Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 14

Beginning of all Auspicious
14.1.2013, Mumbai

Today is Makar Sankranti. Today is also Lorrie and today is also Pongal.
In the morning my neighbour knocked on the door and gave me tilgud -
she said may our association remain as sweet as this jaggery.
I was deeply touched and an hour later, when my cook Sakshi arrived
draped in the traditional Black sari I shared the tilgud with her.

Sakshi  enlightened me that today is the day of Sankranti pooja -
where we offer season veggies and tilgud inside an earthern pot to the
deity and must eat the tilgud only the following morning.
I was grateful for the information and watched her full of awe as she
prepared me for for the Sankranti ceremony.

Sankranti is the beginning of everything auspicious. It is the day the
season changes that is why the Punjabis light the lorrie and say
goodbue to winter. In Gujarat every terrace and window will fly the
kites and the family will eat jalebi gathiyaas with garam chai.

In my building today a maharashtrian neighbour has organised a Haldi
Kunku and requested all the women to come dressed in traditional
attire.

It is interesting how the younger generation is getting attracted to
tradition and its relevance to life and society.
They say we are at the moment in the Sangam yug and some 100 years
later when the wheel of time turns will turn we will set into the
Satyug.

Until then wear Black today if you can and gud gud bola aani tilgud khawa....

Bhawana Somaaya/ www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 13

Channel Wars

13.1.2013, Mumbai

Have you wondered why Colors Channel is suddenly featuring popular serials like Balika Vadhu and Madhubala six days a week intead of five? To give stiff competition to Kaun Banega Crorepati on Sony naturally. Saturday night proved to be quite a feast with Mrs Kaur winning 5 crores on KBC/Sony and Salman Khan announcing the winner on Bigg Boss on Colors.

Mrs Kaur took the dangerous double dip to attempt the last very difficult question as everybody in the audience and at home bit their nails in tension. I was touched to see the eexpert on the show crossing her fingers and later crying when the contestant won the last round of the game.

It was Mrs Kaur’s dream to buy the rented home they lived in for 40 years and now she would be able to present the  home to her husband and his mother.

On the Bigg Boss show it was a battle of nerves for Imam and Urvashi as Salman Khan juggled between the last two winners – now giving them hope and now pulling the carpet from undertheir feet. While Urvashi retained her cool, Imam looked visibly rattled  and full of hope everytime Salman mentioned his name.

The housemates were collectively rooting for Urvashi except Sapna who admitted that she liked Imam because she thrived on madness! The most moving statement came from Imam’s sister who when asked to choose a likely winner said “As a sister I’d like Iman to win but as an audience I would pick Urvashi.”

“Urvashi has to win” said Rajeev because losing to Iman would make him lose faith in himself and  other housemates echoed his sentiment.

It was an evening of two victories – two superstars – two channels and guess what – both won!

Bhawana Somaaya/ www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 12

Devon ke dev Mahadev

12. 1. 2013, Mumbai

I was recommended to Devon ke Dev Mahadev by a friend and ever since I have been hooked on to the serial. Where ever I am I rush back home to watch the 8pm show on Life OK and in case I miss it I make sure to not sleep before I have caught the repeat.

Shot on just one or two locations the show is engaging for its rich content and the most perfectly cast lead pair as Shiv and Parvati.

These days the show tells the story of Mahadev’s biggest devotee Parshuram.  

It seems one day, before Mahadev went in for his meditation he requested his two sons Kartike and Ganesh to guard his gate so nobody disturbed him. They did and when Parshuram walked in unannounced Ganesh very politely turned him down.

Parshuram was offended at being declined a meeting with his master and provoked by Ganesh’s unflinching stand to let him trespass, Parshuram is provoked and attacks Ganesha with his precious weapon which breaks Ganesh’s tusk.

Ganesh does not strike back because he wants peace till his father completes his meditation.  

When Mahadev rises from his meditation Parvati is livid and urges her consort to punish Parshuram for his attack on their son. Ganesh pacifies his mother that he could protect himself but didn’t because defying Parshuram’s weapon blessed by Mahadev would be defying his own father and he wouldn’t wish to do that.

Parshuram is spellbound by little Ganesh’s patience and wisdom. He is full of remorse  and wants to make amends. So he picks the broken tusk fallen on the floor of Kailash and grants a boon to Ganesh. “ What is done cannot be undone but this broken tusk in time to come will write the most precious and musical epic in reverence of deities.”

