Babu Moshai

How ironical is the fact that legendry Hrishikesh Mukherjee died the same day another legend Mukesh Chandra Mathur left us three decades back! Ironical because the songs picturised on ill fated Rajesh Khanna in Anand, directed by Hrishi Da, were sung by Mukesh.

Hrishi Da, you did some fantastic stuff for us middle-class-small-towners. We believed in your characterizations. We identified in your natural settings. In your movies rush was less on roads and more in houses. Had less of Mumbai, and more of rest of India. Comedy wasn't loud, slapstick. Pathos was subtle rather than dramatic.

Stars played characters instead themselves. I loved your Mili. I loved the brooding Amitabh of Mili. I loved the way you left Mili open ended. I loved the naughty Jaya in Guddi. There are so many such Gudda,Guddis in schools. I loved that prayer from Guddi.

I cried at the end of Abhiman. I still cry when I see it. I can feel for Amitabh. My heart churns for Jaya. Oh, it is so real! Anand is so refreshing. Rajesh Khanna is lovable. Someone else would have made it gloomy. Again, ending was unthinkable.

Namak Haram gave us a star. Not Rajesh Khanna. He was the waning one. Its Amitabh. He stole the thunder from Rajesh.

Who can forget Parimal Tripathi aka Pyarey Mohan, Sukumar Sinha, Sulekha Chaturvedi, Vasudha and how they together pulled a fast one their "Jijja Ji" - Raghavendra Sharma! Or those lectures in Botany by the Professor of English. And the link between Corolla and Karela ? Not those who have seen it.

Golmaal has even bettered Chupke Chupke. Ek Jhooth Chhupane Ke Liye Sau Jhooth Bolne PAdtey Hain. Sheer magical screenplay and performances of boys and girls next door. A perfect dose against foul mood and related ailments.

Buddha Mil Gaya presented a murder mystery. It also had Aayo Kahan Se Ghanshyam, Bhali Bhali Si Ek Surat, and Raat Kali. Bawarchi was another household saga so commonly found but so simplistically handled.

Khoobsurat, Jhoothi explored the new dimension of Rekha and again so middle class, so identifiable. Sadma brought tears, and Bemisaal was indeed bemisaal.

Your tele venture Talash, where Alok Nath disappears, was excellent too.

But I loved your unheard, unseen Jurmana the most. One of your few movies I saw just once. That's because they never telecasted again. What a story of sin, guilt and repentance! Amitabh with negative shades, and here I must add - you had handled Amitabh the best; better than Chopras, Sippys, Mehras and Desais.

You gave us your fabulous under study in Gulzar. You yourself were the offshoot of brilliant Bimal Roy. Talented artists like Utpal Dutt, Omprakash, David, Asrani found new feet under your guidance.

We will miss you. Like the last line in Anand, "Anand Marte Nahin", people like you would never die from our memories.

Instead of posting nothing, I am posting junior's pics.

It Works

I don't know whether many of you are aware, that there is a Department Of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances, under the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Government Of India.

They have a functional website http://darpg-grievance.nic.in/. By the word functional I mean that you can log an online complaint against any organization/department under the purview of Government Of India( read Sarkari), if at all you have any issues regarding the functioning of that department, and that your complaint is actually looked into and is moved towards resolution.

Ok, I am not saying this just because I have heard this from someone or have received a forwarded email. I have had a logged a complaint and the concerned authority within three months was asked to resolve my issue. Here are the details.

When I shifted to Pune, some seven years ago, I took a Reliance Gas connection, as the franchisee was located in my immediate neighbourhood. The rates were almost same, and connection was given hassle free.

But gradually, the rates began to increase every month, and now they are Rs 200=00 more than the government rate. Moreover, the franchisee shut shop, and every time I needed a refilling, it took several phone calls, and whole day to get that done. I decided to shift to Bharat Gas.

The franchisee by Bharat Gas was run by crooks( usually that is the case). They would keep on dill-dallying, and ask me to come at odd hours (2.30 pm). Weekends they won't effectively function, and at the top of it they were forcing to buy a gas stove as well, which I already had. When we try to reason out with them about this, the staff would talk rudely.

Total cost of connection quoted - Rs 5200=00.

I had enough, and decided to move to Pune Consumer Protection Council. I had made up mind that I would teach these guys a lesson, even at the cost of me not getting a connection.

But before doing so, I got this aforementioned link form some where. I decided to try my luck there anticipating a cipher response. I lodged me grievance quoting this franchisee's name and address, and forgot the whole stuff.

Three months later, that is at the end of last month, I got a call from this franchisee. They had received a directive from Bharat Petroleum, who in turn had received a directive from a Joint Secretary in Ministry Of Petroleum to resolve this issue.

They were ready to give me two cylinders, sans gas stove, sans house address proof at the actual cost of Rs 2740=00. Not only that, a senior guy from Bharat Petroleum also visited my place to "solve" the issue and apologize from their side.

All this at my leisure. And unless and until I don't a write a letter to Bharat Petroleum, the issue at their side will remain open, and they will keep on hounding the franchisee. I have done that, and now they breathe easy, and I saved my money.

So guys, though this is unbelievable and unheard in India, but this thing exists, and works. From Post Office to Police Office, it will work. That's from horse's mouth.

Pardon me friends if I am not regular in posting. You all know my current object of attention.

Like Red said, I am enjoying holding my little one. Not just that, its also his sneezes, burps, hiccups, yawns, snores(yes), farts, occasional smiles, glances, faces he makes, hand movements, kicks, massage, bath, pee, potty all of these are holding my attention. He even blabbers in sleep!

He doesn't have an iota of patience when hungry, though what's new in that! We all do that. When he cries, just sing a song, and he calms down and listens attentively. When his tummy is full, he is an epitome of serenity.

He doesn't like to lie down on bed. He love to settle in arms. I tell him there are no dada-dadi, nana-nani here to pamper you in arms so please don't inculcate such habit, but he never listens.

Some times, he makes such innocent of faces, it makes us understand what's in store for us in future. After every Shaitani, he would make one such face and escape the dressing down. Boy, I am going to pamper him, though not as much I would have done to a baby girl.

Narendra uncle had written a beautiful poem recently on the occasion of his granddaughter - Jaya's birth, and had sent that to me. Knowing that my occasion is near too, I didn't post that.

I waited for the right moment, and since that moment has come, and I have a life long license to post any of his poems, I am taking the liberty to post it now.


Not only that, he wrote an impromptu poem for my son as well. Here is that lovely piece.

Son Has Risen

I am Papa now.

Wajood

Two beautiful Sher, and a lovely Gazal by Narendra Tandon ji, who write by the pseudonym - Sahil Lucknawi.

They have been written separately, but are compiled together.

Timbaktoo

The interesting thing I noticed in the movie Omkara was mentioning of Timbaktoo.

Naseeruddin Shah - Bhai Ji - tells about his honeymoon travails. According to him, he went to Timbaktoo for his honeymoon. Timbaktoo is a city in the west African country - Mali, a part of Sahara desert.

But this city is also the part of some mythical legends, and many people still think it is not a real city. Something like our Jhumri Tallaiyya.

But this is not the interesting part. The interesting part is that Timbaktoo is also the name of the movie which Vishal Bharadwaj had planned, but later shelved it.

It was shelved because Pankaj Kapoor, the lead actor, had pointed out certain inherent contradictions in the script, and suggested changes to Vishal. But the script writer Abbas Tyrewala refused to budge. What an ego!Hence the project was shelved.

But Vishal Bharadwaj did mention of this place in the movie.