping awake all night to ring in the New Year dawn was exciting when one was younger but today nothing is more precious than an eight hour undisturbed sleep. Sill starting a new diary on the first day of the new calendar year has always been a special feeling. Most people have moved to the mobile for reminders but the only way I can remember birthdays/ anniversaries/ deadlines/ appointments is through my one page per day diary. I begin my day with newspapers, diary and a hot pot of tea. I draw a list of all that I have to do for the day and all that I write is unfailingly accomplished and what is not noted is always forgotten.

There is an old saying that is always shared by a senior editor with a budding journalist which is: The palest ink is more reliable than the sharpest memory.

I endorse it.

www.bhawanasomaaya.com