Parvati now understood why Mahadev refused to punish Parshuram. If there was no conflict, no opposition and no regret there would be no opportunity for the universe to discover  the multifaceted Ganesh.

Bhawana Somaaya/www. www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 11

Gangoo wears Garra and Mandola doesn’t connect!

11.1.2013. Mumbai

Iss hafte 2 rleases hain. Pehli- NFDC ki peshgi Gangoo Bai.

Gangoo Matheran mein ghar kaam karnewali houemaid ki kahani hai. Ek din Gangoo apne memsaab ki beti ko Garra shaadi mein dekhti hai aur uski zindagi badal jaati hai. Woh din raat mehnat karke chaar saal baad 50,000 ruppaiye ekatha karti hai aur shaadi kharid ne ke liye Matheran se Bambai aati hain.

Director Priya Krishnaswamy ki iss chotti aur saral film mein gaon ki mithas hai…shehar ke sapne…kudrat ki sachai..vicharon ki visheshta aur rishton ki ahmiyat hain…

Ye sach hai ki Gangoo ke liye sab kuch bohat aasan aur jaldi haasil ho jaata hai. Film kuch lambi -kuch dheemi aur kahin par gaano ki kummi bhi mehsoos hoti hai – magar ye saari khamiyaan Sarita Joshi apne vyaktitva se bhar deti hain.

Shraddha aur sachai se bhari Gangoo Bai ko Big Entertainment Ratings milte hain 3 stars.

***

Doosri film - Vishal Bharadwaj ki Mattru ki Bijli ka Mandola.

Matru ki Bijli ka Mandola ek Harayni businessman ki kahani hai jo ek corrupt politician ki madad se apne gaon bechkar malls banana chahta hai.

Mandola- yaane Pankaj Kapoor ke andar do aadmi hain – ek sharab ke pehla aur doosre sharab ke baad. Mattru – yaane Imran Khan ke andar bhi do aadmi hain- ek jo Mandola ka naukar hai aur doosre jo padha likha krantikari hai. Achraj ki baat toh ye hai ki Bijli- yaane Anushka Sharma ke andar bhi do insaan hain – ek jo amir baap ki aulaad beti hai aur doosre jo zindagi se bazaar Meena Kumari hain.

2 ghante aur chaalis minute ki film mein writer director Vishal Bharadwaj ko kahani ke saath saath teen kirdaron ke mukhawte utarne hain.

Film jab shuru hoti hai toh aisa lagta hai jaise kuch khaas hone wala hai. Jiss tarha se scenes aur characters unfold hote hain tab aisa lagta hai jaise director apne audience ko samajhta hai. Mattru ki Bijli mein manoranjan ki saari samagri hain – natkhat title, andekha plot, jhoomta sangit, refreshing dialogues, yaadgar scenes aur mazedar characters.

Ye saari vishestaon ke bawajood - teer nishane par nahi lagta! Director apni gulabi bhaisn aur helicopter ride mein iss tarha se kho jaate hain ki audience se communicate karna bhool jaate hain.

Anushka Sharma aur Imran Khan ki jodi achi hain magar Shabana Azmi aur Pankaj Kapoor ki jodi zyaada dilchasp hain.

Mattru ki Bijl ka Mandola ko Big Entertainment Ratings milte hain 2.5 stars.

The above review can be heard on 927 Big FM over the weekend. Suno sunao life banao.

Bhawana Somaaya/ www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 10

Hrithik always RULES!!

10. 1.2013, Mumbai

I was watching Hrithik Roshan’s birthday party pictures in the papers and thinking about the first time I met him. I had gone to interview his dad Rakesh Roshan at home and we were in the midst of an intense conversation when a strapping youth, his gym bag casually flung on his shoulder stopped by to talk to his dad. Rakesh stopped talking. ‘Meet my son Hrithik, very soon I’ll be launching him in my film.’

Hrithik stood at a distance, locked his green eyes into mine and nodded self assuredly. In the first impression he had all the making of a star. He was tall, well built, good looking and most important, had grown up watching all the legends in the family.

Before his debut he had assisted his father in a couple of films, carried Shah Rukh Khan’s costume and shoes, traveled by public transport to work  and stayed in ordinary hotels on outdoors with the rest of the technicians.

Came Kaho Na Pyaar Hai and a star was born. Came Koi Mil Gaya and Krrish and a superstar bloomed.  The bigger he turned the more human he remained. He was by the admission of the family the perfect son and the perfect husband and father. His filmmakers relied on his commitment and admired his devotion to his work.

In his interviews or in his public appearances one never found Hrithik blowing his own trumpets. Infact he was always careful never to reveal more about him than necessary to the media. Actors often talk about how a certain character they played transformed their lives but when the film is over, the character is forgotten.

I was not surprised however when I read about Hrithik championing for the cause of paraplegia. When he worked in Guzaarish he endured the pain of his character and remains sensitized to the suffering of spinal injury patients forever.

Two things touch me deeply about Hrithik and both I discovered accidently. The first, he collects memoirs of all his special characters – so there is a net T shirt from Kaho Na Pyaar Hai, spectacles from Koi Mil Gaya, mask from Krrish, etc, etc and the second, even more special than the first is that every year Hrithik makes it a point to mend a broken relationship on his birthday.

Now you understand why I say he is special!

Bhawana Somaaya/ www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 9

Rock on Farhan

9. 1.2013, Mumbai

Today is Farhan Akhtar’s birthday. I have known Farhan since he was literally knee high, very funny and brimming with ideas. Then he had two passions. He loved food and he loved films. For a while Farhan enrolled in a college but soon got bored and dropped out. For a year or so Farhan did nothing except stay home and watch films.

His mother Honey Irani has often said that watching her young son lie all day in bed before TV worried her and she feared that he would do nothing constructive in life. She pleaded with her daughter Zoya to find her brother a job and Zoya put Farhan on to  AD Guru Adi Pocha.

It is said that Adi Pocha was vastly impressed with Farhan and predicted a great future for his protégée.  He told Shabana Azmi that Farhan has the making of a writer, director, actor and also a musician. ‘The conflict will be in making up his mind for a specific field and giving it single minded attention.’

Nobody believed Pocha at that time but a few years later Farhan surprised his parents with his debut script. His school friend Ritesh Sidhwani and he had decided to set up a production company. The result was Dil Chahta Hai and the rest is history.

Rock On launched Farhan as an actor and a musician and Zindagi Na Milegi Dobbara as a reciting poet.  Life seemed like a celebration but the best was still to come.

Rakesh Omprakash Mehra offered Farhan a role of a lifetime Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. The film is releasing this year and the promos on air very promising.

It has been barely a decade since Farhan began his journey in cinema and he has achieved so much already.  Farhan has proved what his guru had predicted – an all rounder and what is further flattering is that the creative process involved no conflicts.

Bhawana Somaaya/ www.bhawanasomaaya.com

Cutting Chai with Bhawana Somaaya - Day 8

Writing a book

8.1.2013, Mumbai

Recently at the Bangalore literature Festival I was on a panel discussion with eminent writer and journalist Tavleen Singh. The topic was biographies and Tavleen was sharing the making of her new book Durbaar. I could not resist asking Tavleen a question I have often been asked by journalists and students: How do you write your books. What is the process? How many hours a day are you in front of the computer?

Tavleen was more than happy to share the process of writing and said that as far as her regular columns were concerned she could hammer on her keyboard with her one eye closed but a book, she said requires focus particularly in the formatting stage when there is too much information and no structure. “Once I have worked out a structure I’m definitely more relaxed but even then there is a constant anxiousness and this continues till the book is complete. When I’m working on a book, I wake up early in the morning so I can write for long uninterrupted hours.  During this time I’m so absorbed that even brewing a cup of coffee is a distraction.  I don’t like to socialize while I’m writing for it consumes my energy. Also, I don’t want to make an effort in formal dressing but meeting up friends is refreshing and you look forward to such breaks.”

Shehan Karunatilaka, author of Chinaman said in an interview that he begins writing at dawn and stacks his table with five different kinds of fluids so he does not have to get up from his desk till lunch hour. After a power nap Shehan is back to the computer screen absorbed in the world of his characters. 

Author, columnist and opinion maker Shobhaa De has always said that the only way to write a book is to write obsessively.  De whose new book Sethji has recently released says she writes every waking hour of the day until her book goes for print.

Next time somebody asks me ‘how do you write…where do you write…how many hours a day?’ I will not feel self conscious to answer for I now know that it is more or less the same story with all the authors.

www.bhawanasomaaya.com